VII: Guardian Angel
Lulu sat under a tree, near the falls, watching the mist form little rainbows in the air. The serene pounding of water on the rocks below gently lulled her to sleep. When her eyes opened she saw Yuna. She was standing on a small ledge hanging over the falls. Lulu rose from the soft blanket to investigate. Yuna was standing so close to the edge that Lulu was afraid to say anything, fearing that the words would startle her and send her plummeting to the rapids below.
'It's not like her to be so careless.' Lulu thought, still confused. 'Why would she do that?'
Then Yuna mumbled some words, almost inaudible. "If I fell..." Lulu watched Yuna lean her head back as her body stood straight. Slowly she began to lean forward. "...I could see you again." She closed her eyes.
"Yuna! No!" Lulu screamed when she realized what was happening. She reached her arms out to Yuna but was much too far away.
Yuna heard Lulu's scream and lost her balance. One foot slid over the slippery rock and she began to fall. She caught the ledge with her hands, as her body dangled in the mist. With all her strength, Yuna pulled herself back onto the ledge, as Lulu watched in horror. Yuna cried, sprawled over the wet stone.
"Yuna." Lulu said softly as she began to climb onto the rock. "Give me your hands." Yuna looked up. Her eyes were red and swollen, crying tears of desperation and fear. Her hands were scraped and bleeding from the sharp stone. "Please, Yuna. Give me your hands."
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry." Yuna cried over and over again, but did not move. Lulu could not climb out any further; the ledge was much too small for the weight of two. Lulu reached out as far as her arms would take her, and touched one of Yuna's wet and bloody fingers.
"Please, Yuna. Let me help you down from there." Yuna lifted her head from the rock, then her body, and then began to crawl off the ledge. Lulu took her shaking arms and guided her down.
They stood together on the solid ground, Yuna's arms and legs trembling. The blood from her scraped hands streaked across her cheeks where she rubbed away her tears. Lulu wrapped her friend in the warm blanket; Yuna was soaking wet and cold. Yuna laid down in the grass, and Lulu sat beside her. The sun poured through a clearing in the trees and dried Yuna's wet skin.
The girls didn't say anything. Lulu didn't know what to say. She just ran her fingertips along Yuna's forehead, watching her cry and shiver. They all knew she was terribly sad, but no one thought like this. Her spirit was broken. She'd lost her will to live. Yuna fell asleep in the warm sunlight, and Lulu watched as a smile crept onto her lips. 'You must be thinking about him.' Lulu thought, running her fingers through Yuna's wet hair. 'I hope you're having a good dream.'
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Thank you for reading.
Darcee :)
Lulu sat under a tree, near the falls, watching the mist form little rainbows in the air. The serene pounding of water on the rocks below gently lulled her to sleep. When her eyes opened she saw Yuna. She was standing on a small ledge hanging over the falls. Lulu rose from the soft blanket to investigate. Yuna was standing so close to the edge that Lulu was afraid to say anything, fearing that the words would startle her and send her plummeting to the rapids below.
'It's not like her to be so careless.' Lulu thought, still confused. 'Why would she do that?'
Then Yuna mumbled some words, almost inaudible. "If I fell..." Lulu watched Yuna lean her head back as her body stood straight. Slowly she began to lean forward. "...I could see you again." She closed her eyes.
"Yuna! No!" Lulu screamed when she realized what was happening. She reached her arms out to Yuna but was much too far away.
Yuna heard Lulu's scream and lost her balance. One foot slid over the slippery rock and she began to fall. She caught the ledge with her hands, as her body dangled in the mist. With all her strength, Yuna pulled herself back onto the ledge, as Lulu watched in horror. Yuna cried, sprawled over the wet stone.
"Yuna." Lulu said softly as she began to climb onto the rock. "Give me your hands." Yuna looked up. Her eyes were red and swollen, crying tears of desperation and fear. Her hands were scraped and bleeding from the sharp stone. "Please, Yuna. Give me your hands."
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry." Yuna cried over and over again, but did not move. Lulu could not climb out any further; the ledge was much too small for the weight of two. Lulu reached out as far as her arms would take her, and touched one of Yuna's wet and bloody fingers.
"Please, Yuna. Let me help you down from there." Yuna lifted her head from the rock, then her body, and then began to crawl off the ledge. Lulu took her shaking arms and guided her down.
They stood together on the solid ground, Yuna's arms and legs trembling. The blood from her scraped hands streaked across her cheeks where she rubbed away her tears. Lulu wrapped her friend in the warm blanket; Yuna was soaking wet and cold. Yuna laid down in the grass, and Lulu sat beside her. The sun poured through a clearing in the trees and dried Yuna's wet skin.
The girls didn't say anything. Lulu didn't know what to say. She just ran her fingertips along Yuna's forehead, watching her cry and shiver. They all knew she was terribly sad, but no one thought like this. Her spirit was broken. She'd lost her will to live. Yuna fell asleep in the warm sunlight, and Lulu watched as a smile crept onto her lips. 'You must be thinking about him.' Lulu thought, running her fingers through Yuna's wet hair. 'I hope you're having a good dream.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for reading.
Darcee :)