A Few Good Years to Be Alive

Chapter 16: The Adventure That Came to an End Too Soon

- -- - - - -- - - - DAY 7- - - -- -- - - - - -

Jack, Jaden, Megan and Demeta rushed behind a water fall, where the water from ontop of a mountain-like cliff hid an opening. They went inside the dark cave with nothing but a few torches to light the dimmed path that lied before them, leaving Will and Shavai along with the rest of the crew to keep the others from entering the cave until Jack could get the amulet. They panicked as they saw the ship with their enemies begin to crash onto land. The most unfortunate thing for the crew, was though they were corpses, they could not be killed ontill whoever put the spell on them was killed, which is why they had to kill Roberts.

Katherine and Jacinda took their 'borrowed' ship and set the other on fire. Their best guess on how they got another was waited until some unlucky ship passed their way and killed it's original passengers. Either way, they took all alchohol and burned Roberts ship and took off with theirs only to return with it later.

Jack led the way in the cave, followed by Jaden who held the rope that was tied onto Demeta's wrists. Megan followed behind her, keeping her sword drawn incase anything should happen. They had to move quickly to keep ahead of anyone else,but the rocks that they had to walk on were wet and shifted under their weight and got more difficult to climb as they ascended. Around 20 feet of climbing into the air near the top of the cave top, resembling a hollowed out valcano with a small mountain inside of it. Demeta smiled as images went through her mind, seeing Shavai gasping for air as her hand's grip let go on Will's. Megan's face filling with fear as a sword loomed above her chest. Jaden was hanging over the edge of the ground they walked up, bloody and bruised, hanging by her fingertips. And Jack falling from his position, as Roberts claimed victory holding the amulet in his hand.

Megan glanced ahead of her at Demeta's face. She saw the smile on her lips as her eyes glazed over and she stared blankly walking like a zombie. Megan rushed ahead and put her sword to Demeta's throat. "What the hell did you see?" Demeta kept smiling. "I saw how everything is and what will be. And it begins..." She paused for a moment as Jack and Jaden stared back at both of them. Suddenly, shots echoed through the cave as the battle between the ship's crews started. Demeta finished "Now."

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Shavai and Will clashed swords against anybody that tried to kill them. Keeping their back to the cave, hoping to keep everyone out. They figured after the first five corpses, the only way to keep them down for good was to decapitate them. After a few moments, all was well, until Shavai and Will were just about the only two left keeping everyone out. Mr. Gibbs and the rest chased the others further down the island, away from the entrance. 6 against two were not fair odds. Especially when two of the six that remained, were Roberts and Brandon. Will took on two as he quickly decapitated one, and fought the other. Shavai looked well, until one got behind her and before she knew what was happening, she turned to slice that one's head off when the other that was infront of her, took his sword, and slammed the blade through her side. Will looked over as Shavai's eyes widened and a scream escaped her lips as she fell to the floor. He rammed his sword through the one infront of him as he charged to the one who had just harmed Shavai. He ran and sliced through him as though he were air and repeatedly stabbed him before leaving his sword and tending to Shavai. Brandon and Roberts ran into the cave. Will didn't care. He lifted Shavai onto his knees with tears in his eyes. He saw the ones that escaped her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Shavai grasped his hand, hoping to ease the pain as she began to go into shock.

He looked at the sword protruding from her, and wondered if he should remove it. But logic in him told him the truth: She was done for. If he pulled the sword out, she would bleed to death in a matter of seconds, and if he left it in, she might be able to hold on a little longer than she should. Shavai choked as she coughed up a little blood. She grasped Will's hand.

"How bad is it?" Shavai shook as her breath and heart sped up. Will smiled the best he could. "Nothing, you're- you're..." He turned his head and looked around. Nothing else sounded but the waves pounding on the sand. The wind blew slowly and gave him little comfort. "You're gonna be fine. You're gonna make it." Shavai knew he was lying. Her heart was breaking, she had found true love at long last, and just as it happened, she would die before her time and it would leave her alone. Things began to get hazy in her eyesight and everything began to turn against her. Will hugged her close. Her senses had beun to turn against her as she felt extremely cold as the warmth seeped from her and voices started to echo. "Will, I love you. I always have. And..." Will's smile dissappeared and tears fell automatically from his eyes. "Don't speak." He whispered. He knew in his mind, he broke a promise to never let anything happen to her. He failed.

Shavai didn't listen. "I- I never wanted to leave you. Thanks for making this adventure unforgettable. I just want one thing." Shavai's head turned to the side as her breaths became shallow and more spaced apart. Will shook her "Shavai. Shavai. Please, don't do this to me... not again." Shavai woke up again and gave a weak half-smile "Bury me with my flask." She gave a little chuckle. Will didn't. Shavai tilted her head to the side and stopped breathing.

Her grip loosened on his and she finally let go.

Will pulled the sword out and rocked her back and forth to his chest. "Please don't leave me..." He looked at her face. Her face was dirty from the sand and dirt, and the tears she cried made small clear paths like a river down her cheek. Will kissed her cheek and continued to rock her. He leaned his head on hers and felt his heart slowly tear apart, as his mind filled with her. He then looked to the sky, as though he saw God's face looking down in the sun and whispered quietly "I hate you."

Mr. Gibbs and the rest of the crew, had had a victory against Roberts for the mean time, and walked back to see Will kneeling with Shavai. They kept their distance as they noticed the white sand littered with the familiar color of red that soaked it. And at that instant, they knew. The men and women of the crew alike pulled their hats over their hearts as tears gathered in their eyes. Shavai was a pirate that embraced life to the fullest, and on that day as the sky turned to a deep hot pink that soaked the clouds, it looked as though the sun had been suddenly covered in blood. Time was running out and the day lost a great adventurer. The bodies that had not been decapitated yet, began to stumble towards them from their part of the island. Will looked at Shavai one last time as he got up and picked up his sword. He then led the crew racing towards the walking corpses with their swords raised.

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Jack and the rest trudged slowly up the cliff on their way to the amulet. Treasure of all kinds, gold and sliver littered every inch of ground. Another 30 feet up and they should be there. Jaden kept a tight hold on Demeta's cuffs. And Megan walked behind them closley as possible. Demeta needed a way to slow them down, so she finally decided to create a diversion. She put one foot infront of the other and tripped herself. Jaden let go of the rope for a moment and watched as Demeta went rolling down, past Megan. They all chased after her, swords drawn. She finally stopped on her back and laid there. Megan pointed her sword at Demeta's throat and pulled her up by one arm.

"No matter how magical you are, you still can't avoid being a clumsy oaf could you?" Megan yelled at her as Jaden and Jack slid down on their heels, almost losing their balance quite a few times. Jaden worried, she knew Demeta wouldn't trip, even if it was an accident, every move was calculated and planned in a very meticulous manner. "Why'd you do it, Demeta?! Answer me?!" Jaden yelled as one of her hands backhanded Demeta across the face making her fall once again and roll further down. Stopping against a pair of boots. Beside those boots, were another pair and they belonged to Brandon and Roberts.

Roberts pulled Demeta to her feet and cut through the rope with his sword, they all grinned at Jaden, Megan and Jack.

Jack began to head back up in hopes of beating the others, Roberts chased after him. Demeta threw some gold coins on the ground at Jaden's face. Jaden's hands went up to her face in defence, Demeta took the oppertunity to run up and kick her with both feet in hopes of knocking her over the edge. No such luck. Jaden caught a few feet short of the edge, but her sword fell over. Getting quickly to her feet she ran to Demeta and a punching war ensued, that quickly

Megan took off running after Roberts, Brandon caught sight of this and chased in hot persuit after her. Megan finally turned and their swords clanged extremely fast. "Shavai!" Megan yelled. Brandon looked down for a second as he continued to clash swords with her. "She can't hear you anymore." He laughed as she swung her sword at his feet and he easily jumped over it.

"You're so predictable!" He said as he used his foot to kick her away to the ground. "Nothing about you's changed." He said as he stood over her. She bashed his sword away as she got to her knees and jumped up, not for one moment letting her guard down. "What happened to you?!" She yelled hoping to get it through to him her concern as though some miracle would make him turn good again. They held their swords against each other over their heads. Both of them were using their feet and both hands. Brandon laughed in her face as he used his foot to kick her. "What do you want me to say?" He asked her as he bent on over to the floor and took her sword and tossed it over the edge. "I love you? Is that it?" He laughed in her face. "Don't flatter yourself. Why cheapen the meaning of the word? It's just such a shame you came all this way..." He took his sword as Megan cowered near the edge. "Just to die now."

Megan's eyes watered, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. Her heart ached. It couldn't be true. Not after all they'd been through thogether, the love they shared- the promises they made. Brandon slowly moved the sword down her throat just slow and close enough to her sking to make her begin to bleed. He looked over as he heard the screams from Jaden and Demeta.

An idea came to Brandon "Maybe I should keep you alive a little longer, Megan." He said with a silent mockery and sense of ridicule in his voice. "I mean, if not to watch your last best friend die, what are friends really for?"

Megan put the pieces of the puzzle together in her mind. 'Last best friend" - "Can't hear you anymore" Brandon had said. They all repeated themselves in her head. One by one, panging themselves against her soul like a person being stoned. It hurt so deep, she disconnected from reality. A deep surrealism took over, and she found herself drowning all over again. Only this time, Jaden wouldn't be diving in to save her. She had to find her own way out of this one. The memory of Shavai stuck in her mind. Her friend was gone. Soon enough, she and Jaden would be joining her.

Unless.

Somehow in the one moment she blacked out, she blinked and found herself in the nightmare she was going through. The love of her life with a sword at her neck and forcing her to watch the demise of her best friend.

"What's the point?" She wondered to herself. "Shavai's not going to be there." Memories of good times with Jaden and Shavai came flooding back to her mind. Suddenly, her feeling to cry was replaced with anger and hatred. She watched as Brandon made the mistake of looking back at Demeta and Jaden fighting. She saw her chance and took it.

Grabbing the sword by the blade, she cut her hands badly on the palms, but didn't care. It was life or death. Megan threw the blade to the side as she pushed Brandon backwards on his back and began to punch him with all her strength. She pushed herself up as fast as she could. He fell to one side holding his bleeding nose and mouth. Megan kicked him with all her might in his side.

"That was for my family!" She kicked him once. "That was for trying to kill me!" She kicked him again. He struggled towards the sword that lay three feet away. Megan bent quickly and plunged it through him. "This is for Shavai!" Instantly, she felt remorse for what she did. She had already paid in years of her life for her sins. That was also when she was still innocent. Life wasn't fair, and in the middle of her life, she found for herself, sometimes there just wasn't a reason for anything.

She looked at his face and saw him softly chuckling. Brandon's eyes flashed a neon green and instantly tears gathered in his eyes and fell quickly. He began to cry. Megan's eyesight blurred through the salty tears that had gathered without her knowing. God himself, wasn't about to make her let go of him. Brandon blinked and looked up to see Megan's face.

He saw her through the way he used to. Megan was bruised and bleeding and looked as though she had just been through hell, and would have to return soon. He saw Megan as his own personal angel. The way the sun beamed through her hair and hit her highlights just right, making a halo around her head. She was a fallen angel. He didn't want to go now. He gave a weak smile, and she, half-heartedly, smiled back, quickly the tears ran down her cheeks when she blinked. Brandon wiped her tears away using his thumb holding her jaw.

"You should smile more often, your face wasn't meant to cry." He grimaced as a wave of pain hit him.

Megan looked at him and whispered "Please don't go."

Brandon looked at her, holding back tears. "Megan, I know I could never make it up for anything I've done to you...or all the time we've lost." He clenched her hand harder to try to make the pain subside. "But I want you to know, if I could, I would spend the rest of my life- making it up to you. I l- I love-" His head suddenly tilted to the side. He stopped breathing.

Megan looked at him for a moment. He was extremely pale and cold. She held her breath for a second, and shook him. "Brandon. Brandon?" She shook him a little bit longer and rested her head on his neck, getting her shirt in his blood. She didn't care. At that moment, she would've given anything, gone anywhere, and done anything to have him back. She let the tears fall down her face onto his chest and whispered "Yeah I know."

She took in a shaky breath and sighed.

"I love you, too."