./AN:.
Don't you just love me? I've already started updating again! WHEEE! ahem Anyways, I just thought that I'd say I'm sorry for making so many of you writhe in disappointemtn and desperation, but I'm determined to finish what I started. I have stated in many of my own reviews that I admire those that openly express their work to others, whether it is good work or not, and I have also addressed that there is nothing that I dislike more than an author/authoress that doesn't finish his or her story. And I'd really be happy if I didn't become what I most despise. So, if you are one of those people that have either given up on your story, then either get back to it or delete itit's a waste of time to leave unfinished work out there on the internet if you don't intend in finishing it... anyways, here's your chapter, so read and enjoy...
Chapter 20: Taking Turns Part 3- Third Contestant/Lost Love… Maybe
Ulrich's POV:
I'm not fast enough…My feet were pounding the ground beneath me, my breath was coming in ragged gasps.
I'm too tired…My legs were strained, my lungs were on fire. I couldn't see straight, my sight blurred by frantic tears.
I have to get to her, I have to…My head throbbed, my heart burned. I could only rely on my instinct to lead me in the right direction to her.
Please, I've got to save her…Damn you, Lance, for doing this to us, to me! Why, why couldn't it be someone else? Why her?
No, no, no! This isn't right, this shouldn't happen!
I couldn't tell how fast I was moving since there wasn't an object that I could actually see to gauge my speed. But, then, I saw it—not the tower, not my two friends, but the cursed knife that was making me run for my life. I was running right next to it! No, that's not right… I ran past it.
I tried to swipe at it, to knock it off course, but I missed, my hand flying wildly due to the force of the virtual wind I was creating around my streaming body. I started to loose my speed, the knife gained a few feet. My feet started to petal faster, propelling me back ahead of the dagger.
And that's when, to my horror, I saw them. The tower, Odd…
Yumi…
My legs were starting to buckle beneath me, my feet stumbling over invisible nicks and crooks in the snow-covered ground. The knife was beating me, gaining a few inches every time my leg muscles had a spasm or I tripped.
I'm not going to make it.
I didn't know what to do, she was just standing there, staring off into space, while Odd was looking the other way. Then, he yelled her name so loud that even I was able to hear it. She jumped about a foot into the air, and I knew that I'd be laughing if I weren't so scared for her life. Still, they didn't notice me or the blade, Odd too busy rolling around on the ground, laughing, and Yumi too busy trying to control her blush…
I'm not going to make it…I knew, then, what I had to do…
When I felt that I was close enough for it to work, I yelled, "YUMI, LOOK OUT!"
She looked up, surprise quickly turning to happiness, which then turned to worry, then…
Fear…
She saw it, but only a second had passed and she didn't move out of the way quickly enough.
I helped her…
I dove, throwing my hands out to shove her, non to gently, out of the way so that she was out of the range of the blade and was safe…
only so that I could take her place.
I didn't really feel it, but I could feel something when the blade connected to my back. It wasn't pain, but it sure as hell didn't feel good. It was strange, for even Lance's blade didn't feel like this when he thrust it into my stomach. I gasped out at the unpleasant sensation as my body collided with the snowy ground, forcing me to let out a brief cry of pain.
"ULRICH!" I heard them yell, though it was slightly muffled by the snow that had wedged itself into my ear.
I slid a few more feet from my rough landing, but I didn't feel like moving as the snow that I had kicked up because of my fall settled back down onto my body. It created a soft, yet cold, blanket that managed to chill me, even though I couldn't feel the coldness before…
But, it wasn't the snow that made me feel cold—it was my body. Or, more accurately, what was happening to my body. I didn't get it, but apparently the knife had the same poison the Hornets had covering the blade, making it a lethal weapon that could de-virtualize anyone that it made contact with. And the coldness that I was feeling was my body's life being absorbed by X.A.N.A.
I could barely make out Yumi's figure through my teary eyes as she made her way back to me. I faintly felt her kneel beside me, lifting my head into her lap only so that she could hug me. I could've sworn that I felt her tears fall onto my face, but I knew that you couldn't cry in the virtual world…
"No, Ulrich, what did you do…" she whispered into my hair.
"You should have been paying attention…" I mumbled back, fighting the urge to close my eyes. I was suddenly extremely tired, almost like I had gone three days without sleep…
"LASER ARROW!" we heard Odd yell, and I could hear the emotional pain in his voice. I knew without seeing him that Lance had followed me to the gang, and I inwardly cursed myself for not getting to them faster, so that maybe I would have escaped death as well as saved Yumi… still, Yumi ignored Lance completely, quite content with letting Odd deal the damage the ninja boy deserved.
"Don't you dare blame this on me, Ulrich, you were the one that jumped… you shouldn't have…"
"I know, but I did anyways…" it was getting harder for me to talk, and I knew that my body was being de-virtualized. My data was floating away from me, then disappearing out of sight.
"Please, Ulrich, stay with us… we can't let you go, I can't, I won't!"
I gave into a small smirkish smile. "Sorry Yumi…"
And everything stopped.
./AN:.
And, that's it for now! I will continue this, you have my word. Even though I'm not fully into the show anymore doesn't mean that I won't do my best and finish this to the best of my amatuer abilities... Stay tuned!