"What are you going to do now?"
The question was not unexpected, but he still wished it could've waited a bit. It had been nice, peaceful to sit here with her. To, for once in forever, almost forget that he was alone against an organization that was massive and ruthless. To forget the savage dogs and masked men, to forget creatures trying to drag him into briny depths, to forget the machines and the shambling bodies that he had been forced to use, no matter how much it disturbed him.
But he could not put it off any longer.
"I . . . I have to go on."
She blinked her dark eyes at him, then looked away. She sniffed and put a hand up to her cheek to wipe something away.
"Wh- . . . why?" she asked, blunt and to the point.
He bit his lip. A part of him was once again tempted to stay, to forget about it all. She had lived down here and now he could breathe underwater too. He didn't even have any assurance that his family was still alive, or unchanged from the shambling bodies that marched and worked above. Why shouldn't he just stay.
Because there was still a chance.
"I . . . I have to go," he said haltingly. "I need to find my family. And . . ." he broke off.
". . . and what?" she asked expectantly.
"It's just . . . something, I don't know what. I feel like something's telling me that I need to keep going."
There was some silence, the girl staring at him. He smiled a bit sardonically, "I know it sounds weird, probably a little nuts, but I feel like there's something I'm looking for. I want to find my family, and maybe whatever else there is to find."
The girl blinked, then hung her head.
"I . . . I don't want you to go . . . please don't go . . ."
The boy sighed sadly. He reached out a hand, moving towards the girl's cheek. The girl however, turned away, seeming to not want the comforting gesture. She sniffed again and the boy felt his stomach clench as he saw tears running down her face.
"I'm sorry" he said softly, "really I am, but . . . I can't stay. I have a mom and dad, brothers and sisters who're lost. I won't . . . I don't . . . I'll always feel bad if I don't look for them."
The girl still didn't look at him and sniffed loudly again.
"You could come with me" he said quietly. The soft hope that had blossomed within him died a swift death as the girl looked at him with wild, tear-stained eyes and moved a bit closer to the water. Of course, he shouldn't ask, nor even really expect her to leave on his account. They barely knew each other after all.
A long silence fell. Neither wanted to break it, to bring their moment of companionship to an end. But the feeling grew in the boy that the longer he waited here, the less chance he stood to find his family, the less chance he stood to find whatever might be calling him.
Finally, struck by and idea, he pulled off his sweater and held it out to her. She looked surprised.
"Wh-what? Wh-wh-why?"
He smiled, a bit sadly, "something to remember me by in case . . . just in case. Plus-" his cheeks flushed a little bit, "-most people 'ahem' wear something to cover up."
She flushed too, being reminded at her state of undress. She took the sweater in her hands and fingered it carefully. Then she brought it over her head and pulled it on, with some difficulty. It had, after all, been a very long time since she'd worn clothes of any sort.
Still she got it up and over her head. Putting her arms through, she found that it was a bit big for her but that turned out to be an advantage as it was even enough to go down over her groin and more private parts of her body.
He smiled as she felt the soft fabric. It had been a favorite sweater of his, hence why he had been wearing it when the whole crisis had gone down. But she needed it more than he did, and if . . .
His head dipped down for a second.
. . . if something happened at least he could know that one person would remember him.
He heard her sniff and looked up. She was fingering his sweater with a look of disbelief on her face. Then she looked at him. A split second later, she had flung her arms around him and pushed her lips onto his.
It was short and simple, and he was really too surprised to do more than blink before she backed up shyly.
"What . . . why . . .?"
"For luck" she said simply as her cheeks flamed red. Then she turned and slipped back into the water, backing up slowly and letting her body sink further and further.
"If . . ." he struggled to think what to say, his cheeks also being red.
"If I make it through . . . I'll come back for you."
"Don't say that" she said sharply, "you won't. They won't let you. Or you'll find your family and forget all about me."
He thought for a bit, then knelt down and took one of her hands.
"I won't forget you, promise."
Her face scrunched up and more tears leaked out her eyes.
"I promise too, I won't forget you."
Wetness came to his eyes too and their fingers interlaced, as though sealing the promise.
A moment that lasted forever passed between them.
Then he began to back up, and their hands slowly separated. Their fingers came apart and slowly slid away, as though they wanted to delay their separation as long as possible.
Then he turned and began to walk, his feet sliding in the sand as he moved. Many times he turned and looked back. She was watching him with her wide dark eyes, each time he looked being a trial for his resolve to go.
Then, as he came to an exit out, he turned around one last time. She was still there, though she had sunken down into the water so that nothing but her eyes were visible. For a whole minute they stared at each other.
Then he turned, and with a heavy heart, walked on.
Author's Note: Witness the fruit of me being on vacation, not taking a laptop and thus not having the distractions inherent with such a thing. It's a bit short I know, but this is more of a write-when-I-want-to side project. Heck, if I get to the next chapter, it might be the last one.
Hope you enjoyed this. Let me know if you did.
