Turns out writing a first-person dying scene is actually really hard. Turns out writing one that's slowly dying is even harder. I, uh, did my best, but I'm not satisfied with how it is turning out. So hold on to your pants for the next 1k words, because… Well… This is how it turned out.

Chapter 9: Sunset

For how long have I been here? It feels like days- maybe even weeks… Even if it's just a couple of minutes, I'm trying to convince myself it was much longer than that.

Really, I have no idea how long it has been, but I know I can't stick around here. My whole body feels like it's on fire and if I don't find a way to patch myself up, it's going to get much worse than that. What stops me from patching myself up with my own supplies is the, well, lack of medicine I have on my person… We used my stuff to heal ourselves up from the mediocre damage those damned blue teardrops dealt.

Already, I've tried to call Vampy, only to ultimately remember I don't even have her number… Then there's another problem. I have no idea who to call in her stead… Look. There's a reason I'm a dropout. I'm incompetent and anti-social, alright?

God-... Damn it. This is no time for self-pity. I need to get out of here.

But-... How?

As if to try an answer, I put a hand flat on the ground and push myself up. Alright. My arms aren't broken. Even if they are sore, I can still use them. That's good…

Next, I make an attempt to stand, only to naturally scream out in pain. Quickly, I toss the idea out the window. Shit… Feels like when I broke my leg back in grade school…

…

"Oh, fuck my ass," I quietly hiss. There's no way I'm making it out of here with a broken bone. Not alone at least...

…

I got no real choice here. Biting through the pain, I push myself up enough to be facing the slope I rolled down. It looks even longer from down here.

With a dry throat, I purse my lips and groan. My intent was to cry out and scream for help, but what comes out is nothing more but a pathetic wince of pain, followed by a series of coughs. Breath in, Nate… Breath…

My head feeling lighter than ever, I wait for this drunk sensation to pass. And once again, I try.

"H-Heeelp…" I cried near-silently. Damn it… Louder, kid… "H-... Help…!" I stammer in a more audible voice. Still not good enough…

I take a few sharp breaths and grit my teeth. With a broken, pained voice, I screamed for help, praying Vampy—or anyone—could hear me. "Help me…! Please!"

Again and again, over and over, repeat after repeat, I cry out for help, each scream more desperate than the last. With long pauses in-between for air, I start to wonder if this is even doing anything… I can't move. No one can hear me. And every part of my body is giving a different signal of pain. God-... damn it. Please don't tell me I'm bleeding out… Please-... Just-... Please…

Shoving away the disturbing thoughts of dying alone at the foot of some slope cold and alone, I cry once more to the heavens, begging for help. "Somebody! Anybody! Please! H-... Help me…!"

My breathing fastens… Again I cough up the excess saliva that had clumped up in the back of my dried throat as if I were vomiting it all up.

Long do I wait, hoping-... No… Praying that my last attempt was caught by anyone… Yet, nothing but the quiet rustling of leaves greets me back… along with a thin layer of dust blowing right at my face. As if nature itself was king telling me to just roll and die. Like hell I would… I can't die here… I-... I don't want to die here…!

I wipe my face clean of the dust with my tattered sleeve and try one more time. "Vampy! He-Help-... ME!"

My voice echoes around the hollow area… A few birds shoot up and flee from the sudden sound I made… Yet, even after I wait here for so long… Nobody's coming.

Weakly, my eyes close themselves as my gaze slumps downwards. Orange skies and calm clouds above, the fact that I have been here for much longer than I should have becomes clear as day. After all this time, nobody's heard me. No one has passed by. Night will be here soon and I'll be stuck to the ground like a fucking vegetable.

"Damn it… God-... fucking… Damn. It..."

The muscles in my arms were getting rather stiff… I can't hold myself up anymore…

I lay my body down on the dirt and rest the side of my head on it as well, trying to get comfortable. Nobody's coming, huh? Then… This is it? This is where I die, huh? After clumsily chasing a Dogoo that stole my weapon and rolling down some slope filled with nature's finest of deathtraps… I-I'm only seventeen, damn it—I'm too young to die like this!

A few more times do I try to get up but after such a long day of hunting and going through that huge deathtrap… What's the point even?

Well… You gotta throw in the towel sometime, Nate… This is it. It wasn't all bad, right? I mean, look at yourself. You're a proud worker in Leanbox that didn't even get to live half the life most other people of the Guild did. You never got to pursue your dreams of becoming a real Guild Agent because you were just a lazy fatass and weren't good enough anyway. And you never even lost your V-card… Or kissed a girl, for that matter.

…

God… My life is sad.

With a few long breaths, I slowly open my eyes again to gaze into the distance.

And-... W-Wait! Something is shaking me… Someone-... Someone is shaking me! My eyes widen as I gasp lightly. Feeling my everything spring back to life, I try to turn to the person looming over me. It's-... Oh no.

"A-Are you alright, sir?" the brunette asked.

The-... The Guild Agent!? The one I knocked out when Vampy was cornered! What is she doing here!? No. Wait. Forget it. If she's here to help, just take it.

"Help… P-Please…"

That seems to have caught her attention. Wasting no time, she rolls me on my back with care. From somewhere, she pulls some bandages and medicine out… I'm saved. I'm going to make it. Even if it is because of her… Just bite the bullet for now. I never wanted to become a Guild Agent anyway! I lied! I lied to all of you! None of you can prove me otherwise!

"Ugh… Compa's way better at this than me… Glad I paid attention when she-... Hrm…"

I don't know who's Compas you looked at to learn about first-aid, but I'm not complaining. She's doing pretty well, I think… At least the pain is getting better. That's a good thing, right?

As time passes, I find myself just relaxing under her care. It was one hell of a scary experience, but I lucked out. Can't believe all this just happened. I mean, I can, I was there. But-... But I just want to go fucking home now. Good fucking lord.

"What's your name, bud?" she asked me calmly. I didn't hear her at first, so I gave her a low grunt to which she responded by repeating her question. "I asked you for your name."

I take a breath to respond. "It's—"

"B-Face!" a more familiar voice replies… Ahhhhhhhh… Fuck.

I turn to Vampy's loudmouthed voice. She's sliding down that same slope I dropped from… Except she looks cool while doing it.

The agent that was taking care of me slowly stands up with a grim gaze, facing Vampy as she jumps off the slope and takes four steps to slow down. Both sides are locked in some sort of strange stand-off. Multiple times do I alter my look between both, but neither of them paid me any more mind.

"What are you doing here, you broad?" Vampy started. "And what the hell have you done with B-Face?"

"B-Face, huh?" The Agent repeats. "First of all… I found him like this. Second, whenever I see you hanging out with anyone, it's basically bad news for everyone else. What are you up to?"

You can just hear the tension between these two… Maybe there's more bad blood between them than I first thought. Which is only going to be worse for my case.

Vampy slowly walks up to us both, a mean frown cast upon her face. "Oh, just beat it, will you? We're friends. Nothing more."

"And you'd think I would believe that?"

"Does he look remotely suspicious to you?"

The Agent gives me a quick scan with her eyes before raising an eyebrow. "Y-... Yes?"

… Rude.

"No. No he doesn't," Vampy grunts as she stops a few feet away from us both. "C'mon. We're not going to make this ugly now, are we?"

There's a short pause between them both. I gaze up at both of them, a knot in my throat muting my voice. I'm usually all for violence, but I don't want Vampy to get in a scuffle because of my sorry ass…

Their pause is still going… I don't know what those mean, menacing glares mean… But I really got a bad feeling about it. I should just say something. Anything. Umm…

Gulping twice in a row, I found the courage to speak up. "H-Hey…"

Both girls look down at me. "I don't w-want to break the moment… b-but can I go home? Please? I'm really tired…"

Another pause. They both give me a stern look that made me feel like I should've just died on impact after rolling down that slope.

The Agent was the first to speak. "Do you know where he lives?"

"Huh?" Vampy uttered.

"I asked if you know where he lives. I'll look the other way for now… But if I catch you both red-handed, you'll know what's going to happen."

Vampy just clicks her tongue as she kneels down to help me up on my feet. "Yeah… Alright…"

I am lifted up with one arm around her shoulder. I still feel quite a bit of pain in one of my legs. But I can't ask a girl smaller than me to carry me all the way. Just live with it, Nate.

There's one last glare between both before Vampy and I turn away from her. I can't help but quietly thank the Agent for letting us go. I think she heard me. I hope…

But… I guess this happened… Vampy and I slowly wander out of the dungeon to get me back home. Deep down, I'm happy. But another part of me wonders about what'll be next.

On a short side note, shoutout to this LsSL guy. Your review rocked!... Every review rocks, really. And I do appreciate any and all feedback. But yours was especially awesome!