Mistakes&Sugar
I'll fight before I lose you
Misery found herself falling into the water. In a moment she was face down in the water.
The current seemed to pull her under like a vortex. For a moment she was sure she was going to die. For a moment, all the breath in her came rushing out. The water was freezing and so cold...
Don't think about that. Whatever you do, figure out how to live. Misery pulled herself up. She was sure that she wasn't going to make it, but she kept pushing those thoughts out of her head.
She held onto the edge of the cliff. Her fingers scaped the edge, but she refused to stop. She put her muscles into it. She was sure she was going to break...
Misery couldn't pull herself up. She tried, but she just couldn't. She couldn't make it...
"Sai! Grab her!" the man shouted to someone else.
"Got it!" another voice said.
Someone pulled Misery up and put her over his shoulder. He jumped up onto the higher ground.
Misery could hardly breathe at all.
"Sakura, this girl's got water in her," the man said to a girl.
"Got it!" a girl's voice said. Misery felt something on her stomach. Suddenly she coughed up about a gallon of water.
"You all right?" the man asked.
"M-Mizuki!" Misery said.
"I've got the other person," a voice said.
"Thank you, Sai," the man said.
"Is Mizuki the guy with silvery hair and a blue shirt?" a boy asked.
"Yes."
"What's your name?" the girl asked.
"I'm called Misery," she said, "And his name's Mizuki."
"You're 'called' Misery?" the man who saved Mizuki asked.
"Do you really think I'm actually named Misery?"
"Calm down you guys," the man said, "You're name's not really Sai, and my name's not really Yamato."
"Who are you?" Misery asked.
"That's Sai, the girl's Sakura, the blonde is Naruto, and I'm Yamato," he said.
"Thank you for saving us," Misery said.
"Mizuki, are you the same Mizuki that tried to kill me a few years ago?" Naruto asked.
"If you're Naruto Uzumaki, then yes," Mizuki said.
Naruto glared at Mizuki. "Yama-ato, can we throw him back in?" Naruto asked.
"Don't!" Misery shouted, then coughed up water.
"No, we cannot," Yamato said.
"What're you doing here anyway, Mizuki?" Naruto asked.
"I'm going with Misery," Mizuki said. Then he looked up at Naruto.
"Why are you all beat up?" Naruto asked.
"Because he just is," Misery said.
"Serves him right," Naruto mumbled.
"Take that back!" Misery yelled to Naruto.
"Do you know what he tried to do to me?" Naruto screamed.
"Do you know what he did for me?" Misery asked angrily.
"I'm with Naruto on this," Sakura said.
"What did he do?" Naruto asked.
"If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead!" Misery shouted.
"Why would you be dead? He couldn't-or wouldn't-save you if his life depended on it," Naruto said.
"You have a-absolutely n-no idea," she said shakily.
"Do you know what he did to me?" he asked.
"No. B-but he won't h-hurt you! And I d-don't c-care what you s-say!" Misery wailed, "I-I won't l-let you hurt him!"
"Calm down," Yamato said. He put a hand on her shoulder. She was shaking.
"Naruto, give her your jacket," Yamato added.
"WHAT?" Naruto asked.
"You heard me; she'll die of cold," Yamato said. Reluctantly, Naruto gave his sweater. She crawled over and held Mizuki.
Yamato gave Mizuki his sweatshirt. They started a fire.
"Which way is Konoha?" Misery asked.
"Follow the river and you'll get there in half a day. How'd you get into the river, anyway?" Yamato said.
"We were crossing a bridge and I slipped and fell in," Mizuki said.
"The bridge all the way up there?" Yamato asked.
"Yes."
"The river carried you a pretty long way down," he said.
Misery closed her eyes. How was she alive this time? Someone saved her. But this time, she had saved someone.
She pulled the blanket out of her bag where it had dried. She pulled it around her and tried not to cry too much. She blinked and curled up.
"Are you alright?" Mizuki asked.
"I'm fine. I'm going to live, if that's what you mean."
She curled up and turned away. She thought, But there's more to being alright than just living.