Hey Everyone!
Hope you all are having a wonderful final day of 2021! The Dark house is going full-blown D&D marathon! Other than writing with Twisted, I can't think of a better way to ring in the new year!
Aaaaaaanyway...
Are you guys ready to find out what the hell happened to Deez and Gil?
Ok... but are you sure you're ready for this?
Don't forget to read Twisted's coments at the end, and if you're not part of the give away yet, check us out at FB. Dark and Twisted Sisters. We're also on Pat reon.
Lots of Love and positive energy as we ring in the new year.
See you in 2022.
-Dark-
Dark.
Even for her, it was dark.
So fucking dark in a flooded cave.
Cold.
She'd never had to worry about being cold before, but now?
Her teeth were chattering.
And the pain.
The constant pain.
It was also new.
Fuck, how did the others deal with pain like this?
The constant ache.
Continuous.
Persistent.
Sustained.
Never going away.
Pain.
It was agonizing.
They were-
Every single one of them-
T.
Harry.
Gil.
Jay.
Mal.
Even Uma.
They were all liars.
Lingering pain was so much worse than the temporary pain she was familiar with.
It just stayed.
Persistently unending.
And there was nothing she could do about it.
She whimpers as the water roars outside.
The water rushing in she could handle.
It was what happened after that-
She coughs on the rising water as she clings to Gil for all she's worth.
Her legs shake with the effort as her free arm keeps his head pressed to her stomach.
Pressed to her and out of the water.
The dark.
Salty.
Stupid fucking water.
Water and Gil.
The ebb and flow of water and fear had become her whole world since she'd seen the wave heading towards them.
A wave that looked too big to be real, and rendered speech completely impossible.
The only thing she'd been able to do was cling to Gil while the world ended.
Hold him tight as everything went black.
What had they done to the Sea Gods to earn their wrath?
Earn the raging waters rushing into the cave, louder than anything she'd ever heard before.
She blinks up at her hand stuck in the cave wall.
She wasn't sure what drove her to thrust her hand into the stone, but when she'd woken up to the rapid current attempting to pull her and Gil from the relative safety of the cave-
She'd done it on some kind of instinct.
She plunged her burning arm into the wall until they stopped moving.
It worked, obviously.
They were still in the cave, which had been the goal.
"Gil." She calls to him as she pushes herself to warm up again, ignoring the weak, hoarse sound of her own voice.
She had to keep him warm.
No blue lips, she'd told him.
But she knew.
Just knew if she could see his face, that would be the color of his perfectly curved lips.
There was no way they couldn't be.
Not if she was shaking in the freezing water that was determined to rip him from her.
"Gil? Please! Wake up." She pleads as dread creeps up her spine.
She had no idea what to do now.
And her shoulder-
The pain.
The constant reminder stabbed her each time the current came back in.
Ripped her with each attempt to take Gil from her.
Beat her as it tried to claim them both for the sea.
It hurt like hell.
But all she could do was scream.
ScScreamream and sob because the alternative to keeping her arm embedded in the wall was giving up.
It shocked her that as comfortable as she'd become with swimming and putting her head under the water in the pool, she was still scared of the water.
For good reason, apparently.
Because the sea was a fickle mistress.
How often had her pirate family told her that?
She grimaces as she runs her dry tongue over her rough lips.
Fickle.
If they lived through this she was going to pull an Evie and demand lip balm.
Fickle sea.
She winces as her lip cracks before it instantly heals again.
Fucking fickle?
More like a raging bitch!
She whimpers as the roar gets louder.
She couldn't even bring herself to say it out loud for fear it might hear her and rain down another form of retribution.
She was so terrified of this water.
Of this strong, rageful water that wanted nothing more than to drag her and Gil under.
To tear them apart.
To kill them.
She bites her lip.
She might be scared, terrified out of her wits even, but like hell she was letting that happen.
She refused to let the sea take him.
To take her.
Not again.
Never again.
"No!" She cries out as the water starts pulling out again, "Nonono, Gil!"
She takes a deep breath before the panic can swallow her.
Gil needed her.
He was still out, but if he were awake-
If he were conscious, he'd tell her-
He'd tell her to not give up.
She grips him tighter, refusing to let go.
Think!
Think of something.
Stop being frozen and be helpful!
Productive!
Think!
Anything.
What was going on?
Piece something together.
Connect some fucking dots!
Come on!
Please!?
More tears gather in her eyes.
"Please!?" She clings to Gil tighter.
She could do it with everything else-
Come up with so much.
Know so much she shouldn't.
So much that others got frustrated with her.
So much that got her in trouble.
Where were those dots now?
Where were those connections?
Why!?
Just why, when it mattered most, was she so useless?
So painfully, agonizingly useless!?
When it mattered-
Mattered so damn much!
She was a demi-goddess.
She was supposed to be their compass.
But she was so lost right now.
So directionless.
She gasps in pain when her shoulder pops for what felt like the hundredth time.
Though thankfully, the tide seemed to be taking longer between each rush.
Taking longer.
She blinks.
It was taking longer.
It was taking longer!
That was good, right?
Right?
Uma explained the push and pull of the tides more times than she could count.
The undertow.
The way high and low tide worked.
It had to be similar, even if it was different.
More.
It still had to follow the rules, right?
At first the water had been so violent.
So brutal and unrelenting.
So quick to rush in, filling the entire cave up until she was forced to hold Gil above her so he could breathe, only to empty out and leave her hanging by her arm just as fast.
Another stab of pain pierces her as she looks at Gil.
But his one hits her chest instead of her shoulder.
He was so limp.
Why couldn't she hear his heart?
Feel it's beat?
They were so close.
She was pretty sure she'd never clung to him so desperately.
What the hell was the point of having extra senses if they were useless when it mattered.
Father.
She squeezes her eyes as a strangled cry leaves her, echoing back just as piercing.
He couldn't be-
Couldn't have-
Please-
Father. Zeus. Poseidon. Hera-
Anyone listening-
Just let him be breathing!
She presses her palm against his chest.
Why couldn't she feel-
She shakes her head as she holds him tighter to her.
He hadn't moved in ages.
Tears gather in her eyes as her breath hitches.
He wouldn't leave her.
Couldn't.
Not like this.
She'd never be able to forgive herself.
Or him.
She presses her hand tighter to his chest.
The soft thrum against her hand makes her cry out.
His heart was still beating.
Soft.
Slow.
Weak.
But it was there.
She could feel it.
He was alive.
He was okay.
He hadn't left her.
She knew he wouldn't.
She takes a deep breath.
What would Gil do?
He'd think of something.
He'd make sure she was okay.
He wouldn't just wait around for them to get pulled out into the waves.
But what?
What would he do?
She shakes her head.
Not helping.
Gil was alive.
And the water was taking longer with the way it was cycling.
The rush as it poured into the cave.
The pull as it raced back out.
How she was hanging down more often than she was floating near the ceiling of the cave.
Was that a good sign?
It had to be.
Right?
And the Isle wasn't shaking as much as it was before.
Or, at least, as long as it had been.
Did that mean she'd have time to climb the cliff and drag Gil to safety?
Her throat goes dry as her eyes widen.
Oh Sea Gods.
Was she going to have to swim them out?
She shudders.
Swim them out in this angry water?
Her jaw clenches.
"Gil?" She calls out, her voice cracking in fear.
Nothing. Not even the tensing of a muscle.
Fuck, what was she supposed to do!?
Her tears mix with the spray of water.
She whimpers as a current pulls against them, pulling them towards the back of the cave.
No!
No.
Not again!
She closes her eyes, preparing herself for the pop of pain she'd come to expect.
But now that she was more aware?
Now that she was thinking straight, she could see the water wasn't filling the cave like it did before.
Not as fast.
Not as high.
Could she do it?
Should she?
Gil needed her.
She had to try.
Had to do something.
But what if there wasn't a climbable path anymore?
What if she let go and she wasn't strong enough to save him?
What if-
She closes her eyes.
Her what-ifs weren't going to save them.
What choices did she have?
She could stay here and slowly lose her grip on Gil, knowing that if she let him go, she would let go herself.
Or-
She could let go now, while she still had the strength to hold onto Gil and take the chance that she'd figure something out before the sea swallowed them.
Before the current shifts to pull back to the sea.
She'd rather die trying to save them.
Angry sea or no.
Please, she begs any god willing to listen as more tears fall down her face to mix with the dark saltwater.
Please, just let this be the right call.
Please.
Gil was relying on her.
Please.
Don't let it end like this.
Please!
Our family needs you.
Her breath hitches.
Fuck.
Oh fuck.
They-
They need me too.
Why hadn't she seen it sooner!?
Her chest aches at the realization.
Why!?
How had she missed-
She needed to get them out of here.
Their family needed both of them!
She'd accepted where she belonged, finally, but now she got it too.
She had to get them back to the ship.
Back to their family.
As much as it would kill her to lose them, any of them, it would do the same to them if she let something happen now.
They had to survive this!
Survive and get back to the family.
She needed to let them know.
Tell them she got it.
Really got it.
Understood.
A missing dot connected.
Finally clicked into place in the face of her mortality.
In the face of Gil's.
Of course, not any of the ones she needed right now.
But when wasn't the case?
Still, she needed to get them out.
Had to let them know.
She couldn't die.
Couldn't let Gil die.
Not now.
Not with this understanding.
And like hell was she letting the realization come too late.
She slowly pulls Gil closer to her, hugging him with her free arm as the water slowly rises.
Please.
Let her have the strength.
The courage.
The luck.
She heats her arm up before she can change her mind.
Please!
Let this be the right call!
She screams at the white-hot pain as her arm starts to slip from the wall.
Please don't let us drown.
I'll do whatever it takes!
She rips her arm away, screaming before she and Gil sink into the dark, ice-cold depths of the murky water.
Ooof.
Rewinds, amiright?
That didn't really answer any of your questions now, did it.
Silly readers.
We'd never leave a character's last moments out of the story, that would just be excruciating.
But lolz, didn't really answer the question either now did it?
Dead.
Cause how the fuck is D gonna get Gil up a cliff in that state?
Or swim against that tide (without being crushed against the cliffs) to a shore that doesn't exist, with a giant and one arm outta commission?
Talk about fucking options though.
Or rather lack of 'em.
What a shit place for our Lil' Star Gazer to be.
And Gil…
Sure, his heart is still beating but how long will that last if Deez can't manage to stay afloat in her condition?
Can you fuckin' imagine?
Feeling long-lasting pain for the first time-
Feeling mortal for the first time-
While having the life of the person you love most in your hands?
Fuck if that doesn't suck.
Like seriously, talk about a rock and hard place- Ya know if that hard place was a watery grave.
Think they'll make it?
One of 'em?
Both?
Would we really?
This soon?
Well, for only three dollars I'm pretty sure you can know for real this time.
(I think, pretty sure anyway. I'm not about to go check. Regardless, you should support our poor writing habits. Like Bangs and Coke- the drink, not the powder…No ones askin' for that type of contribution- Though guaranteed that would get some fucking chapters pumped out- so actually- wait no. That's a bad Twisted. Just our caffeine habits. Just our caffeine habits, I swear. We're not that old yet. We can still stay up to 5am and get shit done)
So remember, if ya wanna know now, join us on P.A.T.R.E.A.O.N. ← Shameless plug. Like, shameless, shameless, like I should go get a shower, shameless type a plug.
Thoughts?
Comments?
Homicidal thoughts?
Much love and appreciation
-Twisted