~ Jed ~
"No way, I'm not doing it," Ryan chased after me, but I ignored him, bound for his flat.
"It's the only way."
"No, it's insane. There's no reason to think it'll work."
"There's no reason to think it won't work. My mother set things in motion for me to die so I'd lose the tether to the other side, why wouldn't dying re-establish it?"
He threw up his hands in exasperation. "Are you even listening to yourself? You're talking about dying."
"And you'll bring me back."
"What if I can't? What if you're just… dead?"
"I know you can."
"Jed… you can't mess around with something like this. If it goes wrong…"
"I have to try, Ryan. I have to get her back." Couldn't he see that?
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Then I'll save her from the other side."
"Jed…" He stopped outside his flat, head canted to one side, and I turned to face him.
"Please, help me. Please. I can't do it without you. I can't lose her too."
We stared at each other for long moments, my heartbeat sounding loud in my ears, until his shoulders slumped. "Alright. How do you want to do it?"
A thrill of excitement mixed with dread went through me, and I led the way into the flat, heading straight for the bathroom. "The bathtub. You just help hold me under until I stop moving and then do a slow count to a hundred. That should do it. Then you can pull me out and start to resuscitate me. You know CPR, right?"
"Yeah, I do," he replied, looking none too happy with the situation. "I don't know if I can do that though, hold you under the water while you thrash about."
"I won't be thrashing about, I want to do this," I assured him, pulling off my jacket and setting it aside. Setting in the stopper, I turned on the water, letting it start to fill the tub.
"You're sure about this," Ryan asked, staring at the water gathering in the bottom. "What if you change your mind?"
"I won't." He didn't look too convinced. "Look, I just need you to help keep me under the water in case I start to float too much. If I do start to thrash about, let me up. Alright?"
"Yeah, okay," he agreed, looking a little better about the idea. "What if I can't revive you though?"
"Then call for an ambulance and hope for the best," I said with a tight smile.
I waited until the bathtub was at least three quarters full, wanting to make sure I had enough water to easily do it. The water was warm but not hot, I didn't want any extremes of temperature to distract me from what I had to do. Ryan kept reminding me that we could always try to think of something else, but my mind was made up. All I cared about was getting Gemma back and this seemed the quickest, most effective way to do it. I only hoped I wasn't too late.
Without waiting a moment longer, I turned off the water, gave Ryan a last nod, and plunged myself in, exhaling as much as possible to hurry up the process. My heart beat faster and I felt it in my ears again, the sound oddly magnified with the water around me. Not having anything else to do, I counted the beats, trying not to panic as it beat faster and faster.
My lungs burned like they were on fire, and it took everything I had in me not to lurch out of the water and take in a breath. But I had to do this, I had to help Gemma. This was the only way. Still, despite my resolve, a knot of terror seized me as my body fought me for control, and I focused on pressing my palms against the bottom of the tub, pushing as hard as I could to keep from floating up. The beats started to slow and I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.
Ryan's hands on my shoulders gave only the lightest touch, and I knew if I lifted myself the tiniest bit he'd help haul me out of there in a flash. Gemma. I had to help Gemma. I repeated it over and over like a mantra, forcing all other thoughts from my mind.
It was getting easier, the pain starting to lessen and the thump of my pulse no longer so thunderous. I was getting drowsy. Sleep was good. A bit of a nap and then when I woke, I'd be with Gemma. Something moved in my peripheral vision, and I saw that it was my own hand, no longer pressed to the bottom. I watched it float, but it seemed farther and farther away. Then I couldn't see my hand any longer. My focus had grown smaller and smaller, until it was barely a pinprick of light in a black tunnel. What was on the other side of that tunnel? Gemma. I had to help…
I blinked against the bright light, chest tight with pain as I coughed and coughed.
"Thank God, you made it!" I heard Ryan say, but it was Gemma who stared down at me, unruly hair framing her face like a dark cloud, bright blue eyes wide with fear.
"Gemma?" I croaked, my lungs still seizing painfully with racking coughs as I ejected the rest of the water.
Her eyes widened even further. "You can see me?"
"Still no sign of her, mate," Ryan reported, helping me up to a seated position.
But she was right there. Or was I seeing her ghost, because the experiment had worked? "Oh God… Am I too late?" I groaned. Only… she wasn't dressed the way she'd been. Wearing a pleated skirt and a jumper with a school logo on it, she looked younger somehow. Or… "Jilly, is that you?"
She rolled her eyes. "Course it's me. And you're not too late yet, but you've got to hurry."
"Sorry, I thought for a moment… you're so alike."
"It worked then? You can see her sister?" Ryan sat back on his heels, looking about the bathroom as if he expected to see some sign of her.
"Didn't you know we were twins?" Jilly replied, lips twisting into a smirk.
"She never said…" I murmured, unable to get over the resemblance for a moment, shaking away the cobwebs from my brain. "Ah, yeah. Jilly's here," I said to Ryan. "What happened to Gemma?"
"Some old guy came and took her, gave her an injection and then dragged her out of the car," she replied, looking frantic.
"Why couldn't you have sent me another text saying where she was? Or…"
"I can't, I used up all my juice trying to set her free from the bastard. But I know where they've gone. Come on." She started off at a run, and I groaned, still struggling to get to my feet.
"Are you sure you should be doing this? You were just dead a few minutes ago," Ryan said, helping me up.
"I don't have time to wait, I have to get to Gemma. Someone drugged her and kidnapped her. They could be doing God only knows what to her right this minute. I'll be fine." It was easier to breathe now, but there was still an ache in my chest and my head pounded terribly.
"Let's go then," he said, a look of fierce determination on his face.
"Are you coming?" Jilly huffed from the doorway, beyond exasperated.
"Yes, yes we are," I nodded, walking with Ryan's help. "Lead on."
~ Feedback is Love ~