Serenity
"Serenity. Serenity. Hey, wake up. We need to go." I groaned as I felt Ethan shaking me to wake up. "Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit!"
Half awake, I heard scrambling inside the room, and just as I sat up while rubbing my eyes, Ethan dragged me towards a closet. He opened a door inside and due to shock and confusion I wasn't able to utter any word when he shoved me in. It was so dark that I had to try opening my eyes wider. "E-Ethan?"
"Shush! Don't ask. We have to go, just follow me." He took my hand in a tight grip. "And don't make any noise."
The endless passageway seemed to lead us nowhere, still I trusted Ethan with every step of the way until finally we both saw a glimmer of light at the end of the dark tunnel. "We're almost there!" I exclaimed as hope surged inside me, and though I couldn't see my brother's face, I knew he's beaming.
We're almost there. Almost. But as we reached the end, as soon as my brother stepped out in the light, he pushed me back inside. He pushed me too hard I fell on the rocky ground. I heard a cry. "Ethan!"
I stood up to find him but he caught my arm and dragged me as he ran back inside the dark passageway. "Fuck this! I forgot that there are other secret doors that led there. Dammit! Dammit!"
"But where are we going now? How many are out there? If we go back we'll end up at the house and we can't risk finding other secret doors, there might me be men waiting for us there too!" I said trying to catch my breath.
"They-they just got here. There-there aren't many but—" there was a sticky feeling on Ethan's trembling hand. His grip loosening. Something's wrong. "But we're outnumbered. I can't take the risk of facing them head-on with you on the line. I—I know a shortcut here that—that leads to a vast ocean. It would take time, a lot of time before they get to us."
I have no idea how Ethan could see in this dark place but I noticed we took a different route than earlier. He stopped briefly at the corner and pushed me inside another passageway.
"Ah! Shit!" He gasped.
"Ethan!" I felt my way back to him but he met me and started pushing me once again.
"Shit, Serenity don't stop running! We have to be fast! They're just meters away now." He hissed.
"A-are you okay? I heard you—"
"Shut up and keep running!" My heart sank. He's hurt. Oh God. He always resort to anger when he's in pain.
Soon we saw a slit of light that meant the end of the tunnel. I prayed and prayed that there won't be men from the council. Ethan stopped me when we reached the end. "I'll check first." He hurried out and eventually asked me to follow him.
A huge stone blocked the passageway but there was opening enough to let us out. Ethan started pushing the stone to completely block the way. I helped him but it seemed to be stuck in place. Shit! Come on!
"Keep pushing, Serenity. We need to get this closed!"
I did push harder and eventually, the stone budge. "We made it Ethan! We made it!" I burst out catching my breath. I looked around and saw a vast bluish gray ocean. There were wrecked ships nearby, and an old boat that we could use to gather materials from ships to build something sturdier. I couldn't help but feel hope that we can really escape the Council.
I smiled, looking up at the sky. "We'll be free Ethan. I can feel it!" But all hope and color left my face as I saw my brother collapsed on the hard stony ground. It was only then that I realized how badly he was hurt. Bloodied arrows lay on the rocky earth.
Speechless, I ran towards my brother and cradled him in my arms. A small smile curled his lips. "The-they—those bastards were sho-shooting arrows." My heart sank at that but I swallowed hard and laid him down.
The damn arrows were poisoned! My hands trembled and my eyes blurred as I looked for our first aid kit and for anything that could help remove the poison. I searched for a knife but I stilled as I felt Ethan's warm and strong arms surround me.
"I-I'm so-sorry." I felt the pain in his voice.
Tears escaped my eyes as I faced him. What am I supposed to do? "We will find a way, Ethan! I won't let you die, not here! Not like this, please. I'll cut your wound open so the blood would flow together with the poison. We just need to get it out of your system."
Ethan's eyes glistened with tears. I cried harder. Ethan never cry, no matter what the situation is, he never even once let me see him cry! Now, he's crying because he's saying goodbye.
"No! I won't let you! You can't. You promised you won't leave me."
He held me in his arms. He embraced me too tight and I realized that he's doing this so I won't see him in pain. "There's no use. Your plan sounds g-re-great. But-but it'll just slo-slow my death. You won't get all the poison out. It's too late."
"No..." I wailed.
"Don't-don't make this hard for me. You know I don't like this either, I'm not ready to leave you. I want to protect you. I-I want to stay here and—and live with you but things just keep going against my—" He pushed me away and attempted to turn his face but I saw blood gushed out from his mouth. His pupils were dilating.
"Ethan!" I cried horrified. He stood up and limped his way towards the stone wall. He kept pushing me away each time he stumbled. "Please, don't be like this. Don't do this. Don't leave me. Let's find a way."
Ethan landed butt-first and leaned against the wall. He winced and grasped his stomach then his chest, he's biting his lip to stop himself from screaming in pain. My brother never let me watch him in pain and I hated it so much that he's forcing himself to be so strong for me!
Still searching for a knife from our pack, I rushed and knelt in front of him. A rush of hope rose to my throat as my hand found what I've been looking for.
Ethan closed his eyes as he let me cut his shirt off, I knew he's hoping too that this will work but his tear-streaked face negated that feeling. I knew this will just slow down the poison but I wasn't rushing his death. I'd do anything it takes to extend his life, even just for a day, an hour, a minute—even a second. He was all I have.
When I finally got his shirt off, my hands trembled at the sight of his bleeding wound. I took a deep steadying breath as I raised the knife—no time for being such a jell-o. Ethan gritted his teeth as the knife sliced through his flesh. His chest heaved up and down as he breathed in and out. His pale fists clenched, eyes shut tight. "Serenity..." He groaned as I started pressing his wound for blood to flow.
He's always been my savior, someone I look up to for hope and strength but there he was grasping for life but slowly withering away.
"I-it's going to be okay, Ethan. It'll be fine. You'll live..." I said choking in tears.
I wiped the blood away using a clean cloth and started wrapping the wound up. I did the same with his thigh.
"H-hey..." he cupped my cheek and gave me a weak smile. "Thanks, sissy. I-I thought for a while that you'd pass out after seeing so much blood."
"I'm not as weak as you think I am, you know." I chortled and looked hopefully at him, waiting for him to tell me that he'll be fine, that he'll live, that tomorrow we'll set off to another location and that we'd still be together. But his smile faded, he looked tired.
"I never thought—even once—that you're weak."
Tears started streaming down my face once again. I knew what he was doing. I knew clearly what he's saying.
"Serenity, you-you understand right?" I turned my face away and looked at the gray sky.
"Hey, look at me." I did and my heart broke seeing him smile. "Come closer. I want to hold you."
Don't do this to me! Don't leave me. Where will I be without you? What will be the point of living, if the only family I have is no longer with me? What's the point of surviving? I wanted to yell at him and be mad because he's such a stupid jerk, but I held my tongue and snuggled beside him. No one knew how much time we have left together, it could be later that evening or if we're lucky tomorrow morning. I just wanted to make the most of our time without arguing.
I laid my head on his chest. "Does it hurt?"
"It burns bu-but I can manage, somehow."
"I love you Ethan." For a second, I felt him hold his breath but he sighed and cast a silent laugh.
"I know sissy. I love you too." I didn't know why but I heard a tinge of bitterness in his voice. It's probably my imagination.