Chapter 40 #2
The bridge continues swaying, and my stomach flips as my palms grow sweaty, the rope turning slick in my hands. I don’t think or pause, I just start belting out the first song that pops into my head with my eyes slammed shut.
“I’m freeeee! Wait, that’s not a good one!” I shout.
“No, that’s not a fucking good one,” Landon yells back. “Choose something else!”
“I got a bridge got a bridge full of sunshine,” I shout, singing horribly off-key. “You know that’s not the lyrics, right?” Landon calls out.
“SHUT UP!” I scream back before continuing.
“Oh whoa!” Landon chimes in.
A laugh is begging to escape me at his attempt to comfort me. I continue singing, even when the wind slows and I open my eyes. Landon nods encouragingly as I begin crossing once more.
“You’re doing great, baby. Almost there,” Landon says as I continue singing.
That is until I feel something behind me. Pausing, I look over my shoulder to see the rope that’s tied off around an old stump is beginning to fray. This fucking island and their goddamn rope.
Landon clocks it at the same time I do, and his eyes go wide. “RUN!” he screams.
I do as he says, fucking light steps all to hell as I close the remaining distance between us, bellowing out the song’s chorus again.
“I GOTTA brIDGE FULL OF SUNSHINE!” I cry out as I push my legs to go faster and faster, until I’m only a few feet away.
Then I feel the bridge break free behind me.
The world below gives way, and for a second, I’m free-falling—then something catches my arm.
I look up to see Landon has thrown himself halfway over the edge of the ravine, only his right foot hooked around a stump to support us.
I glance down to see my legs dangling in the air, then look up at him again in panic.
“I got you,” he strains. “Just really wish I didn’t have a fucked-up leg,” he says, letting out a strained groan before hoisting me up, inch by inch.
Once we’re safely on the other side, I land on his chest, and he groans in pain but wraps his arms around me tightly. I dissolve into a fit of sobs and adrenaline-fueled laughter, shaking my head like I can’t believe that just happened.
He brushes the hair out of my face. “Hey, Courtney?”
“Yeah?” I sniff.
“Do you have a bridge full of sunshine?”
My eyes widen in outrage that he’s even trying to joke right now. Even if it is funny. I smack his chest as hard as I can and push myself to stand.
“You’re such a little shit,” I scoff.
A rough chuckle shakes through him as I help him up, then he grabs his backpack and follows me along the path once more.
I trace our route on the map and see that our key should be on a ridgeline between two waterfalls. When I hear the sound of rushing water, I think I’m hallucinating it at first. Then I pause and really listen.
“Do you hear that?” I ask Landon.
He nods. “Water.”
We look at each other with wide eyes, then take off running. Well, he tries to keep up with me, but I leave him in the dust. Poor guy.
When I round a corner, I spot one smaller waterfall followed by another that rivals Niagara Falls.
Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it’s huge and towers over the meadow we’re now in.
I spin round frantically, looking for something to point me in the right direction, and spot something glinting in the sunlight.
I narrow my eyes, and sure enough, that’s it—a golden key, dangling from a branch.
I could drop to my knees with relief. Instead, I rush towards the tree line.
I’ve almost reached it when a searing pain rips through me. Looking down, I see a spear sticking out of my side. It’s just below my rib cage, and it didn’t go all the way through, but when I pull it out, I instantly drop to my knees in shock. Fuck. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.
I open my mouth to call for Landon when a figure steps out of the tree line.
My eyes widen as Noah approaches me. He’s bruised, bloody, his clothes torn to shreds, and he looks almost animalistic.
Like he’s been out in these woods for weeks instead of a day.
He’s holding a small hatchet in his hand.
He twirls it in the sunlight, almost like he’s in a trance.
“I knew you two would be along soon,” he says, his tone oddly detached.
“Noah,” I whisper as I slowly scoot away from him, my side screaming in pain.
His blue eyes flash to mine, and it sends my stomach free-falling.
“I didn’t know Savannah was going to do that to Luna and Shane. I didn’t even know a producer had snuck her a knife until after. I don’t want you to hate me for that.”
“You literally just threw a spear at me. Why the fuck would you care if I hate you or not?” I ask, scooting back a little further, my heart hammering.
He cocks his head to the side like he’s confused by the question. “Because I love you. I want you to love me. I think you did, before I fucked everything up,” he snarls bitterly, looking down at the ground and shaking his head.
Every inch that I scoot away, he meets me tenfold, until he’s standing over me.
Slowly, he lowers himself, straddling my lap, and I lie back in an attempt to put as much distance between us as possible.
The weight of him sends an excruciating pain through me, and the blood from my side begins to soak into his pants.
“I’m sorry, baby. I was stupid. I’ve regretted that decision every day since. We should have the same color right now,” he says, lifting up his green heart charm. “Everything would be perfect,” he sighs, lowering his head and his hand.
“I hate that it’s come to this,” he continues, “but I made Savannah promise that I could be the one to do it.”
“Do what?” I ask shakily, trying not to hyperventilate.
He looks sad. The hand holding the hatchet rests beside my ear while his other hand cups my face.
“End your suffering. In a perfect world, we’d leave here together.
Have those kids and that dog we talked about.
Maybe even a gerbil.” He smiles in a way that makes my flesh crawl.
“But this isn’t a perfect world,” he sighs.
“It’s messy and unforgiving, and I know, if you had to die at anyone’s hands, you’d want it to be at mine. ”
“P-please,” I stutter. “Don’t do this.”
“Shhh. It’s okay. I’ll make it quick, I promise.”
My mind races. What can I do? With his full weight on me and all the weapons beneath me… I’m fucked.
“Noah. Wait, please,” I beg.
He lifts the hatchet to the side, shaking his head sadly.
“I’ll never forget you, Courtney,” he says as I close my eyes and wait for the impact to come.