At a time.
I shoved us through the vibrations that hurt like pain but blew like wind.
The weight leaning against me lessened. Either Scorpius started walking or John was helping me. I didn’t open my eyes to check.
As I pushed forward, my toes cramped, then my calf muscles, then my quads.
Each step was like stabbing my foot down across metal spikes.
Everything hurt.
The vibration got worse.
Sweat, blood, and tears poured down my face.
I trembled.
Just wanted to collapse and give up, lay myself across the lawn and accept death.
Why did I want to live so badly? I couldn’t remember.
Hands dragged me forward, and if it weren’t for the support, I would have fallen to my knees in misery.
It was like walking underwater, but the water was lightning electrocuting my cells, a thousand hits per second.
I couldn’t do this.
“You should quit. You’re nothing but a pathetic, whiny child. Prove me right,” Jinx’s voice sounded in the deepest recess of my agony-rendered mind.
Fuck you, I snarled back.
I wouldn’t quit, just so I could show her she knew nothing about me.
I spat an unknown substance out of my mouth.
Darkness pressed all around.
But I didn’t stop.
I’d show Jinx.
Step.
By.
Step.
An eternity passed.
How have we not crossed the line yet?
I blinked my eyes open furiously, white patches sparking in my vision. We were about twenty yards from the finish line.
Twenty-nine seconds.
I turned my head. John was next to me, holding up most of Scorpius’s body weight.
We weren’t going to make it.