Page 6 of Born of Ice

I can’t. I don’t want to.

You can do anything, my Electra.I need you to fight. Please. Fight.

That feeling of cold, of pain, it dissipates. Slowly, the farther I fall, the darkness thickens, but my pain? It eases.

Yes, yes, I don’t want to hurt anymore.

You must keep going.

I stop. It’s a new voice, isn’t it? Who else is here? Who else is falling through the ice?

Are you in pain too?

Yes.

Why don’t you give up?

Because he needs me.

Who?

He needs you too. You can’t give up. Your story doesn’t end here…

Who needs me? No one needs me. But the voice breaks off, not saying anything else and all there’s left is cold silence to wrap me in its embrace.

No, Electra! Fight. Open your eyes, reach for the light, swim. Fight. Push. Shine. Live. Please…

It’s my mom again…I hear it. I hear the pain in her voice as if she’s fighting to get to me. Is this real? I don’t want her to be in pain. That was not the deal we’ve made. I can’t cause her pain. No more.

Swim. Break through the ice. Live…

The two voices mix, pleading, and I feel a tiny drop of her tears on my cheek. Or do I?

Fight!

My fingers twitch, the darkness pulling away slowly.

Yes, that’s good, love. Keep going. Keep swimming. You are almost there.

Am I? I’m swimming?

Just a little longer. You can do it, my Electra.

There, right in front of me is a tiny drop of light. It’s bright and shiny. And so warm. I want to touch it, to let it warm my frozen bones. To bring me back. But…

Mom? Am I going to lose you again?

Never.

Beep, beep, beep.

The sound wakes me up. Did I change the sound of my alarm? Where is my phone? I need to shut it off before it pierces through my pounding head and wakes Erik up—he’s not a morning person.

“Mh-mmm.” A deep pang ricochets through me as I try to move my hand. What the hell happened? Did I drink too much last night?

I open my mouth—or I think I do—to call Erik, so he can throw my phone against the wall and stop the incessant beeping, but no sounds come out.

Drink. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind. Oh, God, why is my throat so dry? I need a drink.

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