(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

keep the strain from my voice. I'd dragged her back from death once, and I
wasn't about to do it again, "Please!"
My heart drummed against my chest, the blood pounded in my ears, heat
swelling behind my eyes until I was almost blind from the panic and worry. I
was going to lose her, oh Powers above I'd never be able to find her if she
really did try to escape. The girl could squeeze through a crack half the size
of what I could get through, or lose herself in this maze of passages if she
got her head together and covered her tracks.
But then I saw her, huddled in a corner, hands wrapped around her knees. I
was panting by then, relief intermixed with caution... if I said the wrong
thing, she might bolt again.
"Annah..." I breathed, "Would you come back? Please? It's dangerous here."
We had left the limits of the wards long ago.
She mumbled something.
"I can't hear you. Let's go back and talk about this."
"I always thought yeh were th' idjit," she murmured, "Thought I was th'
clever one."
"You're not stupid, Annah. It's... just a misunderstanding. Grace was just so
hurt, she's been through so much. All of us have."
"Aye. Yer gonna try an' convince me she's just a friend?"
"She's- it's complicated."
She was silent for a moment but slowly got to her feet, "It's not her I worry
about. I jes cannae do this anymore. It's too hard a-knowin' what path yer
goin' down, seeing yeh take one step after another t' yer end," she couldn't
look me in the eye, "We're done when this is over. I have me own way t'go."
I nodded. Maybe it was for the best. "Come on. Let’s go back.”
She silently followed me back to the camp. All the while, she hung her head
down, as though she couldn’t bear to look at me any longer. And for once, I
didn’t know what else I could say.
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