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Back The Rise of Nine
Chapters (31)
  1. The Rise of Nine
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A short laugh comes out of my mouth, followed by a sob. I’m sure there would be tears, if I had any moisture left in my body. I’m dying in a desert, Ella, I respond. The one with the mountains. I’ll see you on Lorien one day, Ella.

I hear her voice again, but I this time I can’t make out what she’s saying. She is drowned out by a new noise in my head, choppy and loud. And then I feel it. It’s a high wind that whips my hair over my face. I slowly open my eyes to see three black helicopters hovering over me. Men yell for me to put my hands over my head, but all I can do is close my eyes.

20.

20.

Ella is floating above me. She is in a panic, eyes wide, bubbles shooting out of her mouth. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on, how she got here, why there is so much water. I try to reach for her hand, but my arms won’t do as I ask them. What happened to me when we teleported? I can tell my face is numb, and there’s a pain behind my eyes that’s unbearable. My legs won’t kick no matter how hard I try. All I can do is watch Ella float higher and higher above me, away from me. Where did all this water come from? My left shoulder begins to rock violently, and it takes a second to realize someone is shaking my arm. Then I see Eight, his black curls hovering over his head like a halo. He hooks his arm under my armpit and I try not to let his look of concern scare me more than I already am. He tries to swim us towards the surface, but the Chest under my arm weighs us down.

I let the freezing water enter my lungs. It’s the only thing I can do. Eight kicks the Chest out of my paralyzed arms and yanks me upwards. We start to rise. I look around wildly for a glimpse of Six, but I don’t see her.

When my head breaks the surface of the water, the first thing I’m aware of is a glaring, hot sun. Everywhere I look is water. I see Ella treading water nearby. A few minutes in the fresh air gets my limbs to start working, so I tread water as well. Eight appears fully occupied with cursing our luck.

‘Where’s Six?’ I cry, coughing. I keep whipping my head around to see if I can spot her blonde head bobbing around on the surface.

‘I couldn’t find her down there!’ Eight yells. ‘I have no idea if she made it or not!’

‘Why wouldn’t she have made it?’ Ella asks, a new panic rising in her voice.