KATE

chapter 3

Part 3: A Close Call

Emily's POV:

The river was louder than I’d expected. It roared through the forest, drowning out the sound of the dogs for just a moment. For a second, I let myself hope that maybe—just maybe—we’d lose them here.

But the hope didn’t last long. The barks were still there, faint over the rushing water, but growing louder. The guards weren’t far behind, and the current wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped. The river wasn’t going to save us.

“Don’t stop moving,” I told Kate, grabbing her arm as she slipped on the wet rocks. The water rushed around us, icy and relentless, but I didn’t let it slow me down.

She looked at me with wide, frightened eyes, her chest heaving. “They’re right there, Emily. They’re going to catch us.”

“No, they’re not,” I said, the words coming out sharper than I meant. I tightened my grip on her arm, forcing her to look at me. “We’re not stopping, okay? We just have to get to the other side. We can’t give up now.”

She nodded, her lips trembling, and I turned my focus back to the river. My legs felt like lead, the cold water pulling at me with every step, but I kept moving. Kate needed me to keep moving.

The far bank was so close now. Just a few more steps, and we’d be out of the water. I could feel Kate stumbling behind me, her breathing ragged, but she didn’t stop.

And then, the bark of a dog cut through the air, louder than ever. I turned my head, my heart dropping into my stomach.

They’d found us.

The flashlights were there first, their beams cutting through the darkness like knives. Then the shadows appeared, the guards moving fast and sure through the trees. The dogs were with them, pulling at their leashes, barking like they’d already sunk their teeth into us.

Kate froze beside me, her feet slipping on the rocks. “Emily—”

“Keep moving!” I shouted, grabbing her arm and dragging her forward. The water was deeper here, up to my waist, and the current was faster, pulling at my legs like it wanted to sweep me away.

Kate stumbled again, her hands grabbing at me for balance. “I can’t, Emily! I can’t do this!”

“Yes, you can!” I snapped, my voice harsher than I wanted it to be. “We don’t have a choice, Kate! You have to keep moving!”

Her eyes filled with tears, and I felt a pang of guilt in my chest, but I didn’t let go of her. I couldn’t. Not now.

The shouts were closer now, the guards yelling over the dogs. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst, but I forced myself to stay focused.

The far bank was right there. Just a few more steps.

And then it happened.

The first gunshot rang out, cutting through the roar of the river.

I didn’t think. My body moved on its own, twisting toward Kate, my hands finding her shoulders. Her eyes widened, and I saw the moment she realized what I was doing.

“Emily, no!” she screamed.

But it was too late.

The second shot came, and this time, it hit its mark.

Pain bloomed in my chest, hot and sharp, spreading like fire. My knees buckled, and for a moment, I thought the river had pulled me under. But then I felt Kate’s hands on me, holding me up, her voice screaming my name.

I couldn’t breathe.

---

I’ve never been afraid of pain. Not really. You learn to live with it in a place like the orphanage. The constant ache in your stomach when you don’t get enough to eat. The sting of a slap when you speak out of turn. The sharp, twisting pain in your chest when you see someone else get adopted, knowing it’ll never be you.

But this…this was different.

It wasn’t the pain that scared me. It was the weight in my chest, pulling me down, making it harder and harder to breathe. It was the warmth spreading over my skin, the sticky wetness that I knew wasn’t river water.

“Emily, hold on!” Kate’s voice broke through the haze, sharp and panicked.

I felt her hands pressing against my chest, trying to stop the bleeding. I wanted to tell her it was useless, but the words wouldn’t come. All I could do was look at her, at the tears streaming down her face, and try to memorize every detail.

She was still shouting, her voice rising in desperation. “You’re going to be okay, Emily! Just stay with me! Please, stay with me!”

I wanted to tell her not to cry. That it wasn’t her fault. That I’d do it all over again if it meant keeping her safe. But my throat felt like it was full of cotton, and the words stayed trapped inside me.

The world was getting dimmer now, the edges of my vision blurring. I could still hear the guards shouting, the dogs barking, but it all felt far away.

“Kate…”

Her eyes snapped to mine, wide and terrified. “What? What is it? Tell me what to do!”

“Promise me,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “Promise me you’ll keep going. No matter what.”

She shook her head, her tears falling faster. “No, I’m not leaving you! We’re getting out of this together, Emily! We’re supposed to do this together!”

I tried to smile, but it felt weak, like everything else in me. “You have to promise me, Kate. You have to survive.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. Finally, she nodded, her face crumpling. “I promise,” she whispered.

I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell her how much she meant to me, how proud I was of her, how much I loved her. But the weight in my chest was too much now, dragging me down, pulling me under.

The last thing I saw was her face, her tears catching the moonlight like stars.

And then everything went dark.