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Chapter Twenty-Four

LACIE

Several times already, I’ve jolted awake, thinking I heard someone calling out my name, but no one comes when I yell back.

Curling up on my side, I cradle my head in my good hand as I lie on this hard rock that is barely large enough to hold me.

Every time I open my eyes, it takes a moment for the world to come back into focus.

Even with my thoughts clouded, I know I’m in really bad shape, and I won’t last much longer out here without help soon.

I wonder if when I’m gone, will this rock open up and swallow me like it did that Mother Suet .

Turning my head, I’m glad to see that the little cat is no longer lying at the top of this cliff looking down at me anymore.

I hope he lives a long life and has lots of little ones to show for it.

My mind drifts back to MeK and the way he called out my name as we made love .

.. well, love in my mind and just meaningless sex in his.

It was deep and affectionate, but for some reason, it sounds different to me now.

It seems frantic and scared now, how odd.

That’s when I realize someone is calling out my name.

“ I’m here!” A squeak is all that comes out when I try to yell. “ I’m here.” Tears fill my eyes when I swear I hear the shouts getting dimmer. He’s going the other way. With the very last ounce of energy I have, I scream out, “ I’m HERE !!!”

Only to blink when I find a small form in front of me. “ Mistress Lacie , I need you to sit back. This rock face is unstable.”

“ SCOUT , is that really you? You’re so tiny.”

“ Yes Mistress , now try to relax and steady your breathing. I need to go get the others.”

“ NOOOO , don’t leave me, please!”

“ I promise you, I will return.”

“ Please don’t … SCOUT , please. I can’t be alone again.”

“ Ok , ok … I will stay right here. Just remain calm.” SCOUT starts talking to the air it seems. “ Commander , I have found Lacie . She is in serious condition, and you need to approach with caution when you leave the timberline, as the main cliff wall has collapsed. She is sitting on an outcropping that is weakening as we speak.”

Suddenly , the Commander’s voice is all around me. “ I have your coordinates. We will be there momentarily.”

SCOUT floats closer, “ Lacie , I need you to hold perfectly still if you can. How did you end up down here?”

“ I was running from Eric / Jeffery , the serial killer.” SCOUT tilts his head.

“ That’s a whole other story … Anyway , I was pinned …

one way meant I would be tortured until he got tired of me…

The other was quicker, so I had just stepped back, ready to jump, when he rushed me.

Suddenly , the ground gave out from under us, and here I am.

He’s somewhere down there. To be honest, my head is hurting so badly that I’m terrified you’re not real. ”

“ I am real even if I am much smaller than what you are used to. The Commander , KyT , and MeK will be here in just a couple of tics and we will get you out of here.”

I swear I feel my mind crack, “ You’re not real !

… I watched MeK leave … he let them say all those mean things to me and then just left me here.

No one cares, and I’m always gonna be alone.

” Sobbing , the tears stream down my face as I press my head against the rock.

A gentle touch causes me to startle, and I see SCOUT standing next to me, only about six inches tall.

His tiny hand brushes a tear from my cheek that I can truly feel.

“ Lacie , I know this is confusing, but I need you to listen … You are not losing your mind! Since I am an AI , I can adjust my size and shape and how I appear to you. I weigh nothing in this form, and I can travel much faster. That is why I was able to get here before the others. We almost did not find you since your translator seems to have been damaged, and your comm unit is offline. The Timbers gave us a basic direction to follow, but luckily, I was able to hear your voice echoing off the cliff walls. I promise we will get you out of here.”

Just then, a few rocks fall from above, but when I start to sit up, SCOUT stops me.

“ Lacie , sit still. I would prefer you to move as little as possible. I am going to float up so that I can discuss your situation down here with the Commander , but you will be able to see me at all times.”

Suddenly , I hear voices above me, and I feel the rock I’m lying on shift.

“ Lacie ! Lacie , are you there? SCOUT , is she alright? Lacie , hold on, I’m coming down to get you.” MeK’s voice ripples through my chest, and I feel like it would be easier to hurl myself over the edge of this rock than to face him.

“ MeK , Commander , I need both of you to step back off the edge because you are peppering Lacie with smaller rocks.”

SCOUT suddenly gets quiet, so I know whatever they’re talking about, he doesn’t want me to know. But I can hear pieces of their conversation because MeK’s voice is echoing through the ravine. “ Lower me down … Unstable … she could slip further … both of you could die… no sign of the other body.”

“ Commander , what are your orders?”

SCOUT floats back to me, but this time he is his normal size.

Nonetheless , I can still see through him.

“ Lacie , we are going to try something, although I need to warn you about the risk. As you know, in this form everything passes through me, just as you would if you fell. However , I may be able to solidify my arms enough to throw you up. MeK has the longest reach, and the Commander , with KyT’s help, should be able to anchor him successfully so he can catch you. ”

“ Why can’t they just pull me up?”

“ Lacie , I am going to be honest with you. The rock wall is barely hanging on. It is only by the will of the Lord of Light that you did not, nor have you, plummeted to your death along with the male who put you in this danger. We could take the time to race back and get the gear needed to save you, only to lose you before it could arrive. Or we can use what we have. If I solidify entirely, I will fall, but if I only harden a small part of my body, I believe I can maintain this form and still get you safely to MeK . If I drop you, … well, I refuse to acknowledge that this will not work. According to my calculations, they show an eighty-nine percent success rate.”

“ If I wait?”

“ You have a forty-three percent success rate.”

“ Well , throwing me is sounding better and better. What do you need me to do?”

“ I want you to slowly stand up if you can, and then when you are steady on your feet, move toward the edge of the platform. On three, I will solidify enough to throw you, but let me warn you, this is going to hurt.”

“ Now ?”

“ Yes ! … Commander , MeK , get ready.”

It takes me a minute to get my legs under me as I’m shaking all over.

Several times, SCOUT motions for me to stop moving and holding myself still in one place only makes the shakes worse.

Of course, fresh blood starts seeping down my leg and face as I shuffle my feet forward.

I was terrified when the cliff wall gave out and I started to fall, so the fear of that happening again is taking everything I have mentally to push myself forward.

“ You are doing great, Lacie . Now , I need you to stop and catch your breath. Are you ready for me?”

“ Yes .”

“ We will count to three together, and then I will lift you up.”

“ Ok .”

“ One , Two , THREE !” Suddenly , my whole body is soaring freely through the air.

I hear MeK and the Commander as I pass by them, rising upward.

Just as gravity takes hold, I start to fall again.

Strong arms grab me out of the air, and I cry out in pain, welcoming the darkness that suddenly engulfs me.