Page 14 of Rebel Rising: A Dystopian Romance

“Yes."

“Pick your feet up."

I did as instructed and held tight to the ropes on either side of me. Taylor's hands left my back for a moment, only to return with force, knocking me and the seat forward up into the air. I screamed in surprise, fear, exhilaration…I didn’t even know which emotion was winning out.

I’d never felt anything like it. My stomach dropped out from under me and blood pulsed in my veins. My palms were sweaty and I was utterly terrified. But I didn't want it to stop. As I swung backwards, Taylor rushed in to push me again. I swung higher this time and I tipped my head back to look up at the blue sky stretching endlessly above us.

Again and again Taylor pushed me and my stomach swooped and I squealed in delight, kicking my feet in front of me.

Eventually, the seat slowed and finally stopped still and I stood up, feeling wobbly.

“That was the best fun I have had. Ever," I said, grinning at him so hard that my face may have been in danger of splitting in half.

Taylor grinned back and was about to have another go himself when the GPS started beeping at us.

“It's time to go," he moaned. "You hogged all the fun."

“Well I'm also going to have one hell of a bruise on my ass," I said, rubbing the ache on my backside where I'd landed in the dirt.

"Does my ventilator still look okay?" I asked and Taylor tipped my head back to get a better look.

“I think so." He knocked his knuckles against it and I heard a faint pop.

“What was that?" I grabbed at the circular tube and shook it as my heart leapt in panic. "Can you hear hissing?"

“No." Taylor eyes widened in alarm as he shifted closer to me.

“Is that 'no' a real no, or is it a 'I don't want you to panic' no?" My breathing came rapidly and the hissing seemed even louder.

“No, I really can't hear it." Taylor stepped closer to me and tried to tilt his head close to my ventilator to listen.

"Call your dad," I begged and the effort of speaking sent a ringing to my ears. There wasn't enough oxygen getting into my suit. My heart was slamming against my chest so hard that it hurt and I was trying really damn hard not to freak out but it wasn’t working.

Taylor stared at me for a second before realising I meant the radio. He dropped the pack to the ground and started shoving things aside as he hunted for it.

A sample bottle tumbled over the lip of the bag and started to roll away down the road and Taylor jumped up to chase it just as I started to feel light headed.

I tried to call him back but I couldn't draw in a breath and I coughed as the stale air in my lungs tried to force its way out. My limbs felt like they were too far from my body and my pulse was echoing in my ears.

I put a hand out to the tree to steady myself but it was further away than I'd thought and I staggered, only just managing to stay on my feet.

Taylor caught the bottle and turned back, looking at me with a concern lining his features as he realised something was really wrong.

I clutched the ventilator, willing it to start working again. My lungs were burning, there was no oxygen left in my mask. I looked up at Taylor as fear gripped my heart and I stumbled onto one knee.

Taylor was already running towards me, yelling my name and he caught my arm before I could face plant into the ground.

"What is it?" he asked anxiously, peering into my eyes

"I...can't-" I wheezed, but barely a whisper left my lips. My vision was going black around the edges and I coughed again, trying desperately to get some oxygen. The air didn't feel right in my lungs. "Breathe," I managed before everything went black.

***

The first thing I was aware of was a breeze on my cheek. Then the hard, cold ground beneath my back and a hand squeezing mine tightly. My eyes were closed but I couldn't summon the energy to open them just yet.

“Can you hear me?" Taylor begged.

"You're practically shouting down my earhole," I managed, but I felt weird and had to pause to pull in a big lungful of air.