Trusting Aster was like lifting a weight off my chest. We spent most of the day together talking. We didn't really talk about anything important, just things that popped into our minds. We could probably just talk about the color of the sky for hours and not realize it until the sun came down.

"Have you ever had a job?" Aster asked. We were discussing college and how saving money wasn't easy. It was ironic that we were talking about the future we might not have.

"That's always been my brother's thing," I confessed. "I was always going to get a job one day, but I let him have the satisfaction of being the one to get the money."

He nodded. "I've always wanted a brother. Are you two close?"

"You have no idea." If he knew what we had been through, Aster wouldn't have hesitated to answer his own question.

"You're not saying that just because of the cameras?" He nudged my shoulder teasingly.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course not, he's my brother. He's always there for me, even through the hardest times."

I looked back at all the moments we have had together. He used to go shopping with me, take me to school, and host my parties. He worked late, and when he came home, he laid next to me until I fell asleep even though he was exhausted.

"He might not hear me, but I love him, and I miss him," I whispered. "More than you can imagine."

Aster wrapped his arm around my shoulders, holding me close to him. He was tense next to me, but the hug didn't feel awkward.

We continued walking like that silently. He didn't comment when tears silently slid down my face. Because even though he had never met Caden, he still understood. And that's all I could ever ask for.

Apart from the obstacles, the walking had to be the worst part. It was just a straight trail with no twists or turns that went on forever. There were no signs of it ending. It never stopped.

How long had we been running, anyway? It had to have only been a couple of weeks. It felt like years, though. I was cut, bruised, bloody, and everyone around me was injured. At this rate, we'd be dead in another week—at the most.

"Kat, stop!" I turned on my heel. I didn't realize that I was so far away from my group.

I spun back around to see why I had been stopped. I was a couple of feet away from a giant gap in the ground. It was farther than the other abysses I had come across. Even if we had a rope, it would be impossible to jump far enough to grab it. There wasn't a sign of the trail on the other side.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Aster asked. He grabbed my arm, backing me away. A week? More like minutes, I thought.

"We're not going to figure out what to do by standing here, are we?" Ed snapped. He hobbled over to the edge and looked across. He scratched his head, shifted his weight to his good foot, and waved Aster over. With a sigh, he left to see what Ed wanted.

Tilly stood next to me. She stared ahead silently.

"Are you afraid of heights?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "A little."

We remained quiet until Aster came back. Ed stared down at the pit, scratching the back of his neck. I looked at Aster for answers, who appeared to be just as nervous.

"We've decided that we have to jump," he finally said. My eyes rounded.

"No way," I said. "That's suicide."

"It's the only way; it's not too far, we can make it."

"There has to be another way. Maybe another side or-"

"Kat," Aster whispered, "you said that you trusted me."

I hesitated. "I do."

"Then listen to me." I sucked in a deep breath and nodded as I released it. I grabbed Tilly's hand, squeezing it gently as we followed him to the edge.

My toes were inches away from the mouth. I could see water rushing below us, splashing violently at the sides. My stomach lurched. It had to be an eighty-foot drop. Sure, we'd survive, but it would hurt like the devil.

"So," Ed's words cut through the silence like a knife, "who's going first?"

No one volunteered. After a while, I sighed and took a step forward. Aster stood next to me.

"We'll jump together."

I smiled at him. Aster curled his fingers into mine, squeezing my hand before letting go. Aster tucked his glasses into his pants, closed his eyes, and flung himself over the edge.

I jumped after him, screaming from the top of my lungs. The wind stabbed my cheeks and flung my hair behind me. The water came faster and faster. I curled my knees close to my stomach so that I wouldn't belly flop.

My ears popped as I went under the water. My body stung, and it took me a minute to get my limbs working again. I cut through the water, lifting my head above the surface. I looked around for another head. I turned in a couple of circles. Aster wasn't there.

I flinched as a sharp pain shot through my hands. I flung them out of the water. Red spots danced around my skin, growing before my eyes. The pain crawled up my arms and back, and then to my legs. I cried out as it ate at my clothes and skin. I began swimming, hoping that it would relieve the pain. Tears stung my eyes. I was wrong; it made it worse.

I threw my head underwater, finding it easier to swim. I had to come back up once my face began throbbing. The pain made my brain turn to mush, so I stopped swimming. I remained in one spot, crying and screaming in pain.

A hand grabbed my ankle. I turned to see Aster, who was breathing heavily. He grabbed my waist, pulling me towards him. He swam with his free arm, kicking frantically. His hand was swollen and red, matching his neck. I began kicking, too. We kept on going straight. Aster's jaw was tight as he held in his pain. I did, too, but I let the tears sting my eyes.

Our bodies hit the side of something. I slid my hands around the wall. I felt an edge, so I lifted myself onto it. My shoulders shook under the pressure. I threw my body on the floor, sobbing harder. I curled into a ball. My body felt like it was just burnt, frozen, and burnt again. I placed my cheek on the cold floor, closing my eyes.

Aster crawled next to me, lying on his back. "We made it," he croaked. I didn't reply. I continued laying there for another minute. We heard a splash. Then two.

Aster stood up, walking to the water. He debated going in, decided against it, and just started yelling for Ed and Tilly to swim this way. It took them a couple of minutes to swim over. Tilly was shrieking and crying. I had enough strength to crawl over and help her. Once she was safe next to me, Tilly wrapped her arms around my torso. She sobbed on my shoulder. I just hugged back. I had already cried. All I could do was help her.

Ed and Aster laid down. Ed looked bone-tired. He hadn't brought his walking stick with him. I'd have to get him another one later.

Tilly sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. When she calmed down, I rubbed circles on her back. "It's okay," I whispered. "It's over. The obstacle's done. Just go to sleep."

In the middle of the night, I woke up to the rushing of water. I had nearly forgotten about the horrors that had only happened hours ago until it had awoken me. I shot up, my back screaming in pain. I tried to silence my scream, but ended up sounding like a strangled cat. Ed stirred in his sleep. Aster turned to look at me.

"Don't worry," he muttered. "I had to recap, too."

Aster scooted next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Let's go back to sleep; it's been a long day."

I laid down. Aster rested next to me. "I hope this isn't awkward," Aster whispered. "You were just talking about your brother, and...I know what it's like being alone, and I don't want you to feel that."

I nodded, resting my head on the floor. Aster's rambling slowly muffled. He rubbed my arm. It felt nice against my bumpy skin. I closed my eyes, feeling myself sliding back into unconsciousness.

"Thank you for trusting me." Was the last thing I heard before I fell back asleep.

Happy Tuesday! I'm thinking about making this my official publishing day. It just works well for me, especially since this chapter is a little longer.

I hope that you all enjoyed it. Please like, comment, and share this story with your friends. Don't forget to like with your chin. Stay cool.

Breezeblocks by Alt-J is a very dramatic song, and probably what would be in my head if I were falling into the water. If you didn't read the story with this song playing, I recommend trying it. It really boosts the intensity levels.