A glint of something silver catches my attention, then everything happens in slow motion. One moment, Shane and Luna are hustling, nearing the top, the next Savannah is swinging a large hunting-type knife out, severing Shane and Luna’s rope with one swipe.
Shane was depending on that tension for his next grab, and his hand barely skates against the rock before missing entirely. He falls backward, and Luna looks up at me, panic in her eyes as she’s suddenly yanked backward with him. Their bodies free-fall through the air, arms and legs flailing desperately as a bloodcurdling scream deafens me.
It takes me a few moments to realize it’s coming from me.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Landon
“NOOOOOO!” Courtney screams as we hopelessly watch Shane and Luna free-fall at least fifty feet. I see the moment of impact coming, and I quickly yank Courtney into my arms, forcing her head into my chest before their bodies land with a sickening crunch that echoes through the forest.
She jumps at the sound, and I cringe as I look away roughly. I feel Courtney shaking in my arms before she looks up at me, tears pouring down her face.
“We have to help them! Now!” she begs desperately.
I don’t have it in me to tell her that no one could survive that fall, and so I grab the bag with the pink heart on it, slipping it onto my shoulders before I slowly begin our descent. Going down is much faster and easier than going up, and with how much slack they gave us, we can pretty much rappel the whole way.
Once my feet hit the ground, Courtney’s are right beside me, and she hurriedly undoes her harness before racing towards Luna. Shane is about ten feet away, and I run to him. His neck is turned at an unnatural angle, his chest isn’t moving, and his eyesare wide and unblinking. He died on impact, no doubt about it. The only blessing is that it should have been a painless death.
“Luna! Luna! Stay with me. We’re going to get you help. Landon!” Courtney sobs.
I rush over to Courtney, my footsteps pausing for a moment as my eyes fully take in what I’m seeing.
Jesus Christ. Luna is miraculously still alive, but only barely. She landed on a sharp tree stump, falling with such force that the stump went straight through her. The top of the stump is peeking out through her stomach, blood pouring out around it. Her arms shake and twitch; her breathing is choppy.
“Court-ney,” Luna wheezes.
Courtney nods, tears rolling down her cheeks as she pushes Luna’s purple hair to the side lovingly. “I’m here, babe. I’m right here. We’re going to get you out of this,” she lies.
Luna attempts to smile as a little blood drips from the side of her mouth. “You really are my be-st f-friend,” she stutters. “I l-love yo-ou.”
Another sob rips through Courtney as she holds Luna’s hand in hers. “I love you so fucking much. I can’t wait to get out of this place with you. We’re gonna have girls’ night every week. We’ll eat street tacos until we puke and then have the boys carry us home when we have too many margaritas.”
Luna smiles at that. “Shane w-ill li-like that.”
“Yeah.” Courtney smiles, a tear falling from her face and landing on Luna’s body.
Luna’s smile begins to soften as her breathing becomes wetter and raspier. I watch her exhale her final breath, her eyes turning distant and unfocused as her body stills completely.
She’s gone.
Courtney lets out a noise that’s almost inhuman. It’s the sound of grief embodied, full of pain and despair, and it shakesme to my very core. She throws herself on top of Luna’s body, shaking and sobbing, then screaming and shouting into the air.
The sound of two pairs of footsteps hit the ground not far from us, earning both of our gazes. My eyes flick over Savannah and Noah, noticing that not only do they have their backpack with the green heart, they also have one with a red heart on it. They stole Shane and Luna’s bag? Are you fucking serious?
They both watch me with unease, but it isn’t me they should be watching. Courtney moves so fast, I barely even see it. One moment, she’s beside me, sobbing over Luna’s body, the next she’s like a warrior, lunging for the knife Savannah dropped and bringing it up as she leaps for her.
Savannah jumps back petrified as I grab Courtney just in time. She makes a slicing motion through the air before losing all control in my arms.
“You killed them! You bitch! I’ll fucking gut you like a pig, you coward!” she snarls.
The camera crew swarm in like fucking paparazzi, attempting to zoom in on every juicy detail. Pieces of fucking shit.
“Easy, baby. Easy. I’ve got you,” I say into her ear.
If she hears me, she doesn’t make any indication. Instead, she fights harder against my hold, kicking, squirming and attempting to stab anything in her path.
“It’s survival of the fittest!” Savannah snaps back, hiding behind Noah like a child.
