eternal frenemies

It was the last words she heard before her strength gave out and her fingers slipped off the bridge. The last thing anyone would ever say to her before burning in the flames below her. That is, if the last person she ever expected to help her hadn't grabbed her arm and held tighter than a boa constrictor. The smoke was so dense, all she could see was her opponents glowing, red eyes staring down at her. Aubrey had never known Myranda to show mercy. She was cold-blooded and ruthless. Even now, Aubrey was shot through the chest with an arrow and she was dangling over a would-be fiery grave while she fully expected her nemesis to drop her. But her red eyes looked different than usual. They looked panicked, even scared. However, they also looked determined.

Myranda's other hand gripped Aubrey's right and her red eyes closed with grit as she pulled her onto the bridge and away from the flame. Once on the bridge, Myranda threw Aubrey's shoulder over her back and started walking. Neither one of them could fully concentrate, the smoke had filled their lungs and only adrenaline kept them going despite their injuries. Once they stepped out of the room, they both collapsed onto the floor. The poisoned arrow in Aubrey’s torso did not pierce deeply. She pulled it out with a short yelp of agony and was done.

“What did you just say?” Aubrey said with a cough. She had to know what was going on. Why did Myranda save her? Why did she say that? After everything that’s ever happened, how could she ever feel that way?

“You heard me,” Myranda stood up, wiping the cut on her cheek. “And no matter what, there’s not a time when you’re allowed to die.”

Aubrey clenched her fist around the knife on her hip. ‘One good stab to her temple’ she thought ‘and she won’t be a problem anymore’ but when she tried to get up, the room was spinning and her arms gave out when she tried to pick herself up.

The ceiling in the room behind them collapsed and the floor shook beneath them. Aubrey coughed into her hand. When she pulled it away, she saw her palm with dark, red blood.

“That includes right fucking now” Myranda stumbled over to Aubrey whose back was still on the floor. Aubrey pulled out her knife.

“I know that you don’t trust me,” Myranda said with her hands raised. “I also know you don’t reciprocate. Not looking for that change right now. But this will all make sense real soon” Then, her red eyes looked panicked again as she started moving closer.

“Aubrey-AUBREY!!!”

Her vision started to blur and then she was fading in and out of darkness. She dropped the knife in front of her. Two arms reached underneath her and lifted her off of the ground. She looked up and saw Myranda’s determined face. Then…nothing.

Aubrey opened her eyes and saw a cobblestone ceiling above her. She felt sore and worn out, like she had overslept into the afternoon and in the wrong position. She was lying in the middle of a queen-size bed. There was air blowing into her nose. She had been breathing through a tube and when she lifted her right arm out from under the covers she could see there was a needle piercing her vein and it was attached to an IV next to her bed. She sat up and felt a great pain in her chest where the arrow had come through earlier. Scanning her surroundings, she realized she was in quite a nice room with hardwood floors, a large dresser and a painting on the wall. It felt cozy but it also felt strangely familiar to her. She looked through a window on her left. It was snowing outside. ‘Snow?’ Thought Aubrey. ‘It’s July.’

She ripped the tube away from her nose and started walking with her IV. Feeling the pain in her ribs she stumbled out of the room and found herself in a cozy little bathroom. She turned on the light, looked at the mirror and let out a loud gasp. She looked different, she could see the bandage around her chest and while she was paler than usual, there was still enough color in your face to suggest she was healthy. Her hair, though, had grown longer by about an inch. ‘How long have I been here?’

There was a picture on the wall. Two women in wedding dresses exiting a chapel, they were getting married. They both looked familiar. One of them had wavy, curly hair and a grin going from ear to ear. If she had red eyes, she’d almost look like…Myranda. Aubrey saw that the other woman in the picture looked like… herself. She took the picture off the wall and then she heard a door creak open.

“Back again?” A man’s voice said

“You know it,” That voice belonged to Myranda. Aubrey could never mistake it for someone else’s. “How’s she today?”

“She’s fine,” the man replied. “Everything’s stable, she’s looking much better than when you brought her here two months ago.”

Aubrey creaked the bathroom door a little and saw Myranda wearing a flannel shirt with her hair tied into a ponytail. She sat down next to a large man with a thick white beard. Myranda put her face into her hands and the man rubbed her back.

“She’ll wake up soon, Myranda”

“I know.”

“Have you thought about what you’ll say to her when she wakes up? She doesn’t remember you and she’ll assume you’re trying to deceive her.”

“I can only try,” Myranda answered. “I need to to try, things will never be the same. Believe me, I know.” She pointed at her red eyes.

“I don’t know what she’s like now,” the man began “but the woman I knew wouldn’t care about your mutations. She loved you, she can love you again.”

Aubrey kicked the door open. Myranda and the man jumped out of their seats. Myranda started smiling and a tear came down her cheek.

“You’re awake!!!” She raised her arms ready to hug her before stopping herself.

Aubrey lifted up the wedding photo. Her whole body was shaking. Why was everything so familiar? They didn’t know she was up so they had to be telling the truth.

“What…the Hell…is happening?”

The old man smirked and Myranda walked up to her and leaned into Aubrey’s face.

“You’re home.” Myranda wrapped her arms around Aubrey. Aubrey wanted to fight her but found that she couldn’t.

‘This is familiar too ,” she thought. ‘I think I missed it.’

Aubrey let go and found herself comforted by Myranda’s embrace.

*****

THE END