Deep

by Leesa Birch

  Grogan was holding my trembling hands. Looking down at me, he said, “You’d better take him away from here. Now!”

  Lying there, with my hand in the lake, I could still feel Kane through the depths of the water. I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to move.

  After a few hours, people stopped asking me if I was alright or if there was anything they could do. My heart ached and I felt empty inside. Moving my fingers in the cold water, I sent tiny ripples out onto the surface of the lake.

  The few hours turned into twenty four, then forty eight, before my silence was interrupted once more. Grogan sat down beside me. He was talking, though it sounded muffled until he placed a warm hand on my shoulder. “At least let me heal your scars, Ivy. Or fetch you another blanket,” he said softly. I stopped staring out over the lake momentarily. I hadn’t even realised that someone had covered me over. Returning my attention back to the comforting yet sombre lake, I heard Grogan mention Elder Gracie’s name. He carried on but I was so very tired that I stopped listening.

  It was dark again as a warm body sidled up next to me. He didn’t speak for a while, just held me against him. He really did smell like his brother. His arm reaching around me, Blake pressed something into my hand. “Sorry, Ivy, he didn’t get chance to give you this. He had a whole evening planned - he’d even bought a suit.” He let out a small, singular laugh then covered us both over and held me tight. Looking down at the ring in my hand, I broke down and cried for all I was worth.

  We were woken by shouts from angry people. “Sorry, Ivy, I tried to stop them but they’re afraid of you. They’re sending you home!” Grogan was pulled aside as I was dragged to my feet. Armed council guards had restrained Barrett and Gary. Blake tried to get between us as they tried to take me away but was knocked down. “Stop it!” I yelled. “I’m not leaving the lake! You can’t make me.”

  Pushed into a van with armed guards, the door slammed behind me. I watched as Sylvia and my friends grew more distant through the rear window.

  Home?