Archive of Our Own ^beta

"AIDEN KEEP UP WITH ME!”

Ashlyn panted, running around the forest with the blonde behind her. He never let the wide grin falter as they ran away from a whole army of the phantoms. Too much for them to handle, clearly.

He arm was stratched, blood running down slowly and painfully. Aiden had a gash on his jaw thats running down to his neck. Her mind was swirling with unfocused thoughts, she had to think fast and smart, to lose the phantoms.

The boy sped up his pace, meeting her. He chuckles, as if he doesnt cares about dying at all. Or hes so confident she'll get him out of this too, like a mother.

“Ash?”

She looked up, her gaze catching an electrical transformer in sight. It was too high—.

“Climb.”

“What—?!”

“CLIMB!”

She clinged to the transformer, using the barriers as if they were a ladder. The distance between barriers were high, it didnt stop her though. Aiden kept up with her again, he has to.

They reached the top of the transformer, clinging to the barrier like its a lifeline. Well, at all, if they let go they'd die.

“That was fun!”

He laughed, Ashlyn shutting him up with a hiss. She looks down at the phantoms who didnt see them climb, they're safe, for now.

After what felt like forever(its been seconds), the phantoms ran through another direction where a sound came from. Whatever, she wont care what it was, she was grateful for the sound.

She huffed out, resting her head on the metal, trying to catch her breath and remove the adrealine rushing through her veins.

“Will we climb back down?”

He grinned at her, sometimes Ashlyn gets jealous how he can be so careless, but she remembers the results of being "careless", so she pushes that thought down immediately.

“Yeah, just in a bit.”

She hummed, looking around to make sure theres no phantoms in sight. After some moments, she finally conviced herself if they be quiet enough; they'd survive until they shift back.

“Ight, lets climb back down, carefully. Without jumping, okay?”

She glared at him, Aiden's smile only widened at of she looked beautiful when the wind waved her short hair like that, he was dissapointed that sight wont last long, though.

It felt like the distance between the barriers were further now, which only gave her more anixety. With a shaky breath, she found the barrier and placed her feet on it. Carefully—

SLIP!

She thought her life ended just right there before her wrist was held by a firm grip of the blonde.

“O—okay, Aiden. Careful—! I have to get back on the barrier..again..just hold tighter...”

She gasped out, looking down for any barrier to hold onto, until he called out to her.

“Ashlyn.”

She looked up, his red eyes now black and wide. Lifeless gaze staring into her panicked ones.

“Aiden?...”

She gasped once again, he wasnt smiling. That was when she realized, that wasnt her Aiden.

“Aiden, please.”

She breathed out, her pupils shaking with fear. Same for her body.

“Im sorry, please dont let go— im begging you Aiden please dont..”

She pleads, still searching something to land on while begging to it. The height frightened her even more, the grip on her isnt gentle, its not Aiden. Its not Aiden...

“Pleas—”

Her gaze widened. With a grin, Aiden let go of her wrist, letting her fall off the transformer. His grip on the barrier wasnt tight, either. From what it seems.

And then, everything went dark for Ashlyn.