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T h e   H o l l o w s   I n
O U R  F R E E D O M
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S K Y

I trembled as the tears rolled down my cheeks. The winds grew harsher as a light drizzle of rain started to spit at us, pinching our skin every so often.

"Lexi!" Jace called out for the hundredth time, the urgency clear in her voice.

"Stop now, there's no use." I heard Saph say, though I wasn't sure I could really hear much over the panic ringing in my ears.

I shook my head and clamped my hand over my mouth as a sob escaped. Jameson was holding me tightly, trying to comfort me—but I could feel his hands shaking.

Elle, who had been peering over the edge relentlessly, suddenly spoke up, saying, "I'm going to look." She tightened her bag straps before sprinting off around the corner of the clifftop.

I shook my head, feeling that it was all useless.

"The possibility of her being dead–"

"–don't say that." I said suddenly, lashing out at Saph, who had spoken.

I didn't mean to be so brash, but I could feel my insides churning with the most scariest panic I had ever felt consume me.

Alexi Abbot has just fallen from the cliff.
Saph was right; the possibility of her being dead was...was very high.

We all stood in silence for a long few moments, until Jace launched himself to the ground, looking over the edge. Jameson broke free from me and yanked him away, yelling something at him. I didn't know what they were saying as more tremors shook my body, I just knew that I could see the tears forming in Jace's eyes.

I watched him with a detached feeling. I knew there was something I wanted to question, but I couldn't remember what it was with a mind full of panic.

And then I did something terribly unexpected. I pushed through Saph and Jonah and did the exact same thing Jace had just done.

Except I was only half way to the ground when I was pulled upwards by Jameson, who held me close to him when he had got me standing again.

Then we all began to yell at each other.

"Well we're going to have to leave at some point!" Saph yelled. I narrowed my eyes at her, poison on the tip of my tongue as I prepared to argue with her.

And then she started screaming, eyes wide as she watched something behind me.

But I knew that the only thing behind me was the edge of the cliff. I frowned at her, watching her freak out with eyes full of tears.

And then I felt something grab at my ankle.

I turned quickly, though didn't move my body. There, I saw hands in black leather gloves, waving around on the cliff edge.

I recognised the gloves.

And the faint initials 'A.A' kind of gave it away too.

I fell to the floor instantly and, this time, Jameson did not stop me. I grabbed onto the hands and started to pull the person upwards. Soon, Jameson began to help—I had a feeling that he had sensed something in me, something that told him that I wasn't just being crazy.

I saw cuts and gashes all over the person's arms as more of their body began to emerge.

Jameson and I pulled all of the weight over the edge. I didn't even need to move the beautiful glossy locks aside to know who it was.

"Oh my–"

I heard someone begin, and then Jameson jumped to his feet and sprinted off into the distance. I was faintly aware of him screaming Elle's name, but I could only look down at the body we had just hauled over the edge.

It was Alexi Abbot.
She's okay.
She's alive.

Jace joined her side without a seconds notice, tearing his coat off and placing it over her body before moving her hair out of her face.

Her eyes fluttered, before I watched her gaze up at him. As I began to peel away her gloves, I caught her lips upturning as she began to stare up at him. I saw more cuts and gashes, some worse, as I revealed her hands. Then I launched myself into her where she laid, sobbing into the crook of her neck.

I felt as her hand slowly moved, and she pressed her palm against my back.

She was alive.

I was faintly aware of Elle joining us, inspecting Alexi's injuries at the speed of lightning to decide what to dress in the nick of time. I guess she had to prioritise since we really had no time left before nightfall.

I pulled away and smiled down at Lexi, a few of my teardrops falling onto her face. She only smiled when they did, and squeezed my hand gently.

I let her hold my hand, but soon passed her's onto Elle, having seen the gashes on them.

Jameson helped me to my feet, and we all waited as Elle patched Lexi up. Well, everyone but Jace was standing up; I'm guessing he was using his therapist eyes to calm her down, but I couldn't see past Elle to know.

After a few minutes, Elle and Jace stood up off the floor, and I watched as they helped Lexi up and dusted her off. I approached them silently, watching as Lexi struggled to stand.

"Did you land on them badly?" I heard Elle ask as I joined them. I watched Lexi pause, withholding her response; I furrowed my eyebrows at her.

"No, I'm absolutely fine." She said, brushing it off with a smile.

Elle gave her a deadpan look.

Alexi sighed and leaned farther into Jace, who was holding her.

"Yeah," she told her honestly, "kind of." Elle, guessing that Lexi wouldn't offer up any other response, nodded and turned, having sensed me beside her.

She beckoned me over to the bigger group, and then started to speak to us all—aside from Jace and Alexi.

"We can't make it to our destination now, it's too late." She said, causing our group to start a mini debate.

Elle quickly quietened us, saying, "we're going to have to camp out somewhere. We can walk a bit out, past the cliffs; there's a forest beyond here."

"It's too dangerous." Jonah said, objecting.

Elle narrowed her eyes at him. "Even if Lexi was in the position to walk the entire way there, it'll get dark very soon."

"So you propose that we just sleep right in the dragon's den? Those people just came out and attacked Jace and Lexi—that's the entire reason she ended up the way she is." Jonah said, fighting his side.

Elle crossed her arms over her chest. "We're staying one more night."

So it was settled.
Another night in a tent.

"Are you okay?" Jameson asked me as we started to disperse once more.

I shook my head and rubbed my palms against my leggings. "It's just hard to see the cracks begin to form in our plan." I told him, watching as Jace helped Lexi to walk, overseen by Elle.

Jameson took his hand into mine. "We're fine." He told me, making me tear my eyes away from Lexi and let him have them. "Our plan is fine. It was just a brief moment of panic, but Alexi is okay—and I'm sure she'd fight to tell you that our plan didn't break because she took a trip down a cliff."

I laughed at that, before watching Jameson reach out and dry the last of my tears. I smiled up at him gratefully, tightening my grip on his hand.

"I love you." I told him, drowning in his eyes. He kept his hand at my face, cupping it.

"I love you too."

Our moment soon collapsed when a voice broke in.

"So I nearly die and you welcome me back to the land of the living with PDA?"

I was laughing before I even turned to clarify who it was.

Lexi smiled as I laughed. I shook my head, "at least the fall didn't affect your humour, Lexi." I quipped in response, making her share a short laugh.

"Nah," she said, leaning forward to push me jokingly—which almost made her stumble more than me, "it didn't affect me at all; I'm absolutely fine." She told me. I watched her, eyes observing her. I couldn't tell if she was lying, but given the injuries on her body, I wasn't sure that she was 'absolutely fine'.

"Okay, team! Do we have everyone?"

We all responded to Elle with our names, the usual way of communicating to her that we were all here.

"Okay, soldiers, one last march."

And then we were off once more.

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and it certainly isn't over yet .... ;)

IM BACK

IM BACK IM BACK IM BACK

well
I was always here
you just had to be reading Her Life to see me

PS, you should read that ;):)

Ahhhhh

Lexi survived
Jameson and Sky are like frickin on point
Sky's POV ?? What ?? Who is she???
Jace is showing signs I can't even read
Elle is such a loving queen

And
I
Am
Back

-can't get rid of me that easily 😈

FABULOUS SONGS

Songs that played when I was writing this chapter (in order):
Hard for a Man - Say Lou Lou
When It's All Over - RAIGN
Clocks - Coldplay
Secrets and Lies - Ruelle
Wicked Game - Ursine Vulpine
Alive - Gabrielle Aplin
Count the Saints - Foxes
Hurricane - Fleurie

END OF FABULOUS SONGS

Date written:
30/04/18 (that was loooonnnnggg time ago 😳😳)

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Next update: TOMORROW BC IM A QUEEN
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CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO SPOILER:

How do you stop a person from speaking?

;)