Chapter 33-Never Going to Let You Go

"Melanie!" I cried loudly, struggling against my ropes. She seemed to be struggling beneath the body of that traitor Kyle. Entirely too still. I had to get to her. I couldn’t lose her. She meant everything to me. Suddenly she went very still, too still. I cried out in anguish, "No!" Then, my head snapped to the side as the door in the side of the cave burst open. Hugh came staggering through it. There was a large bruise spread across his forehead but he was walking so he couldn’t have been too hurt.

"Hugh!" I shouted. He looked over at the table and I noticed his expression turn to shock. He walked over to us quickly and began untying Mitch. His fingers fumbled but he managed to get him out in a few seconds. "Please, Hugh," I said, my voice pleading. "Don’t untie us yet. Help Melanie." He raised his eyebrows and looked over at the bodies. Without a moment of hesitation, he rolled the body of Kyle off of her and kicked it as he did in disgust.

"Do you know CPR?" asked Mitch, who was standing above him. Hugh nodded quickly and began working on her. Beside me I heard Kat sobbing quietly.

"It’s okay Kat," I said to her reassuringly. "She’ll be okay." Her blue eyes shined with tears and turned them to me. They were so full of sadness I felt myself holding back tears as a result of seeing them. She took a deep breath then nodded to me with a grateful smile. I looked back at Melanie. She looked so cold and still. She couldn’t die. Not after what she had done. It was neither fair nor right. I wanted to be beside her but I these accursed ropes stood between me and my love.

"Mitch," I said. He turned to me quickly. "Could you maybe undo these ropes?"

"I think we’d all appreciate that," said Cerant from across the table and I forced a grin at him.

"I’m so sorry guys!" said Mitch apologetically. "I was just so worried about Mel."

"Its okay," I assured him. "Just untie the ropes." He undid mine first and I pushed past him quickly. I dropped to one knee as I was beside Mel and glanced at Hugh. He was pumping desperately on her chest and breathing into her mouth.

"She saved us Hugh," I said, my voice mournful. "She saved us all." I traced the side of her pale face with one of my hands. Hugh looked at me for a moment and then back down at Melanie.

"Then no matter what happens," he said. "She’ll be remembered as a hero."

"A hero," I murmured then took one of hands in mine. Hugh quickly continued with the CPR. It had only been a minute, maybe two, it felt like an eternity though. It was an eternity of misery without her. I stared at her face when he wasn’t breathing into it. I memorized every detail. I wasn’t going to let her go. I clasped her hand tightly in mine and whispered, "I love you Mel."

Suddenly there was a huge sucking noise as Melanie’s mouth opened and she breathed in deeply. I felt my heart leap into my throat and I was overcome by happiness. My hand tightened around hers as I said, "Melanie? Can you hear me?" She opened her eyes slowly and their green depths immediately found me.

"Yes," she said after a moment breathlessly. Around me I could hear everyone expressing their happiness in their own way. Kat was crying from happiness on Cerant’s shoulder who was beaming and seemed to be whispering to himself. Mitch had shouted happily and was dancing around the room. The moment of elation passed by quickly though and soon we gathered around her. She had spoken that one word but seemed exhausted from it.

"We need to get her to a bed," I said and I bent down next to her. She managed to smile for me as I lifted her from the ground. Her smiled warmed my heart and I kissed her softly on the forehead. She was obviously trying to be strong but no one could blame her for being physically weak right now. I rocked her gently as we all began up the tunnel toward the top of the island.

Along the way we passed another cave. I turned quickly to keep from my vomiting and Melanie even seeing it. Behind me I could hear both Kat and Mitch cry out and Cerant and Hugh mumbled curses. The body of the chef had been lying in the ground, a carving knife protruding from his back. His white shirt was stained with crimson. We quickly started back up the tunnel. It was steep most of the way but not too steep to keep going. I held Melanie tightly and we continued up.

We emerged into the moonlight after the trek. I could hear Cerant curse as we emerged and I looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Please excuse my language," he said. "I just feel horrible that I didn’t find this place sooner. You would think I’d know my own island better than this."

"We’re all alive," said Kat. "So no one can speak anything against you." We nodded in assent and she gave him a hug. He folded his arms around her and I thought I saw tears in his eyes.

"I’m very glad of that," he said. "I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if something had happened while you were on my island."

Suddenly I heard Melanie say groggily, "No one would blame you Cerant." I looked down at her and she was smiling over at him then she looked back at me and her smile vanished. Then she closed her eyes and rose up slowly, kissing me softly. I set her on the ground but put my arms around her tightly and kissed her back. We held onto each other for moments and moments of happiness.

"I’ll never let you go," I whispered to her.

"You’d better," she said.

I blinked a second then grinned at her and she smiled back. Mitch had been standing to the side all-alone and she gestured him over to us. He grinned slightly and then came over. I put an arm around him and Melanie did likewise. Kat and Cerant came over and joined into the embrace. We all sat there in the moonlight, doing nothing but hugging each other and being perfectly content with that fact.

After a few minutes Mitch said, "I love you guys. I really do man." Then I could see tears running out of his eyes as he grinned. We all released each other but I walked over and gave him a guy hug. We held each others’ hands and then slapped each other on the back. He was about to leave but then I dipped him and made like I was going to kiss him, but then I dropped him on the ground right before I got low enough. He laughed from his seat on the ground and around me I could hear everyone chuckling. I was glad I could lighten them up.

I helped him to his feet then turned. Melanie was sitting on the ground with her hand on her head and I rushed over quickly. "Are you okay?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded to me. "Yeah," she said. "Just a little groggy." I helped her to her feet and gave her my arm as we walked back to the house. I would have carried her again, but she insisted that she was fine. "Besides," she told me. "It’ll probably clear my head some."

I would have preferred to carry her; however, her strength was one reason I loved her and I had no doubt in my mind that she would succeed. I looked upon her with a new sort of awe now. We all seemed to. She had achieved what we all wish we could and stood up for what we all hoped we would stand up for. If a single one of us didn’t act in complete gratitude to her, the others would probably beat him or her down. Kat walked on the other side of Mel than I was on. They were holding hands and Kat would constantly hug her. Cerant walked by Kat and Mitch was on my other side.

Soon, together, we reached the house and went into the living room. Everyone collapsed on a couch with a relieved sigh. Most of us were very dirty and the rich surfaces were soon blemished from our sitting in them. Hugh seemed to move forward to clean them but Cerant put a hand on his arm.

"Hugh," he said, then gave him a big hug. The man looked completely shocked but cracked a grin. "Hugh you’ve worked with my family for years," he said. "And now I’m going to have to fire you."

We all made sounds of shock. Melanie sat up in her seat quickly, too quickly for her health, and said, "But he saved my life!"

Cerant suddenly started laughing and said, "Let me finish. Hugh, I want you to live on the island with me but not as a servant, as a friend."

Hugh’s face seemed to ooze happiness and this time he hugged Cerant. Then he bowed with a wink and said, "Certainly."

Then Cerant turned to Kat. "Katreena," he said. "I would like to ask you to stay as well." We all looked shock and Kat looked shocked and happy at the same time. Beisde me, Melanie took my hand and squeezed it. She was smiling with pure joy for her friend and the emotion made her sparkle. "I’m not asking it to be right now," he said. "I understand that you may think it a tad, psychotic, to make such a decision. I wouldn’t want you to skip college either."

She nodded to him with her blue eyes shining. "Maybe you could come stay in San Francisco for awhile," she said. "Then when I graduate I can help you with your business."

"I expect your work to become part of my business," he said, his dark eyes staring at her with affection.

She blushed. "Well," she said. "One can always hope."

Cerant turned back to us the rest of with a slight grin. I covered my eyes and said, "Don’t worry, we won’t peek." Then I parted two fingers slowly.

He grinned and shook a finger at me. "I’d would actually ask all of you to live here," he said. "I’m sure you all have different plans for your life though and will be caught up in other affairs when you leave." We nodded in agreement and sat in silence.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. Mitch said, "If we ever can leave."