Salt is prevalent in the air. It always is. And as always it stings my flesh. My wounds. The open scabs are festering. But the salt can heal. I only hope it does. I need it too.

The water brushes gently against my fingers, lapping them.

The scorching sun heats up my skin. I am used to the constant onslaught of pain. Ever since the night of fire and water.

You sigh against me, your voice hoarse from lack of water. I open my eyes blinking in the light. It causes me pain but I don't notice. I stare at you, worried. You're ill. Maybe even dying. I snort.

Of course you're dying. We have all been dying since that day. Or it could have been a different day. So many days we have been dying. But never reaching the full completion of death.

I'm ashamed to admit it but. Sometimes I have longed for death.

Your rusty cough jerks me back to you.

You call out to me. Your hand reaching for mine. It grasps, and grips. I tighten my grip on you. I'm not going to let you go. Not again. Never shall I betray your trust.

Your skin is a vivid red from the constant assault from the sun. I want to spit at the sun but that would waste water and we can't have that can we?

I know you are in pain. I stay awake at night and I hear you. I don't want to again. You're worse than I am. Salt won't heal your wounds. You are so thin.

Your ribs stick out. Sharply. They press against your skin. Their angular shape looking odd. I fear that they might break the skin. Tearing away at the skin. I don't want that. Your soft brown hair cradles your face.

It makes you look innocent. You are innocent. Too innocent for this world. The choppy strands are dry and tangled. Their length does vary. But I need just remember how you looked like before and I am happy. For you as well as me.

You were so alive, you still are. Even if you can't express it properly. Every action of yours was filled with intensity, with life. What you believed in, you believed in ardently. Who you believed in, you believed until the day you died.

You look so young. You are young. But so very brave. So much more than me. I'm a coward. I betrayed them all. I can never look them in the face. Literally. They are gone. But I won't let you go. I promised that to myself. I need you to live. I won't let you die. You are so young. So innocent.

I left my innocence. I am no longer apart of it. I'm too dark. I don't seem able to live a normal life. Maybe because I am not a nice person. That's rather tame. I've done bad things. Evil things. I didn't see what was wrong with them. I thought that, who cares what happened to them, I should be just thinking about myself. Until I met you.

You changed my life. You have such clear definitions between good and evil. You must have seen some good in me. Where I don't know. You made me change. I began to care for you.

I want you to live.

Your dry lips attract my attention as you speak. We don't speak often now. It wastes energy but most of all it waste water. That's bad.

I hear the words.

But I don't believe them.

I have no time!

I have to hurry!

Quicker!

Faster!

Now!

I have to move! Something will go wrong if I don't. I can't let you go.

I reach for the water bottle. The last one left with any water. It is a prized possession. I value it nearly as much as you. Well not really, but it is the closest thing. I depend on it as I depend on you. I lift it towards you. You shake your head and smile.

I love that smile of yours. It seems to light up a room. Or raft.

It's my time, you say. I tremble. This can't be happening! You are my last hope. My last salvation. You are too bloody nice for God's sake.

I remember.

Why do the good die young?

I'm going to live into ripe old age. My evilness will keep me going. Even if I want to depart from this plane. And I do. I shall be tied to it. Forever wandering, without you. I don't want that to happen.

You push the bottle away.

No.

Yes.

Why?

It's my time. We'll meet up again some day, mate. I know we will.

You were always the optimist. I was once, until it came and tore out lives asunder.

Why do people always have to fight? I might have known once when fighting only meant with your fists. But these weapons. they have changed the world.

You begin to slip away. Slowly at first for you are weak. You try to let go of me. I don't want to. I don't want you to go. You are the person keeping me here. I need you to be here. To save me. I can't live without you!

It's my time. I accept that. You must too when it is yours. But now is not the time for you, it is for me. Live for me. Live a long and happy life. Be fulfilled. You can do it. I believe in you.

He is the only one who ever has. This is my penance.

To live in the world without the reminder. The reminder that keeps me to the world. The reminder that makes me happy. That reminder that keeps me alive. I shall exist. But I shall not live. Not without you. Never without you.

You slip away.

Your fingers drag against mine. The last time you will touch me. The last time my reminder will touch me.

You slip into the cool blue waters. It closes above your head. Bubbles emerge. Your life id slipping away. I am letting it. I am letting it! I've done this! I've killed you.

I can still see your face. It seems outer worldly under the water. The water distorts your face.

You will rise.

Rise to heaven's gate.

You will be admitted.

As an angel.

You're mine. My shining beacon of hope during these last days. I wish I had gotten to know you better. Under better circumstances. Any circumstances.

I can no longer see you anymore.

No more bubbles rise.

I can't feel your presence.

You are gone.

And I am alone. The world shall be lonesome without you. I shall have no one. No one will understand me like you did. It was almost magical. You were magical.

You would accept anyone. No matter who they were or what they did. No one else did. You were different and that marked you out. You were special.

Too special for the earth.

You were one of those people who are too good for the earth. You were never meant for life. You are meant for the extraordinary. You achieved so much.

I will always remember you.

How you died for me.

But the water will run out.

Then I can freely join you.

In the ocean.

Together.

My reminder. Of the mistakes I made. You were the only one left living and you died for me.

I will never forget you.

But the water is running out.

I can join you soon.

Only so much longer.

Then I can truthfully join. With no guilt. I shall able to with you, my reminder.

The water, it is no more.

I may join you now. With no guilt of my past life. I can join peacefully. To be with you. My final moments will be of you. This is what I wanted.

I can smell smoke.

I can feel movement,

I can hear people. And machines.

Is this real? Or is this a hallucination? I have had many but this one is different. I don't know why but it is. Maybe because it seems more real than the others. And maybe because when I hallucinate I hallucinate of happy things and this doesn't look that happy.

It's big. I can feel the overwhelmingly huge shape come close. It's coming near me. The gigantic shape is nearing me.

The noise becomes louder.

It hurts my ears. They are used to the quietness of the ocean. I want to slip.

It shades me.

I feel shade for the first time at daytime in what seems decades. It covers me. Cools me. But I don't want it. I want to be with reminder! He has saved me before and he shall save me in the afterlife. He will save me from eternal damnation. I know he will. He promised.

The shouting is being cheerful. They want to save me. But they can't. I can only be saved by reminder. It is all fruitless.

I saved the water so not to tarnish me. To live as long as I could. So you would not think I wouldn't be doing you proud by living as long as possible. I want you to be proud of me. I know you wanted me to live. I would do that; I would live until the water ran out and join you. I lived this long for you, my reminder. But now these people are here and I don't want to be. It's all gone wrong. Nothing is as it seems.

There is a splash. A few droplets land on me. But it is still far away. I turn my head into the cool shade. There is a little boat. Filled with men, their bodies blurred shapes. Their movements jerky and awkward on the open sea.

It's coming towards me. They are rowing towards me. With every moment, they come closer. I have to be saved but not by them. No, not by them. There is a big ship behind the little rowing boat. It is the one with the shade. It will be the one that saves me even through I don't want it to. It will happen. I won't be truly saved. Not how I should be saved.

I see people.

They are yelling.

I don't understand.

The words are garbled. They make no sense. I can't understand anything. Why won't they be understood? I don't want to be saved. I want to be left alone!

They're coming for me. I have one last chance before they take me away from my reminder. One last chance.

I'm weak. I haven't eaten for days. I've had barely any water. With the burning sun high above me, cooking me, roasting me I have no strength. My vision swims. One last chance. Before they take everything away. I have to do this!

I'm struggling to move. I haven't moved really for days and this movement is too much for my weak muscles. I collapse. The raft sways, the water ripples against my led. My toes are in the water. I can do it! They're coming closer.

I don't have much time. I try again. But instead of lifting my body up, I slide my body in contact with the rough surface. Into the water. To join you. To be admitted. Finally.

They are yelling. I am gone. I will be gone. They can't save me. It is too late. It will be too late.

I'm in the water. I take a breath. A final breathe. The water is closing my head from the world. My chin. My mouth. My nose. My ears and eyes. My hea-

No!

This cannot be. This can't be happening. I don't want this! This is all wrong. This shouldn't have happening. This isn't meant to be.

You've got me by the head. You've got me by the shoulders. You've got me by the arms. My body is emerging from my cool resting place. My watery grave. I thrash. It was mine. And I want it back.

I scream. It sounds strange even to my ears. It is not a scream but an expulsion of air. I have no liquid in my mouth. But I have air. This shouldn't have happened!

You are lying me down.

Pressing me down.

Holding me down.

Darkness is creeping into my vision. I cast a final glance at your home before I sink into the black unconscious. Your grave. It should have been mine too. But fate isn't that kind. I shall live and you shall not. I'm evil. You're good. This shouldn't be happening.

But it is.

I hope to see you soon reminder. I hope to see your face. Happy and carefree. More than it ever was. You shall have no worries where you are. You will be surrounded by people you love and who love you. Your sparkling personality will make you a star. You will be happy. I am happy because of that.

I will miss you until the day we shall meet. I only hope that is soon.

But I shall live for you. I shall not kill myself. I will live.

I shall let go.

Goodbye my reminder.

My first published finished piece of fiction. I got this idea and I just stated typing. I wrote over half of it in one go and the other half in another. It was amazing how quickly I finished this. No one had beta read this so anyone that's willing? Please R/R!