Work Text:
Ina trembled uneasily, striving to discern the scene before her.
Lying in front of her was a dying person, carrying a familiar lemon scent. It was Ame, Ina thought. Ame was in danger. She remembered that when Ame was afraid, she would always ask to be held.
Now that she had come, Ame would surely feel at ease. So, she tried to call out Ame's name.
Ame.
"h'namg'he"
But the two syllables transformed into something else—a sound like sharp mandibles scraping together, or the final moan of a drowning person.
Ina slowly approached her, multiple pseudopods dragging dark trails of slime across the wooden floor.
Don't be afraid, come to me.
"Fah lakthu 'mglw'nafh"
Helplessly, Amelia was dragging herself slowly across the floor. She was bleeding heavily; one leg had lost all sensation, and her arms were exhausted from prolonged crawling.
She scratched futilely at the floor, unable to move forward—like a dying animal in her final struggle.
Ina extended one of her right hands to lift her up. She remembered how they used to support each other's body—only back then, her hands didn't corrode clothing or leave smoking burns on skin.
I'm sorry... it's all right now.
"Hu'ohtikha hmahc'tlsa"
The closer she got, the more labored Amelia's breathing became. She struggled to push Ina away with her remaining strength, but like a bird ensnared in a net, she could only watch helplessly as that "familiar face" drew nearer. Her pupils contracted; sweat and blood soaked her blonde hair.
Amelia seemed to be cring out something, but the sounds were swallowed by whispers in Ina's mind, growing fainter. The whispers gently urged her:
She needs you. She's afraid. Hold her tight.
Ina leaned down, cradled Amelia in her arms, and gently kissed her cheek.
Don't worry, don't worry, I'm right here.
"clhut’ka hu’ clhut’kahu namthur"
Ame's cries finally faded into the whispers.
Only Ina's gentle, prayer-like murmurs remained:
We'll be together forever, just like before.