He had been scanning their surroundings furiously as they stumbled on, even before Alfred tugged at him. Evander turned sharply to follow his gesture, trying to keep his feet steady as he squinted. Maybe Alfred had been trying to warn him about the break in the path, the flooding damage; but Evander’s gaze had caught on something just beyond it, on the patio. A tree, bent and broken, its top-heavy branches snapped off in the wind – the patio, its usual furniture and decorations blown away – one distant, dark-haired figure, slumped back against the wall.
His heart dropped through his stomach; he didn’t know if he had truly seen it in these conditions, or his brain had simply filled it in in dread, but she had been wearing that colour dress. It was her, he knew it. And he was too far to see properly, but it didn’t look like she was moving.
Forgetting the rope that bound them, and uncertain of how he was going to actually make it across to that part of the patio, Evander lurched forwards into a jog, shoes slipping and nearly sending him falling as he pitched over the broken-up path as far as it went; without waiting for Alfred, he splashed into one of the waterlogged areas, staggering into it and suddenly barely able to keep upright. It was deeper than he’d thought, and strewn with debris he hadn’t seen. “Caroline!” He called, against the rain, hoping she was conscious but seeing utterly no sign of it from the figure. “Caroline!”
His heart dropped through his stomach; he didn’t know if he had truly seen it in these conditions, or his brain had simply filled it in in dread, but she had been wearing that colour dress. It was her, he knew it. And he was too far to see properly, but it didn’t look like she was moving.
Forgetting the rope that bound them, and uncertain of how he was going to actually make it across to that part of the patio, Evander lurched forwards into a jog, shoes slipping and nearly sending him falling as he pitched over the broken-up path as far as it went; without waiting for Alfred, he splashed into one of the waterlogged areas, staggering into it and suddenly barely able to keep upright. It was deeper than he’d thought, and strewn with debris he hadn’t seen. “Caroline!” He called, against the rain, hoping she was conscious but seeing utterly no sign of it from the figure. “Caroline!”
