looked up, seeing my friend’s shocked face as I disappeared below.  At least she was safe.

            The fall seemed to last a life time.  I almost wished I could suspend myself in mid-air or at least pro-long the time it would take for me to make contact with the ground.

            Clamping my eyes shut, I could tell I was about to crash into the cold, hard ground.

            As I hit, the breath seemed to be taken right out of me.

            I tried to pick up my head, but it was too heavy.  Wincing with a large amount of unbearable pain, I glanced to the top of the cliff I had fallen from.  Blinking, I could make out the form of my best friend running down the large cliff as fast as she could without falling.

            Trying not to think about the pain coursing though my body, I quickly glanced in the direction the black wolf had fallen.  Seeing his twisted body, I shuddered slightly.

            As vision became blurry again, I closed my eyes.  It was getting harder to breathe and all though I was lying down, I still felt like I was spinning.

            Slowly, I opened my eyes, greeted by blackness.  Sighing softly, I closed them once again.

            Part of me wanted to give up right there.  I knew if it wasn’t the hope of seeing my friend, I would have.  But just the fact that she was alive gave me reason enough to hold on for at least a little longer.

            Sniffing the air, I could tell my friend was close.

            “Aimée…?” I heard her sweet voice say my name softly.

            I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came from it.  With great difficulty, I took a deep breath to calm me.  Again I opened my eyes without much hope.  But this time the fuzzy outline of my friend was before me.

            Another sharp pain coursing throughout my body caused me to clamp my eyes shut once more.  I could tell my breathing was getting more and more shallow, too.

            As I laid there, my best friend at my side, I started to feel my pain ebb away.  My breathing started to become slightly easier, but I knew it wasn’t a good sign.

            I was ever so slowly slipping away.

            A small part was somewhat happy.  No more suffering sounded good, but I just couldn’t leave my friend.

            But there was nothing I could do.

            Nothing but lay there and hope that by some miracle I would pull through.

            Time all most seemed to stand still as my breathing got more and more shallow.  I knew that it probably wouldn’t be long before my suffering was over.

            But I didn’t want to go.

            There was going to be so much that I would miss.  Not only mine and my friend’s life, but… everything!  I wouldn’t be able to really experience life.

            Seconds ticked by and my pain lessened even more.

            After a few minutes it was gone completely.

            I opened my eyes slightly and glanced around.  Nothing but a blinding whiteness met my eyes.  But even though I couldn’t see anything, I could hear something.

            My friend calling my name; calling me back.  And I knew I had to go back.  I wasn’t done experiencing life to its fullest yet.

            I once again closed my eyes willing myself to wake up.  Slowly, I started to feel pain again, but I barely noticed after my surge of joy.

            I was really going to make it.

            Time ticked slowly by once more.  I knew I had to open my eyes again, but in a way I was afraid of what would be before my eyes.  What if I really didn’t make it?  What if it was all some sort of trick?

            Gathering my courage, I slowly opened my eyes once more, ready for disappointment, but it did not come.

            As I opened my eyes, I could clearly see my friend standing above me, her brown eyes widening in surprise and joy.

“Aimée!” she barked happily.

I winced in pain a little as she nuzzled me, but smiled all the same, happy to just be alive.

“Hey Marise,” I replied, my voice full of emotion.

As she stood over me protectively, I knew never would there be a friendship quite like ours ever again.  Through thick and thin we had always been together.

And we always will.

The End