She just wants to crawl into herself, to shut down and let the current of madness take her, but he’s not just anchoring her to the shore with his arms. He’s surrounding her in every conceivable way; his body, his breath, his scent, his words. Its as if he thinks that by enveloping her very existence, he can keep her from drifting away.

She can’t even say that he’s wrong with the way his voice seems to push back the shadows, like it can reach inside of her and pull her back to the surface as she begins to drown in the darkness that has its hold on her.

“Don’t -” Her voice a little stronger this time. The emotion that almost causes her to choke, having its roots in a different kind of grief.

“Don’t say that.” Because she’s sure he doesn’t mean it, not in the way she hears it. No matter how tightly he holds onto her or how close he keeps her now, she’s certain that it can’t last. He’ll hold her, keep her from killing herself trying to save somebody who's already lost, but when tomorrow comes and reality sets in? He’ll already be gone.