Cillian fished in his pocket for his keys, pressing the unlock button as he pushed Arlo towards the car and helped her inside into the passenger's side. She was on the brink of tears as Cillian hurried into the driver's side.

He started the car and didn't waste any time as he reversed and turned to speed off down the back road of the woods. Arlo spaced out, hysteria feeding her worry and panic. Her chest tightened and her lungs began to torture her by not allowing her to inhale properly.

Cillian was driving fast, his eyes glimpsed at Arlo then did a double take as he saw her face reddening and her eyes running with tears, she trembled besides him as she bit her lip. He swore bullets and pulled his car over to the side of the road. "Shit. Arlo! Baby, are you okay?" he turned to her, his face alert with concern as he held her face in his hands. "Breathe baby, calm down. We got away, we're safe. Please." tears burnt his eyes and he pulled her into his arms and rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back. Arlo didn't know what the proper response to his words was, but it didn't matter. Cillian held her close until her breathing had gone back to normal and her tears had subsided.

Cillian's car parked in front of her house. He shut off the car and sighed as he did so. He grabbed her bag from the backseat and swung it over his shoulder. He got out of the car and walked to her side of the car. He pulled open the door, lifting her out as he carried her down the walkway. She had fallen asleep after her panic attack.

Cillian kissed her forehead, a subtle goodbye to her before he rang the doorbell. Mr. August, had just cleaned up the kitchen after making lunch and baking a dozen cupcakes. He heard the doorbell and dried his hands off. He moved towards the front door, wondering how long Arlo intended to stay at the lake. He pulled back the door and dropped the towel to the floor. Before him stood the very hush hush case that his wife was working on carrying his distressed daughter. "Mr. August, I'm sorry, but... she had a panic attack. She just stopped." he
saw the redness in the young man's eyes and nodded. He stepped aside to let him in.

"Her bedroom is upstairs, the second door on the right."

Cillian didn't expect that response, but he didn't let it pass him by. He stepped inside, then made his way for upstairs and followed the instructions Mr. August had given him. The second door on the right, he repeated in his head. He nudged the door in with his foot and smiled when he saw the inside of her room. She had three white walls and one accent wall that was painted in a burnt orange where the head of her bed was. He walked into her room, it was neat with the exception of a small mess by her closet door. Her bed hadn't been made, but he could tell that it was always as tidy as her room. He carefully set her down on her dark purple sheets, where her comforter hadn't been a mess and stood back. He wiped away at his eyes and shook his head. His hair fell over his eyes and he brushed it back in upset. Someone has seen them together, and had taken pictures. He swore, just the idea of someone stalking him was okay, but her... he'd never forgive himself if she got hurt from associating herself with him. He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have kissed her, he shouldn't have touched her—God! He shouldn't have even met with her outside of her home. He swore again. He grabbed the chair that was set before the computer and flopped down in it. He raked his fingers through his hair again this time holding it back as he watched Arlo with teary eyes. His pale cheeks pink, his eyes rimmed red while his anger ate him up from within. He couldn't lose her, not now, not yet. Losing Arlo would break him... he'd find a way, anyway to keep her safe to keep her as his.

Arlo looked peaceful, her eyes shut, her body at ease, her breathing hesitant and her mind in horrors. Her panic attack gripped her and flung her into the depths of her mind. It wrapped around her ankles like seaweed and yanked her deeper into the blackened waters of her subconscious. The waves crashed against her chest as if it were trying to break her rib cage apart and rip out the thing responsible for her current state of mind. She cried out for help, for salvation, for anyone, but the rampage happening all around did nothing to aid her cries. The waters dragged her and shoved her, pulling her down and thrusting her away trying to break her resistance. Her hope was on low and her energy was nearing red, her sight blurred and her lungs filling with water with each sharp tug from the Ocean surrounding her vessel.

Her heart screamed and her brain sparked in a haywire fury determined to silence her pleas for help. When her hope began to blink on empty—her energy told her farewell and her body stopped resisting, the waters rushed her, covering her with wave after wave trying to take her under with it. Her eyes fluttered, but her ears faintly heard a whisper of a name. *Arlo*. Her eyes captured bloody hands reaching down towards her, bright lights burning her vision—blocking away the face to which that voice belonged. Trusting someone blindly and fully was a risk, but with her battle nearly over and her fight fully drained she didn't have much else to lose. With the little strength she had left, she reached up praying that the waves wouldn't revolt. The bloody hands grabbed her and pulled.

The tug for life began as the waters noticed her absence. Her body was being taken away from it. ***No, that couldn't happen, she was theirs, they won her over, they had broken her, she couldn't leave!** The hands strained—refusing to let her go. They fought the waters. "Arlo*". her name again, this time clearer. Her hope burnt with something foreign as the hands pulling her up didn't fall to the pull of the black waters. Her hands grasped his tighter and together they fought to have one another closer, to save her from drowning.

The waters roared and rolled and cried out as the small body they had once captured and destroyed, left them. Strong arms embraced her, holding her as they took her away from her self-destruction. "Arlo, baby... you're gonna be okay, I promise." her eyes caught a glimpse of blueness before slipping shut.

Arlo gasped, swallowing two lungs full of oxygen as she shot up from the bed. She choked, and coughed as large hands held her steady. "Arlo, baby are you okay?" the instant alarm in his voice hit her ears and she whipped about to see Cillian's face distressed with anguish and worry. She didn't say anything as she jumped to wrap her arms around his neck. He didn't know what to do, so he stayed there, tears dampening his hoodie.