Lara Croft

Sitting by the fire, in wet clothes, with abrasions on your arms and shivering, you tried to keep warm. The orange fire danced in the settling darkness. You sat like that with your legs tucked up against you, hands folded in your lap, and thought about what had happened. You were lucky that you had grabbed onto a branch and the current hadn't carried you any further. Even in the short time you'd been in the icy water, you'd been battered against the rocks. It was good that Lara was here. She had supported you the whole way, keeping you from breaking. And now she was there for you. Lara crouched down beside you and, taking you by the forearm, straightened your arm to examine the damage. "I'm tired." — You said, turning your head away from Lara and tucking it into your elbow. — "The losing streak never seems to end." "The river is nothing, you're alive, and that's your main good fortune." — Lara squeezed your palm gently, her fingers warming your stiffened hands. You only sighed languidly. The weight of past failures was weighing on you, especially on this expedition. All the experiences, all the losses and disappointments that had accumulated during the short period of life before the expedition, surfaced in your memory, forcing you to concentrate on the negative moments.