the absence of sound.
A bright light pierced the dark. It streaked from above, slowing as it grew closer, a heaven-sent beacon in the dark hells of oblivion. As it grew nearer I expected to see wings unfurl and a beautiful angel reach for my hand to guide me from this place. Instead, a familiar face smiled at me from the brightness, her beautiful eyes ablaze with love. I tried to rise but couldn't. She came to me, the brightness shimmering around her like a halo.
"I am your light in the dark," she said, her voice sounding in my mind without her lips moving. "Your dark light. And I will be there for you when the time comes."
Elyssa bent down and kissed me, her lips soft and soothing to my feverish sweaty skin.
I tried to speak but she shook her head gently and held my hand. "I will be with you until the end, my love." Her lips brushed my ear. "Four, three, one, one. Remember."
Warmth filled my body as I gazed into the eyes of an angel. My angel. I looked at my true love until the light faded from my eyes and the pain and weight of life unburdened my body as it lifted away.
Chapter 10
Elyssa
Elyssa woke with a start. She hadn't even realized sleep had taken her. Sweat drenched the tank top and Soffe shorts she'd lain down in. Her pillow was soaked as well. She touched her face and felt the salty damp residue of tears. She couldn't have been asleep for long, she reasoned, because the tears hadn't dried. Or had she been crying in her sleep?
What had awoken her?
The ache of loss formed a hollow spot in her midsection, the feeling that nothing she put there could fill it up. Only Justin could. Only the touch of his hands on her face and his lips against hers could fill this gaping maw. How had this happened? How had she fallen for a guy after growing up without a worry or thinking twice about what another person thought of her?
It had happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly she'd just let it happen, thinking nothing would come of it as usual. Father would scare him off or she'd drive him away by showing him just how little she needed anyone to take care of her. This couldn't be happening. Not to her.
God, it hurt so bad. She punched her pillow. Punched it again. Picked it up and threw it against the wall where it hit with a muted thud. Elyssa got out of bed and paced the room wanting to smash the simple wooden furniture to pieces and scream and rage until the agony in her heart went away and left her alone. How could she do this? How could she let another person take a part of her soul with her wherever he went?
"Justin," she said, and fresh tears leaked from her eyes.
She growled and punched the wooden-paneled wall, cracking it down the center. She punched it again and again until her fists were raw and bleeding.
"Go away. Go away!" She said it over and over as if it would dissipate her feelings. As if she had the power to command love into oblivion.
An image of brilliant light flashed into her mind and she stopped mid-punch. Her fists healed, the skin sealing up and pushing out the splinters in her knuckles. Elyssa barely noticed. The dream was coming back to her. The one that had woken her. The one that made her cry in her sleep. Justin was dying, or dead in the dream. She'd floated to him on a brilliant cloud of light and held his hand until he left her.
Panic welled in her throat and she choked back a scream. No, it hadn't happened. Had it? It was just a dream. But it had felt so real. His skin, the touch of his lips still lingered on hers and she could smell him and the overpowering Axe deodorant he used. She really needed to get him to switch to Old Spice.
Deep breaths didn't make her panic go away. If anything, more images came into her mind. An old crone, toothless and cackling at her. Telling her four-three-one-one was the magic number. Then she'd vanished, replaced by glowing light. It
A bright light pierced the dark. It streaked from above, slowing as it grew closer, a heaven-sent beacon in the dark hells of oblivion. As it grew nearer I expected to see wings unfurl and a beautiful angel reach for my hand to guide me from this place. Instead, a familiar face smiled at me from the brightness, her beautiful eyes ablaze with love. I tried to rise but couldn't. She came to me, the brightness shimmering around her like a halo.
"I am your light in the dark," she said, her voice sounding in my mind without her lips moving. "Your dark light. And I will be there for you when the time comes."
Elyssa bent down and kissed me, her lips soft and soothing to my feverish sweaty skin.
I tried to speak but she shook her head gently and held my hand. "I will be with you until the end, my love." Her lips brushed my ear. "Four, three, one, one. Remember."
Warmth filled my body as I gazed into the eyes of an angel. My angel. I looked at my true love until the light faded from my eyes and the pain and weight of life unburdened my body as it lifted away.
Chapter 10
Elyssa
Elyssa woke with a start. She hadn't even realized sleep had taken her. Sweat drenched the tank top and Soffe shorts she'd lain down in. Her pillow was soaked as well. She touched her face and felt the salty damp residue of tears. She couldn't have been asleep for long, she reasoned, because the tears hadn't dried. Or had she been crying in her sleep?
What had awoken her?
The ache of loss formed a hollow spot in her midsection, the feeling that nothing she put there could fill it up. Only Justin could. Only the touch of his hands on her face and his lips against hers could fill this gaping maw. How had this happened? How had she fallen for a guy after growing up without a worry or thinking twice about what another person thought of her?
It had happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly she'd just let it happen, thinking nothing would come of it as usual. Father would scare him off or she'd drive him away by showing him just how little she needed anyone to take care of her. This couldn't be happening. Not to her.
God, it hurt so bad. She punched her pillow. Punched it again. Picked it up and threw it against the wall where it hit with a muted thud. Elyssa got out of bed and paced the room wanting to smash the simple wooden furniture to pieces and scream and rage until the agony in her heart went away and left her alone. How could she do this? How could she let another person take a part of her soul with her wherever he went?
"Justin," she said, and fresh tears leaked from her eyes.
She growled and punched the wooden-paneled wall, cracking it down the center. She punched it again and again until her fists were raw and bleeding.
"Go away. Go away!" She said it over and over as if it would dissipate her feelings. As if she had the power to command love into oblivion.
An image of brilliant light flashed into her mind and she stopped mid-punch. Her fists healed, the skin sealing up and pushing out the splinters in her knuckles. Elyssa barely noticed. The dream was coming back to her. The one that had woken her. The one that made her cry in her sleep. Justin was dying, or dead in the dream. She'd floated to him on a brilliant cloud of light and held his hand until he left her.
Panic welled in her throat and she choked back a scream. No, it hadn't happened. Had it? It was just a dream. But it had felt so real. His skin, the touch of his lips still lingered on hers and she could smell him and the overpowering Axe deodorant he used. She really needed to get him to switch to Old Spice.
Deep breaths didn't make her panic go away. If anything, more images came into her mind. An old crone, toothless and cackling at her. Telling her four-three-one-one was the magic number. Then she'd vanished, replaced by glowing light. It
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