Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

Chapter 15: You Guys Maybe We're Almost Done

July 12th, 2478

7/12/2478

I have good news and bad news for you.

I used good and bad there again. Up until this point I have used the word "good" one hundred forty eight times. That's out of 88,722 or so words.

Wait, that's less than one percent.

So I've been stressing about overusing those words when really I should have been stressing about you guys and your mental health.

Ha, as if I care.

Actually, mental health really is important, and I do care. Sort of. I mean, it's not like I'll be around to care for much longer.

I hope that they set the world right again. I can see the mistakes I made and I know what I did to make them. I hope that you see that too and don't make them.

That doesn't make sense, does it?

I hope you see the mistakes I made, and that you avoid them.

There, that's better.

Oh! The news. Right. Yes. Good news, I'm fairly certain this is either the last or second to last chapter. Bad news, well, I'm fairly certain this is either the last or second to last chapter.

If you're reading this for school, first off; what kind of school do you go to that means you have to read this garbage for work, and second off; I sincerely hope that you don't have to write an essay on this. Honestly, I doubt that I could compose an essay on this, and I wrote this.

If you somehow manage to do that, well, please send it to me because I would love to see it. If I somehow manage to last that long.

But enough of that. I will pull us back to the main topic. Which is not me, as much as my self-conceited personality wishes.

After dinner, everyone went to bed. They didn't all necessarily sleep, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it?

Alexandria spent the night comforting Guinevere. Christopher and Nicholas spent the night trying to untangle what had happened.

"Chris?"

"Yeah Nick?"

"They'll be alright... right?"

"Guinevere's a strong girl." Nicholas rolled over to face Christopher. "Besides. She's got you. She's got me. And she's got Alexandria."

"We don't know all that much about Alexandria. I don't trust her."

"I think, in the past few days, she's proven herself more than dependable."

"I know, but it's been so long since we really added anyone to our family unit."

"I know."

Christopher leaned in, carefully tucking a stray curl behind Nicholas' ear. "She has us," he whispered slowly, drawing his hand down Nicholas' cheek. "She has Alexandria. She has the Library and all of the books."

"She'll be fine, Chris."

"When did our life get so complicated?"

"Probably when we made the wish on GENIE."

"Rhetorical question, Nick."

Nicholas didn't answer, he merely stuck a kiss on Christopher's nose. They fell asleep, wrapped around each other, and the knowledge that they would be together forever.

Because they had no choice.

There's a lot to unpack here. One major thing is the fact that Christopher says "our life" instead of "our lives". They are--at this point--one entity that is completely enjoined.