An Ember's Tale

Chapter Twelve

"What if it hurts?" Ember had asked Timothy many summers ago when her eyes were still full of childlike innocence. "What if I hurt you?"

"You could never hurt me," Timothy smiled reassuringly at her. "I trust you, Em."

"Okay," Ember breathed. She felt heat surge inside of her as she extended her palm. She looked over to see a small flame in her tiny palms that flickered as little embers floated from it and the orange glow illuminated her astonished face. She looked over to Timothy with a large grin.

"See," Timothy smiled. "I knew you could do it... Just remember, Em. We have these powers for a reason. We control our powers. Not the other way around. You are always in control unless you don't want to be."

"What if I lose control?" Ember asked him as her smile dimmed. "I could hurt someone."

Timothy sighed as his expression turned grim. "If there is light in your heart, then your powers will reflect that. Your powers are a part of you. What you feel- they feel. What you see- they see. Everything you do influences your powers and the outcome."

"Will you teach me control?" Ember asked him.

Timothy's smile widened. "I'll try."

"No," Ember said as she watched the scene unfold before her. She watched as Timothy held her younger self in his arms as they laughed and watched her conjure more flames. "No. I can't control it, Tim. I don't know what I am doing... not without you."

The scene slowly disappeared as Ember stood there in an empty void, watching her younger self and Timothy faded away into golden dust.

"No!" Ember tried to run after them, but water appeared beneath her feet and steadily rose. She slowly trudged through it as she reached her hand out to the memory. "I don't know how to control them! Tim, I need your help! Come back, please! Come back to me, Tim..."

The water rose to her torso as she looked down. She couldn't even see it, but she felt it all around her until swimming upwards. Ember looked up as the water rose to her neck. She took a shallow breath before she submerged in the rising water.

She suddenly heard a loud gunshot ring throughout the water. Ember looked down as she gasped and took in water until she was choking. She saw her Grandmother's corpse sinking below her, with a bullet wound on the side of her head. Her white eyes opened, and she looked at Ember until she reached a lifeless hand toward her...

Ember opened her eyes.

She slowly looked around to find herself sinking into cold water, but she was far too numb to feel the cold. Her lungs and body ached to the point where she couldn't move. Her wide eyes were glued to the surface above her. She watched as it grew more and more distant the further she sunk.

Her lungs began to burn to the point where she didn't know how much longer she could hold her breath. She wasn't even sure she was crying, but she felt like she was. Her heart was slowly breaking the further she was sinking in the water. She closed her eyes once again and saw nothing but the same corpse reaching for her.

Ember's eyes weakly opened while she reached her trembling hand up toward the surface. She watched as the fading sun shone down on her as smiled softly. She closed her eyes, trying to hold onto the memory of the surface one last time. She felt her body begin to give out as she slipped in and out of consciousness. Maybe it was the feeling of death slowly beginning to consume her, but she felt at peace. She felt as if she didn't need to fear the unknown or what awaited her.

Maybe it was a dream or some sick delusion, but at that moment, she felt someone grab her and bring her toward the surface. She didn't want to believe it. She thought it was her mind trying to trick her into making her think that she wasn't drowning to ease her conscience.