An Ember's Tale

Chapter Twenty-Four

"And they lived..."

"Happily ever after," Ember finished as she looked up at her Aunt with wide, innocent eyes.

She was sitting on her Aunt's lap as they rocked back and forth in a creaking chair many years ago when she wore her hair in long braids and wore large dresses full of different fabrics. Her Aunt's eyes softened as she closed the book and tapped Ember's forehead with it while she giggled.

"And what is a happily ever after, Ember?" the chair creaked as her Aunt continued to rock them back and forth.

Ember's face twisted in confusion. "One where they are both happy at the end?"

"But is it the end?" her Aunt questioned as she flipped to the last page of the book and pointed at the faded words. "If you stop at a certain point in a story, the ending can always be happy. But that doesn't make the story over."

"So, they weren't happy?" Ember asked with her face further twisted and her nose scrunched.

"Happiness doesn't mean they didn't have hardships," her Aunt explained. "They could be happy, but life is full of many problems. Which you will face, Ember. It's what I'm trying to tell you now, so you will know when you're older."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Ember's eyes looked up at her Aunt. "My life isn't a story."

"But stories are based on life... What I'm trying to teach you is that life doesn't have happy endings," her Aunt stroked her hair. "There are beginnings, middles, and just... endings. Every story has some tragedy, but sometimes, they don't solve that tragedy. So, like life, most endings are sad. Not happy."

"What will my ending be like?" she looked up, but her eyes weren't fearful... they were just curious. "I don't want my ending to be sad."

Her Aunt smiled, but her words grew lost as the memory began to fade away.

"Your ending..."

The memory faded away as Ember's conscience began to come awake slowly.

She could feel the water all around her before she felt something irritating and small poking against her skin. Someone was pulling her through the water and irritating, grain-like substance. She could feel the hands wrapped around her wrists and a slight warmth on her as she breathed heavily.

Ember tried to open her eyes, but her body felt too weak. It laid in a state of being awake without letting her control her own body. She felt someone pull her onto what felt like grass as water dripped from her. Her body fell limp onto the ground when they let her go.

"Please," she heard someone say. "Please wake up, Red."

Just open your eyes, Ember told herself, but her body remained adamant about not moving. Come on, just wake up!

A familiar hand clutched hers as heat rushed through her body. Her eyes shot open. She looked up to find grey skies above her. Ember slowly sat up as she rubbed her pounding head to find she was sitting on soft grass that matched the grey skies. Even the sand looked dull as the dark water rushed over it. She looked out to find the storm was circling the island, hiding it away. Her eyes widened when she looked back at the small beach to see it covered in the wreckage of their ship.

Ember turned around to find Mark clutching her hand with a large, relieved smile.

"Mark?" she asked in shock. "You're alive?"

"Yes?" Mark's face twisted in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She stood up and smiled as she wrapped her arms around him, almost knocking him over before he steadied himself. "I thought... they told me... but you're alive!"