It was a cool, crisp, midnight blue looking night outside in late May of 2020. Prom night was forming to be a perfect night for the Highschoolers of Foggy Hollow unknown to them a tragedy was slowly unfolding in the midst of this perfect Prom night. Emerald and Ashton headed to the prom together, Emerald was wearing a stunning Green dress, which was a normal prom-esk type dress, nothing too revealing, but nothing that was too covering, she was wearing her trademark blueish-purpleish combat boots. Ashton on the other hand was wearing a matching green suit with a white undershirt and a black bow tie. Emerald was restless, she kept adjusting and readjusting her dress, Ashton held both of her hands. “You look wonderful, no need to be so nervous Emmy!” Ashton smiled at her, and squeezed her hands. Emerald sighed, “Can you believe it? This is our last prom, our last Highschool dance…” Emerald looked nervously at Ash, Ashton’s eyes were soothing, a calming sight. Emerald settled down a little, And strighted Ashton’s bowtie, it was a bit crooked. Elaine and Riley were wearing matching sleeveless plum purple dresses, they were knee length, and had a lace overlay of a soft gray. They both were pretty nervous, arguably more nervous than Ashton and Emerald, this was the first prom that they were going to together as a couple. Ashton, Elaine, Emerald, and Riley met in the student parking lot, The four of them held hands and they walked into the school, this was the last dance the four of them would be together, it was there night. Inside the school prom was in full swing. Everyone was having fun dancing, drinking the pungent red punch that the school staff put out at every prom. “We should split up, Ash, Emmy you two go together, and I'll go with Elaine” Riley suggested, But Emerald shook her head. “Na! First dance I'm taking with anyone but Ashton.” Emerald nudged Ashton playfully. “Hey! That’s not fair. Just because I dropped you last prom doesn't mean I'm going to do it again.” Ashton said in protest. “Yeah sure you aren't Ash. Come on Riy-Riy, let’s dance!” Riley looked heastant, and looked back at Elaine. Elaine was glaring at Emerald, Riley denied Emerald the dance. “Awe fine, but at least save me one dance ok Riy-Riy?” Emerald said.
And with that the group went their separate ways, halfway through the night Riley slipped out of Elaine’s grasp and went to dance with Emerald. Riley tapped Emerald’s shoulder, “May I have this dance Emmy?” Riley asked in a small voice, and of course Emerald said yes. “You think Elie will be upset?” Riley shook her head. “If Elie gets mad at you for wanting to dance with me Emmy, I think I will have an issue with her.” Just then Elaine rushed over to Riley and Emerald and tore Riley from Emerald. “I was so worried about you Rie! Why were you dancing with Emerald? I thought we talked about that!” Elaine seemed disappointed and mad at Riley, People were staring at Elaine and Riley. “I think we should take this outside, Elaine,” Riley started calmly walking towards the door. “If you go outside don't come back! You clearly don't want me.” Elaine stated as Riley picked up her pace and walked out of the High School tears rolling down her face. As soon as she stepped out of the school she observed to make sure no cars were pulling into the parking lot before she broke down. She clearly didn't look hard enough, because just as she broke down in a furey of tears sleek Midnight Blue 2008 Porsche 997 Carrera Cabriolet pulled into the parking lot and rolled down the window, shot off a single bullet that hit Riley in the Chest, just above the heart, the music from the prom was too loud for anyone to hear the gunshot. Unfortunately the first person to find Riley panicked, and dragged her into the courtyard, and hid her in the unruly bushes that nobody ever took care of. It was too late for anything to be done when she was found the next morning. Elaine skipped town, she was found dead a few months later in a nearby town, with a note saying “I can’t live with myself anymore, HER death was my fault, she’s dead because of me, and I deserve to be as dead as she is, goodbye world, I know you won’t miss me -Elaine”
The murder was never found, and ever since that horrible night, The graduating class of Foggy hollow was never the same.
Chapter Fourteen, Watcher Willows.
Emerald walked through the curtain of mist and entered the woods. She felt something was wrong, like the trees were watching her, Tracking her every move. Emerald ignored it, and walked through the woods. She knew what she needed even if she didn't know where she was going. A Shadow figure walked some distance in front of her, that made her mess up, she tripped on a tree root and fell to the ground, or what should have been the ground.. but the ground wasn't there, she just kept falling and fallin- oh what's this? Is it just a dream? In that case, Emerald woke up right before She hit the bottom of the place she was falling. "God damnit! I almost had it!..." Emerald Mumbled, And of course Ash was still asleep, Emerald didn't want to bother him so she tried to fall back asleep. She successfully fell back asleep, She repeated the process of walking through the thick unforgiving fog, This time she took time to pause and study the trees. They HAD been watching her, of course they were the Watcher Willows! The trees had eyes, some closed as in a sleep, and some half open like they just woke up for the morning, and maybe a handful of trees had their eyes wide open and every Tree had something on it, hanging from the branches, wrapped around the trunk of the tree and, Every Tree had someone's name carved into it, Lazarus Sharp was a name was on one of the trees with there eyes open wide and cards hanging off the branches, Emerald kept walking and she found her tree, eye wide open and Vines wrapped around the trunk of her tree. The tree branches Warped into Letters, F I N D M E is what the letters spelled, Emerald's vision slowly faded to black, and then the dream was gone, and she slipped into a deeper sleep. Outside of her mind, in the real world, her vines Wrapped around her, kind of like a cocoon. Ashton- Well he had Vines starting to wrap around him so he woke up and pried the vines off of him. “Em, wake up-” a very concerned Ashton said. Emerald of course, Didn't wake up. Emerald Was hearing the voices in the black void of her mind 'Emerald wake up, You gotta get up, Emerald'. That's what the voices were saying. Emerald said out loud, "Not yet.. I gotta know more.. I need to know what I gotta do.." Ash furrowed his brow “What do you mean- I don't understand? What do you need to know more about?” Emerald Seemed confused for a second, she was dazed she did just wake up after all. “wh.. I'm sorry Ash, this Dream felt so real.. was I talking outloud? Sorry.. I didn't mean to wake you up..” Emerald rubbed her eyes and then noticed all of the vines. “Oh, did I do that while I was sleeping? It looks like a jungle in here now” Emerald chuckled, and then tried to brush off the dream, but it seemed so real to her.. Like, it was somewhere she needed to go or that.. name she needed to find Lazarus Sharp, She didn't know why but that name sounded familiar like maybe a name of an entertainer that was at a carnival or.. At a fair? Whatever, she just needed to find Lazarus. Emerald was wide awake now, and so was Ashton. Ash glanced over at the clock and groaned, “Why is it we always wake up at the ungodly hours of the morning”. Emerald Sat up in the bed and covered Ashton in all of the blankets “Hmm.. Ash how about you go back to sleep.. And I'll let you have the bed to yourself!” Ash rolled over and faced Emerald looking concerned “Em.. its three o’ clock in the morning.. you need sleep too y’know. Why don't you sleep with me?”
Emerald got up from the bed. She hated to leave the soft cloud of a bed that she and Ashton slept in every night, but she needed to get a headstart to the day. “If i were to stay here with you that would defeat the whole ‘having the bed to yourself’ thing.” Emerald got up from the soft bed and slipped on one of Ashtons hoodies, it was way too big for her but it made her feel safe.
Ashton sat up and rested his head against the headboard. “Come on Emmy come back to bed- please? I don’t want you to go anywhere without me”. Emerald turned around and crossed her arms, her voice sounding smooth as butter. “I promise I won’t leave the house, and now that I'm awake I might as well do something. I never have needed as much sleep as anyone else, but that doesn't mean you should get up at the same time that I do just so you can be with me. You need your sleep.” Ashton sunk back into bed and sighed, “I guess you're right… and I trust you enough that you're not going to leave the house without me”. Emerald smiled and opened the door. “Rest well Ash, See you in the morning”. Emerald walked out of the bedroom and softly closed the door, leaving the bedroom in complete darkness, eazy for Ashton to fall back asleep.
I FUCKING LOVE LAZARUS (her new last name is Lazarus Elysian,,,)
