LUCARIAH

The One Where I Find Peace

(Ezekiel POV)

     Pain exploded all around me. Rattled my bones and boiled my body. I felt as though I were on fire.

  My eyes stayed on my baby brother. The look of shock and forgiveness will forever be engrained in my memory for however long that memory stays with me.

  Lucariah. My baby brother. In my eyes he was six all over again. And in my place was the love of my life. I spent the last six years of our lives blaming him for a death that I understood was now valiant and noble. Because I would do the same in a heartbeat.

   I did the same in a heartbeat. If I'd known I'd die today, If I would have started the day with the knowledge that it was my last, I would have held him a little longer. Apologized a little harder, because I can only say in this very moment; he didn't deserve a cruel word. He didn't deserve the hell I'd given him and I'll spend my death paying for what I did to that little boy if I have to.

  My eyes couldn't stay on him any longer, growing too heavy to keep open. But I wanted to. I wanted to show him that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Luca. My favorite boy. No one could have come close to taking his place.

  I felt my head meet the ground. And a sound that will haunt me for the rest of my death enveloped me as I took my last breath. The sound of his anguish will live on even in my afterlife. The loud sob that rung through the air was one of the last sounds I heard before everything stood still.

  I stood at a crossroad. The air crisp. The world around me vivid and bright.

  "It's a bit confusing isn't it." A familiar voice giggled. I spun on my heels and came face to face with the woman that held my heart in her hands.

  "Darling?"

  She smiled, her hazel eyes glowing in the saturated light surrounding us, "I miss that nickname. You were the only person allowed to call me that."

  "Darla," I breathed, wrapping her in my arms. "You're here." I cupped her cheeks and stared at the face that appeared in my dreams every night. More beautiful than I could ever remember.

  Her hands cupped my own, "and so are you." She sighed, pushing my hands away, "I'm not happy with you."

  I sighed, "I know. I'm sorry, babe. I was supposed to protect him like you did."

   She shook her head and shrugged, "doesn't matter much now. You're dead." She cackled. "Karma hit you like a truck."

  I shook my head with a chuckle, "I guess it did."

  She pouted, "I thought you'd be happier to see me."

I startled in place, "I'm ecstatic. I missed you, darling."

  "But...?" She pressed.

  My gaze trailed the world around us. It was too happy. Too bright and beautiful. I didn't deserve this kind of ending. Not after what I'd done in my time on earth. My mind was racing a mile a minute, only coming to a standstill when a pair of lips landed on my own.

  "You're just where you need to be," she promised. "Our souls can finally rest."

  I looked to the sky and saw a scene of a little boy running to me... living me- eight years ago. I scooped him into my arms and nuzzled my nose against his own. The sound of his giggles filling the air like a refreshing breeze.

  A tear sprung in my eye as I watched living Darla pull him out of my arms and kiss his cheek.

  Lucariah.

Our greatest treasure.

  The Darla beside me looked on and sighed. "We did good, didn't we? Our boy will be alright. He always is." She grabbed ahold of my hand, "come on, Zeke. It's time to put our souls to rest."

  I glanced at the scene painting the sky for one last time just as the boy from the memory turned his face to us. His smile wide and eyes bright.

   I sent a kiss to the sky and nodded my goodbye.

  Light taking ahold of me.

  This is where my story ends.

  Good luck, Luca. Live a life for the three of us. Make it worth it, baby brother.