Darker Then Death

Chapter Six

Well it has been a while aha but I am back! I would love to say better then ever too but I guess that is your choice. I'm sure I will get onto adding to my other stories eventually but right now this is probably the best you can expect, sorry.
Hope you are all safe and well (if anyone even ends up reading this) but here is chapter five at last! And I should be uploading chapter six in like the next couple of days too so wooh!!
Let me know what you think by commenting and voting! Hope you enjoy it aahh...
Lots of love, sally ❤️❤️❤️

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Chapter Six

And on my deathbed,
All I see is you,
The life may leave my lungs,
But my heart
Will stay with you

-Bring Me The Horizon

I decided that I didn't want to choose; I didn't make a habit of making friends and I wasn't about to change that. Besides, why would I want to? They were going to die anyway, just like me. We were all going to die.
I think it was the first time I had shown any type of kindness since Kale had died. Ironic, considering it was him being not so dead that brought out my good side again.
But with one week to go before Flynn returned, I continued my life like normal. Or tried too. Every second thought reminded me that this would probably be the last week of my existence.
I wasn't stupid. Even if we managed to remove Kale permanently, what were the chances I would make it back home without Flynn shoving a stake in my heart while I slept? Not very high.
But I tried my best to ignore it and spent all my free time with Ash and Crystal, after all they probably the closest things I had to friends now anyway. Ash, although clearly uncomfortable about my constant presence, welcomed the company. After all, working full time at a blood bank was probably not the best place to be social and social was definitely something Ash was whereas Crystal just appreciated the constant high. In fact, I doubted she even noticed I was there most of the time and part of me hated her for how easy she had escaped all of this.
She was the reason I was in this mess in the first place after all.
I shut down the blame quickly, feeling a sudden wave of guilt. She never forced me to turn or become involved with Kale. She never killed so maliciously that I had practically forced the Council to give me my own execution date. She never gave me this life.
It wasn't fair to blame her for making different choices.
Even if her choices were what got us caught all those years ago: it didn't change where I was today.
So I passed my time filling my stomach and chatting to Ash, developing a longing for small talk I believed had died a very long time ago.
It almost could have been considered nice if the circumstances had been different. But neither of them picked up on my sudden attitude change and if they did, they never asked or made any hints that they knew.
Not that Crystal would anyway.
It wasn't until nearly sunrise on the seventh day that Ash made it clear he knew I was saying more then just a goodbye until another day.
Maybe it was because I had been unfairly bitter all day or that I had finally let Ash hug me when I went to leave but he finally decided to say something.

"This is it isn't it?" I stopped and turned to Ash, my hand on the door ready to push it and leave for good.
"I don't know what you mean," pretending innocence seemed to be my best option. I ignored the surprising wave of guilt that hit me.
"You aren't coming back," Ash shook his head with a frown. "You've done something haven't you? Or you are planning to."
Sighing, I gave him my best attempt at a smile, "I just have a few things to take care of, that's all. I'll be back soon."
"You don't believe that though."
Apparently my lie was easier to see through then I had thought.
"You know all things gossip Ash, surely you have heard things about my past. Some of those things have come back to bother me," he only nodded, lost in thought.
"The one that turned you? Kade was it? He's come back for you? Although that wouldn't explain why you seem so bothered, I heard you were together. No one heard if you broke up but that he just seemed to disappear," I nodded my head, somewhat surprised anyone had ever bothered to talk about me. "And you changed. Everyone knows that. Most of us are terrified of you, we all heard the stories. I'll admit, I was part of that group too until I met you."
It was definitely a surprise he knew that much; in fact I hadn't really expected to him to have heard anything, after all my existence barely bothered me so why should it have bothered anyone else?
Of course everyone knew what the humans were like in their peak –full of mindless gossip and bitchiness- but we weren't human anymore. It seemed things were more similar then I had ever thought.
"His name was Kale," I paused, why did I speak in past tense? "His name is Kale. And he should have died a long time ago but there was a mess up. The council didn't dispose of him."
Ash shuddered, looking as distraught as I felt and I let out a sigh.
"He's an Other?"
I nodded my head, again surprised. I clearly underestimated Ash and how much he had heard.
"After I lost him, I didn't have a reason to live," I laughed a little and Ash frowned. Maybe it was the fact that I thought I could actually call him a friend now, I decided to open up or because he already seemed to know most of my past anyway but it almost felt nice to realise I could talk to someone. Almost. "I killed everything that looked my way because I refused to kill myself but I was hoping... I was hoping they would."
Ash nodded and took my hand in his. I knew he wanted me to continue.
"Or maybe I was just hoping that I would finally meet my match. Someone who could fight as well as I could or someone who could fight better. But that wouldn't happen and I knew that before any of this started. I had spent my human years training how to fight, every defence and offence move that ever existed, I know. And when Kale turned me, he taught me how to survive. When he changed," I paused and met Ash's eyes, pulling my hand out of his and moved it to my shoulder, pulling down my top to show him my scars. He gasped and I tried not to stiffen. This was why I always made sure I covered my shoulder. "I loved him. I love him. And all my training had failed that day. I couldn't hurt him. And you've seen Crystal's face. They turn into monsters –we turn into monsters.
"The council found him and caught him but when they went to uh, dispose of him, he escaped. I don't know how and I didn't know until a week ago when the council decided that my past crimes needed a punishment. They told me I was one of the best fighters and they needed that for Kale. If I kill him and survive then my past can be overlooked. If I can't kill him and I die..." I trailed off and shrugged.
Staring at me with wide eyes, Ash seemed unable to absorb what I had told him.
It took him a few minutes before he snapped back into awareness, "You don't think you'll make it."
I laughed bitterly, "Kale is the best there will ever be. The strongest, the fastest, the one the council sent on all their little missions. When you turn into one of the Others, you become a monster.
"All the stories the humans wrote about evil bloodsucking creatures with no souls? That is what they are. And a hell of a lot stronger and faster then even the best of us now. I wouldn't be able to kill him even if I could bring myself to do it. But I have no choice."
"So this is it then?" Ash couldn't meet my eyes anymore.
"Yeah but thankyou. For everything. You are my first friend since I turned, really. And I'm glad it's you," I felt a bit nostalgic, memories of a past conversation with Flynn many years ago came back in force. I tried my best to ignore that the Flynn from back then would not be the same one I knew would be sitting in my house, waiting for me now.
"It has been a pleasure to have met you Karmen Escamilla. I won't forget you," he knew my fate was sealed just as well as I did.
There would be no return trip home.
"Tell Crystal goodbye for me when she wakes up," I turned on my heel and left the store without looking back once.
Emotions would not do me any good this time. Although when have they ever?