Angels Redemption

Chapter twenty three: Since you've been gone

(Iris's pov)
I open my eyes and sit up. Pain Sears through me and I moan as I try to ignore the uncomfortableness. Looking around I see I'm in a street and there's little houses all around me. Ok where am I? Then everything comes back to me in flashes.

...Rafael begging me to kill him but I chose not to. I instead chose to end my own life and then I plunge the dagger into my own heart...
...Waking up in the hospital from a coma to find the world had ended...
...Killing Saraphina. Her blood dripping down my fingers and along the dagger as it sliced through her skin...
...Everyone dead...

I cover my head with my hands and scream "GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! NO, GOD NO... PLEASE...!!" Now I'm sobbing and my heart aches. I look around for Rafael or Damen, or anyone. But the street is silent. I slowly sit up and then I realize that I'm not too far from home. I decide to make my way back towards something safe and familiar.
***
(2 hours later)
I walk to my front door. Hesitation slips along my body like a blanket of water. My house hasn't been destroyed, none of them have. Which is weird because I'm covered in blood, my clothes are ripped and tattered and I have a healing wound in my chest. So where is the dead bodies? Where's the charcoal, burnt to a crisp, houses? Where's Damen, his minions, Rafael, and Saraphina's body? And most importantly where's my family?

I grip my door knob and enter into a silent house. Both cars are here. Weird. I enter into the silence and call out "Hello? Anybody home? It's me Iris!" Dead silence. I slam the door shut incase they are all upstairs. Nothing. My heart stats to pound and my lungs can't gulp any air. Breathe Iris, breathe. So I do. I march upstairs, shower and change my clothes. I enter Thomas's room, empty but looks the same as always. Messy. Then I enter mom and John's room. Empty as well. But clean. I step back and stare at the rooms, where have they gone? My heart is saying they've died, but my brain is saying they've lived and they're just hiding. I shake my head to clear the fog that's there.

🎵Iris🎵
I look up when I hear a soft voice say my name in a singsong tone. "Hello?"

🎵Iris🎵

My heart stops. I recognize that voice.  "Mom?" I hear her laughter and then I turn and there she is. She's standing in her room smiling at me. "Mom! O my gosh you're alive?!!"  I rush to her only to have my body go right through her. I freeze. "Mom what's going on? Why are you see through?" Mom doesn't answer. I turn to ghost like mom and see her staring at me with eyes as sad and as dark as night. She points her finger to the bathroom in her room. I follow that pointed finger hesitantly. Not sure what I'm going to see in there.

As I enter the bathroom her voice whispers over my shoulder
Look in the mirror. I will show you what you want to see...

I am officially freaked out but I do as asked. And what I see freaks the hell out of me. It's like the picture gets formed with a fog like substance and I feel myself get sucked into the picture and....

....I am here. I'm in the room where mom, Thomas, and dad are. I smile and open my mouth "I'm here! O my gosh you guys are alive. I'm here now we are all here!" But they didn't seem to hear me. Dad is holding mom and Thomas and I hear him murmuring something. I can hear screams and roars going on outside. Holy shit! Mom looks at John (dad) and says "what about Iris. We can't just leave her in the hospital she'll die!!" My heart breaks, even in their moment of death mom only thought of me. Dad looks at her and says "I know. But she's safe and sound in the hospital. I promise. If we live through this we'll go get her and bring her home. I promise" it's then a tear falls down my face.

It's in that moment that I know that none of them will survive. They will all die. And my heart breaks when I realize that I'm truly and utterly alone. I don't want to watch them die so I turn around just as I hear my father say "Iris is you can hear me, us, from wherever you are. I hope you know that we love you. I love you. Please stay strong. We'll see you soon" if only he knew how wrong he truly was.

I turn to go as the picture starts to distort and fog over. I whisper into the slowly appearing darkness "I love you guys too" then everything starts to slip and change. Everything turns dark then explodes into light. Colours and shades of red, orange, and yellow. It's then that I know my house was burnt to the ground with my family still trapped inside...

...I'm back. I look over my shoulder and see that my mother's ghost is slowly disappearing. Her eyes slipping with tears. I smile sadly and say "mom it's ok. You can go join dad and Thomas. Where you belong. I'll be ok. I'm seventeen now you know that. I love you. Forever. Goodbye mommy" tears slither down my cheeks and as mom's ghostly hand caresses my cheek-I feel nothing but cool air- her lips move.

I love you too my sweet, sweet, Angel. I love you more than you know. So did your father and brother. I'll tell them you love them too. We will miss you so much. Goodbye my Iris.

Then she fades away. I am left there crying for hours. It isn't until I'm all cried out that I decide to walk to my room and sleep. But I can't. I'm scared, sad, nervous. Sighing I plop down on my bed and-

CRINKLE!

I sit up. There's a letter there and I grab it slowly. Only to find two pieces of paper. Both in handwriting I recognize terribly. I decide to not read them until tomorrow since today has been a very stressful day. Placing them away I lay down. Then I smile large and wide. Why? Because I saw Rafael today. Even if it was for a short life and death reason. But I saw him!! God I missed him. So much. Then my smile grows bigger when I realize what day it is.

June 6th 2017

I am officially seventeen as of today. Then my smile sinks when I realize all the crazy shit that's happens today.

Well damn. Happy effing birthday. 

I groan and turn over in my bed deciding sleep will be a great idea. And as the fingers of dusk slip away into night my body starts to relax and my mind starts to wonder.

Ever since Rafael left my world has gone to the shitter. There was always an obstacle, always some problem or overcome. And... Rafael I know you can hear me... It's all been happening since you've been gone. Please come back, don't leave me behind.
Not again.