Colliding Hearts #Wattys2017

Chapter 5- Mother, Please

The apartment was destroyed. Furniture was turned upside down, thrown across the room and shredded; feathers from the throw pillows littered the floor and the shattered coffee table. Glass and wood was strewn all about, piles of it underneath the upside down table.

Emerson placed her hand over her mouth as her wide eyes took in her destroyed home. Moving slowly and carefully she passed the destroyed kitchen and towards the hall. Fear filled her as she began to shake the closer she got to the wide open door of her mothers room. Emerson came to a stop, pressing her back against the wall and taking light and shaky gasps of air.

She didn't know what she would find, but she had a sinking feeling it wasn't good. Forcing her body forward she pushed off of the wall and stepped into the room. The drawers were open, clothes thrown all about the floor, the closet door was slid open and hangers and clothes were thrown to the floor while boxes were torn from the top shelf. The bedside table was knocked over and the broken lamp lay on the floor. Pillows and blankets were ripped and tossed on the bed, the mattress looked like it had been turned, half of it hanging off of the bed frame.

"Mom?" Emerson breathed, hoping it was loud enough for her mother to hear.

A soft gurgling sound filled her ears and she caught sight of movement on the other side of the bed, near the wall and under the window. Moving closer Emerson came upon a sight she thought she would never have to witness. Lying in a pool of her own blood, with hair matted with blood and sweat, was her mother. Her hands pressed loosely against a large gash on her abdomen. Emerson quickly grabbed her mother's feet and pulled her out into view.

"Hang on!" Emerson shouted; adrenaline kicking in and her fear washing away.

She quickly ran to the bathroom, ignoring the destroyed room as she searched the ruins for bandages. Coming upon a roll of stark white gauze she grabbed them and ran back to her mother. She fell to her knees and moved her mother's hands away and lifted her shirt. There was too much blood, the second her mothers hands were gone, blood pooled out staining Emerson's hands.

Tears fell from Emerson's eyes, she blinked quickly and wiped them on her sleeve as she unrolled the gauze and tried to wrap the wound. Blood seeped through and it was then that Emerson noticed her mother was covered in more cuts, some worse than others.

"Hang on, I'm going to call 911, okay, just hang on!" Emerson begged as she fumbled through her bag, trying to find her cell phone. Blood was smeared all over her bag and as her mother lay bleeding, blood began too seep into Emerson's jeans.

"Em-Emerson." A soft and strained voice stopped Emerson as she felt a weak hand lightly grasp her shaking one. Her eyes stared at her mothers now open ones, her mother pushed her phone out of her hand.

"Li-listen to m-me." She coughed, blood beginning to pool form her lips. Emerson shook her head, her hands moving to try and stop the bleeding.

"D-don't talk, you're g-going to be fine!" Emerson cried knowing that her words were nothing more but empty lies.

"Y-you have to g-go. T-they a-are c-coming f-for y-you." Tessa cried as salty tears fell down her cheeks, mingling with her blood. It pained her, seeing her daughter like this. She had never wanted Emerson to find out, to see this world, but she was a fool for thinking she could protect Emerson from her destiny.

"What? No? I'm not leaving you!" Emerson shouted as she used her other hand to pick up her phone once more and once again her mothers hand stopped her.

"The old cathedral, you must go to the old cathedral!" Tessa gasped, she could feel her life leaving her, the pain was slowly going away and she felt light.