Charred Feelings

Chapter 10:Forest Fire

The day after I pack my bags and the box. I closed up my house. I push the grief of Kira away.

I knew that box had to land into Mike's hands one day but that day may never come.

It's so weird how much a death can change a person.

On my way to Aspen's house I hear Mike's warning.

My stomach already has butterflies when I got to Aspen's door.

His home was a small studio. He lived with his mom. He had an older sister but she married and left to live with her husband.

I knock on the door and Aspen opens it.

He still in his sleepwear and his eyes widen at the sight of me and my bags.

"Where are you going?"

Why was I here?

"To the fields."

He raises his eyebrow." Why?"

"Because I have to. I want you to come along with me.", my hands started getting clamy. Would he come along?

He touches my arm." Why do you want me to come along?"

I swallow." I want to show you something that may change your life the way it changed mine."

I could see his eyebrows furrow.

"Alright. I'll come along but...Kira.."

I let out a breath I've been holding.

I close my eyes and say the truth to him.

When I opened my eyes his eyes were watering. He wiped his eyes.

"When are we going then?"

"Today."

Aspen held my hand all along the whole train ride.

My heart was running a marathon but this felt right. I looked at him. He was so handsome, I forgot why I never fell for him before. It felt so right.

If Kira was still alive..would she be coming along?

The train halted and we got off. Aspen carried our bags as I led him to the Cadaver's house.

When the house came into sight I gasped.

It had been destroyed. The house was still there but the windows were all blasted. Their garden and flowers were all misplaced and are now rotting.

The warm glow the house used to give was all gone.

Guilt set over me. This was because I was told the truth. All is risked for such information.

I grit my teeth and lead Aspen through all the broken glass and destroyed furniture.

We go into the living room and everything is worse in there.

Aspen brushes against me." Lyra..why are you showing me this?"

I keep walking past. I open the back door. I stand there for a few moments.

We had too much luggage.

I turned and I ripped the bags out of Aspen's hands. I grabbed the box.

I walked around the house. There on the floor was a bunch of clothes and belongings. Then I saw it. A denim shoulder bag. I grab it and hold it close. This has to be Stacy's. I slip the box and I grab Aspen's hand and I lead him out. I'm glad that he isn't questioning what I'm doing because to be honest..I don't know. This is just my gut feeling.

There was a loud hum outside that couldn't be heard from the from of the house.

And that's when I saw it. It was ugly as the wall. There was an electric fence surrounding the area where I first went up the hill. At the foot of the hill it continued to warp around the secreny. The fence went on forever. Probably around the wall it self. Another wall keeping us in.

Aspen touched my shoulder. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"

I looked up at him. His eyes looked at me in worry.

He slipped his hand up on my cheek.

I turned away. Not now.

I sat down next to Aspen as the sky darkened. I was deep in thought. The fence could kill me.

Did I come here on impulse? Did I even know how to get over the wall?

Either way I have to show Aspen the wall. I have to tell someone about it. Like how Stacy told me.

I closed my eyes. I was calm and I fell asleep to the light hum of the electric fence.

Around dawn I woke up to the sound of shuffling feet. When I looked at my surroundings I wasn't in the same place. I was behind a bush leaning  against the wall of the Cadaver's house.

Aspen sat next to me. His eyes were alert.

His eyes were focused on something in the darkness. I squinted my eyes to that direction.
That's when I saw it. Them. The GreenCoats. They were all lined up walking around the other side of the fence. They continued walking up the hill. Not many though, just about 6 people.

I only heard the sound of their feet. Only that sound!

The electric fence's hum was gone. It's a power outage!

I grabbed Aspen's hand. He looked at me with big eyes. His hair was messed up and brushed over.

I mouthe lets go.

We ran towards the fence. He lifted me up and I wrapped my leg around it's cold bars.

When I got off Aspen followed me. But that was when I heard the humming.

One of his legs was over. I watched, my mouth gaped. His body surged with electric sparks. Blue,whites, yellows.

He slumped over on the fence. I screamed. I ran towards him. I reached for his arm. My touch on him ran sparks up my arm. I screamed in pain. Static.

I tugged one last time with all my might. He fell over on my side and my arm was searing with pain.

I laid on the floor next to him breathing heavily. The tears come. I prayed that he wasn't dead.

The smell of burned flesh reached my nose. I gagged. I sat up and looked over at him. His whole body was swollen. He looked different. He didn't move.

I tried to hold back the tears but it started hurting my nose. I cried. The tears rolled down my cheek and onto the ground by him. I said nothing.

When I finally calmed down I searched his body for a pulse. He can't die. I can't lose another person. I can't.

Nothing.

Something reflects the moonlight in his hand. It was his compact. I picked it up and held it close to my heart. What I have left of him.

My fingers curled around it. This was my fault wasn't it? The smell of him got stronger. My stomach churned. All those times..he's always been with me. If I had returned his feelings sooner would we have had a perfect life? Have children and have a home of our own? Would Kira be there? With her family also?

The tears slowed. All I felt was grief. I looked over at his body one last time. It looked like Andrew's dead body.

I whispered the only thing I could.

It hung in the air.

I love you.

I started sprinting up the hill trying to hold back more tears. I love him. Loved him.