The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 33

                                                                           Aaron

"Aaron, Indigo's waking up! We need you to calm her down!" Rachel's voice carried across our camp. I hurried over to the campfire, where Indigo was just coming to but already alarmed and panicky. Rachel and Ashley knelt next to her, trying to get her to lay down, telling her that everything was okay, but Indigo took their attempts as a hostile sign and looked on the verge of running away.

"It's okay, I got this," I said to Rachel and Ashley as I took their spot next to Indigo. I grabbed Indigo's shoulders to make her look at me. "Hey. It's okay. You're safe now."

"A-Aaron?" Indigo's wide eyes peered at me, unsure. "Aaron what's going on?"

"You don't remember?" Rachel nodded at Ashley and they left, leaving Indigo and I alone by the fire. "Are you still feverish?"

"My head still hurts a little," Indigo admitted as I placed a hand on her forehead. Sure enough, it was still warm. "Aaron, I feel like I'm in a nightmare. There are things I can't believe has happened. Aaron, tell me this is a dream."

"No, this isn't a dream," I said slowly. "Everything you remember is probably real." Indigo sat there, stunned.

"So I really did do all those horrible things," she whispered. Some of the haunted look returned to her eyes. "I lost my rational mind and I killed Katherine. You guys are all afraid of me. I ran away to kill myself. But you stopped me." She looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"Why did you stop me? I don't deserve to live!" Before I could answer, she lunged out and reached for my sword, which was strapped onto my belt. She pulled it halfway out before I grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Indigo, no! How many time must I tell you to not make foolish decisions!" I yelled. "You can't just die! Not after I spent so long trying to find you and then bringing you back!"

"I killed Katherine, Aaron! What don't you understand? I killed her! A life for a life; it's only fair!" Indigo screamed back. Something clicked in my mind.

"Wait, why do you keep saying that you killed Kath? How do you know?" I asked suddenly. Indigo looked at me like I was crazy.

"Isn't it obvious? I know how hard I stabbed her, how deep it pierced, and where I stabbed her. I know that with the amount of blood she lost and the deep wound, it's fatal. She's good as dead." Indigo began to tear up again. "I'm sorry, Katherine!"

"The only reason why you want to die is because you owe Katherine?" I asked again. Indigo nodded.

"Oh my gosh Indigo, why didn't you say so sooner? Katherine isn't dead! She's alive!"

Indigo let go of my sword in shock. "S-She's alive?"

I nodded. "Rachel and Ashley managed to save her life. All three of them are very drained, but Kath is alive."

Indigo's face was a mixture of shock and relief. "Oh my gosh," she said weakly. "Katherine's not dead. She's alive." She looked up at me, her eyes pooling with tears of happiness. "Katherine's alive!"

With that, she collapsed into my arms again, crying softly, all of the fight having gone out of her. I held her as she cried out all of her grief and pain, her relief and guilt. Sitting by the fire, I gently rocked Indigo until the crying was reduced to hiccups, and then gradually, nothing. Looking down, I saw that Indigo had fallen asleep, her tear-stained cheeks against my now-wet shirt. For the first time in a long time, Indigo looked relaxed and at ease, most likely because a huge burden was lifted off of her shoulders. I brushed a strand of her damp hair to the side and studied her face, wondering if the scar on her face would be severe.