The Darkness of The Light

In the end.

I wake up and look to my side, almost expecting to see the sun dancing on Thomas's almond skin, but found nothing there. I turn my face to the sky, and breathe in the heat, like I did the day he rescued me. Sighing, I rise to my feet and glance around, unsure of what to do next.

"The one person I had is gone. My old family could be too, for all I know."I breathe, looking back into the field. It appears to stretch out forever, yet end right in front of me. "Just like Thomas and I. I thought we would find a way to go forever, but I'm the reason it ended." I think, feeling the tears sting my dry eyes. I can't help but hate myself for leaving him there to die. I sit back down on the ground, head in hands.

Just as I'm allowing myself to be completely swallowed by the darkness in my mind, I hear a familiar voice in the field behind me, "Sarah?" followed by Thomas fighting his way through the green and appearing before me.

I begin to back up, shaking my head violently, trying to make this hallucination go away, "No. You can't be here. You're dead, you have to be. I heard the gunshot, and I know you're not real. You're dead," I whisper, too scared to speak up, as he finds his way to me and takes me into his arms, "Aren't you?" I timidly reach up and place my hand on his cheek, a breath shakily coming out as I realize it's solid. "You're not dead?" I exclaim, wrapping my arms around him and hugging him, "But I heard the gunshot. Why did you come after me?"

"Did you really think I would let them have you? The girl I love? No. I did what I had to do, and John's not an issue anymore. The cops took him, and they found his friend hiding a few miles down the road," Thomas whispers, running his fingers through my hair, his hands shaking as though he's afraid that if he lets go I'll disappear, "Your family is safe. They have a lot of questions, and they want to help us, y'know, make a life, if you want that."

The words fall out of my mouth, "Of course I do. And this gives me a chance to do some catching up while we're at it." Thomas smiles, and I feel my heart do the thing again as he slowly pulls me into a kiss, and we walk, hand-in-hand, into a life that's both new and old.