EMBER

A WORLD IN A WORLD

The ride is a quiet one.

I look between the both of them. But mostly at Karim. He has never died.

He chose to sit next to her instead of me, I am furious. Artemis is seated next to me and the rude boy curtly informed me himself he is Thoren is driving.

The girl, okay her name is Emmeline Adel, courtesy of Artemis but I won't call her that name, I prefer the girl. Jealousy so potent boils deep within me. They aren't talking or doing anything in front of us but she has his attention in a way I never have.

His eyes constantly flicker towards her, it make me angrier. I humph and fold my hands over chest. Childish? I know. The Jeep bobbles over some bumps and I decide to focus on the outside to distract myself. The place is a bare wasteland.

There's completely no sign that there was any human or darkling civilization here. I see occasional shadows but my eyes can't make out anything definite. It is too shadowy but am certain there are shadows in the shadows.

It feels like we are traveling over a cursed desert somewhere. It feels like am not supposed to be here like this place will somehow swallow me.

Where are we even going? We have been going for a while. I contemplate asking my look alike but I don't feel like talking to any of them.

I just keep looking at the lifeless cursed place with a broken moon. It is still cold though and I can't tell if it is daytime or not what with the shadowy red atmosphere, it almost looks like Mars. At least mars in the movies was bright.

What if we are on Mars? It would be an entertaining notion but even I know that would too good be true.

"You like him don't you?" A musical whisper reaches my ears. My head whips around automatically.

"Don't you know how to mind your own business?"
I am met with Artemis's understanding but also questioning gaze. I just slump even more. I can't talk about my problems with her, especially boy problems at that, how ridiculous.

"It is just a mistake you know."
She continues regardless of my indifference but I am listening and she knows that.

"Ahmad loved her. It was the purest form of love in this place I had seen. So seeing his other self from another realm was her undoing."
Ahmad? Another him? Did she mean Karim?

I am confused and something tells me I don't like the answer to those questions.

"He died a few months ago and it devastated her. She almost killed herself too. She blamed it on herself you see and she still does. So seeing Karim like this is......"
She trails off her void eyes boring into mine hoping I get the message. I get it plenty.

"How did he die? This Ahmad I mean"
I look directly at her. She looks away.

"That is not my story to tell." Wow.

" So you are just going to leave me hanging? So much for her not being  demon.

"Sounds like Romeo and Juliet bullshit to me regardless."
I say with much indifference as I can muster as imagine how Karim's mirror self must have died under some tragic circumstances.

If Karim were to die......I shudder at the thought booking it away instantly.

"He was my best friend just like how you have Karim. And I loved him. I still do." Her voice is so quiet I would have missed it. She turns to look outside her window. I do the same but I notice Thoren looking at me intently in the driving mirror with a small smile on his lips.

His black eyes fixed on my grey eyes, I feel a bony chill and rivet my eyes further outside. He gives me the creeps.

The terrain has changed. There are huge boulder like rocks arranged in two columns to form  pathway big enough for two lanes.