Dead Inside

26.

"I-I'm dead?" Sabre stuttered. 

The spirit nodded. "I couldn't let you suffer any longer. I had to lift your spirit from your cursed body."

"I never asked for this!" Sabre said. 

"None of us did," the spirit breathed. "But, this is how things are around here. We might as well follow their rules." 

Sabre sighed. "I guess so."

"Well," the spirit said. "We should wait here, until the God of the Steves finds your bones. We cannot allow Forest Steve to devour it. The God of the Steves will move your body into the Cemetary of Bones where it'll be safe from Forest Steve's grasp."

"Will I see my friends?" Sabre asked.

The spirit just blinked back at him. After a long moment of silence, she sighed and shook her head. "I'm afraid we cannot risk being seen by your friends. Forest Steve has the ability to change shape, and we don't want him to see you outside the Cemetary of Bones."

Thunder crackled from above and the fog parted to reveal the black clouds swirling around in a circle. A portal, Sabre thought. 

"The God of the Steves," the spirit said. "He's coming. You must hide," she added, turning to Sabre. "If Forest Steve finds out your here, it will put all the spirits of the Cemetary of Bones at risk."

Sabre hesitated for a moment. What if he made the same mistake twice? He quickly flashed back to reality and darted into the trees and made his way deep into a thicket of dead brambles, the thorny branches slipping easily through his spiritual body. The thunder grew louder and stronger and the clouds circled toward the ground. When the clouds became a shade of blue and grey, they parted and a large beam of bright white light shot down from them and struck the ground. When the light faded, the God of the Steves, Rainbow Steve, Galaxy Steve, Blue Steve, and Alex stood there. 

"Emburn," the God of the Steves said. "Has a young boy named Sabre came through here?" 

The spirit nodded slowly, her eyes clouded with guilt. "See for yourself." 

The Steves glanced down and stared in horror at Sabre's bone body, the bandanna draped over its eyes. 

"No," Rainbow Steve murmured. "He- he can't be-" his voice broke off as tears began to stream down the side of his cheeks. He covered his face with a hand and sobbed quietly. 

Galaxy Steve looked away as tears filled his eyes. "We're too late..."

"No, we can't be." Blue Steve said, his voice shaking. "This is an illusion. It must be!"

"I'm afraid not," the God of the Steves told them. "Emburn took his spirit from his body. If she had not, Sabre would've suffered for another month and a half."

"B-but," Rainbow Steve removed his hand, his cheeks stained with tears. "But, Sabre..."

"He is safe in the Cemetary of Bones," the spirit- Emburn- said. 

Sabre swallowed down his sadness, pushing away tears. He longed to go out of hiding and speak with his friends one last time; but he knew better. Emburn specifically told him to hide, and he should obey. 

"I will take this to the Cemetary of Bones," the God of the Steves dipped his head to Emburn. "See to it that you go, as well. Forest Steve may be among us."

Emburn nodded and headed into the forest. The God of the Steves turned to Alex and the two lifted Sabre's remainders off the ground and carried it down the foggy path. Emburn came up and halted in front of Sabre, her hind paws just skimming the ground. 

"Come on," she said. "You're almost to your resting place."  

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I was busy playing Minecraft with my cousin (Catplaysandwrites) and I never found the time to work on this book. Hope you're having a great day!

-Emburn ❤