Swan Song

Chapter Two-Keefe

*An hour earlier*

It was dark. So dark. The kind of dark that seems to drown you, despite your efforts to stay near the light. It felt like it had been days since the darkness overcame me, maybe weeks- perhaps even months. It was hard to tell. Pain had ceased every single cell in my body, making it hard to breath.

And the monster. I had heard Sophie talk about the monster, but I never expected it to be so horrible, trying to pull me further into the darkness. It echoed memories I had wanted so hard to push away. It echoed the voices of the people who had done this to me- of my mother. 

Worthless.

Pitiful.

Hopeless.

Again I brought up a different memory. A happy memory. Brown eyes filled my mind, with little gold flecks. Sophie. She was my secret weapon against the monster, even just the thought of her seemed to keep the monster away. Made the dark almost bearable.

Almost. I had to frequently bring memories of her up. It was all that I could do.

Fitz face filled my memory suddenly, the anger in his eyes. The hate, the-

Think of Sophie. 

I thought of the first time I met her, those beautiful brown eyes. Gee, that was sappy. If my father had heard those thoughts he would have made it a hundred times worse, or perhaps tell me of the million reasons I didn't deserve her. I knew it was true, even Alden knew it was true. They knew what a failure I was, of course I didn't deserve her. The monster thrashed and roared.

Think of Sophie.

I remembered Alden telling me to back off, to leave Sophie to Fitz. Anger stirred inside of me.

Think of Sophie.

I thought of when she had first told me she was unmatchable. She was worried about Fitz caring about that- for some reason it made me angry. She should never have to worry. If it were me, I wouldn't care one bit. I would wait hundreds of years, or deals with hundreds of years of scorn- seriously, when had I so gotten so sappy? I would have been embaressed if anyone had heard me, but I knew no one could. No one could hear me in this dark prison. 

Think of Sophie.

The pain intensified, leaving my already aching body in complete and utter pain. The monster seemed louder then ever, the thoughts of Sophie barely able to hold it off. I wanted to thrash, to scream- anything. But I couldn't, the pain was to overwhelming. Suddenly a subtle light shone in the darkness, searing through my eyes. Was this it? Was I dying? I had heard of a light when you died, I just didn't expect it to be so... green. I blinked, the light was becoming more clear, but the pain more unbearable. 

Think of Sophie I reminded myself, trying to push away the pain. Suddenly, the light was blinding. I blinked, the monster was starting to grow silent. The pain seemed to wash away, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, I was able to move. I gasped, pulling as much air as possible into my lungs. I coughed, and the light quickly dissipated, turning to a natural yellow. I blinked again, my eyes slowly adjusting to the light. Elwin face filled my vision.

"Keefe? Can you hear me?" His voice was loud, making me flinch.

"Yeah, no need to burst out my ear drums." 

He let out a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness, a part of me worried you would never wake up."

"Wake up?" I asked as Elwin turned, asking for someone to go get Sophie and Fitz.

"Of course, you've been asleep for two and a half weeks."