Sands of Time

Renew

It hurt, I didn't know what was going on but it hurt; it felt like myskin was expanding before contracting around me, not as much as itwas before but still, muscles growing and moving, it felt like when Ihad first grown from a child to a man, but instead of mostly in mycalves was all over my body. Something was wrong, however it happenedso fast that even as I left out a shout, more surprise than theactual pain, it was over and I was left gasping from the shock.Looking up I saw Name and she was blinking a few times before rubbingher eyes, the (eye color) of her irises looked hazy.

"Name?! Are you okay?" I reached foreword and began gentlystroking along her (skin tone) face, I knew that I had to be gentlein case she had been hurt; I felt okay but I didn't know what itwould do to her. She blinked her eyes back to their clear(sparkling/warm/smoldering) eyes and seeing me she relaxed and gaveme a gentle smile.

"I'm fine, what was that?" I didn't know how to answer her, Ididn't know what had happened either, and I was trying to figure thatout for myself, however she was frowning, a furrow to her brow as shelooked at me worried. "Kohmus are you okay?" Of course she wouldbe worried about me, but I was worried about her. But I felt fine,better than I had since before I had died, feeling brand new. Mysecond life had felt like I was slightly numb, had slight aches but Ihad lived with them for so long that I had never thought about. Itwas strange, for something that I was so used to that I didn't evennotice it till it had stopped; it kind of reminded me of what Nameclaimed it felt like to soak in the bathtub she loved with the(bubble bath/bath bomb) she liked to have, I didn't understand butshe would listen to an (audio book/podcast) and have a cup of tea andcome out smelling of (delicate floral/fresh ocean/clean scent) andwith a happy lazy smile and in her night clothing.

"I think so, but I don't know what that light was. It felt a bitpainful, but I'm okay, I feel fine." It almost felt unneeded to addthat it had hurt, it felt more like what I remember of my musclescracking, a slight pinch but then it felt really good. She didn'tseem to be listening to me, at least not fully, instead staring at mylips, she then reached up to touch my face but pulled away like shehad been burnt. "Name? Is everything okay?"

She didn't speak, instead she was watching me with an awed gaze. Ididn't understand why she was but she didn't seem to be hurt, she waslooking at me with awed eyes. She touched my face, gently stroking myface, I didn't know why she was doing this but she was touching myface in such a relaxing pace and I was more than happy with it.

However that was until she started to tug on one of the bandages. Theones that would undo my wrappings. "What are you doing?" Igrabbed her wrists, still being careful that I don't grab her wriststoo tightly, the last thing I would want to do was to accidentallybruise or hurt her. "Please Name, don't."She stopped and lookedat me with curious eyes, so gentle allowing me to mark my boundaries.I didn't know why this scared me, she had seen my skin, my lower halfof my face and jaw, what more was there for her to see?

"Name, you've just fully acceptedme, if you see what I am now, you'll not want me anymore." And thatwas it, my secret shame, that underneath all these bandages I was nolonger the man that she loved. That if she were to see me she wouldno longer want me, I knew that it would eventually come but perhapsshe would be happy to have me only like this. She never even flinchedfrom my kisses despite me knowing they probably didn't feel nice,nothing like the kisses we shared thanks to my dried skin.

She didn't respond, she just gaveme the gentlest smile before leaning up to kiss me. The kiss was nothurried, nor a peck, it was a soft pressure between our lips, pullingback humming softly against her plush lips. "Do you trust meKohmus?" She asked after a moment from us pulling away and my eyessnap open to look at her, her soft (skin tone) face, her(curly/wavy/straight) hair so soft, did I trust her? Was there everany doubt?

"Of course, Name," I promisedher, even though I didn't understand how she could ever doubt that."I love you Name, so much," I nodded smiling, whatever shewanted, if she wanted to see what my face had become so be it.

"I love you to," she whisperedand waited for me to let go of her wrists, she did not push me tojust allowing me to do so at my own pace. When I did I was relievedto see that her wrists were not even red, I was sure that I didn'thold too tight but sometimes worried I would do too much with myhands in my emotions. She didn't immediately reach for the bandagesagain, in fact she just looked into my eyes, sucking me into the seasof (eye color) that were trapped in the alabaster of her eyes.Eventually she did reach up, moving slowly and giving me plenty oftime to stop her if I wished.

I do not.

Slowly, ever so slowly-tortuouslyslowly, she unwound the bandages. She only went to the point that thebandages wrapped to my neck, I felt fine and beyond the fear that myrough skin would catch on a pillow or something there was nothing toworry about. However she was staring at me with wide confused eyesand I worried that any moment she would start screaming

"Name?" This purgatory wasworst that how she would react.

"You're handsome," shewhispered cupping my face and her thumb stroked across my cheek. "Notbecause you are as I first saw you," I froze up a bit when Ifinally realized, I was back to normal, a human like before I becamea mummy as I prepared to die. I was like my Name... "you're myKohmus, the husband of my heart." She whispered gently and Icouldn't help it.

I grabbed onto her like a mandying, one hand clinging onto her waist and the other tangling in herhair. I kissed her with everything that I had and she kissed me backwith just as much fervor. When we pull apart we are both panting, forthe first time my lungs craving the air, I neededair again.

She grinned, barely holding back agiggle before standing from my hands, before I can wonder what she isdoing she is pulling on me to lead me to the mirror on her dresserand I am shocked. My skin was back to its olive tone, my cheekboneshigh, my lips thin, and my hair the short cropped black. My skin wasno longer a sickly yellow and green, and the cracked white and gray.With my skin back to normal, like any other person, my amber andblack eyes didn't look as strange, they looked like anyone else eyes,even if they were a color that as far as I knew no one had. It wasmore than that,I would think I would look as I had before, I hadreached a ripe old age and had been ready to go, now I looked like ayoung man in his prime again.

"I am not only back to beforebut...young again." I touched my face not really believing it whenI looked at it but I could feel it as well almost, feeling theslightly rough yellowed bandages against my face.

"You look around my age." Shewhispered kissing against my cheek and I held her close, holding herfully to my chest again.

"Yes, I think so," I agreedbecause I think she was right, "maybe it was you? Maybe finallyaccepting me-all of me-did this."

She hummed but didn't say anythingmore, instead tugging on my bandages, wanting to pull them off and Iwas more than happy to do so, I wanted these dirty bandages off. Shemoved so slowly, as if she was afraid to hurt me but I was impatientto get it all off me.

Okay guys, I hope you like it, I think this might be my favoritechapter for this story so far, and now only the epilogue is left. Sotechnically the story is done. I hope you enjoyed.