Embers

Chapter 8

I stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. It was almost three in the morning, and my eyes had barely closed for a second. I would've cried, but I had no more tears left to spare. Everything seemed so numb, so empty. Everything that gave me hope, gave me meaning, it was all worthless now. I couldn't even draw. I had tried multiple times, hoping I could distract myself, but they turned out worse and worse with every drawing I did.

"Erin?" I whispered. She didn't respond, her body lying in a lump on the floor, dead asleep. I sat up, holding my knees to my chest.

This room was much smaller than the one back at my house, though Solstice did have an apartment while we had a house. The walls were painted a dark blue with white trim, the wood floors old and in need of repairing.

"You okay?" Erin asked, now sitting up.

I jumped at her voice. "As fine as I can be," I said, looking down at my feet.

"How much sleep have you gotten?" She asked.

"A lot more than last night," I lied.

"Don't try to lie to me."

I moaned. "I haven't slept at all."

"Come on," Erin said, pulling me to my feet. She opened the door and stepped outside, holding a finger to her lips, telling me to be quiet. We tiptoed past Solstice, who was sleeping on the couch now since Erin and I were occupying his room.

Erin approached the door and grabbed my jacket, tossing it to me. She grabbed her own, put it on, and opened the door for me.

We walked outside, headed towards the city.

"You sure you can handle this?" I asked.

"I'll manage," Erin said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and holding me close as we walked down the street.

"I just don't want you to have another attack."

"I'll be careful." She said.

We walked for a while, talking. As we talked, it seemed like a burden was raised off my chest. My mom didn't even cross my mind the entire time. The entire...

I glanced over to a store beside us, the TV's in the window playing.

The acclaimed superhero Ember, has been confirmed dead. She was killed in a fight with The Raven on Tuesday evening, earlier this week. Her identity was revealed to be Annalise Nelson, a hard working citizen from Brooklyn who, to quote her teammate and lifelong friend, Solstice, "Only wanted the best for the people around her, even if it meant giving up everything she knew to make sure they were safe. She will truly never be forgotten."

"Were you controlling me?" I said, turning towards Erin.

"What?" She asked.

"Were you controlling me? You know, my mind?"

Erin gave a nervous smile. "I-- uh-- I just wanted you to get your mind off of her, after I blocked off the first thought, you didn't even think about her once."

"I'm grieving, you can't just let me not think of her! Why do you think it's just always okay to control people's minds? We're not your slaves, Erin. I don't care if you think you're helping anyone, it's not right!"

I glanced back over to the screens beside me, my mom's face staring back at me. A week had already slipped me by since her death and I had barely noticed it. Everything seemed so wrong without her.

My phone buzzed and I checked it. It was from Jackie.

Can't sleep. Is everything okay?

I slid my phone back in my pocket. "Let's just get going,"