Mein Liebling

Untitled Part 22

Day 9:

I venture out more und more, helping zhe men vizh clearing zhe undead, shpeaking vizh Zack to learn more about her... vhich is hard, und painful, but I enjoy hearing zhe shtories about her, und it seems to help him cope. He vas shomeone shpecial to her, und for some reason, I find zhis to be very important, und vant to show kindness.

Zhe notebook I filled vizh my memories of her, und a few of her photos – zhanks to Zack for supplying more – is shmall enough to carry vizh me, und so I shtart keeping it vizh me alvays. It helps, to flip zhrough zhe pages und to see her shmiling face vhenever I feel like giving up, or like I can't go on any longer.

I find zhe motivation to continue in knowing zhat I have to shtay shtrong for her, even if only for zhe sake of her memory, und to ensure she did not sacrifice herself in vain.

Ve all vork to ensure zhis...

Ve are supposed to scout zhe clearing again, near zhe mansion vhere... vhere ve first met und shared our first kiss; vhere I lost her.

It vill be hard, und several times zhe men have tried to talk me out of going, but it needs to be done, und I need to face zhis head on.

I check zhe mirror, having just shaved und rinsed my face. Zhe color has returned to my skin, und I have been able to eat regularly again, zhough my shleep shtill comes und goes, und I shtill vake to pillows vet vizh tears now and zhen but... I am learning to survive. I miss her more und more every day, as does Gaius, but ve find comfort in having each ozher; he never leaves my side, und I've grown accustomed to his companionship.

I vipe my face vizh a clean towel, drying zhe vazer und pat Gaius on zhe head, moving to zhe door.

A knock sounds.

It must be one of zhe men ensuring I'm ready to leave.

It sounds again before I can reach zhe door, seeming more ugent zhis time.

Vizh a quirked brow, I open zhe door to reveal a very out of breath Zack. He must have run all zhe vay down here, his eyes vide und color drained from his face as he struggles to shpeak. "Med bay, now."

"I vas just about to leave for-"

"MED BAY." His chest heaves as he points down zhe hall, und zhen motions to follow him as he takes a step.

"Zack," I sigh in agitation, allowing Gaius out zhe door before shutting it behind me und moving down zhe hall. "Can zhis vait, I really must be going."

I hear her name over zhe radio in Zack's hand und freeze, shtopping dead in my tracks.

"Moving to ICU, monitoring conditions."

Zack turns, his eyes shtill vide as he grabs mein arm und attempts to tug me along, but I pull meinshelf from his grip und knit my brows togezher in question. "Vhat zhe hell did zhey just shay?"

He nods softly, "We have to go, they found her on the steps."

"Nein," I shake my head, taking a step back. "She's gone, zhis is some cruel joke und I vill be no part of it."

"Ed." His shoulders deflate and he glances down zhe hall before ringing his hands zhrough his hair in frustration. "Goddammit Ed, I don't know how, but she came back, and we found her passed out bleeding all over the steps, so pull your fucking shit together and follow me to Med Bay."

Your POV:

"Samantha?"

She smiles down at you, offering a hand to help you stand. Though a child of her stature won't really be much, help, you appreciate the gesture and take her hand anyway.

"Hallo." She greets, seeming cheerful considering the events. "I'm sorry I took so long. Monty vouldn't let me intervene, but he let his guard down as soon as you took his hand."

"Why?" You glance around, not really recognizing where you are amongst the dense trees. The entire area seems to have a faint, shimmering blue aura, just as Samantha always does. "We need to close off the Aether, I was supposed to go with him. Why would you pull me away?"

"Nein." She shakes her head. "Monty lies! Zhe shtory he told you, it vas only half truths. Zhe ozher you... you didn't die after he asked you to close zhe portal, you died because you vouldn't allow him to keep it open. It vas not a blast, Monty himself killed you."

You remember the figure's hands around your neck and reach up to feel along the skin there, as if remembering in detail for the first time the detailed silhouette matching Monty's.

"Eddie tried to bring you back..." She grabs your hand, leading you toward an empty doorframe at the edge of the trees. "But Monty feared zhat you vould know how to close zhe Aether again und send him back. So, he vanted to destroy your soul entirely; prevent you from ever existing again, as he tried to do just now."

"I don't understand..." You shake your head, feeling a growing pain there as you try to grasp what she's saying. "Why am I here then?"

"Because," She turns slightly, a broad grin across her face. "I found your soul und sent you shomevhere he had never been, und I had hoped I vould be able to find you first... but vhen you latched onto a dimension so far out, I had a hard time reaching you. Zhe Aether vad not supposed to exist here, und I only had a shmall vindow vhen zhe planets here vould align und let zhe dimensions connect. Unfortunately... zhe Aether found it's vay here before I could bring Eddie to you... und Monty ..."

She lowers her head, halting in her tracks.

"It's not your fault." You rub a comforting circle along the back of her hand where she still grips onto yours. "Thank you for helping me."

Smiling softly, she looks up at you and nods before continuing on, closer to the doorframe. "Why did you need my blood?"

"To bring Eddie, silly." She giggles and stops, touching the frame as it lights up, slowly filling with a swirling portal. "Your souls are connected, didn't you know zhat?"

"Monty did say something about that..." You furrow your brows, watching the portal complete itself. "Where is he anyway?"

She pushes you toward the portal. "I sent him avay, but he vill be back soon, und you must hurry, time does not vork zhe same here."

You resist slightly. "Wait, I have more questions."

Shaking her head, she pushes you onward. "Zhere is no time, zhis vill lead you back, you must get back to Eddie, he needs you."

"How long has it been??" You look back to question her. "Samantha?"

She shoves you through the portal, the ground meeting your knees as you slump forward on the concrete just outside your building. Your head spins, red liquid dropping between your hands, pooling on the ground beneath you.

Furrowing your brows, you reach up, finding that the blood is running down from your nose.

Your hands shake as you grip your head, a loud ringing noise rising in frequency until it feels like your head is going to explode. With blurred vision, you try to climb the steps, but your strength waivers and gives out, everything fading to black.