Into the Light

169

Her back was hunched over, and she looked like her bones wouldn't support her anymore. I watched in horror as her skin began to melt off, showing the muscle, bone and sinew beneath, until she was nothing more than a skeleton. Then, that too dissolved, turning into a pile of ash on the forest floor. As it did, blue streaks of light escaped her body and flew off into the sky. Were they the souls that she had stolen? What would happen to them now? I hoped that they would find peace. We were too stunned to move. Was it really over? Did we actually beat the most evil thing we had ever known? "We did it," Katrina whispered, staring at the pile of ash. The breeze picked up then, swirling the pile in the air, before blowing it out into the dense forest. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," I whispered. "Um, guys," Sam said. I looked over and met his gaze. "Yeah," I asked. "Can I have my hands back? The circulation is kind of gone in them and they've fallen asleep," he responded. "Oh," I replied, dropping his hand. "My bad." He grinned and wrapped his arm around Kat's neck, bringing her closer to him. "We did it! We fucking did it. She's dead. Like, dead, for real. It's over," he exclaimed, happily. I turned my face up, to look at the stars in the night sky. Only they weren't there anymore. The purple pink hues of the sunrise were starting to light up the sky. It was a new day, a new beginning. We had defeated Lilith, the baddest bitch of them all, but I couldn't feel the relief or the happiness from it. All I could think about was that so many people had to die. I didn't know the witches, but they had lost their life fighting a war that had started with me. Ash, who had become a close friend, who had helped me with Anna every step of the way, even risking his life...then he lost that life. I sniffed and shook my head. I couldn't think about her. Not yet. Not so soon. I turned away from Ash's body, away from Sam and Kat, and started to walk in the opposite direction. Anna's body was lying a few feet away from where I was. I stopped in my tracks and took a shaky breath. I had to deal with this now. There was no running from it. I walked over to her lifeless body and leaned down to pick her up. Her heady rolled back when I had her in my arms, bridal style. I hated that name. Bridal style. She would never be a bride now. All I could hope for her was that she was safe and at peace. I kept walking, straight into the woods, towards the trail that would lead me out and to Ash's home. I wondered what would happen to it now. Did he have any relatives? Anyone that would miss him? I realized that I didn't much about the man who had sacrificed himself for us. I would have to go back for his body too. I couldn't leave him there. Anna's body was heavier than usual, weighed down by death, and my already sore muscles were definitely feeling the strain. I didn't care. I glanced down at her beautiful emotionless face and my breath caught in my throat. No, I couldn't right now. I looked straight ahead and concentrated on the path in front of me. I heard others walking behind me, but they were further back. I would be inside before they made it out of the forest. Hopefully, Sam remembered the way. I broke through the trees and saw Ash's glass home standing in front of me. The new sunlight was gleaming, bouncing off of the panes of glass. What had once been a home full of souls, happy ones that Ash had made a home for, now seemed desolate and empty. The home seemed to be in mourning for it's owner. I knew that was stupid but it's what I felt. I sighed and started up the hill towards the door. I shifted Anna so that I could open the front, then walked through, and kicked it closed behind me. The sound echoed throughout the home, like a bomb in the middle of the silence. I went straight to the room where we had all stood, only hours earlier, and lay her down on the couch. My breath caught again and I couldn't stop the gasps of air that started. I felt like I couldn't breathe. Tears began to trickle out of my eyes, one after the other, until my face was soaked with the salty liquid. I wiped my cheeks, but more came to claim their spot. My chest tightened and felt like it would explode, while my heart felt broken beyond repair. I couldn't do this. How was I supposed to do this? It wasn't fair. I sank down to my knees next to the couch, and leaned over to hide my face in her neck. Her skin wasn't as warm as before. The chill of death was claiming her. The gasps got stronger, choking me, until I thought I would die. "Oh, God," I choked out, my words muffled against her skin. "Why did you have to do that, Anna? Why did you have to jump in the way? I should be dead right now, not you!" My sobs got stronger, making it impossible for me to say anything at all, so I just buried my face deeper into the crook of her neck and let the tears come. There was no point in fighting them. I knew Sam was there, before he touched me. I felt his presence standing over me. He put his hand on my shoulder, but I ignored him. I couldn't deal with the sorrow that I knew I would see in his eyes. "Colby..." he said quietly. "I'm sorry." I ignored him and tried to catch my breath. "I'm so sorry, brother," he whispered. I heard Kat sniff along with her quiet sobs. She was hurting too. Anna had become a fast friend to her. I had been happy about that, at first. Now, it just seemed pointless. Why were we allowed to know Anna, to fall in love with her, if she was just going to be taken from us just as quick as she had arrived? I pushed back, away from her, and moved from my knees to my butt, with my head resting back against the couch. "I need to bury her," I said quietly, looking up at Sam. He sat down next to me, with his shoulder touching mine. "I know," he replied. "We can wait a little while longer." I nodded moved my gaze to the window.