Into the Light

Chapter VIII

It was funny, she thought later, the way time seemed to stop.

Everything froze as she felt gravity begin to take hold of them, dragging them ruthlessly to the ground that was waiting a hundred feet below.

She vaguely registered the sound of Keefe's frantic screaming, the way she felt nearly weightless even as they fell down, down, down...

None of this was all that surprising of course. If she were to describe what she imagined falling from the sky to her death to be like, everything she was experiencing fit the bill pretty well.

What was surprising was the tug in her stomach as they hurled past the tops of the buildings around them. The resounding crack that split the air, followed by darkness.

Huh. She didn't remember hitting the ground.

"Are we dead," Keefe's voice echoed around her.

Sophie blinked, but the darkness didn't clear. Her movements felt slow, as if she were swimming in molasses.

"I don't- I don't think so," she replied, reaching out a hand until she found what must have been his bicep. "I think... I think I did this."

She didn't have to be able to see to know that Keefe was smirking. "Ah, the powerful Miss F! You never cease to surprise me."

"I never cease to surprise myself," Sophie muttered.

"So not to complain, because this is obviously miles better than, you know, crashing onto the hard, unforgiving ground, but do you think you can get us out of here? It's a little uncomfortable."

Sophie sighed. "Well that's top of the list of things I want to do, but I'm not really sure how... I don't know if you realize this but this is kind of my first time trapped in a void of my own creation. But if you have any tips, please feel free to share."

She felt Keefe's arm shaking- was he laughing?

"Okay, Foster, no need to bite my head off. I'm sure relaxing will probably help," he giggled. "I missed your temper. I don't think I realized how much."

They were silent for a moment.

"Why don't you just- focus on taking us home? That may help."

Sophie squeezed his arm. "Alright."

Home, taking a deep breath she tried to imagine Alluvetere, it's cavernous ceiling and twinkling lights. Home, her room at Alluveterre. Her room there was pretty bare actually, not much to look at. Not really any use having something to look at when you never spend any time there.

Focus, Sophie. Home... home... home with the rolling fields of green, with the sunlight streaming in through open windows, curtains lightly fluttering in the breeze, the sounds of animals in their pens-

A tug in her stomach and they were falling again, falling onto-

Green grass. A wide blue sky stretched above the pair where she lay next to Keefe, catching her breath.

Speaking of Keefe.

She looked over to see his eyes already on her, a wild grin on his face.

"I knew you could do it, Sophie."

Jarred slightly by the use of her given name, she flushed slightly and grinned back. "You helped."

They lay there for a moment, drinking each other in, the high of having survived what could have been fatal making Sophie's head buzz. She leaned in slightly, not entirely sure what her plan was, but overwhelmed by the warm feeling pulsing behind her ribcage.

Keefe turned his head away to gaze up into the cloudless sky and cleared his throat. "Where are we? Correct me if I'm wrong, but this doesn't look like that cave where you live- not that I mean that in a bad way, it's a very nice cave."

Sophie reeled back slightly. She knew he could feel her emotions, and the rejection was like a slap in the face- gods, this was so embarrassing. She felt her face heat.

"Keefe-"

"Sophie," a soft female voice called, cutting her off. "Sophie is- is that you?"

Sophie sat up and wildly looked around at the sound of another voice responding, this time male. "Oh Edie- you know it never is... come on let's go inside. I can finish up with Verdi, why don't you go get something to drink."

Sophie stood and turned fully around to see Edaline and Grady standing about a hundred paces away. Edaline was staring right at her, and even from this distance, Sophie could see she was trembling.

Keefe scrambled to his feet beside her.

"Grady? Edaline?"

At her call, Grady looked up from where he had been consoling his wife, and his mouth dropped open at the sight of his daughter. His dead daughter.

Back from the grave and looking as well as the day they had last seen her.

Sophie stumbled forward as Edaline and Grady ran to her. They stopped a few steps away.

Grady was the first to speak. "Sophie... Is it really you?"

He reached a tentative hand out and brushed her cheek.

Edaline sobbed and leapt forward, pulling Grady and Sophie into a hug.

...

this one was short ik and it ended weird but im just posting what i have lol