The Garden of What Once Was

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

 Reed looked from Ember's limp body to where Tom was standing.

"You."

Just one simple word from Reed caused Tom to fall to the ground, hands in front of him, eyes wide with terror. "I–I swear I don't know why she's not waking up! She should be but–...!"

Reed went from cradling Ember in his arms to slamming Tom up against the wall. "Don't give me fucking excuses! Just fix her, damn it!"

"I already did all I can!" Tom sputtered out before the left side of his face was forcibly slammed into the wall.

"No, don't you dare say that, bastard! You compelled her, now you fucking undo it! Undo it now! Undo it before I rip your fangs out!" Reed screamed, startling both Tom and Casper.

Tom opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. All that left his mouth were whimpers. He could not manage anything more than that in the face of this highschooler that was quickly morphing into what Tom imagined the devil to be. Slitted red eyes, bared fangs, and an air of maliciousness around him. That was everything that made Tom become desperate to get himself away from the satanic vampire.

Desperately, Tom shouted at the top of his lungs, "Wake up, please, just fucking wake up!"

At the sound of Ember's heart beat suddenly spiking, Reed immediately left Tom to crumble to the ground. Reed scrambled toward Ember, almost tripping over the mattress due to how fast he was moving. He dropped to the ground, awaiting her to open her eyes. His hands gripped the edge of the mattress harder as each grueling second passed by with her eyes still closed. When he was just about to go back to tormenting Tom, Ember jolted awake with a start. For a few moments, she stared at Reed blankly. The realization that the real Reed was before her came over her like a cold bucket of water.

"Ember..."

That was all the managed to leave Reed's mouth before she screamed, "No! No, you can't be here!" Her crazed eyes slid over to where Casper stood. "Neither of you can! Get out, get out before you're..."

"Before you're dead," She finished her sentence in an airy whisper, unable to contain the shake ravaging through her limbs.

The memory of Roseo stabbing Kari clean through the chest with the moonstake flowed through her mind. If Reed or Casper became the next victim of the moonstake, she would never forgive herself.

Carefully, Reed took one of Ember's trembling hands. He placed her palm flat against his chest where the light beating of his heart could be felt. "I'm still alive, just as you are. Nothing will change that, I promise."

No amount of promises could remove the feeling of foreboding inside of Ember. She shook her head from side to side, clenching her jaw as tears fell down her cheeks. Although he may be alive now, there was no telling what could be awaiting them in the future. Hell, all of them could die, never to leave the mold-infested confinement building. 

"You two shouldn't have come," She muttered, slowly letting her head fall onto Reed's chest. Though she was reluctant to allow herself to be happy that they had come for her, a small part of her was relieved. Because of them, she could say she was safe. "Dumb asses."

"We're only dumb asses for you," Reed smiled as he felt her relax into his embrace.

Upon hearing these comforting words, she lifted her head from his chest to gaze up at him. In that moment she wanted to kiss him, as he did her. It didn't matter to him if she had cracked lips and bad breath. He cupped the side of her face, slowly pulling her toward him. Their eyes closed simultaneously and their lips lightly pressed against each others.