The Story Never Ends (Book 3. of A Beautiful Distraction

9) Ashes

Throughout the duration of the day Luna was still sleeping. So much so that I kept stroking her hair so that I could feel for a pulse without anyone noticing. Each time it was still there, but that didn't make the concern that her heart would stop leave. It just told me that she was alive right now, but that didn't mean she wouldn't die in one second or a minute or an hour. She could just die right here in my arms, because this is a new event. None of the books ever have any indication of what happens if the mark shows up. What if it's too subtle for us to notice? What if the symptoms are different? What if there's less time than usual? What if, what if, what if, but no answer. We never have any fucking answers. I mean we were safe for actual years, and for what? For this? For a possible death for my child? What the hell?

“Don't do that to yourself,”Aris whispered despite the small chatter in the car, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers.

“Do what?”I mumbled.

“You know what. Don't immediately think about the worst. It’ll only hurt more,”He gently pointed out. Closing my eyes, I just leaned my head back and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back as he ran his thumb over my knuckles.

“It'll be okay. We’ll make it out. We always make it out,”He said quietly yet firmly. Looking over, I just nodded my head as if to say that I didn't really believe him but appreciated him trying to make me see the bright side.

“Believe in her, okay? If you don't believe in me, believe in her,”He whispered, leaning his head on my shoulder. Just squeezing his hand tighter, I kept our fingers firmly intertwined as I kept looking at Luna. At her long hair that she kept down no matter what, gently falling in her face. Brushing it out of her eyes, I looked at her clear, non-bloodied face, and silently prayed for it to stay like that forever. I never really prayed, because I refused to believe that a higher power would put me through the hell that I have.

If she makes it out though, I swear that I’ll pray every day.

ᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗᕙᕗ

It took a few more hours to even get to the border of the ruined city, which Luna has thankfully woken up during. She had crawled into the back with all of her friends, squishing especially close to Hayden. The poor kid also turned cherry red every time there was the slightest bit of physical contact between them. She, as expected, didn't pick up on it. She still has no idea that he’s head over heels for her, and she won't unless he says it outright.

I know that it's weird to be thinking about something like love right now, but that's not a new thing. Love is the reason that we even get up in the morning. Love from people, and for them. Without that, we are nothing.

So no. Being surrounded by destruction, where millions had died, shouldn't feel this casual. To be fair though, I was avoiding looking around. I knew that no matter which was I turned there would be something there. Some kind of pain and suffering that I had learned to block out from my mind.

“Why does it look like a pyromaniac’s place?”Blaise spoke up. Turning back around, I stared at the seat in front of as complete silence filled the car. Nobody, absolutely nobody, wanted to explain the war between WICKED and the civilians, which had all turned on each other in the end, going so far as to kill the children.

While that already used to horrify me, it made me want to throw up now. They were all somebody's baby. Somehow though, there was now nothing left of them. Nothing but ashes.

Passing by a place that I had recognized more than I wanted, the fallen stairway stood out more than anything. The stairwell that Aris literally carried me up. The stairwell that led to the roof. The roof that Teresa had died on.