Tragedy ✔️

Chapter 12

I magically transport myself to the last place I thought I would ever go. There, in front of me, is the small red brick house. Just as I am about to knock on the door, it swings open and my mother's face is there. She hesitates and I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out like last time. Instead, tears stream down my face. I am startled when I feel my mother's arms embrace me.

"It's okay, Colin," she speaks softly, her voice shaky, "I'm so sorry for shutting you out when you needed me most. I will never do it again."

"I forgive you, Mom," I say, "And now is another time I need you the most." I pull away from her embrace and place my hands on her shoulders. "The king has done something terrible."

I explain this entire ordeal and watch as my mother's expression stays the same. I am worried she will shun me again, tell me not to get into business I don't understand.

"I'll help you," she says, making me release the tension in my shoulders I didn't know I was holding. "I will help you get that manpower you need to stop the king's menace to our real home. In any way that I can I will help you so that our friends and family up there get to live their lives up to the time they are supposed to, making sure that their time isn't cut short."

I give a wide smile. "Thanks, Mom. You don't know how much that means to me."

"We will always be together, Colin."

"No, you won't." I turn around to the unfamiliar voice and see Ms. Pudge standing there with a weird shaped device pointing at us. The tip of the device is glowing and I can see it expanding.

"Ms. Pudge," I say, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I have orders from the king," she says, "He wants you destroyed, and that is what he'll get. All for the sake of my daughter."

Before I have time to say anything, Ms. Pudge zaps the device.

This is it. I failed at stopping the king and saving the living world. The beam is heading straight toward me, ready to end my existence. I silently wave goodbye to my mother and beg for pardon for all the horrible things I've committed. I close my eyes and open my mouth to scream, but instead, I hear a woman scream. I open my eyes and check my body. It's all in one piece. I see Ms. Pudge's shocked face and then I look down. There is my mother on the ground, gasping for air.

"Mom!" I cry, kneeling down to her, "No!"

"Shhh, Colin," she says, barely audible, "Don't worry about me. You must keep doing what you must do. You must stop him."

"But you said we would always be together," tears are now running down like a waterfall from my eyes, "I can't do it without you."

"Yes you can," she smiles at me, stroking my face with her warm hand, "All things happen for a reason. You can't give up on something just because you lose something else."

"But it's not fair, Mom!" I am shouting now, unable to control the feelings I am facing, my heart hurts. "I already saw you die once! Why do I have to go through this again?"

"It's just how things are, sweetie," She gasps for more air and groans in pain.

"Mom?"

"I forgive you, Colin. And I know God will, too."

My tears fall on her shirt, and I lay my head on her chest. She struggles on saying something as she leans toward my ear.

"What is it, Mom?"

I can barely hear what she I saying, "The k-king. H-he is... H-he is..."

"He is what, Mom? Mom!"