Taint (Formerly Claimed) Dark Midnight 1

Chapter 46

one more real chapter left.    I'm not really happy with this chapter, so it is subject to change once I start editing.

Chapter 46

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Dying wasn’t as hard as people seemed to think. 

In Miriam’s case, it didn’t even hurt…

She knew the exact moment her heart stopped being. 

The moment she stopped being.

The moment the last shreds of life faded away. 

It was simple.  Almost as if a curtain had been drawn shut over a part of her; the bright, brilliant memories of first birthday parties and high school dances all faded away like smoke scattered on the wind after a fire. 

That’s what life seemed like to her now—fire.  Quick and hot while it lasted, only to pitter out and leave just…

Ashes. 

Thatwas the taste in her mouth she figured, ashes.  Dry and smoky, it coated her tongue like—

Wait. 

She blinked--shocked that she could blink at all.  Sure enough, her eyes opened on command, revealing a brilliant, pure white that swamped her.  Brighter than anything she’d ever seen alive. 

Except…maybe one shade of ivory; the color of flesh so pale that it rivaled the light of the moon.

Kind of like mine, she thought.

 Her own hand floated above her head, unconsciously raised to shield her eyes from the light.  At least, it looked like her hand; that tiny scratch by her thump from where she’d accidentally cut it on a knife was still there.  But the slim fingers weren’t the soft shade of pale pink like she remembered.

They were white.   As pure as porcelain...

“Miriam.”  The anxious tone made her turn, and instantly she found herself swept up in an endless ruby gaze.  In fact, everything about the boy above her was beautiful.  Strong bones formed a handsome faced, crowned by a mouth shaped by worry. 

But…

“E-Eliot?"  Confused, she shook her head.   "But…I’m dead…”

He didn’t speak.  Just watched her with an anxious frown.    

And then it all made sense.

“Easy,” Eliot cautioned as she sat up, bracing her hands against the cold hard gravel beneath her.  It was freezing out—she knew that much.

 An icy breeze wiped at the nape of her neck. 

Snow still dotted the ground.

But she wasn’t shivering.  Her teeth weren't chattering.  She didn’t even feel cold as the naked trees swayed in tune to the wind as moonlight filtered down from overhead.

It was the moon that was so bright, she realized.  It hung up above in a navy blue sky, watching impassively as she scrambled to her feet. 

“Miriam wait!”  Eliot tried to hold her.  Outstretched fingers reached for her arm, as she lurched to her feet. 

But even he wasn’t fast enough to catch her.

  “Miriam!”

He sounded terrified as she stumbled down the side of a narrow hill, bare feet scraping through the ice and snow.  Below stretched the bank of Lake Kai, its waters gleaming like the surface a giant silver coin.