Second Life: Book 1 (GxG)

Chapter 10

The wind howled in waves around Emilie, picking up auburn leaves and dropping them again. The scent of blood hitched a ride on its wings, its stop, Emilie's lungs. Lachrymose wails polluted a once tranquil evening, tragedy the only thing in sight. But Emilie saw none of it, the world around her fading, each sound replaced by the beat of her heart.

Her own voice came out in an apology. An apology she felt but never heard as she spoke it. Hands touched her that she never felt, and voices shouted at her, but she heard nothing, her eyes stuck on the rugged rocks, drowning in the pools of blood.

Night rose and stole the light from the sky, the sun making a trade for the moon. Days came and passed, and sleepless nights followed. None of them were known to Emilie. None of them were seen by her eyes.

The faint conversation around her seeped into her brain where she sat on the stairs. She did not know how she came to be there, no idea if she was even really there.

"It's not her fault!" Came a quiet shout. "They are–they were both children."

"She is twelve." A voice said in response, the sound of it rolling through the house like distant thunder. "Twelve. As an older sister–"

The words of her father scraped her skin as they passed her, making her flinch. Her mother's words came like a blanket over it, sheltering, protecting. "She is a child. You can not put that weight on top of her."

"I am not putting anything on top of her, but this is our reality now, Amelia. Leia could've still been here."

The silence dragged on for a moment before her mother's hurtful voice painted the world blue. "It's unfortunate that she's not. But Emilie still is and–"

"What type of mother are you? You're just willing to push this aside as if Leia didn't matter!"

"That is not what I'm doing! But she's not here!" The air vibrated with pain. "Amelia is, Isabelle is, Marc is. Emilie," she choked a sob. "Emilie is. She hasn't slept in two weeks, and she barely eats. She hasn't said a single word. She needs us, so excuse me for trying to prevent us from losing another child!"

Footsteps came towards the stairs, towards Emilie, but she could not move. The world slowly faded from her as she looked into her mother's stunned yet painful face. An apology rang in her voice, an apology she felt but didn't hear as she said it.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Emilie!" Grace's voice came to her slowly, sounding near yet far. Her brows knitted, eyes squinting as the bright glow around them rushed to greet her. "Emilie?"

She turned to her left, her eyes opening into green orbs. Grace smiled a nervous smile, her hand retreating from Emma's shoulder. "Sorry to wake you, but we're here."

Emma glanced around, confusion clouding her vision. "I was asleep?"

"You were tired, I guess." Grace studied her, her eyes intense as if she hoped to read the woman's thoughts. "How are you feeling? It sounded like you were having a bad dream."

Emma shrugged, peering outside through the window at the motel they were parked in front of. Henderson and Andrew were missing from the car, leaving both ladies alone in the backseat. Emma straightened her posture and stretched out her aching neck. The joints cracked, releasing the tension in her bones. When she turned back to Grace, the woman was closer to her than she expected. She almost reached out and touched her face, the impulsive feeling overwhelming her, but she fought it and moved back, reaching for the door. She opened it and stepped out into the morning.

"I'm fine. It was just a dream."

The rising sun was already too hot, providing a warm glow of light into the city and a scorching heat along with it. The city was already awake and bussing with traffic. Eager drivers sat behind the wheels, timestamps in their minds haunting them like masters as they slave to it, never having enough.