Countd0wn

Chapter 23: The Sins of the Past

The bed is comfortable and warm, and the room is silent and calm. And I can't sleep a wink. The new suite that Mossberg supplied me with is strangely enough too relaxing and luxurious for my tastes. I haven't slept on a bed this soft in almost a year, and it's a stark contrast to the metal I've been forced to be content with for the past few days. Despite this, I roll over and try to get some rest.

Then, I hear the front door to my room creak open. It's faint, but it's enough to make me fully alert. I then hear quiet footsteps start to make their way towards my bedroom. The front door of the new room is just out of sight of my bedroom, so I can't see who's coming. The good part about that however, is that they can't see me either.

I keep still beneath the covers, so they can't see the change in my position, or the fact that I'm not asleep. I concentrate, and my stomach clenches. The heat brims in my fingers, and I keep it down. I don't want to burn the bed down while I'm at it. 

The footsteps get closer and closer, and in the back of my mind, I recognize that they're smaller than the footsteps of Mossberg or a guard, but I rationalize that they're probably trying to disguise the fact that they're coming.

Then, the light in the room slightly changes as the door to my bedroom swings open. I clench my fist and bolt upwards out of the covers quickly, extending my arm out, ready to fire a blast of plasma at whoever comes in, but I immediately stop when I see who it is.

The glowing green light from my hands illuminates the room, casting ghostly shadows over whatever it sees. It manages to reveal the frightened eyes of a girl who is standing much smaller in the doorway, staring at me. Even in this light, I can see her hazel brown eyes, just like her mother, her red hair, just like her father's, and the small pink teddy bear clutched against her chest. "Wren...?" Ivy asks me in a small voice.

My heart rises, and I feel tears brimming in my eyes, the heat instantly drawing away from my body, and I try to hold back a sob as she stares at me. "Yeah, yeah Vee...it's me." I get down off the bed, and Ivy runs over to me, hugging me as tightly as she can, and I hug her just as tightly back.

I can feel Ivy crying in my arms. "I-I thought...they said you were dead a-a-and..." The rest of her words dissolve into wet sobs and breathing. I hold her as closely to me as I can. I run my hand through her hair, making sure she's real and alive. I remember helping her comb it, and it's still as soft as ever.

I look into her eyes, and wipe some of the tears off her face. "It's ok, sweetie. I'm alive, ok? I promise. I told you that I would come for you, and nothing's ever gonna happen to you while I'm around. Glowman, remember?" I smiled and poked my own chest as I said this.

Ivy smiled back, despite herself, and poked my chest as well. "Glowman....Wren? Can I sleep with you tonight? I'm really tired..." She stretched her arms and yawned as she said this, her teary eyes turning into restless ones.

I nodded at her and smiled, then carried her up onto the bed, putting her right next to me. "Of course, Vee. You can sleep here for as long as you want." In truth, I had a lot of questions for her, like how was she here, what had happened, and if she was really ok, but I figured that all of those could wait until morning. She had probably been through enough.

I got into bed right alongside her, and saw the she had already nodded off to sleep, holding her teddy bear gently against her as she snored softly. I smiled and kissed her gently on the forehead, then lied down, looking up at the ceiling. I felt much more peaceful now. Maybe now I could finally get some sleep.