Mad Ember

46: Reunited

The songs I add before a chapter hint to the feelings and messages that will rise within it. It gives my characters a real voice. It brings them to life. All songs will be provided! :) And the playlist is on Spotify!

S O N G F O R C H A P T E R : "Take Her to the Moon"
B Y : Moira Dela Torre

Coughs rack my body as sweet, sweet oxygen once again fills my lungs. I find myself lying on my back. The wind blows gracefully, creating a fresh breeze. The air feels warm and the aroma is incredibly sweet. It smells like a warm summer morning; like grass and a hint of dirt. I can't see what's around me because tall flowy green grass blocks my vision. It's overgrown by a lot but it works for the area.

The sky is incredibly blue above me. I find myself shielding my eyes from the blinding sun. I blink to adjust my eyes and sit up. I'm lying on a hill. It's a small plain. Surrounding me in the distance are tall oak trees and a lush forest. I hear birds chirping as well. My mind spins. I know where I am.

I've been here before.

This is the spot of my only family photo. The one of Josiah, My mom, Dad, and I. This is the spot where everything was perfect. Everything was as it should be. A smile graces my face.

Here, I can forget about everything. For once in my life, my mind feels clear and happy. I don't find myself on edge or anticipating what may or may not happen next. I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder. I'm at peace.

I think back to what happened. The odd thing was, dread didn't once plague my mind. I wasn't concerned about what happened. A part of me, just knew that everything was okay... or would be soon at least.

I sit up and quickly realize that I am not alone. Surrounding me is my mom, Matty, and Josiah. My eyes fill with tears as my mom leans forward and engulfs me in a tight embrace.

"Oh, Ember," She whispers. Her voice is soft and filled with tears. I had missed her voice so much. I had missed how she felt and the way she moved. I missed being with her. But here she was, hilding me tight in her arms. I felt safe. Happy.

"I missed you." I cry into her shoulder. She nods, rubbing my back. I suck in a shaky breath and bury my head deeper into her shoulder. Rose fills my senses. My mom always wore rose perfume. It was subtle but sweet and I found myself always craving it.

"Oh, honey, I missed you too." I pull back and look at Matty. A full grown Matty. He smiles at me. His hair longer now. Loose blonde waves every so often fall in his face. My eyes linger on every frekel, every single indent of his skin. He looked so different and all the same at the same time. His eyes were still a beautiful shade of blue. It was subtle, but there.

I reanch my hand up and press it gently against his cheek. His eyes close and he he leans into my touch.

"Hey, Timber." He says quietly reaching up for my hand on his cheek. He takes it in his own and interlocks our fingers. I take a deep breath laughing through my tears. He engulfs engulfs me in a warm embrace.

"Matty." I smile. He laughs and pulls me tighter against him. I cry more, not really understanding all that is happening or why I am here. I relish in his company and savor every moment that I can.

Matty and I were together once again. I'm touching him. He's touching me. We're both here. My moms voice cuts through the air and Matt and I pull out from the others embrace.

"I thought you might take us here." My mom smiles, looking around. Her blond hair is in soft curls, and I can't help but smile every time that I look at her. Then my eyes meet Josiah. He hasn't said or done anything since I woke up here, and I wonder why. I clear my throat.

"Josiah?" I question. He sighs, looking at me with sad eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Ember." He whispers, shaking his head. "I'm your older brother, I'm supposed to protect you, and I didn't. I let him hurt you." Matt scoots closer to me and takes hold of my hand. I look at him and smile. My smile doesn't falter as I look at Josiah.

"I forgive you," I say softly. His eyes go wide in disbelief. "I love you, Josiah, and I'm happy that you're here. I don't understand why this is all happening, but I'm okay with it." My mother chuckles and takes hold of my other hand.

"This is only temporary, Ember. We can't stay here forever, and some people need you more than us right now." My heart sinks.

"Oh," I whisper. "How long do we have?" I was scared of the answer. My mom gives me a sad smile.

"Not long now. But there's one more person who came to see you." My brows furrow and I look up at the hill at the figure that was slowly walking up to us. When they were closer, and I was able to make them out, my heart leaped out of my chest.

My father.

But not the one that completely destroyed my life. This is the dad that I kept engraved in my memory. I kept him safe and locked away, not letting anything taint how I see him. The dad from the picture, the dad who didn't know how to work a timer on a camera, the dad that I grew up idolizing as a little girl. A cry cracked through my throat, and I jumped up from my sitting position and ran to my dad with everything that I have.

He has a massive smile on his face and tears in his eyes. I jumped into his arms and let myself melt into his embrace. My dad was here with me. Not the man that he eventually became but him.

"I love you so much, Ember." He whispers. "I will never stop loving you. You're my special little girl." I cry into his plaid shirt and hug him tighter. For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of my father saying those words to me, and now that he has actually said it, they don't seem real.

"I love you too! I love you so so much." I cry. He pulls back and smiles. I turn around to find My mom, Josiah, and Matty have come up to us, all of them have sad smiles on their faces. I take a deep breath.

"It's time for me to go, isn't it," I whisper. My dad nods, kissing the top of my head.

"Yes. But we will always be here for you. We are a part of you." He says with a smile.

"I love you."

♛ ♛ ♛

"Ember?" The voice is hopeful. I groan, and then I feel a hand take hold of mine.

"Come on, baby." The voice whispers again.

"Come back to me Em." It's Corban. The voice belongs to Corban. I open my eyes and see his tear filled face smiling down at me, and he leans down, placing a soft shaky kiss on my lips.

"Ember?" His eyes are wide with disbelief. His voice shakes like a leaf. But my heart swells when he looks at me. His hands come up to cup my face and I attempt to move closer to him but I couldn't.

"Corban." I whisper, my eyes fluttering. I hear a cracked cry then feel his lips on my forehead once again.

"yes." He's really crying now. "Yes it's me Ember. It's me. I'm right here. I'm here." My brows furrow and I once again open my eyes fully. I felt so stiff.

"I love you." I whisper. My voice cracks at the end. I hear another quiet sob. "P-please don't cry." I whimper pulling my eyes up so that I can look at him.

"I'm sorry baby. I love you too. I love you so, so, so much." He whispers grabbing my hands and kissing my knuckles. I nod and close my eyes once more. It was so hard to keep them open. Every part of me hurt. But I was here. I was alive.

And I plan on actually living this time.

T H E E N D !

(But not really... *sips tea*)

Alright... this is the last chapter of Mad Ember! But... I am not evil and I wanna see more so a HEFTY epilouge is coming at you guys like a burrito being thrown at fat Amy.

As for now, please don't forget to vote and comment!

Thanks lovelies!