The House In The Forest

Chapter XXIII

Chapter Twenty Three

A snowflake hit my nose, I didn't look up to see the snow though, I kept my eyes on Sasha. He had that face like he was planning something, and typically when he planned things, it didn't go well these days. But, I did trust him. I couldn't not trust him, not after everything.

Come snowfall or demonic monsters, I'd trust him. No matter how much time passed. Because, honestly, every time I look at him, I just see that protective young boy who'd follow me around the neighborhood to find the cats that we just knew were hiding from us somewhere right out of reach. We never found those cats, maybe they never existed at all, but the time we spent trying to find them was fun. So, who even cares if they were real or not. Our time was.

Every time I was unsure, he'd be there, him and Beatrice to give me that motivational shove in the direction I knew I wanted to go but just didn't have the strength. Those goofy stupid smiles they'd wear, proud of me, even though I spent more time scared than I spent on stage. It's strange, how life goes in ways you could never predict, and for what? For the better? Was this better? I didn't know, maybe I never would. But, no matter how much I wonder, I can't change the past, so I shouldn't let it change me.

Sasha's hands were always warm, no matter the season, and when he rested one on your head you couldn't help but look up to see his smiles.

"Giselle," he spoke softly, before chuckling, "You know, that book I used to like, the main character dies, and when she blames herself, she tells him he can hate her, and he does, he curses her name and meeting her. I hated it, but it wasn't so wrong I guess, he had that right, as do you."

Albert stepped closer, a confused look on his face. "Are you talking about the book I read? The one that was written in French and English?"

Sasha look to him in confusion. "English? That book was only in French, wasn't it?"

"No, well the French copy was, there was a later release in English I think, it was part of the Rose collection, I assumed you knew it," he spoke, moving to pull his bag off, finding the hard covered novel to throw to us. It was in English.

"Someone in our class recommended this book?" I asked, looking at the cover. It was pretty.

Albert nodded. "Yeah, I read it, it was a good book, it didn't end with him cursing her though, I mean she did tell him he could, but he didn't."

"What do you mean he didn't? What'd he say?" Sasha asked quickly, clearly invested.

"Well, he told her he loved her."

I looked at the book, flipping it open. The pages were clearly new, a reprint of the original that was handed over. I wonder who the original was. Would the Boss still have it in the back of the store? And I wonder, if near the back of the book, I'd find flowers sketched in the corner.

Sasha just laughed. "He loved her, he didn't blame her no matter how much she blamed herself? Well, that's a much better ending."

"Sasha?" I asked, glancing around us at the darkness that seemed to want to swallow everything whole.

He glanced at the book in my hand before smiling. "Giselle, thank you."

"Thank me?"

With those words, he just reached in his coat pocket, and as calmly as buttoning an overcoat, he stabbed himself.

I heard that lady screaming something about no, but I couldn't make out the words, my hearing was muffled, it was just the sound of my heart beating out of my chest that filled my ears. Drowning out the storm.

"Sasha," I couldn't help but scream, hurrying to catch him as he fell.

"Giselle, I've taken so much of your life, I won't take anymore," he spoke in hushed tones, but loud enough for me to hear, "So, let me end this chapter, it's been going on too long, and nobody likes a chapter that drags, right?"

The darkness faded, the creatures gone, dead I suppose. But, I didn't want to say goodbye. "I liked this chapter, it had you in it."

"Sometimes, characters have to leave to make room for new ones, right?" His hand reached up to brush the dark hair out of my face, a chuckle on his lips. "We loved you Giselle, not even death will change that. So, for once in your life, let me save you."

With his final breath, the sun shined in Rubin, for the first time in a very long time.