The morning had gone by in quite a rush. More customers poured in for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Everyone knew that on Sundays the CosmoRose was opened, all day.
"Hey Amy! I'm checking out 'kay?" Kary slammed the door behind hernot waiting for my response. She knew that every day on Sundays I needed all the help I could get to clean the place up.
I sighed and let my shoulders sag.
"Well looks like I'm doing this one alone. Again"
I grabbed a broom and got to work, sweeping all the trash and crumbs into neat little piles. I hummed as I worked.
It wasn't any particular tune just one I made up.
That's what I loved about music. No matter how talentless you think you are, you can always make music.
Whether it is the tapping of your foot or a hum under your breath. It is music, it has a rhythm.
I cleaned until the bakery was practically spotless. I was just about to leave when I remembered the coffee guy had l left a note, it was pinned to the recipe board in the kitchen.
I thought about just leaving it there, but my curiosity won. Before I went to get the note I locked the front door the sign turned so on the outside it would say closed.
"Hey cutie."
I jumped up and turned, there stood Scourge with a huge grin on his face.
"Jeez Scourge you scared me to death." I smiled back. He always loved surprising me. "Yeah well I just wanted to come by." He glanced out the window nervously. "Scourge what's wrong?"
I looked where he was looking, a cloaked figure stood in the street, the hood on his face just high enough to reveal a sinister smile.
I knew exactly what it was; a reaper. Only a few selected people knew about them.
"When did they start following you?" He shrugged and shut the blinds on on the window. I knew it was pointless to try and hide. But I wasn't going to tell him.
"I can't do this anymore Amy. What do they want?" He looked at me his eyes pleading for an answer. I wanted to slap that pitiful look off his face.
"You know why they show up. You know why they are sent to this place."
He shook his head vigorously, "No. I'm not going back, that place was a war zone when we escaped." His eyes were dilated, as if he was looking directly at the memories of our home land and not at me.
"Then kill it."
The words slipped out before I could halt them, He looked at me, his focus no longer on the past. His brow knit in confusion.
"Kill them. Kill them all, end this prolonged battle."
He nodded slowly as if he was dazed by my proposal. Then he spoke, "You know that in order to do that you have to-"
"I know."
I stood there stoic, unrelenting. He studied my face, trying to detect any sort of hesitation. When he realized there was none, he fisted his hands, "Amy if you do this-"
"There is no going back. I Know."
He lowered his head, then he began to kneel down until he was on his knees bowing like a knight does for a king.
"As you wish."
Then he was gone, just like that, just like my sanity. Just like my home.
The moon was the only thing that lit my way. I tread steadily across the green forest path.
I loved this path. No one walked it except for me. Such a beautiful place, especially during the spring where the blossoms just began to bloom. She would have enjoyed this.
Memories flooded my sense like a banshee's cry. Her humble smile, her baby blue eyes, her golden hair. The smell of scented soap when she walked by.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. I heaved for breath. Falling to my knees I let myself mourn, I let myself cry. I let myself be miserable and alone.
Let? I allowed this pain? I allowed this for myself?
"No." I croaked, I didn't want this anymore. I didn't want bitterness.
I looked towards the moon the tears slowly drying, as my pain and mourning disappeared.
"Goodbye Maria."
I whispered into the moonlight. When her name left my lips a feeling of release graced my heart. I smiled and lifted myself from the ground.
"Thank you."
Then abruptly I ran back, I could sense something nearby. Something dark heading towards the city and fast.
"Amy we still have time. We can wait a few millennia-"
"Do you think I want this place to become a world of torment?"
Scourge looked aside ashamed, "I'm not a coward Scourge." His face reddened in anger, I had indirectly implied that he was a coward. I didn't take it back I know Scourge better than anyone. He is everything but brave. He handed me the crystal that would release the darkness within me. It's dark core filled with the tainted serum that my father cherished and I hated.
"If you take this there is no going back."
He paused for affect.
I glared at him.
"Just checking, you can't blame me for not wanting to set a dark one loose on the world. I mean I kinda want to live." I smiled a little, there was one thing he was good at, cheering me up.
I shook my head no, I couldn't bring myself to speak I wanted to reserve the strength I had for the torture that was to come.
I looked down at the city from the hill top, we were just outside it's perimeter. I could sense the reapers gathering from the other world trying to find us. Taking a deep breath I held in my tears.
"Scourge promise me that if I lose control you will...Stop me."
We both knew what I meant, he shook his head.
"No Amy. NO! I'm not doing that."
His face looked horrified. He was scared, not of me but of himself. I wish he would just shutup and accept it, I couldn't speak for much longer the crystals pull on me was growing.
"Please, Scourge I don't want to hurt them." I didn't want to hurt these innocent mortals, they didn't know of the danger we caused them just by coming here.
He looked at me his eyes losing all of their previous shine, he would do anything for me, anything but that.
"Al- alright." His voice cracked, his shoulders slumped, he resembled that of a broken man.
I raised the crystal outward facing my front. Scourge quickly turned away. Then before I lost my nerve, in one quick fluid motion I shoved the crystal into my chest, piercing my heart.
