The Inferno

At Last

"One can never have enough socks."

-Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I could feel myself being pulled into a strange dream. A dream in which I knew I was dreaming, but couldn't really stop dreaming.

That's when I felt Dave shake me awake. "Klaus?" I opened my eyes slowly, then saw that it was still night out. Dave is hovering over me, a look of both concern and panic spreads across his face. For a second I contemplate whether or not I was talking in my sleep.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking around, confused as to why Dave would wake me. I prop up my elbows, and look around the tent to see that Dave's packed all our stuff.

"Five says it's time to go back. I should let him explain. All this is sort of confusing." Dave says, and I sit up. It's weird. It makes no sense, but I suppose that's time travel for you.

I help Dave get our bags out of the tent. Five rushes over to us. "You can't bring those. It will make it harder for us to time travel, plus you won't need them back at the mansion." I drop the bags I was carrying. I guess I'd gotten used to clinging to all this stuff we stole.

"Are we leaving now then?" I ask and Five nods. Luther and Allison also seemed to have come up with the idea of packing their bags. Diego seems like he's been up all night and is making some coffee.

Before we leave, everyone except Luther drinks a cup of coffee. I'm feeling slightly awakened after drinking the coffee, but the feeling of sleep still lingers in my brain. I think back to all the insane things that have happened to me in such a short amount of time, not even just these past few weeks, but my entire life. There are people who have lived up to 80 years and haven't gone through nearly as insane shit as I have.

It makes me think, what would have happened if I were born normal? Or at the very least, if I were raised normal? By now I could have been a normal person with a normal life and a normal family.

I imagine what it felt like to be normal.

Then I look at Dave, and I see his beautiful golden locks of hair, his light blue eyes and I remember his heart of gold. I remember how much I love him. How much he loves me. This isn't a temporary thing, our love. And if it was I probably wouldn't have gone to the afterlife for him. This is a different sort of love. Different than anything I've ever experienced before. This is unconditional love. This is a love that feels somehow more than love.

Dave is as essential to me as the drugs were. If not more, but sometimes I worry he won't win the battle. That in the end, I'll still be an addict and he won't be able to stop me from choosing the drugs over him.

I have to be strong, for him. But most importantly, for me. I have to know that I can do this. And sometimes I'm not so sure. Everyone gathers in a circle around Five. We cling to each other's hands. For a moment, I'm worried that because Dave's with us, Five won't be able to time travel because of the extra load.

But in a split second and a flash of blue light all my worries vanish. We're back in the good old Hargreeves mansion. Seven days before the end of the world. Vanya will never destroy it. Five will never have to time travel again. Dave and I can start a family. Allison can visit her daughter.

Everything is good. Everything is right where it needs to be. Finally everything is in itself right place.

I pull Dave into a tight hug, throwing my arms around his neck. Tears of streaming down my face. I know se haven't quite done it yet, but at least I can rest reassured that for once, for once in my life it's actually going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay. I can live my life in peace.

I press my face into Dave's chest.

Everything is okay now.