The Dying Fate (The Umbra Chronicles Book 1)

by Willow Ravenheart

  It'll also be nice to have a few weeks with no responsibilities while we enjoy the holidays. I wish I could take a semester off, but I'm so close to my goal that I don't want to stall my progress. Before too long, I'll have my doctorate in Psychology and be opening my own practice.

  "How about we go by that burger joint you like so much after we pick Denny up? It's only a few minutes down the road from the airport," I ask Henry, my thoughts finally coming back to the here and now.

  "God, that would be perfect," he sighs, his hand reaching out for mine.

  A smile sneaks its way onto my face when he squeezes my hand three times. It's a simple, silly thing that we do that symbolizes three wonderful words.

  "I love you too," I tell him, my fingers softly repeating his previous gesture.

  Henry flashes me a sincere smile and pulls my hand to his lips, landing a sweet kiss on the sensitive flesh of my palm. His eyes train back onto the road, a smile spreading across his entire face as he drops my hand to grasp the gearshift. God, I love his smile. It was the first thing I fell in love with when I met him, all those years ago....

  I look back to the road and bite my lip, thinking of how lucky I am. Every single woman in the world is missing out on something, because I have the best man on the planet. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him.

  "What do you want for Christmas, Macy?" Henry asks, breaking the silence surrounding us.

  "All I want for Christmas is you," I reply with a small giggle.

  "Alright, Mariah Carey," he chuckles, leaning over to lay a gentle kiss on my lips.

  I lean into the kiss for a moment before nuzzling his neck. God, the aftershave he uses should be banned. It's illegal to smell this good. His beautiful eyes stare down at me as he brushes a stray hair from my face.

  "It's true...." I mumble before leaning back in my seat, my eyes focused on his devilishly handsome face.

  I glance at the road and slap my hands on the dash in front of me, panic rising in my veins. A large wolf's standing in the middle of the road, his golden eyes trained on us as we approach him at an alarming speed. A slight breeze ruffles the black fur along his back as he sniffs the air.

  "Watch out!" I scream, fear gripping me.

  My heartbeat pounds in my ears and I grasp for Henry, my hands landing on the steering wheel. A look of pure terror passes over his face as his cinnamon colored eyes stare at the creature before us. He curses before snatching the steering wheel. The sound of squealing tires fills my ears as we speed closer to the golden eyes staring us down.

  I stare at the wolf before us wide eyed. Henry's hands work in a frenzy, attempting to shift the car into a lower gear while also trying to swerve away from the innocent creature. The tires catch on a patch of ice that hasn't had a chance of melt away and the car suddenly spins to the right, in the direction of a metal guardrail only a few yards in front of us.

  "Fuck!" Henry screams before his arms wrap around me protectively, "Hold on, Baby!"

  My pulse quickens and a gasp of terror escapes me when the squealing of our tires grows louder, the sound echoing throughout the cabin of the car. His arms tighten around me, holding my face close to him, his chin pressed into the top of my head.

  I duck my head into his chest before the car strikes the guardrail, twisting us into the air. The impact flings my body roughly against the passenger door as I blindly reach out for Henry.

  "Macy!" I hear him scream, but the sudden impact of the car landing on its side jerks me to the side before twisting in the air again.

  Pain shoots through my right side as the world spins around me, bright flashes of color nearly blinding me as my head bashes against the window. The glass shatters upon impact, pieces of broken glass shooting across the car. The shards slice across my face and chest, their touch a stinging pain that shoots down to my soul.

  I raise my hands to protect my head and a blood-curdling scream escapes my lips as I feel my right arm shatter, metal wrapping itself around me. The entire car is caving in, surrounding us. Every movement of the car jars me to my core, making me feel as though I'm being torn apart.

  The car settles and I attempt to focus on something, anything, but my eyes don't want to follow my command. All I can make out are blurred colors and movement, the shapes completely unrecognizable.

  My ears are ringing from the loud impact and I can hardly hear a thing except for screaming in the distance. Or is that me? The lights surrounding me grow dimmer with every passing second. Blood streams down my face in a thick stream, my consciousness trying to flow alongside it.

  As my eyes open, the darkness slowly creeps away. The mangled remains of the car are filled with smoke, the bitter aroma causing my nostrils to burn with every breath. The motor is still working its gears as the vapor billows from the bowels underneath the car. Shattered glass is scattered throughout and warped metal surrounds me, caging my torso against the passenger seat.

  My eyes begin to focus and the first thing I spy is my blood smeared against the dash, having left a crimson stain across the dark plastic. A low howl breaks the near silence and the noise from the entire world roars in my ears all at once. Screams surround me and the slow wail of a siren is barely audible in the distance. How long have I been unconscious? It feels like a millennium has passed.

  "Henry? Are you alright?" I whimper, raising my hand to press against my throbbing skull.

  I turn my head to the side, wincing at the agony my body is going through to just do the simplest action. His honey-colored hair, that I had asked him to cut weeks ago is disheveled and covering most of his face, the curls jutting out in every direction. The sunset catches the lighter colored hairs in its light, setting them ablaze.

  His face, that some might think would be a bit too long, looks so peaceful. He leans back against his seat, noticeably virtually untouched. A small red stream of blood flows down from his temple, forming a small pool in his lap. That is the only thing breaking the faultlessness of his features.

  It's painful to move, but I reach out with my left hand to brush his shaggy hair away from his face. A scream erupts from my lips as I stare at him. His honey-colored eyes are trained on me, unnerving me to my core. He's utterly still, not even a rise or fall of breath moving his chest.

  A sob breaks free and I grasp at his shoulder, shaking him with every ounce of strength I possess.

  "Henry!" I gasp, dropping my hand to fight with my seatbelt. It's no use, I'm trapped and from the torment in my right arm, it's completely useless.

  "Baby, wake up!" I shout, my fingers tangling in his blood-soaked sweater.

  While I scream his name, my hand clings to him, shaking him even harder than before. I beg for him to talk to me, but his serene features just stare at me, completely motionless. My voice cracks as cries for help tear from my lips. The smoke that's rolling into the car chokes me, making it hard for me to breathe.

  Voices outside the car call for me, but I can't take my eyes off him, not for a single moment. He's going to show me some sign of life if I just watch him.

  "Please wake up!" I scream, trying to press myself as close to him as I possibly can.

  Agonizing tears fall down my face as I hold his large hand in my own, squeezing three times. He doesn't move. My voice cracks as I beg for God to let him live, but I receive no answer. Darkness slowly pulls me into its grasp, swallowing me into non-existence.

  I don't fight it, I know I can't survive another moment of reality. The last thing I see is his peaceful face, the harsh rays of the once beautiful sunrise fading into black along his features before the darkness finally closes in on me.

  God, please let him survive this. I don't care if something happens to me...just please let him be okay.

  The last sound I hear before fading into a blissful sleep in a reality where nothing happened is the piercing howl of a wolf nearby. The call amplifies the grief that grips my heart in a deadly vice, causing one final sob to break past my lips before the entire world fades away.
<
br />   Chapter Two

  My eyes slowly peel themselves open and some bright, florescent light blinds me instantly. I raise my hands to cover my eyes and a moan of pain escapes my throat as agony ripples throughout my right arm. What the hell happened?

  "Macy? Can you hear me?" a soft, feminine voice begs. The voice is familiar to me, but I can't place who it belongs to. I know her, but from where?

  As I attempt to turn my face in the direction of the voice, my neck meets resistance. My left hand reaches up and I feel something thick and soft surrounding my throat. I frown in confusion and I try to search through my mind on what’s going on.

  A face appears in my field of vision, causing me to blink gratefully as it blocks the lights that burn my eyes. My mom's face comes into focus and I close my eyes for a moment. When I open them, I notice her usually tidy, short black hair looks like she hasn't washed or brushed it in ages. Her eyes are sunken in and the sparkling, mischievous blue eyes that I've known my entire life look nearly lifeless. Wait...lifeless?

  Everything comes rushing back to me. Henry and I were heading to the airport to pick up Denny. There was a wolf in the road. We lost control.... The pain radiating throughout my body feels all too familiar. Henry.... I remember his eyes staring at me, unblinking as he sat completely still.

  "Mom," I croak, my throat feeling as if I've swallowed a handful of razor blades, "where's Henry?"

  The remaining life immediately leaves her eyes, tears swirling in their depths. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but no words escape her lips.

  "Where's Henry?" I screech, desperation crawling up my spine.

  She just stands there before reaching for me, her arms wrapping around my body as tears roll down her face. Her pale eyes stare at me, reminding me of the lifelessness in his.

  "Where is he? I need to see him!" I scream, my voice cracking with every word.

  Mom simply stares at me, fat tears rolling down her face and onto my chest. Their warmth doesn't reach me, my entire body is numb…. Her arms are tight around me, but I can't sense a thing.

  "Mom, please tell me he's okay!" I beg, my voice finally abandoning me, "Tell me!"

  I scream so loud that my throat closes on me and the room fills with the sound of my desperate attempts to breathe. It feels as though I've eaten broken glass and not even the slightest shriek will escape my lips. The words are stuck in my throat as I try to beg for her to tell me something, anything. Words won't escape me though. She stands there, tears welling in her eyes, her hand covering the sobs coming from her mouth. She drops her hand for a moment, calling for someone to help.

  Nausea creeps over me and I force myself to lean over the rails of the bed to release the panic from my body. Pain shoots from the tips of my toes to the top of my head as my stomach wretches. The bitter, acidic taste of bile fills my mouth as my gut empties itself. The sound of my vomit splattering against the floor is the last solid thing I can sense before I begin to shut down.

  Nurses rush into the room, surrounding me. Their bodies pressed all around me makes it harder to breath and I fight the panic to throw them off me. Sounds and light dissipate as my new friend, darkness claims me. I try to fight it, I really do. Henry needs me to stay conscious. I must find him, touch him with my own hands. What I witnessed was just temporary. He must have survived. Maybe he's hurt like me and screaming just as much to find me. Henry would never leave me behind….

  I'm lost in the darkness, unaware of how long I've been trapped. Has it been hours? Days? Weeks? I don't know. From time to time I can hear their voices breaking through. It takes all my energy to discern what they're saying, but it's the only thing that centers me. I want to let go. God, I want to let go and fade into the darkness forever, but something keeps pushing me. Gently nudging me into the direction of their voices.

  Strange voices I don't know speak with Mom. They tell her how sorry they are. What are they sorry about? Mom? What are they apologizing for? What happened?

  Dad's low baritone sings me a lullaby that I don't remember hearing since childhood. God, I miss you Daddy. I'm sorry that I didn't visit more often. I promise, if I wake up...I'll be there.

  Mom and Dad are arguing about something. Can't they ever get along? For me, please? I don't want you to be arguing over me. Didn't y'all move past this years ago? Please stop.

  Denny, God...Denny. I can't bear his gut wrenching sobs. He apologizes for everything. Denny, I can't blame you. How can I? Please don't cry.

  Mom's cries echo in my head as she begs me to not leave her. Oh, Mom. I don't want to leave you, but I don't know if that's up to me now. I'll try, but I don't know if it's in me to fight the darkness anymore.

  I feel Henry's lips touch my own, but at the same time I don't.... He pleads for me to wake up and whispers in my mind how sorry he is for leaving me.

  He...tells me that he loves me and always will for the final time. The sweet sound of his voice in my subconscious is my only confirmation that he's really gone. Even in death, he's still with me. Henry isn't coming back.

  "Wake up," he whispers to me.

  Please don't leave me! I can't live without you! How am I supposed to? It takes me a moment to realize, that will be the last time I hear his voice.

  ∞∞∞

  The darkness slowly releases its grip on me and I fight to surface to consciousness for a moment. I struggle with my eyes for a time, willing them to open. Finally, they comply and I look around, taking in my surroundings.

  The lights are turned off in the room, encompassing me in a blanket of darkness. I look out the window and spy the city beneath me. The metropolitan area is alive a pulsing as the masses gather to enjoy the night. My eyes scan the room. The machines surround me are whirring and beeping continuously.

  Mom is fast asleep in a narrow cot which is pulled as close to my bed as the machines will allow. There are flowers on every available surface of the room. From what I can see, most of the notes attached to the flowers say they're from my teachers and classmates. Some cards are from distant family members. There are a few stuffed animals in the bed with me and I'm certain that they're from Dad. He will always see me as his little girl.

  On the windowsill, just within my reach, is a vase of ruby colored roses. The card attached tells me that they're from The Ryan Family. Henry's family. Oh, how they should and probably do hate me. It's not like they liked me before....

  Underneath the flowers, half-hidden from sight is a small, black and white photo. It's surrounded in a cheap picture frame that Henry had surprised me with. Of course, it's a picture of Henry and me.

  The picture was taken on the day of our High School Graduation. Ironically, it was also the day Henry proposed and the day I said no. Why would I say no? I wanted to have a career, and to have a career I had to graduate from college. That was my mindset at the time at least....

  My mind was set on becoming a therapist. I've always wanted to, because maybe I could save a family from the turmoil I went through. Henry’s the one responsible for helping me decide to go even further into my studies to become a psychiatrist. When he made me realize that I could help even more people, I made up my mind instantly.

  Henry had been heartbroken, but I asked him to wait for me. All he needed to do was wait until I was finished with my degree and we could be married right away. There was no rush, so why jump in? So, I told him to ask again and the answer would be yes. That day, we made a compromise. I agreed to love him forever and to someday be his wife and he promised to wait for me to be ready. Now, he would have to wait forever and I would forever love a ghost….

  The picture makes my eyes burn and tears creep down my face, leaving behind their salty tracks. My hand reaches for the frame. All I want to do is touch him, even if it's only a sheet of glossy paper protected by a glass and wood prison.

  That's the moment I realize my hand isn't reaching for the photograph. A scream builds up from the depths of my soul. Where my right hand once had been…is gone, the remai
nder covered by a sterile, white bandage that starts just above where my elbow had once been. I'm missing over half of my arm! The scream escapes me. It's a scream for all the loss and pain and because something needs to wake me up from this fucking nightmare.

  Mom lurches from the cot beside me and scrambles on panicked feet to my side. The screams won't stop. My feet kick at the sheets and wires surrounding me. Stuffed animals crash to the ground and my arm lashes out, knocking a vase of flowers over to shatter on the ground. I try to claw the skin from my body, my nails flaying at the skin across my remaining stump and chest. The screams won't stop as I no longer have control of my own body.

  "Macy! You need to calm down! It'll be okay, I promise!" Mom coos into my ear as she tries to console me.

  It isn't working though. How can you soothe someone whose heart is shattering in their chest? How can you make pieces missing from you suddenly better? I push her away from me as hard as I can and clumsily try to crawl out of the hospital bed.

  Nurses rush into the room as the machines start their screeching medley. Don't they realize that I don't need them anymore? I'm alive and hurting, nothing can stop it. It's not a physical pain, but a hurt that comes from a soul ripping apart, bursting into flames and shattering into the bottom of an abyss. The nurses scream for a doctor as they try to overtake me. I fight them by kicking and screaming at them to leave me alone.

  My head lashes back and forth, my teeth snapping at the closest nurse. His face is only inches away from mine and I truly want to hurt him. He backs away from my face, pressing his fingers into my mangled arm. Finally, pain I know consumes me and I lay still instantly.

  They begin to strap me to the bed. Whether it's for their safety or mine, I really don't care. The strength to fight them has left my body. I beg for the darkness to take me back and keep me. How am I supposed to survive in this new world? I'm not whole anymore, in spirit nor in body. I want to be with Henry. I want to be whole again, but I never will be....