I looked up into Topaz's unwavering eyes and looked into them. His dark brown eyes lit up with color, and as I searched more for a light, the more blinding it became. It was more than blackness, more then hatred and cruelty and deception. In the eyes, I saw a light. Not one light, but a whole flame. Not a flame, but a glowing, flickering ember. It made up the many lights that were Topaz's face, his hands, his feet, his hair, his legs and body. He himself was a fire. A fire that caused myself to erupt into flames with him. We burned together...but as one. Not a wild, tameless roaring fire, but the fire on a candle. Together we brought warmth, light, and peace into the reckless world. We lit a path...
I'm just not sure everyone's ready to take it. My jaw clenched in realization that hit me like a wave breaking out over the shores. Topaz must have seen it too, must have seen that flash that could be our future. Could it be true? Could both of us survive and win? I opened my mouth to talk, but air was drawn from my body as Topaz was drawn from me. He slid down and slumped against a rock. I looked at him in confusion.
"Sorry..." He whispered, then he used his hand to brush away the hair that rested across my face. I looked at him as he brushed his own hair from his face.
"You okay?" I asked as he rubbed his temples.
"Huh? Yeah, definitely." Topaz muttered, squeezing my hand and pulling me towards him for support. I scrambled over and let him lean his head against my shoulder. I pawed gently at his hair.
"Need some fresh air?" I looked out the cave and into the night.
"Morning." Topaz almost hissed. I felt taken aback and looked away. He clutched my hand and held me close to his chest to soften his words.
I suddenly found myself throwing my arms around his neck and holding onto him, afraid the pouring water that is our enemies will put out our flames.
"Topaz..." I began, but he silenced me by laying me down in the sleeping bag and crawling in beside me. His lips brushed mine before he whispered,
"Goodnight," and we slept.
Cries of anguish erupted from the forest, exploding all around me. Flames sizzled through the trees, sending them crashing down like toothpicks in the wind. I dodged as one lodged itself into the ground inches from me. I dashed to the side, running and running, when suddenly one landed right behind me. I screeched in terror as it pinned me to the mud, breaking my bones, causing the crimson to flow out in front of me like a pond. I slipped in the puddle, gasping, and sweat broke out on my face. Acidic pain ran across my body, and before I could escape the tree's grasp, fire burned over me. The screams were louder now, louder than ever, and I was the victim. They enclosed around me like a net, and a vice closed around my throat. I let out a gurgling cry as blackness overwhelmed me.
"Wake up." A voice crooned. I whimpered, then my eyes snapped open to Topaz's face. He stroked my forehead and said,
"Come take a walk with me."
It took time for my eyes to adjust. I blinked, letting the sunlight stream around me, then watched Topaz walk towards the mouth of the cave. Confusion struck me like lightning, but it all made sense soon. I crawled out of the cave into the blinding sun.
Snow bit at my bare skin, and icy cold shivers rushed down my spine. My chest and arms and hands were warm, because I had a tank top, T-shirt, heat insulating skin tight jacket, and loose dark brown jacket over it that reflected heat. Two oak-colored gloves that revealed my fingers were on my hands. On my legs, however, were long white socks, knee-high black boots, and shorts and thin see-through silver sheer pantyhose.
It wasn't that bad, but the cold bothered me. I leaned into Topaz's side for support. He stroked my hair with his hand and smiled. I smiled back.
"Wanna go hunting?" He said, holding out my knives. I nodded and took them before stuffing a few in my pocket and chucking one at a tree for a bit of practice. It hit the center.
"Good!" Topaz grinned.
"What are you hunting with? Spear?" I asked, noticing he had no weapon with him. Topaz shrugged and reached into his pocket to pull out a long dagger. The edges were ridged and jet black, while the rest was dark grey. The handle was a deep golden leather. I nodded, and we went off.
Topaz's head whipped from side to side, and every now and then, he'd grip my shoulders and stare into the distance. He looked around, and sometimes even leaped in front of me with his weapon drawn.
"Topaz, what is it?" I asked as he hugged me so hard I was pinned to him. He looked around, checking if the coast was clear, then looked at me and grinned his crooked grin.
"Nothing..." Topaz stroked my cheek then let go of me before hunting again.
The landscape was irrevocably beautiful. Winding trails of golden sun split across the white snow, and the trees were dotted with crystalized ice crystals. Tiny bits of grass shone from the pine trees, lit up by the light. Crystal scarlet berries were bunched around the bushes. Holly berries, I think. Little frozen over streams sparkled like diamonds, and Topaz and I stopped at one to take a refreshing drink. We even fished a little.
It was a great day with no sign of careers, or any other tributes for that matter. Everything we hunted seemed to lack any signs of mutation. Everything we did was safely done and happily and willingly completed.
"That was great." I breathed as Topaz and I sat on the snow, propped up by a large bush, plucking a few birds we caught of it's pink and blue feathers.
"Yeah." He agreed, tearing out a large white feather and chucking it into our neatly arranged pile.
"It's just perfect." I added, sighing in a breath of icy air.
"Nothing can get any better than this." I said, catching a small snowflake on my tongue. I forgot it was even the Games, and thought we were simply outside during a beautiful winter.
"Yes, it can." Topaz smiled, then smack, his lips were against mine. This went on for a while until we stopped to breath. I grinned at him and gently and playfully shoved him away and tossed the naked bird into the pile and laughed as snow scattered around his pale brown hair. Topaz burst into guffaw and pinned me to the snowy ground. My two braids were white in seconds, and the two of us were wrestling around, laughing our faces off.
We finally settled down, snow all over our bodies, our legs shivering, both only protected with shorts, socks, and boots, and we built a small fire and cooked the three fish, two birds, and squirrel, and feasted until we were actually full.
The sun was high in the air, and the beautiful snowy forest was light with glory.
"This is beautiful." Topaz said, as if reading my thoughts. I pressed up to him and said,
"Beautiful...I wonder how they fit that into the budget."
Topaz and I laughed, and then had to stop in fear our feast was going to come up again.
"Sing, will you?" Topaz poked me gently. I grinned and shook my head. I never sang in front of anybody before. I never was.
"Come on, do it. Sing." He said. I blushed and opened my mouth then hesitated. I looked for excuses then said,
"What song?"
Topaz grinned.
"Auburn Summer!" He requested. {Auburn Summer is a song about a lumberjack cutting down trees and wasting it for mankind's own good. Then there's an angel named Auburn Summer who's supposedly Mother Earth coming to find out why the forest cries, or is in pain.}
"Okay." I said, thinking over the lyrics in my head. I blushed a bit then sang,
"Auburn Summer,
down the hill did,
All the pieces,
Roll...and spin.
On the hilltop,
tossing wood,
A lumberjack tipped his...red hat.
Just as an Angel,
dressed like the Mother,
Auburn Summer
slowly came.
Then the angel,
asked the forest why it cried,
They said,
'I'm...not sure.'
When the angel asked again,
they all looked at the lumberjack.
Just as the angel,
cried for her daughters,
Auburn Summer,
raised her storm.
How dare you, Man, cut down the summer,
Auburn Summer, have mercy."
When I finished, Topaz was right in front of me, holding me close to him, his eyes teary. I drew in a ragged puff of air as he held my head close to his neck, hugging me. I smiled gently. Suddenly Topaz drew back, shaking his head, his wispy bangs shivering. He spun around, then craned his neck around, but nothing was there.
"Seriously, what's wrong?" I asked, finding my voice thin and rusty. I took a gulp of air and swallowed slowly to stop it. Topaz turned and looked at me and murmured,
"Forgive me."
I was confused as he fell to his knees, sinking in the snow. I rushed over and grabbed his arm.
"Are you cold?" I breathed, tearing off my jacket and wrapping it around him. Topaz pushed it away and looked into my eyes and shook his head. I was shocked, but obliged and put the jacket back on. He grabbed my arm.
"What? Topaz, let go." I gasped, then snarled through gritted teeth. His lock around my arm was blood curdling, and I found myself tugging away. Instead, he drew me close to his face and whispered,
"Bianca, walk with me."
I nodded fiercely, and he let go. The spot was red, and I instantly started rubbing it. Topaz forced himself to his feet and looked at me sadly. I stopped rubbing my arm and looked at him. I tried to read his expression.
Eyes were darker than ever, his crooked left half of his jawbone clenched. His pale olive skin was paler than before, and his pale brown hair was spiked up in all the wrong directions. I stared at him for a second then shook my head. He looked utterly broken. Topaz opened his mouth to speak.
"Not until you tell me what's wrong." I cut him off, my eyes narrow.
"You've been fine when suddenly your just running around, afraid of your own shadow." I added. He looked at his feet then back at me.
"I-I just..." He sputtered. I twisted a lock of his hair and carefully traced his crooked jaw, trying to calm him. Topaz grabbed my wrists. He growled slowly,
"Bianca, stop. Stop acting like it's the best place in the world here. Stop acting like your safe. Stop acting like this isn't the Hunger Games."
That's when I was reminded.
"I'm not acting. I don't think it's the best place in the world. I know it's not safe. Of course it's the Hunger Games. For once, I just thought I could enjoy my moment with you." I lied, because I actually did think I was back home having the best day of my life with him. Safe, not in the Games. I strained at his grip around my wrists.
"Let go!" I cried as blood trickled off my hands and down into the snow. I winced as he released his grip, the anger flooding from him and being replaced by...what? Apathy?
"I'm so sorry." He whispered and scooped me up. I let him carry me down to the stream we drank from. Topaz let me down and sat down in the whiteness. I sat beside him, leaning against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me. We both sat in silence for a minute. We watched the sun sink down into the misty air, letting a small flicker of purple flood out over the sky. I nestled my head into Topaz's shoulder and let him hold me there, in our perfect moment. A turquoise bird with a beautiful long tail fluttered across the sky and landed on a branch, singing.
Birdsong? It was lovely. The trilling voice of birds together created a glimmering song. I didn't know what kind of birds they were, but I instantly knew that golden voice of the birds had to belong to my fallen brother. It was as if his spirit requested a song, perhaps. He must have. This was the tune he used to whistle all the time. The tune to his favorite song. Tumbling Ocean.
We didn't live in District 4, but he always seemed fascinated with the clear blue everlasting ocean that wrapped itself around our planet. My little brother, with dusty brass hair and hazel eyes. He had fair skin. He had always described the ocean, the salty waves breaking out over the grey rocks and making them shine like stars dazzling on a deep velvet background that are the orchids dancing near the sandy beaches. Greenery bursting around the white pebbles and bringing light across the pale sandstone. Seaweed dotted the coastline, and crabs scrambled along the edge of the water, picking at different things. Eroded caves stick out from the side of a mountain that looms over the giant body of water.
It's like I could almost see it.
I felt Topaz wipe a tear from my cheek. I stifled a gasp as more tears rolled down my cheeks. I never really cried much, but for some reason I felt an urging to let the tears run down my face and curl around my chest and dribble off my chin.
"I'm fine." I muttered. The sky lit up suddenly, and I curiously stared at it in wonder. A reddish orange color broke up into the sky, and the sparkling black mountain in the distance spilled over with...what was that?
It seemed to be bleeding a sickly crimson red orange and yellowish color. I've never seen anything like it. Suddenly the stream in front of me burst. The ice melted on cue, and it boiled and roiled.
I screeched in shock and grabbed Topaz. He grabbed my hand and tugged me to my feet.
"Volcano! Run!" He yelled. I shook my head in confusion, but he shoved me harshly, and I was forced to stagger away with him running at my flank. Topaz slammed into me, urging forward, and both of us were dashing away. A choking acidic ashy scent washed over us, and flames erupted from the trees behind us. I wailed in horror as a giant ball of flame nailed itself into the ground ahead of us.
"Don't stop, Bianca, turn!" Topaz ordered, and we ran together. I found myself sweating, and the white snow melted in an instant, and I ran, trying not to slip on the mush. I craned my neck to see a liquid substance seeping through the forest, destroying everything in it's path. I gasped in shock. It was only about one hundred yards away. Far, but dangerously close.
"Topaz!" I cried as a tree crashed down behind me, and the pain I felt from the tree crushing my legs from my dream all came back to me, hitting me and throwing me off guard. Suddenly my foot hit a puddle, slipped, and sent my whole body racking into spasms on the ground.
"Help!" I cried as the burn came closer. Topaz jerked me to my feet and pulled me along. We ran and ran until we finally reached a huge dip in the Earth. I stumbled as we skirted around it. My fingers felt stiff, and suddenly my eyes were clouded. I couldn't see a thing as darkness flooded over me.
"Keep going!" Topaz shoved me with so much force I would have fell if Topaz haven't of pulled me gently. I ran faster, and Topaz wasn't far behind. I looked at the sky, which was now red with the flames that flooded the forest.
"There!" Topaz's finger jabbed up to the Cornucopia. We were getting closer. I ran faster as we approached it. Topaz leaped a bit to catch up and we both leaped up onto the horn. I slipped on the sleek surface and to my own surprise, found myself digging my teeth into the little embedded parts desperately. I clambered up, and cried in horror as my backpack fell down into the dirt. I ignored it and bit my lip as I lunged forward, my legs dangling. I craned my neck to see the stuff seep into the area, burning everything. I didn't even realize the careers perched at the top of the horn. I leaped up to the lip and ran up to the tail were the careers sat. Felix scowled and withdrew his sword. I stuttered in fear.
"Stop! No!" I cried as he threw it towards me. I slipped and fell down to the lip. The sword lodged itself into my knee. I yelled out in horror as the blood oozed out. Topaz lunged in front of me and shielded my body. I turned to see the red liquid flames lap at the horn.
"What is that?" I gasped in part awe part pain as Topaz tore the sword out of my knee.
"Magma. If you touch it, you die." Topaz hissed and pulled me up to the lip. I heard Felix scream as Doll scraped at the other side of the tail.
"Help me! Please!" She screamed at him. Felix seemed to be deathly afraid as flames tore at Doll's skin.
"Wait, that's not magma...well it is, but..." Topaz began, but it was suddenly clear.
Creatures of crimson blood and eyes like humans, red and all, blended in with the magma. It's skin was made of dark oozing flames, and tails of metal chain swooped out behind it. Claws like granite clanged against the metal horn, and they were all over.
"Help me!" Doll yelled again as a fire mutt dragged her down into the magma.
"Please!" Her screams were cut off as she slid into the lava. I saw Glisten's matted blonde hair swing around as she vomited into the mess of fire. I looked at the lip. No mutts in our area.
I was instantly overwhelmed with luck.
"Oh." I breathed, then had enough courage to stupidly peer over the side, and look inside of it and all around. Topaz pulled me back just in time as a mutt with flashing metal teeth lunged forward inches from my face, causing flames to sing the hairs on my face. I staggered backwards and screamed in horror as the mutt clawed at the horn. I inspected it's features some more.
While they were entirely made up of flames, they formed the shape of a wolverine. A bit bigger and much more frightening, though. Within the flames, they had bulging steel muscles, granite claws, brass and copper teeth, hissing metallic bronze ears, and sweeping chains jutting from it's tails. It's body was caked with blood and the stench of it. It's eyes were human's, and it haunted me.
"Bianca..." A sweaty hand gripped my shoulder. I turned to see Topaz, hugging me, the tips of his hair burnt and ashy, bits of ember in them. I felt extremely hot, like burning in the heat, so I tore my jacket off and tossed it near the middle of the horn. A bit of relief.
I slumped on the horn, but was soon up and moving as a mutt lunged towards me. I screamed,
"Help!" as it snapped at me, it's eyes gleaming with hatred.
"Get away!" Topaz muttered as he grabbed a bronze metal chain and raised it threateningly. The mutt wailed in horror, but it wasn't the club that scared it. It was the mutt behind it.
The mutts turned on one another, and I suddenly saw that they were fighting over who gets to eat Doll.
I saw some torn flesh and instantly looked away. I felt hotter than before, so I ripped my second jacket off, which was a problem because the skin tight leather stuck to my body. Once it was off, I laid it aside and took in deep breaths of air.
"Hot?" Topaz asked for the first time, taking off his own jacket.
"Steaming." I replied, my dry mouth making my voice sound flat and crispy.
"Me too." He muttered. Suddenly everything was silent. The mutts tore at Doll's body then let the rest of her burn in the magma. They fought over the choicest bones to pick out, then they clashed among themselves. It was a jumble of fire and metal as they killed one another. Once they finished, they leaped into the magma and vanished.
"Phew." I said. I looked at my leg, saw the blood running out of my knee. I touched it, then winced. I looked up to see Topaz staring at me.
"I'm fine." I lied as pain tore through my leg.
"Yeah, I've heard that before." Felix hissed from the tail and sauntered down.
"What do you want?" I asked, trying to sound calm as he took out a brass club.
"I want this over." He snarled, raising his club. I turned around to see Glisten there with her long sword-like weapon I had no name for. Topaz hugged me and buried his face into my collarbone from behind me.
"Please..." I heard him mutter, tears tickling my shoulder.
"Run when I say run." Topaz whispered loud enough for only me to hear. I nodded and squeezed his hands that locked around my arms.
"You're not running nowhere." Felix purred, jabbing my head gently with the club, as if proving it's power.
"Run..." Topaz muttered. I stepped away from him, ready to run as the magma melted away into ash.
"Run!" He yelled at me, shoving me forward. I stumbled a bit, then fell off and landed on my back. The air was torn from me as Topaz cried once more,
"Run!"
The last thing I remember is army-crawling across the ashy terrain while cries of anguish erupted from Topaz as the clubs beat down on him.
"Wake up." The familiar voice crooned. I looked up in wonder to see Topaz, his face twisted in fear, bruises dotting his body, a big gnash on his left temple, his right cheek scarred, his hair matted, his body dotted with sweat.
"Topaz..." I began, when I was silenced as he stroked my cheek. I strained and my chest heaved up and down as I struggled for air. I was thirsty. Really thirsty. The emptiness in my stomach gnawed at my heart, and my tongue was rough and dry.
"Water." I managed, and Topaz reached for his water bottle, only to see it bone dry. I stared in shock. Topaz gaped as well, then quickly put it away. His eyes were dark and dull.
Huh...
I was confused then I realized that the odds might not be in our favor.
"Come walk with me." Topaz said. I scrambled out of the cave and looked out at the landscape. The once beautiful winter wonderland was replaced with a rough, dry, treeless terrain, dotted with ashes, dead trees, little bushes, and embers. Ash made it hard to breath. I coughed and looked back at Topaz, who was staring at me expectantly.
"Okay." I reluctantly said. We both set out, bones of unfortunate animals crunching beneath our boots.
"I'll hunt." I offered, and took a few of my throwing knives. I threw a practice one and nailed the center of the tree with ease. Then I stopped as the turquoise feather of the singing bird flitted around on the ground in front of us. My deceased younger brother, the bird, the song...
"No." I choked and fell to my knees and roared at the sky,
"Look what you did! Every bit of beautiful you offered, ruined! Ruined! You did this!" I turned my attention to the feather and cried,
"This is what they do! Every bit of beautiful we can grasp, they take! It's bogus! It always have been, it always will!" I shook my fist at the grey clouds and screeched,
"It has to-"
Before I could say 'END', Topaz grabbed me and shook his head. He was right. No matter what I said, they still wouldn't change. I bit my lip and looked back down at the feather and grasped it.
This walk Topaz was more shaky then ever. He lunged in front of me, he would grip my shoulders, look around, blend me in with the ash while he scoured the area.
"I've had enough!" I cried as he looked from side to side.
"What's going on?" I asked, putting my face to his.
"No..." He murmured, then stepped back, and to my surprise, took out the dagger and started fingering around with it.
"Topaz, stop." I said, knocking it out of his hands, taking his wrists, and pressing them to my face to remind him that it was okay, that this was fine, that he had me to lean on, but he smacked my hands away.
"Bianca, you don't understand!" He screamed at me. I felt crushed. The realization of this hit me. Topaz was right...I didn't understand.
"Then let me in." I said softly, and this time I was the one that pressed my scarlet lips into his. We did this for a while, gasping lightly for air, then continuing. When we finally drew away, we were laying in the ash, side by side. I smiled when Topaz did, and together we padded down the hills. Suddenly I heard a noise...like a blade being weighed.
Thump, Thump, ka, slip.
I squinted, but couldn't see Felix, Glisten, or anybody else. I took a step forward, considering the sound. Why would somebody weigh a weapon? The careers were nowhere to be seen, and Topaz wasn't planning to hunt at all. I offered to do that a few minutes before the walk. Then why would a blade be weighed? I almost considered it was the wind, but of course not. The wind can't do that. I heard it again.
Thump, Thump, ka, slip.
What did it mean? If anything, somebody was definitely readying a weapon around here. But who? Not me, not Topaz...not Felix nor Glisten. Definitely not Doll.
Perhaps some human mutt thing? I looked around, but saw and heard nothing. No human mutt. Good.
I was about to turn to check on Topaz when something hit my back and was driven through my skin until it punctured the spine. At first I had no idea what it was, but suddenly pain bubbled up around it and sizzled like a flame. I opened my mouth to scream when suddenly the blade came out, and blood poured out after it. My face paled and my eyes rolled back into my head, and a horrible pain tore up my spine. A terrible thing.
"No!" Topaz cried, and I collapsed to my knees and fell backwards, streams of blood running down my mouth and spilling out over my lips. The pain burned, sizzled, and caused my body to rack into spasms. I managed to scream in pain, but realized it was no use, that the blade already broke my back and punctured my spine.
My eyes widened in horror as Topaz looked over me, in his right hand he clenched a blade, the blade he showed me during the first walk, the blade he had used to kill me with. Blood spattered his hand, and his eyes were wet with tears.
"No..." I moaned in disbelief as the knife clattered to the ground. I gripped my temples as a stomach churning pain seared through me, as if somebody was trying to stab through me slowly. I yelled in pain, then groaned in horror as moans escaped my lips. I coughed and blood dripped down my chin. Topaz was frozen, and suddenly he lunged towards me, grasping my face, his lips in contact with mine for the last time. When we stopped, I gasped for air.
My chest heaved with pain, as if I'm carrying the sky. I looked at Topaz's face and whispered,
"Take it." I held out the turquoise feather, and a small smile formed on my lips. I felt like I was on fire as a spasm rocked through me.
"Don't leave me! I'm sorry, forgive me, I'm so sorry...he would have...forgive me...I'm sorry, just don't leave me!" Topaz sobbed, hypervenalitang, and grabbed the feather and held it to his cheek while he stroked my hair.
"Don't leave!" He choked out. I smiled as he stroked my chin, like how he did the first time we met.
"May the odds be ever in your favor!" I squeaked gently. Topaz laughed between sobs, then pulled my face close to his.
"Always..." He murmured. I nodded stiffly and let the pain overtake me.
I'm dead now. I have to be. Why is it I still feel the pain and hear Topaz's sobs break out over me like the waves on the beaches? Dead? Alive? Who knew? I am dead, aren't I? Or am I just beginning to slip away? The difference doesn't matter because I feel no pain anymore. Just the numbness of death. Why do I still hear Topaz? I awake in a meadow, surrounded by trees, but I can't move. I can't talk. Drops of water rain out in front of me. As I look closely, I see pieces of my memory. My brother milking his goat, Fern. My mother singing to a bird. My father dancing in the living room. Topaz throwing his spear. Felix running up at the Reaping. Me tying knots when I was five and making crowns out of vines. Hawthorn swimming in the lake with me. Sebastian and Hummer fighting. Crimson and Lila and I making clay animals by the pond. Topaz's eyes, staring into mine. As the memories dripped down, they collected and formed a puddle in front of me. I watched as the water delved into the Earth. The last droplet of water, the last piece of life, was the blue feather. It glimmered in the light, and I could hear the calls of the ocean erupting from it. It dripped into the puddle-wait...not a puddle...
The puddle formed into a giant ocean, filled with majestic wonders, when I realized that was my life. It was gone now, stored in the world that is were I rest, gone and finished. What lie ahead, I may never know.
A snake and mighty grizzly stood side by side ahead of me, and both vanished in the mist. Voices bounded through my head, and I opened my eyes to a beach. The first I've ever been to.
Beauty overtook me with it's dazzling glory as I looked out over the waves. The sun was warm on my back, and the cool breeze gentle on my skin. I found myself in a silk gown, my hair braided back twice, my body and skin clear. No bruises, no scars, no wounds.
I had to be dead now. I looked ahead into the starlight and watched the moon settle over the stars. Tears slid down my face as I imagined Topaz, struck and buried in his grief, dying inside himself in a world without me. I turned to see him, or at least a flicker of his flame, and watched him make his way towards me. Was it real? Or just a heavenly hallucination to make you feel better?
I didn't care as I bound towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck to cry.
"What happened?" I choked out between joyful sobs.
"Felix found me...club to the head..." Topaz seemed confused.
"What?" I piqued, then staggered back as he sat on the ground.
"Oh no. We're dead, aren't we?" Topaz gasped in astonishment, his brown gaze suddenly lighter then ever, his bruises gone, his scars gone, his jaw in place and his hair perfect.
"Yes!" I said, then squeezed his hands. My thirst and hunger was gone, and I could see he felt the same.
"We're dead." He said silently. I planted a small kiss on his forehead and nodded. He smiled a bit, then frowned. I could tell he was thinking about his parents. I thought the same.
What would they think now that they lost us? My mother would be devastated, of course, but would she go on? I considered this before settling down in the sand and smoothing out the warm crystals.
"It's okay. They'll be okay." I whispered. Topaz looked at me, staring. Wait, no behind me. I turned to see a figure in the distance. A figure with flowing brass hair and dusty hazel eyes. His skin was bright and fair, with a good tan. He wore swim shorts and a tank top. The figure was riding on a surfboard, like he always dreamt to, out on the blue foaming oceans. I watched in amazement as the figure came closer. Topaz's breath warmed my neck from behind me.
The waves roared and the figure zoomed in closer and closer...
And my little brother walked up to the beach.