Double upload, yay!
I felt that I should upload this in the same day as the last one because this one is under 2000 words, which is normally my minimum
So from now on, if I can't get a chapter to 2000 words, it will be uploaded along side the next one unless I'm in a squeeze to get something uploaded
Enjoy the chapter!
It was happening all over again. The running, the crying, everything blurring. Emmy hated it. The only difference this time was that she knew where she was going.
Her dorm room felt like a relief, but she wasn't going to be there long. Reaching under her bed she pulled out her guitar by the neck, slinging it around her neck by the strap. With it she ran out she still open door, slamming it on the way out.
Emmy was too busy running to really feel the weight of the guitar. The weight of everything that was happening was massive compared to any physical weight she had to carry. Running up the steps of the hall she heard nothing. She realized that Ethan and James must have left, which gave her some closure. She didn't want to talk to anyone anymore.
Making it to the roof she opened the door with a slam. She turned to the ladder attached next to the door leading to its top and climbed. Reaching the top she saw a small flat space filled with packed gravel. She crawled towards the edge and sat behind the ridge of the roof, sitting so she could comfortably fit her guitar in her lap.
And she played. She played more than she thought she had any day in recovery. Everything she knew Emmy played. Every note smudged together in one long chain, and Emmy just kept playing and playing until-
"Emmy," her voice was cold and quiet, but it felt like a scream to Emmy. She shook, moving her hand away from the strings. "Come here."
Emmy heard Saniya move down the ladder, and shifted to follow her down. When her feet hit the floor she looked at Saniya's face.
She looked serious, her eyes slits and her stature straight. Her hands were knitted together in front, one finger slowly tapping at her knuckles. "I know you're upset right now, but please, I need you to listen," Saniya spoke, her voice far softer than Emmy expected. She looked away to the floor, but nodded. "I have so many things I wish I could tell you, but I can't. But what I can tell you is this: you have to stay away from them."
To this Emmy looked back up. She expected to see Saniya's ever cold face, or a sneer. The last thing she expected was to see her crying.
"And," Saniya said, her voice falling to a whisper. "I need you to… to…" she trailed off, looking at the neck of Emmy's guitar. "To do two things. And I want you to listen to me before you react."
Emmy was scared of what she'd ask, but slowly nodded. Saniya locked her eyes.
"I need you to marry me," Saniya said, and Emmy nearly fell to the floor.
"Wh-what? Are you kidding?" she asked, and Saniya gave her the most pleading look. Emmy was frozen. Marry her? That was the last thing she'd of thought Saniya would ask.
"I know t sounds bad, but I promise," Saniya said, taking a step forward. Emmy tried to step back, but her feet were frozen. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't for the best. I just want to protect you."
Emmy gulped, her eyes wide. "Wh… what else did you want to ask?" she whispered, trying to avoid the question as long as possible. Emmy was surprising herself with how composed she was. Guess 've been through so much shit that it doesn't phase me much anymore…
"I need you to… break your…" Saniya trailed off, looking behind Emmy.
Emmy got the point. "My guitar?" she whispered, instantly grabbing it from behind her. "But I can't!" she yelled, finally taking a step back. "I can't do any of this! What the heck are you doing, asking me all these questions? Are you trying to mess with me?"
Emmy expected Saniya to last out or yell or anything, but instead…
She started crying.
"I'm sorry, okay?! This isn't what I want either, but I have to!" Saniya yelled, her hands bunching into fists. "I just… I need to…" she started sobbing.
Emmy felt like Saniya was waiting for an answer. She thought it was an obvious no, but as she kept thinking, she came to the realization that it'd just help her, really. She was there to help her family, and if she… married… Saniya, her father would definitely hold his position, and she'd easily get a job.
And though it pained her to think it, she realized she could get a new guitar. She kept telling herself this over and over until-
"Okay," she whispered, a sob following quickly after it. Through her crying she could see Saniya's head shoot up in surprise, and the faint outline of a smile. She pulled her guitar off her back, looking at it solemnly, slowly walking to the edge of the roof. Without looking down she took the guitar in one hand.
Reaching out in front of her she felt the gravity pulling on the guitar and, with a whisper of "I'm sorry," she released her grip. She heard the faint sound of it smashing against the ground below.
Sobbing she just stood there, hand still out as if hoping the guitar would return to her hand. As she stood there Saniya approached, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. You won't regret your decision."
And with that Emmy was slowly moved from the roof down to the entrance of the hall. As they left the building she saw someone hunched over where her guitar had landed quite a bit away.
She couldn't bear to look anymore, so she let Saniya guide her back to the dorm in silence. Her hand still shook, cold from where the guitar had once been.
…
The next morning Emmy awoke, the memories of the last day hitting her like a rock. Her body felt heavy as she moved, weighed down by her decision. But she knew she could do nothing to change her choice, and that even if there was, staying the way it was, however painful it was, was still the best choice.
As she approached her desk, a small box caught her eye in the very center. On it stood a note. "If you want some closure that this is, indeed, real."
Opening the box, she saw a small ring. In the center of the gold band there was a small green gem, an emerald. Her birthstone.
With slight hesitation she took it out of the box. Twisting it in her fingers, she looked at it under the light. Emmy held it up to her face for a moment before placing it on her fingers.
She was sad to admit how pretty it really was.
Saniya woke up soon after, taking note of the ring with a slight nod. When Emmy was ready, Saniya was already waiting at the door. She opened it, holding her open hand out towards Emmy.
"Ready to go?" she asked, and Emmy just nodded, unable to speak. Reaching Saniya's side, Emmy reached up to take Saniya's hand, lacing their fingers together. She looked to the floor as Saniya walked slowly out of the room and towards the stairs.
For such a short chapter I sure fit a hell of a lot of stuff didn't I?
This chapter lit a lot of questions. Why is Saniya asking Emmy to marry her? Who was gathering Emmy's guitar pieces? Will I ever wrap up this fucking drama?
The world may never know.
JK most questions are answered in the next 2 chapters
Chapter 10 is the finale of Ark One
