Hey everybody!

Hate to say this, but this is the last chapter for this story.

I will be posting another story under the Books section on the book Enemy, Charlie Higson. You'll find my next story there sometime soon; and if you've read this story and started to read the other one, shoot me a review telling me, I'd love to hear from you wonderful people.

Thank you all so much! Without you guys, I couldn't write this story. Those reviews that praised me and corrected me on my writing. Thank you all for the viewers that made me happier with every person. I love you all so much and am so glad to have typed for you!

~Lucid3762


It was a long time, two days to be precise. Amber stayed in the hospital lobby for the night she arrived through the next night. Only after her mother being there for one day did the nurses tell Amber to go home and go to school; and Amber did just that. Her untouched house was a surprise to her, no cops crawling around, looking for drugs; no CPS workers snooping to try and get her out of there. Just her old, dirty house with too many papers. In minutes Amber grabbed her bag and was standing at the bus bay waiting.


I'll find her, he reassured himself, I'll find her and tell her that her crazy ass friend kidnapped me! Jake raced in the bright green halls, evading cliques and random loners through each and every hall. He was just about to turn into the locker hall when he slammed into one of Amber's friends and they both fell to the ground.

"Watch it!" she cried before she looked at Jake, "Oh. It's you…"

"What about me?" he snapped.

"Nothing, just that you ditched Amber and tried to go for Jane."

"What? No! That crazy bitch kidnapped me and held me prisoner!"

"That's not what she said."

"Well if she told you Amber jumped off a cliff would you believe it?"

"Yeah, because you ditched her and her mom's in the hospital!". Jake had never seen that peppy girl so angry before in his life.

"Listen, I just need to talk to Amber, is she here today?" he asked.

"Yeah… I shouldn't be telling you this." she paused, "724 is her locker." she started to walk off but added, "She should be here in a couple of minutes."

"Thank you so much. You won't regret it." he told her.

"I already do.". And with that she disappeared into the hall. Jake strode over to Amber locker and sat in front of it, waiting.


When Amber got off the bus and into the school, the first thing she noticed was everyone staring at her. Even though she was in a grey sweatshirt and black yoga pants, she didn't look any different than before. With her head down, she rushed to her locker and saw Jake sitting on the floor in front of it. What does he want? she asked herself.

"Hi." she said softly.

He looked up at her and she saw how lifeless his eyes were, "Hey." was his only reply.

"What do want?" she didn't mean to make it so snappy, but that's how it came out.

"Listen, about Friday-"

"There's nothing to be said.." she opened her locker, "You went with Bridget."

"What?" he asked, shocked, "No I didn't!"

"But that's what she-"

"I didn't, I don't like her. Your friend held me down in the park!"

Amber stopped what she was doing, frozen and asked, "What friend?"

Jake thought, "Jane, I think."

"Jane wouldn't do that." turning to him and staring at him. He wasn't lying, she could tell.

"Well she did." he told Amber. With a stunned look on her face, Amber grabbed her books and shut the locker, fighting back tears."

"Tell me you're lying." she said, pressing her forehead on the cool locker.

"I'm not. Why would I?". The bell sounded and without a reply, Amber left and walked to her first period.

Lunch rolled around and Amber was found on the picnic tables outside, her normal spot, without food. Brooke was the first to arrive,

"What happened? I knew I shouldn't have told him where you would be." her cheerfulness was gone, which was strange for Amber to see.

"It wasn't that bad… I just need to talk to Jane." Amber reassured her friend, "Speak of the devil.". Jane strolled in, her blonde hair bouncing in a medium ponytail while she wore a white light jacket and dark blue jeans and a large smile; almost too large for a girl like Jane. Everyone is backwards today, Amber thought to herself, Brooke is solemn, Jane is bouncy, Jake is down. As Jane seated herself in front of Amber, the large smile she wore was gone.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked, "Was it Jake?"

"Somewhat." Amber replied, her tone serious, "Tell me you didn't do it."

"What?" Jane asked, shocked.

"Tell me you didn't keep Jake, against his will, in the park."

"I-I didn't.". So many signs that showed she was lying, her eyes averted Ambers and her finger was in front of her face.

"You're lying." Amber's face was cold and angry

"Amber…? Whats going on?" Brooke gave Jane and Amber a look of worry.

Jane's face quickly hardened, "Okay. I did. I held Jake in the park." she paused, "But only because you don't deserve him."

"I don't deserve him?!" her voice started to rise.

"Yes!" Jane's voice was rising, "You and your crazy life would tear you two apart faster than paper!"

"Crazy life?"

"Your druggie mom and your broken ways! No one, especially Jake, should have to go through that with you.". Amber didn't know what to say, she just stared at her supposed "friend" in shock. Jane took her silence for her to continue, "What if Jake went to your filthy house and then it collapsed on you guys just because it was so decayed? Lets say that you two live together one day in your dreams and your stupid genes cause you to become a druggie like your stupid mom and he has to fight to stay alive and get by while you shoot up every day like Mrs. Long said druggie kids have? What if-"

"Shut up!" Amber screamed loudly. With that, Jane stared at Amber in equal shock in silence. "Why?" Amber softened, noticing others staring at her.

"I already told you why." Jane sneered at her.

"I know why you held him. But you knew I liked him, we could have been happy. I thought we were friends!"

"What do you have in common with him? We had so much in common than you. And for the record, we are not friends.". Jane stood from the table, her face red with anger and walked away to nowhere while Amber sat there, shell shocked.


After school had ended and the day had come to a close, Amber's mother was out of the hospital and back at home. Most of the drugs she had was now pumped out of her stomach, and for the first time in forever, Amber's mom was relatively clean. In the same black cocktail dress, she plopped herself on the couch and patted the space next to her, beckoning for her daughter to sit beside her. Timidly, Amber sat beside her mother and watched as she draped her arm over her daughter. This was the first time in too long that her mother had acknowledged her for something other than a maid, Amber wondered how long it would last.

"I'm proud of you, you know." her mother spoke up. Amber looked at her mother surprised, "I am. You took care of me, even when I couldn't take care of myself; and I'm so sorry. For everything that was," she paused, "and everything that will come. Now go to bed. It's late.". Without a word Amber ran up the stairs quietly as she always had and got ready to go to bed.


Amber was gone, up the stairs and occupied for all she knew. God, the drug. She needed it, the crash was too rough. The mother smiled as she reminisced about the previous moment; she told her daughter she was proud of it and she meant it. Now best to get it out than never. With remorse, she took the plastic bag out of her big black purse and stared at the white powder within. With every step of her routine, she glanced towards the staircase to check for her daughter. Knowing the sadness her daughter will feel when she sees her mother sprawled on the couch back on the high she had craved. Before she had the drug re-enter her body for God knows how many times, she whispered a silent apology. She wasn't directing it to one specific person, just everyone she had hurt with her habit, and everyone that will continue to be hurt by it. Placing the silver straw in her nose and the other on the line, she inhaled.


Teeth brushed, check. Contacts out, check. Hair brushed, check. Over and over again, Amber went over the list of things she had to do before she slipped into her silken covers. Her list was complete and she got into her bed. Not comfy enough. she said to herself.


First line, done. The high was starting to set in. But not enough. More. More.


She shifted into a different position, nope.


The second line, done. Not enough. Great feeling. God, how she missed it in her days at the emergency ward.


Ah, here we go. So comfortable. With the music in her ears and the world's comfiest position in bed, Amber fell asleep.


Three lines. Nose hurts. Can't do anymore. Think I'm bleeding. She raises her hand up to her nose and feels a warm liquid. When her hand pulled back from her face, she saw blood. Oh well. She remembered the doctors orders

"If you feel a craving. Just smoke. Although it's not the healthiest for you, its better than cocaine.". His voice ringed in her head. He's right. She grabbed the cigarette pack that the doctor gave her before she left. The red and white colors of the pack swirled within each other as she pulled a long white stick from the pack and lit it with difficulty. The end flared to life and she inhaled the smoke that flowed around in her lungs and gave her the extra high that the cocaine skipped. It felt great, she felt invincible. Unknowingly and still in her daze, she placed the cigarette on the stack of newspapers that were level with her head and fell asleep.


Jane wanted revenge on Amber. She hated her, hated her for taking Jake possibly forever is she was able to forgive him. With a bucket of eggs and a few rolls of toilet paper, Jane walked to Amber's house in the dark night. She knew something was wrong though, a bright light filled the night and became brighter as Jane neared Amber's house, but when she arrived, despite her hate for Amber, her heart dropped. Amber's house, though dingy and ugly, was bright with fire that engulfed the whole house. Orange and red flames licked the two story house. Jane screamed which quickly attracted the noise of the neighbors who laid in their beds, undisturbed by the events of the flame in the McLain house. Neighbors ran into the gloomy night and first glanced at Jane then got directed to the burning house.

"Someone save them!" a woman screamed. Others called the cops, but Jane knew it was too late. The front parts of the house were collapsing on the dull brown grass in a fiery mass.


"Terrible tragedy has struck our town." the newsman reported, "Last night, Amber and Mary McLain died in a house fire." he stopped and looked behind him, a police man was coming from the ruins of the house, "Sir, sir. Do you know what caused the fire that destroyed too many lives?

"Well," the policeman said and hoisted up his belt, "From what we've collected, we estimate that a mass of newspapers were burned under a cigarette."

"Is that it?"

"Yes.". The policeman walked out of the frame.

"Well there you have it. A misplaced cigarette burned a house and destroyed the lives the the McLain women and all those whom loved them. I'm Chris Johns, on scene.". He clicked the television off.


When Amber opened her eyes she was in a strange place. Green was everywhere and she was floating in suspension. What a weird dream. she thought to herself.

"It's no dream honey." said a woman's voice.

"What?" she asked.

"You're not dreaming child. You're dead." the woman stepped out of the shadows. The first thing Amber noticed was her green skin. Then she saw that she had the appearance of a lunch lady, equipped with a pink shirt and white apron and pink hair net.

"I'm not dead." Amber told the lady, "I am dreaming.". With that said, she pinched herself on her arm to test. It hurt, but she didn't wake. She did it again. Nothing.

"Pinch yourself all you like. You won't wake up." the lunch lady told her.

"But I don't understand. How? Why?" Amber stammered.

"Well house fire and I don't know."

"This isn't heaven?"

"No. This is called the Ghost Zone. It's our home now.". Amber stayed silent. And looked around, green everywhere and the occasional door. One purple, one green, one a normal white that looked like Amber's door, "You're dressed quite… ragidly." the lady remarked. Looking down, Amber saw that her once full length shirt was now a crop-top one sleeve. Luckily the remnants of one sleeve stayed on, forming a tight-fitting cuff on her lower and upper arm and adding a melted on glove to her hand. Her pants were intact but her hair, once brown and flowing, was now an electric blue and spiked, but still in her signature ponytail.

"What we got here?" said a masculine voice. Amber looked up from herself and saw a man, if that's what you call it. He was a skeleton, bigger than a bodybuilder, with flaming green hair and dark sockets for eyes, "Whatcha staring at?" He snapped. She blushed and stared at the ground.

"Think she needs some shoes and other stuff. Needs more," he thought, "badassness."

"That's the last thing she needs Skulker." the lady said.

"I agree with Skulker." Amber spoke up, "New me. New look."

"I like how you think." he said to her. The trio walked into a black door and entered a large walk in closet. Different attire was scattered throughout the room. Amber looked through belts and shoes and found a grey belt with silver circles around the belt and silver boots with skulls at the feet.

"Man, this chick's got style." Skulker amused as he watched her pick her stuff. Just then, Amber saw a purple guitar with blue flames running up the sides of guitar. It was beautiful, and Amber loved it.

"Gotcha eye on that?" Skulker asked, observing her every move.

"Yeah." she replied in amazement.

"She speaks!" he smiled at her, "Take it, it's yours.". Amber picked up the guitar and slung the strap around her shoulder. It fit perfectly. Playing the guitar her mind instantly raced to her dream and unknowingly, she started to sing,

It was, it was September

Wind blows, the dead leaves fall

To you, I did surrender

Two weeks, you didn't call...

Your life goes on without me

My life, a losing game

But you should, you should not doubt me

You will remember my name

Oh, Ember, you will remember

Ember, one thing remains

Oh, Ember, so warm and tender

You will remember my name

Your heart, your heart has ventured

Your wrong, now bear the shame

Like dead trees, in cold December

Nothing but ashes remain...

Oh, Ember, you will remember

Ember, one thing remains

Ember, so warm and tender

You will remember my name

Oh woah woah!

Ember, you will remember

Ember, my favorite name

Ember, so warm and tender

You will remember my name

Yeah! You will remember my name.

"Nice," Skulker commented, "so is your name what you sang?"

"Yeah." Amber told them with a smile. The new name made her feel ten times stronger.

"Well, welcome Ember. It suits you." Skulker said to her. It did, she thought.

"Let's go kiddo, you got a lot to learn." the lunch lady told her. With a smile, Ember nodded.


Again, I'm so glad that you all have read my story and kept with me. All those reviews and views made me too happy. I cannot thank you guys enough.

~Lucid3762