The Partisan Chronicles [Dystopia | Supernatural | Mystery]

Riz

…And I was…

Where was I?

The frogs croaked, the lightning bugs buzzed. I opened my eyes to the spindly legs of the rotted willows dangling overhead.

But how…?

Her body by my side.

She was curled up against me, and she was…

…snoring?

She was so cute, and I didn't want to wake her, but fuck it, I had no idea what was going on. I shook her a few times. "Everleigh."

The snoring stopped, but she was still breathing, and it took her a few minutes to answer.

"Why am I not dead," she asked.

"You're not the one who's supposed to be dead," I said.

We both scrambled to sit.

"The question is," I continued, "why am I not dead?"

"I don't really care why either of us aren't dead right this second, do you."

"Not really."

We raced to our feet and hugged, and we kissed, and we thought about taking it to the grass, but honestly, we just wanted to get off the island as quickly as possible.

I bent over to pick up her violin case. It wasn't empty. "Hey, I think your violin's back, too."

"Great. I just can't seem to get rid of that thing," she said. True, but she loved it anyway, and she still does. She tells me all the time. After taking one last look at the old fairgrounds, we walked in the direction of the embark.

"So, you don't know what happened?" I asked.

"…I know some of what happened."

"…Are you going to tell me?"

"I summoned It and asked It to take me instead."

When I stopped walking, she stopped walking, so I reached for her hand.

"Everleigh, why?"

"Why did you do the same thing for me."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Yeah, okay. I get it."

"Right, I asked It to bring you back, and It said it would take a sacrifice, so."

We started walking again.

"The last thing I remember is this bright, blinding light," she explained. "Like the one you made. It was hot but it didn't burn. It said a sacrifice was needed, but It didn't say it had to be one of us. And considering we're both here, I think It sacrificed Itself."

"For me?"

"I guess."

"Why?"

"I talked you up."

I laughed. "You talked me up? Oh, okay."

"Aye, and I think It was tired of being alone and stuck."

We walked for a while in silence, just enjoying the fact that neither of us were dead while also still marveling at the realization that neither of us were dead. It was maybe half an hour before I tripped on a stretch of underbrush, and no, I didn't die. I just scratched my ankle up on a few thorns. We stopped by a dead willow to check the damage.

"Do you want me to heal it."

"It's just a scratch," I said. "I'll keep an eye on it, though."

Ever nodded and we carried on for another little while until…

"Everleigh?" I said.

"My ankle feels weird."

"Weird how."

I bent down and rolled up my pant leg again, and yeah—no wonder it felt weird.

"You don't need me to heal it," Ever said. "You're healing yourself."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe I am dead. Like, your kind of dead."

"Uh—"

She's so beautiful. I hope I still look good for being dead.

Ever stared at me for a moment before we started walking, again. "You still look good," she answered. "And I can hear your thoughts again. So, no, you're not like me."

"What, then?"

"Do you feel different."

"Not really. Maybe a bit tired, but it's been a wild day."

We walked for a while again. Celestia, so, still night.

"Hey, TSB," Ever said. "Maybe now you're It."

"Maybe I'm It? How would I even know?"

"I don't know. Can you do anything else different?"

"I don't know. Again, how would I even know?"

"I don't know that, either."

"Yeah, I don't know," I repeated. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"I guess."

It was a lot to process—the whole thing was a lot to process—and so for the rest of the way to the embark, I tried to reconcile everything that had happened. Honestly, I still haven't.

"Our friends are never going to believe this," I said.

"They're going to have to." Ever reached into the top of her dress and pulled out the bent photograph. We looked at it together. Avis, Zacharias, Sebastian, and Ever—all of them alive. And I was there too, obviously.

I lived it for weeks. I remembered it all. The proof we were there was in the actual picture, but I could still hardly believe it. Once we arrived at the shore, we took one last look back at the island before boarding the embark. I said I'd get my kids, and I meant it, and we will, but for now, we aimed west for Amalia.

I don't know why my mother left me the coordinates, or what sort of experience she may have had when she visited the island, but as far as parting gifts go, becoming the living vessel for an ancient spirit wasn't bad. I guess we'll have to see how that goes.

Oh, and I finally got a girlfriend.

Thanks, mom.