Seventy-One (Tim); Ashes to Ashes.
The sound of the mail hitting the floor wakes me, and I sit up, looking around me blearily. Lisa and Jenny are sat next to me, tangled in each others arms and asleep. Helena, Johnny and Tim are asleep on the other couch, Johnny and Helena arm-in-arm, Tim leaning on his hand, and Amy's sat on the chair beside that, with her legs curled up beneath her, rubbing her eyes.
"Morning." She mutters irritably, using the tone of voice people usually use when they have a hangover. She looks dead.
"Hi." I reply tiredly. I push my hair out of my face. It's a mess, but hey, what's new? I sigh and get up, heading out to the kitchen. On the way I grab the mail and throw it onto the side. More coffee. Coffee good. I hit the 'on' button of the kettle and sit down, opening the envelopes, one by one, not really registering their contents. Loads of junk, more crap, more junk, more-
I swear my heart literally stops in my chest as I stare at the piece of paper in my hand, staring at it as though maybe the harder I stare the less real it will become.
Nothing lasts.
Day gives way to nigh
See the counterparts
Darkness envelopes light
Blood to seal the fate
Names to prove the worth
Now it's far too late
And she shall pay the Earth.
~
Ashes to ashes
And dust to dust.
~
Perhaps the rhyme scheme is not Shakespeare, but you understand, don't you? His blood for the tears, her pain for the grief. The fire will cleanse the soul.
I cover my mouth with my hand, not too sure what to think. I scan the page further down and swallow hard, last night's coffee threatening to make a comeback: it doesn't take a genius to fogure out that the two so-very-familiar names are signed with blood. I blink, realising my hands are shaking. Bloody hell... How badly hurt are they for -... Blood... Shaking my head I try to gather my thoughts, but I'm not having much luck. They can write, at least, it's a start...
"Tim, I - fucking hell Tim! What's wrong?!" Amy practically runs over to me. I don't want to show her the letter, but I really don't have a choice.
Her scream wakes everyone.
Chapter 70 ; Contents ; Chapter 72
