"You don't owe anything to that caniving bitch." Amelia rolled her eyes, Jamie was starting to get on her nerves. "Stop believing in her lies, and maybe you'll live to see the after life." She shrugged, "or you'll spend eternity here. Maybe you'll see her again. Maybe not. Guess we'll never know." She turned to leave, hoping he'd take the bait.
"Looks like times up." Audric lunged for Ember, twisting one of her arms behind her back and grabbing a fist full of her hair.
Ember but down on a scream. what was time up for, her mind was going a million miles a minute. Was Jamie safe? Why did Audric wait till that moment to lunge? He could have taken her by surprise when he'd first shown up.
If Jamie was still safe- "I'll come with you." Her words came out in a whimper. "Just leave Jamie alone."
"Afraid the time for his safety is gone my dear. But you'll be seeing him again soon enough."
Jamie scowled, throwing one good punch against the glass and cursing when all he managed to do was hurt himself.
“I owe her my life.” He murmured, resting his forehead against the glass. “She’s telling the truth. I’ll defend her until the day I no longer exist. Even if it means I won’t get to see her.” It hurt to admit that. It hurt to think he wouldn’t get to see her again. All of his words felt so stupid now. Waiting for her contract to end? Going to the afterlife? Getting through it all perfectly fine?
Jamie turned away from the wall to slide down to the floor, groaning softly. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“I shouldn’t of let her go off alone. I’m such an idiot.” He growled to himself, closing his eyes. He wasn’t going anywhere soon.
"Disgusting, don't tell me you're in love with that traitor. She'd never return your feelings. Reapers don't feel love." With that Amelia left. She'd let him sit alone for a while before going back to question him.
Audric spun Ember around so she was facing him, holding her wrists tightky to his chest. "You have one chance to make it out alive," he liked the fear in her eyes, "will you take it?"
"Only if you promise you wont hurt Jamie." If she could hust ensure both their safety…
"Tsk tsk, i already told you. The time for his safety is over." Audric pressed a hard kiss to Embers lips. To where her mark if death had been. He released her wrists and she threw a punch hoping to conect with his face. Her fist only met a hard wall. She hadn't even noticed beeing sent back.
Ember cried out, cradling her mostly broken hand to her chest. "Damn you Audric!" He'd offered her a chance and sent her back anyway… Embers curses echoed through out the halls of the reapers prison.
“You’re just heartless.” Jamie shot back childishly, other options already shot. He was trying to combat the dull sting Amelia’s words left. “Ember has emotions. I’ve seen them firsthand…” he murmured to no one but himself.
He hugged his knees to his chest, taking a glance around now that the reaper was gone.
Jamie wasn’t going to give up so easily. He needed some way to escape, someway to find Ember. There had to be some way out of here.
Surprisingly enough the cells didn't have a door. The only possible exit was a round hole in the top of the glass wall. And that was only if the person in the cell could reach it.
"Audric- you're back?" Amelia didn't exoect to walk out of the holding areas and find him so soon.
"I was able to locate and capture Ember. She was surprisingly easy to catch." He shrugged which only made Amelia angry. Such an arrogant bastard, she ploped down beside him on a bench. " how long time the bone heads figure out they're useless?" Was there any harm in talking while they waited for the grim reaper to show up?
Audric ignored her. "tell me how did you die?"
Amelia gave him a confused look. "I don't remember. No one knows how they died. Or did you forget?" She rolled her eyes. Audric was so strange.
Alright Jamie. You got a big hole at the top and nothing to use to climb. He glanced around his cell, walking around it a few times before letting out an exhausted sigh. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
He checked his pockets next, disappointed to find only his pencil he had tucked away subconsciously as he wrote out the emails.
“Damn.” He murmured quietly, feeling up the smooth surface of the glass. It would be near impossible to climb up it even if he could reach the top of it.
Frustration and anger filled his guts along with a deep sense of desperation. He was trapped and he hadn’t even done anything. Ember hadn’t done anything. They were innocent of any fault in this situation and yet that fact didn’t matter. Was Jamie really cursed to just suffer for eternity? His actual life had been so tragically short and now he wouldn’t even get to experience the after life.
No, that’s not what he was upset about. He was upset that he would likely never see Ember again. His last words to her weren’t even good ones.
Jamie sat down in the middle of the glass cage he was stuck in and dug his palms into his eyes in an attempt to stop the headache forming just behind them.
“Please just be alright, Ember. I’m sorry.”
(small time skip)
The pain in Embers broken hand and dulled to a throb. The only way she was keeping track of time had been the rather quick healing that reapers had. So surely it'd been a few hour's by now.
The whole time Ember was worred sick about Jamie. Audric said he wasn't safe. What did that mean? Had he completely destroyed Jamies soul? Or was he locked up in a cell like hers?
Except Embers cell was much different. There wasn't a glass wall, and there was no hole. All the walls where solid rock, and the floor was wooden. She'd already checked it for hallowed spots to no prevail.
She was stuck in a box with no way out. Unless she took whatever offer Audric was going to give her. She hated herself for even considering it. In fact, she was so frustrated that tears had finally begun to well uo in the corners of her eyes. But she couldn't give up. Not yet, not when she needed to make sure Jamie was safe first.
"This is taking forever. Where are they?" Amelia was growing bored with babysitting duty. Neither Ember or Jamie where getting out anytime soon. So why did she and Audric have to wait? There where much better things she ciuld have been doing with her time.
Audric on the other hand didn't have to be there. The only reason he stuck around instead of riding Ember from the world was that he needed Jamie too. He needed him because she cared about him. And Audric hated Jamie for that.
"I'm here," The grim reaper gave Amelia and Audric a look of boredom. They didn't like dealing with traitors. "You found the two rather fast, for this you will be rewarded. Amelia i grant you leave from your contract. You are free to go to the afterlife or continue as a reaper." Amelia beamed. "As for Audric… you wanted to be there while i questioned them hm? Shall we then?" They swept a hand throughout the room and two cells appeared. One that already had a glass wall, and one without. For that one a simple small hole appeared in the bottom. "State your case," they declared in a booming Voice to Jamie and Ember.
Jamie jumped at the voice, getting to his feet and standing tall. Now was no time to be a coward.
“Oh so you do have a sense of justice.” He replied sarcastically, huffing gently. “Ember and I haven’t done anything wrong. We don’t even know how we ended up back in the land of the living nor how it was even possible. Ember’s not a liar nor a traitor.” He stated firmly, confidently. He had to be strong. Had to be.
“The only thing I remember is Audric with… a gun. Shot me in the same place that had killed me in the first place. Next thing I remember I’m waking up in the alley…” this wasn’t as confident. It was hard talking about it. It still rocked Jamie to his core.
“I think Ember was drowned. She was wet, and her death mark was the blue lips… Audric admitted to killing her the first time, when he confronted me in the apartment.” Now he was rambling as much of the story as he could, the slight telltale signs of panic starting in his chest.
“He had Crawlers too. Ember was hurt but she healed so we knew she was still a reaper even if alive. I wasn’t going to cheat death and neither was she. In fact I’ve said multiple times I’m willing to stay here, even if it means having to be tortured or damned or whatever for eternity. My only condition is that Ember needs to be safe! And Audric needs to be fully looked over. He’s not fully truthful!”
"Jamie!" Ember shouted when he finished his ramble. She had be stunned to hear him. Heck she'd been stunned when she'd heard the booming voice. But knowing that Jamie was safe, she felt to relieved.
"He's telling the thruth sir! Audric is-" a voice buzzed in her ear, and for a second she wasn't completely sure she heard correctly. "here is your chance." it whispered. Her chance for what, to walk out alive? Or- and then it dawned on her.
It was her or Jamie, that was her choice. "He's lying," she forced her voice to be strong. Because in that moment she wasn't. She was greatful no one could see her because of the tears that had finally begun to fall.
"I forced him back to the land of the living. I tried to pin it all on Audric but you caught us. You caught me." She hoped that Jamie would be able to forgive her.
"I needed a trusting soul so i made him trust me. I threatened to destroy Audrics soul unless he did what i wanted. The crawlers where my doing. It all was." Damn you Audric. She prayed the grim reaper would believe her lies. "I even killed Jamie in the first place. I broke the rules, and I'd do it again."
His heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice, relief washing over his senses. She was here with him. She was alive. They could explain their situation and get out of this whole mess and Audric would be apprehended and they would be safe. Maybe his past words wouldn’t end up so stupid, so silly. They could finally go to the pancake place they had talked about. Jamie could make friends, he could go to the afterlife with Theo and Ember and-
Everything came crashing down when Ember spoke. Jamie felt like he was shattering.
“What!? No! I know what I saw! What are you talking about Ember!?” He cried out, once again pushing against the glass as if it would simply fall away at his touch.
This wasn’t right. This wasn’t right at all! He didn’t understand. Why was she lying!? It wasn’t right!
“I’m telling the truth! I’m not just some… stupid soul! I know Ember! It’s Audric who wants to destroy her! Please… you have to believe me! I know what I saw! She didn’t kill me! He did!”
Ember clearned her throat, "whatever the soul claims is a lie. I fabricated everything." There was an unnatural calm to her voice. It wasnt right that Jamie had ro go down with her. She didn't know what Audric was capable of, and frankly she didn't want to test it either.
"Well that was a roller-coaster," The grim reaper yawned and snapped his fingers. The glass the Jamies cell shattered. "Judgment shall Pass on you Ember a reaper of our realm. From this moment on your powers to travel between the realms is revoked along with your abilities and loss of memories. Said memories will return and you will relive them as if it is happening all over again." They're eyes slid to Jamie.
"As for you Jamie, all will be sorted out. You will be returned to the land of the living with no memory of any of this. You will return to a normal life, being granted the death of old age and nothing else. Do these conditions please you?"
Jamie nearly fell forwards as the glass shattered, a panic settling into his bones. His chest heaved as he stared at the grim reaper before him.
“Y-you can’t just decide from words!! The word can be manipulated!” He whimpered, tears forming in his eyes. “This isn’t fair to her… she’s innocent…”
At any other time Jamie would have gladly taken up the offer of a life. He would have happily moved on, happily lived blissfully unaware of Ember or Audric or crawlers or any of it.
But life sounded so dull. He didn’t want to forget this place. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want any of it!
“I-I don’t want to…” he whispered, voice breaking. “Please… she’s innocent of it all. If you do this she’ll die. I don’t- please. There has to be something else.” Jamie was growing desperate, whimpering softly.
“I didn’t- How am I- I wanted to stay with Ember. Please. I don’t care about life anymore. I don’t care about any of it. I’d throw it all away.”
The grim reaper rolled their eyes. "You may have a few minutes to say good bye if you so please. Though i don't see why you'd want to." They motioned to the stone cell Ember was still trapped in.
She hated hearing him Cry. Ember couldn't stand the sound of it. Part of her wanted to plead to just get this over with. She wondered if she'd be handed over to Audric or if this bix was to be her eternity. Hadn't that been what she'd always wanted? Eternity alone? She had to calm her breathing or else she'd start to hyperventilate.
"Audric will send you back when you're done. Give them a few moments alone." The grim reaper vanished along with Audric.
Ember could only assume they where gone because now all she could hear was Jamie. And thats when it dawned on her, why eternity alone seemed awful now. Why she'd cared so much if he was safe. "Jamie listen to me," her will finally broke and her voice wavered. "You're going to be okay. You're getting your second chance. Remember how you wanted to help your little brother through high school?" Her voice hitched. "You get your wish." She was smilling despite everything. Her forehead rested against the cool stone wall. "Don't worry about me okay?"
Jamie immediately went to the boxy, leaning his whole body against it like he couldn’t bear his own weight anymore.
He hardly heard any of the words spoken by the other reaper, everything in him growing suddenly heavy. This was it, he realized. This would be it. He couldn’t do anything.
The moment the other two had left, Jamie slumped to his knees once again.
“Why did you lie?!” He whispered, ignoring her words completely. “You’ll die, Ember. Permanently. Please, don’t let this happen… I don’t want to forget. I don’t want to go back. It doesn’t feel right without you.”
The words stung his heart and tasted bitter on his tongue. He didn’t even try to stop the tears that rolled down his cheeks. There wasn’t much point to do so now.
(😭 I feel so bad. Also its almost 5am dkxnndns)
"I didn't lie…" her words felt empty. She couldn't stop now, for all the knew the grim reaper was still listening. "I had to come clean. For you." Because I care about you, she hated herself. Audric ciuld have been lying. He could still go after Jamie. But Ember was willing to take that chance.
"It's gonna be okay." Could she even make that promise? "I'm gonna be okay. Just know that-" she was cut off abruptly by the wall dissapering. She crahsed straight into Jamie with a panicked cry. "Oh my god," Ember wrapped her arms around him. "Jamie I-" she didn't want him to see her like this. Ember despritely wished the wall hadnt vanished so suddenly.
(Oh shoot I didn’t even notice the time 😂 It’s alright, my insomnia is keeping me up really bad. I tried to sleep quite a few times. Can’t be helped. But you should definitely try and get some sleep if you can, I don’t want you to suffer. Replies can always wait)
Jamie was about to shoot a snarky reply when she was suddenly against him. He threw his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder with a sniffle.
“You’re so damn stupid…” he whined, his arms growing tighter around her. He didn’t mean any of his words. They came out in his frustration. “Why would you do that?! I don’t want it to end here, Ember. Not now. I want to get to know all of you. You were supposed to take me and Theo to that place. You still owe me a stupid pancake.” He rasped out, refusing to let go of her for even a second. If he did he could lose her forever. Maybe if he held onto her they wouldn’t send him back and he could stay right here, for eternity. Every bone in his body was hellbent on never moving again.
His frustration bubbled up until he felt like he was going to explode if he didn’t scream or kick or do something.
“I can’t stand it anymore! It can’t just end here like this! It wasn’t supposed to be this way! I care so much about you Ember that it hurts! You make me so damn happy and I don’t understand any of it! Ive never understood any of my emotions when you’re around and I just- I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want to lose you and your stupid sarcastic remarks and your stupid stubbornness.”
(Nah. Im determined to watch the sun rise at this point. 😂)
Ember actually laughed bwteen sniffles. "I think the pancakes will have to take a rain check." One she might not ever be able to fulfill. "How does next Tuesday sound?" Maybe if they planned it, maybe if they hoped enough it could happen. But Jamie wouldn't remember their plans. He'd be sent back without a single memory of her or her promises.
She couldn't let go either. But their time was quickly trickling by.
"It has to," the words where painful to speak. "Jamie it has to end like this." She pulled bcak just enough to hold his face in her hands. Another laugh escaped her. "I promise you'll see me again. I'm not letting go of this so easily. I'm not letting go of you so easily." And before she could chiken out she finally kissed him. Every confusing emotion made sense. Every butterfly in the stomach, every flushed face. It finally felt right even if this would be their first and last kiss. Because God's be damned Ember had no idea how to say it. How to tell him the words that where stuck on the tip of her tongue. So for now she settled for this. For this final goodbye.
( 😂 let’s gooo sunrise time!)
“Next Tuesday… yeah. I’d like that.” He murmured. Focusing on the plans made it seem not so bad. If he focused on that then he wouldn’t have to think about what would actually happen.
The small moment of amusement crashed to the ground in the next lines. He tended as a new wave of emotions rolled over him, his tears cascading like waterfalls down his cheeks. “I don’t want it to.” He mumbled childishly, as if those words could stop it all. He so desperately wished they could.
Jamie sucked in a breath to reply to her, but his entire body lit up in an array of tingles as their lips met instead. He let out a soft, surprised sound as his eyes fluttered closed and his hands drew her closer.
It felt so right to be kissing her. He would never breath again if it meant he could stay in this one moment. It was electric, ethereal, everything he could have ever asked for. She didn’t need to use words. He understood perfectly, his own unsaid words replying with the return of pressure from his lips. The tears flowed faster, painting his face with sticky, hot lines of emotion he would never get to remember.
He would focus everything on this moment. If he was to forget it, then he couldn’t afford to waste the feelings it left him with.
Ember couldn't help the small smile that had crept its way into their kiss. She didn't care that she could taste the salt of their tears. Or that this was as good if a good bye as she could think of.
"Oh brake it up already," Audric sounded as if he was ready to vomit.
Ember jumped at the sound of his voice. There was no way their time was up already. "Tuesday," she had to hold onto that small hope. That small childish promise. "I'll see you then," and then he was gone. Audric snapped his fingers and Ember was all alone, missing the heat of Jamie's body. Feeling as cold as death all over again. She decided she hated the feel of death.
"Tuesday," she repeated the word one last time. The chance of ever seeing another Tuesday where next to nothing.
__
"You two make me sick," Audric said to Jamie. "Well I guess this is it. I did offer her that deal, so Itd be incredibly rude if i where to destroy your soul forever. Oh well, I'd say it was nice meeting you, but it really wasnt." Audric snapped his fingers again, sending Jamie all the back to the very first day he'd died.
"You where in love," the grim reaper sat across from Ember watching her carefully. She nodded her head. "Tell me something Ember, do you take me for a fool?"
Her eyes widdened, "n-no sir," soft sobbs intarupted her words.
"Good. Because I'm not. I knew very well Audric was lying. He's not a reaper, and the fact that the council didn't notice says i should probably work on getting new council members." They stood and stretched out their limbs. "So I'll offer you a choice, what do you say?"
Jamie never even got the chance to reply. He wiped at his face, standing tall in the face of Audric.
“You’re an evil being, Audric. I pity you.” He managed, closing his eyes and letting the remaining tingle from Ember’s kiss lull him into a relaxed state. He never really heard the snap but he felt it.
Jamie must have drifted off for a moment there. He shook his head, glancing around and rubbing at his chest. Whatever he had been thinking of left a dull, sad ache in his chest.
The feeling didn’t fade even when air against his skin made him shiver. It always had been a little chilly around this time of year and he did suffer from the occasional Seasonal Depressive episodes. That must have been it.
Jamie sighed deeply. He couldn’t shake the ache in his chest and it was starting to hurt.
Ember took the grim reapers second option. She hadn't even had to think about it. Sure she'd never remember her time as a reaper, nor would she ever remember Audric or Theodore. But that was all for the best. The grim reaper had granted her a second chnace.
This time in a diffrent era. She'd grown up in a small town not far from where she was now. And her whole life she'd felt like she was being pulled to this exact spot. Granted She'd never really knew why, or cared to question it. But now in that ally as she was rushing back to apartment that she'd barely moved into a few weeks ago with some pretty crazy roommates, the pull was stronger then ever. She'd barely even relized the stranger she was about to run straight into.
Jamie was just about to turn towards his own apartment when they collided. His notebook slipped from his hand, falling with a slight clack against the ground.
He blinked in surprise, steadying the one he had ran into.
“Sorry! I wasn’t paying attention. Are you alright?” He asked softly, finally getting a good look at her. The dull ache in his heart turned into an incredible warmth that brought a blush to his cheeks.
She was beautiful.
“H-hi.” He murmured shyly.
"Oh that's totally on me! Im so sorry." Ember ducked to grab his notebook for him. She picked it up and held it out to Jamie.
The invisible pull seemed to finally stop. This was it. This was who it'd been leading her to all her life. "I- do i know you, you seem really familiar." She took a moment to study his face. There was something about him that felt so familiar. "Say, your face is really red, are you sick?" Even in this life she wasn't able to identify blushing.
Jamie took the notebook from her gingerly, smiling sheepishly as he thanked her. He studied her face for a moment, that familiarity was tugging on him too.
“I’m not sure, you seem familiar too… maybe we saw each other somewhere?” He offered, his smile widening at her words. Jamie felt as if he had heard them before, and it made him giggle softly.
“N-no. It’s just a little chilly, I’m alright.” He paused for a moment before he stuck his hand out for her. “I’m Jamie.”
"Ember," she shook his hand a smile coming to her face. There was something incredibly familiar about Jamie. She just couldn't put her finger on it at this moment.
She snapped her fingers, assuming she'd had it all figured out. "I live a few doors down from you. I've just been so busy i haven't had the chance to meet any of the neighbors yet." But that wasnt it. "Say, I'd really like to get to know you. Wanna meet for pancakes sometime?" She was already making her way twords the door to the apartments. She had a paper to write for school on a book that also seemed far to familiar.
The door to her apartment swung open and a girl popped her head out. "Ember! Emergency, Stacy needs us to get her out of a date gone wrong." The other girly didn't even seem to notice Jamie as she hopped out the door trying to put her other shoe on. Ember sighed but that smile was still there. "I'll see you around Jamie!" For now her paper would have to wait.
The grim reaper had offered Ember two options. One, she become part of his council and be the one to reap Jamies soul when he died of old age. Or two, get another chance with no memory of what had every happened. They'd watched her accept the second offer not knowing if she'd find her way to Jamie again. But They'd made sure of it. Death had spoken to Fate and Fate almost seemed all to egear.
And so The Grim Reaper watched as the two souls met again. They may have taken the memories, but They'd left a shadow of emotions.
"I can't believe Audric actually tricked us," Amelia stood by the Grim Reapers side, disbelief on her face.
"He tricked you." They narrowed their eyes.
Amelia had chosen to stay after all. She was free of her contract, but not of the guilt she felt.
"Do me a favor and hunt down Austin and Troy. I don't want them messing anything up." The grime reaper Vanished leaving Amelia by herself watchibg as Ember hurried off with a friend.
Audric on the other hand had never happened. Without Ember there he'd never married, let alone killed anyone. Theodore had died of natural causes, and the river that Ember still sometimes saw in her dreams- though she didn't know what it meant- never had a cold dead body float in it.
In a way by giving that second chance to one, it had been given to many.
