(LETS GO DRAMATIC VILLAINS ARE MY FAV! 😂 I love it.)
Jamie stared at the hand that was held out to him but he didn’t move to take it. He was dangerously calm, but that didn’t mean his brain wasn’t freaking out.
This person was dangerous.
He could kill without regrets or hesitation. Not only that but he could kill someone he loved not only once, but three times… it sickened Jamie.
“Sounds a little petty to me.” He replied, standing up straight. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to say no, but thank you for the offer. As much as I loved life, it’s not worth Ember and Theo’s lives.” He suddenly dove for the window, his whole plan the entire time was to find an exit. He would never turn Ember over. The reaper earned his trust and loyalty and he would be damned if he didn’t try to keep that.
Luckily for him, the window had been left open from when he had to open it earlier that moment. The screen was easy to rip open, but Jamie feared he wouldn’t be fast enough to escape down into the streets.
He didn’t even know where to find Ember but he wasn’t going to leave her.
(This whole time I’m reading Embers POV like: DONT DO IT! THATS HOW PEOPLE IN HORROR MOVIES DIE YOU IDIOT! But I love her v much 😂)
(Fun fact! I while back I used Ember and Audric for a small horror fic, it didn't end to well for either of them but it was fun to write. 😂)
Audric's jaw dropped. He had expected sympathy, someone who would understand. A string of curses escaped him, and he lunged for the window after Jamie.
His deal with the demon had been very clear, he wouldn't age, but the second he died that was it. No more second chances. Wounds where also very hard to heal. So if he twisted an ankle-
Audric didn't care, he threw himself out the window after the other. If Jamie warned Ember, Audric wasn't so sure he'd survive.
Ember spotted the crawler a second to late. It lunged from the shadows, teeth beared and claws shining. Of course it's only goal was to chase her back, but who was to say a little beating up couldn't happen.
The reaper cried out in pain as its claws connected with her upper arm, drawing blood.
A million thoughts raced through her head, none of them making any sense. But then again, none of this made sense. She'd try and figure it out later. For now Embers only goal was to get away.
(That’s amazing!! I love doing stuff like that! Though I’m not too good at it)
Jamie cursed as he nearly hurled himself down the fire escape and onto the streets below. He pushed past a few people, not daring to look back. He had to get someone safe, somewhere he couldn’t be found.
But the only place that came to mind was that awful alleyway where he had died and he would rather be eaten by a Crawler than go there ever again.
(Ha ha ha, careful what you wish for Jamie :) I'm totally kidding.)
Audric didn't give chase. He'd followed all the way to the ground but after all the looks- it wasn't worth it. He'd find another way. Even if Jamie did tell Ember of his plan. He'd still find a way.
A string of curses escaped Ember as she scrambled back on her hands. It didn't make sense to turn her back on a crawler.
"Run…run little reaper…reaper reaper" Ember froze, her eyes going wide.
She'd never heard a crawler speak before. She hadn't even known they could talk. If one could even call it that.
The crawlers voice was scratchy and hard to understand. It repeated the word reaper as if getting a taste for it. "Run run… run"
The crawler could feel her fear.
Less then a day ago it had been human with human emotions. But now? Now the sent of the reaper blood sent it into a frenzy.
Its lips pulled back into a sharp toothy smile that only seemed to set the reaper more on edge.
Ember threw caution to the wind as she turned her back on the crawler to get up. She ran.
(JAMIE NO 😂 Let’s hope he has more sense than to let a crawler eat him 😂)
Jamie only stopped running when he found himself on his college campus. Why he had subconsciously chosen here was a mystery to him but he wasn’t dissatisfied by his choice.
He would be safe here. It didn’t look like he was followed by Audric but that didn’t put him at ease. He had to find Ember and warn her, he wouldn’t let someone kill her.
He didn’t know what it was about her but something made him want to stay by her side for as long as he could and help her out of anything she asked of him.
Ember practically flew from the alleyway. If a Crawler had made it into the human world there could be more. But she didn't have time to think about that right now. The only thing that was on her mind was Jamie.
She'd left him. For all she knew there could be something bad happening to him at this moment, and she'd been foolish enough to leave him.
Some where along the way the Crawler had disappeared. But by the time Ember reached Jamie's apartment her adrenaline had worn off, her arm feeling almost like it was one fire. She held her arm where the Crawler had ripped into it. She'd deal with it latter.
Ember knocked on the door, and after a few moments without a response tried the knob. Please be at your families house, the knob turned and her stomach dropped.
With no one around and no phone to contact anyone, Jamie was at an absolute loss. He had no way of contacting anyone. Not family, not a cab, not anything or anyone.
The panic slowly set in as he wandered through the campus gardens, his hands clenching and unclenching as he attempted to stabilize himself.
He was stronger than this.
Stronger than any anxious thoughts.
But if that was true than why was he on the verge of a breakdown.
He had to find Ember.
"Dang it!" Ember shouted. She couldn't stand the thought of something awful happening to Jamie. It would be her fault. wouldn't it? Her fault he'd been dragged back in the first place even though she had no idea why it'd happened. That he could possibly be in danger now.
For the first time in a very long time the reaper felt helpless. She didn't know the land of the living. Didn't know where to even begin looking. A small part of the reaper wanted to give up. To just sink to the floor and let tears over take her.
But that didn't happen. Instead Ember focused herself, pushing away the dread. She searched the apartment for some kind of clue.
Of course, one of the two biggest clues were the screen torn from the window and the abandoned coffee mug on the counter.
If that wasn’t clue enough he had escaped some sort of danger than there wasn’t much else to go off of.
He himself was a nervous wreck, making his way into the campus library. A few people stared at his nervous demeanor but it was soon written off as exam jitters.
No one stopped to ask if he was alright, not even the barista behind the small coffee shop On the second floor of the library.
There he ordered a coffee and tried his best to relax, shaking as he looked around for any sign of Audric.
Would it be safe to return to his apartment? He didn’t dare risk it. Not yet.
Later tonight he would return.
A sigh of relief left Ember at the sight. For now all she could hope was that Jamie was safe. And because she had no other idea, she'd wait till he hopefully came back. In the mean time, she'd tend to the wound from the Crawler.
"I want him dead!" Audric shouted at the crawlers that sat before him. "I want that pesky soul gone in the most gruesome way you can think of."
Not to long after losing Jamie, Audric had focused on making his army. All out of unfortunate passerbys of course. He wasn't even bothering with flying under the radar anymore. Didn't care if a bunch of missing peoples reports ended up on the news. Audric had a goal, and he'd be darned if he failed it.
The Crawlers snarled in anticipation, their hunger ravishing. They'd set out after dark, in search of their prey.
It took until almost sunset for Jamie to gain the courage to make his way back to the apartment.
He shuddered as he walked down the emptying streets, hugging himself tightly.
Thankfully he made it to the apartment safe, opening the door very slowly and peeking in.
Ember tensed as the door cracked open. She had left the window open in case a quick escape was needed. "Jamie?" The reaper practically launched from the couch, throwing her arms around him. "Please tell me you're okay-"
Jamie flinched at the sound of her voice, but he didn’t shy away from her touch. He instead wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her close and burying his face in her hair.
He hated to admit that he liked the affection.
“I’m okay… Just a little shaken. Are you alright? He didn’t touch you did he?” Jamie pushed her back a little, looking her over. His eyes settled on the wound she had cared for, a look of concern flashing across his face.
“Does it hurt?” He asked her quietly, taking her arm and studying the wound as best he could.
“Are you okay?”
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." Ember give a tight smile. She had wrapped her wound with a kitchen cloth. Other then the fact that it still hurt, it was fine. ((Excuse my horrible ability to write inquirys. 💀))
"Wait Jamie, what do you mean by he." She'd been attacked by a crawler, as far as she knew they were genderless. But then again one had spoken so how was to say really.
(Naaahh fam you goood!)
Jamie frowned up at her, tugging her towards the bathroom. “Here, let’s put some bandages over that. Kitchen towels only do so much you know,” he replied, shivering softly.
“I know how you and Theo died…” he murmured quietly in response to her words. “I know who killed you, and who killed him. The first time and you and I the second time.”
"Jamie you're not making any sense," Ember cringed at the sight of her arm. As a reaper, wounds had always healed quickly. Things where different now.
"I drown. We figured that much out last night."
“He drowned you after your wedding. And shot Theo sometime before so he could have you to himself and marry you. That stranger I told you about, the one who pulled a gun on me and shot me when I was dead and the same one who said he was a friend.”
He knew he was dumping a lot of information on her but he couldn’t stop the word vomit that fell from his lips.
Jamie felt like he had to tell her, she deserved to know the danger she was in.
“Theo and you knew each other sometime in the past. He wanted you for himself so he killed Theo because he thought it would make you love him. But you suffered. And he drowned you to stop the suffering out of some sort of sick and twisted ‘love’.”
Jamie sat her down on the edge of the bathtub, unwrapping the kitchen towels slowly. He grimaced at the sight of the wound, knowing it would take awhile to heal fully.
“But then he realized you were a reaper and he didn’t take that news well. Said something about ‘saving you’ or something along those lines. He wants to kill you here once and for all ‘for your own good.’ He’s psychotic…”
Jamie’s words finally stopped flowing, his face panicked as he recalled the horrific story Audric had told him of his twisted obsession with Ember. His hands worked smoothly as he pulled the first aid kit from its place and retrieved the antiseptic to clean her wound.
“He offered me a deal.” He said in a near whisper. “Told me he’d give me 50 more years to live if I gave you up to him.”
His hands paused in the middle of wrapping her wound, eyes fixated on her green ones. “I didn’t take it. I can’t let him kill you. I don’t want you to die, Ember. No amount of living is worth letting him kill you. I’d rather be dead and fighting Crawlers and knowing you’re alive than living with the fact that you’re gone.” He froze up suddenly, blushing lightly.
“Ah, Sorry that’s a lot of stuff to put on you.”
His words made the blood drain from Embers face.
Someone who she had married killed her. Someone she'd been friends with. Someone who'd killed another one of her friends. Out of love? she wanted to vomit. Wanted to hate Audric for everything.
But out of everything Jamie had told her she could only remember the things that had happened recently. Her previous memories where locked away and she couldn't get to them.
"No its okay," her words where empty. "Its fine." She put her face in one hand while Jamie worked on her other arm.
In all honesty it was hard to process everything.
Jamie finished up as quickly as he could without sacrificing quality. But once he did finish he gently took the wrist of the hand she held to her face, pulling it down so he could see her clearly.
Softly, his hands found either side of her cheeks, cupping her face delicately.
“Hey, it’s okay if it’s not fine. You’re allowed to not be okay, Ember.” He reassured softly, studying her features carefully.
He did have to admit she looked a lot more… healthier than she did as a Reaper. Her lips and cheeks seemed to have more color and her eyes were just a tad bit brighter even if they didn’t stand out as much here where things were colorful and less gray.
He was glad she looked a little better, made him worry a little less.
“Want to lay down for a bit?” He asked, pulling her into another warm hug. It was more so he could be sure was still living than something comforting but he hoped it offered something to the reaper.
(Jamie, becoming more affectionate.
Me, nervous: oh shoot is this too much? Jamie y’all are too touchy! BRO SLOW DOWN)
(Ah noooo, they're so cute. I keep fighting myself to keep from writing a touchy Ember. Its just not who she is even if I desperately want it to be 😭😂)
Ember practically melted into the hug, wrapping her arms around his back. "No," she didn't want to lay down. Because truth be told, she was exhausted. Ember was afraid that if she relaxed she'd fall asleep.
It was a while before she pulled away. "Jamie," the next few words threatened to shatter her heart, "you need to leave. You have to hide or go to your family, something. This guy already came after you once and he'll do it again. He knows where you live."
Reality was inking in. Ember wanted to stay with Jamie. Wanted- needed to protect him from her own mistakes. "Please."
( 😂 Jamie is suuuper affectionate. He likes the soft touches and hugs and the simple things like cuddling and running fingers through hair. He do be the sweetest of my male characters, the others are a little uhhhhh traumatized. 😂 😂 BUT YES THESE TWO ARE SUPER CUTE TOGETHER)
Jamie held her close, closing his eyes and listening to the beat of their hearts. He was alive. She was alive. It felt… strange, almost unnatural. Maybe he had accepting death a little more than he let on.
As she pulled away he found himself wishing she had stayed just a little longer. The hug had comforted him too, stilled the many fears in his head.
And then she spoke and his brain fizzled, trying to figure out what she had just said.
The look that crossed Jamie’s face the second he processed everything could only be described as shocked. He opened his mouth, looking like a gaping fish with his eyes wide.
“Wha- No! I’m not leaving you to do all of this alone!” He suddenly spewed, shaking his head. “Ember, I’m already dead. As much as I love my family, miss them, and want to go back to them, I really can’t face them now. Especially with your life on the line!”
His hands once again found her face, fingers tangling somewhat in her mess of red hair.
“I’m not leaving you. I’m staying. You protected me and it’s my turn to pay you back.”
And I don’t want to leave you. I want to be by you.
He mentally admitted, too afraid to speak it out loud.
“Please, don’t do this alone. Let me help.”
(Writers, we love to traumatize our Oc's 😂)
"You died, there's a difference. If you just left now you can get your second chance. Jamie you're alive again. I've been dead for years. as much as I want to stay," she stopped herself from finishing that thought. Because Ember wanted to stay with him. But not like this.
"I can die again and be perfectly okay with it. Everyone that was alive when I was is gone." Her voice shook, and even though she tried to fight it tears weld up in the corners of her eyes. "And frankly I can't watch you get hurt. If this guy kills you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
Living with herself wouldn't be a problem, because eventually death would come knocking again sooner or later. Whether it ended her soul forever or not.
"You'd be helping by keeping yourself safe." Ember forced herself to pull his hands away from her face, but she didn't let go. Instead she interlocked their fingers. "I don't want to lose you." She quietly admitted.
(Ain’t it fun?! 😂 it’s awful but character development)
“And what if I don’t want a second chance!?” He replied, trying to keep his cool. He was beginning to shake a little, something like desperation in his eyes. “Your life isn’t devalued just because the world has aged! You’re still… If he kills you I wouldn’t be able to live with it…”
Jamie shook his head again, biting his lip.
His fingers closed around hers, however, the warmth of their hands nearly making him cry.
“Please… don’t make me leave. I don’t want to lose you either. Life was lonely! I don’t need to complete college or become rich or marry or even grow old. I’m okay with dying. Yes I’m going to miss my family! I’m going to miss them so much that I’m in pain everytime they cross my mind! But I’ll see them again. I know I will. There’s the afterlife. I can catch up with them there, I can see them all again. But if you die, that’s it… you’re gone.” He suddenly slumped over, resting his head in the crook of her neck.
“As selfish as it is,” he swallowed heavily. “I want you to stay. Screw anything else in this damn world. My life isn’t worth it. Don’t give yours up for me, don’t forget that you still deserve a life of your own. So what if it’s been a long time? You’re still a person… still humane.” His voice broke and lowered to a whisper, his hands gripping hers tightly.
“Still my Reaper who I’m going to forever like and care for.”
The tears spilled over. Her whole body shook with frustration. But in the back of her mind she was glad he didn't want to leave her. And she hated herself for it.
How could she want to protect him but at the same time wish he'd stay?
"Jamie," he had been right. She wasn't okay. Because there was some psychopath out there that had killed her twice already and wanted to again. Because she was terrified of losing Jamie. Because there where Crawlers out there doing who knew what, and one had attacked her.
She hung her head. "I don't want to lose you."
“And you won’t. You won’t ever lose me Erica. After I’m this clingy? You have no chance of getting rid of me so easily.” He huffed, turning his head slightly so he could look up at her face.
One of his hands left hers to wipe the tears off her face, a touch so soft and quite frankly, loving, it couldn’t have just been written off as only a comforting, friendly action.
“It’s all going to be okay, Ember. I promise you it will be. We’ll sort this out, you can go back to the dead and I’ll go with you. We can go get pancakes just like we said we would before all of this. We could even make it a daily occurrence, go every morning before your reaper duties. Teddy can come too if he wants, you’ll never have to go a day where I’m not available to reach out to. And when my family grows old and joins me in the land of the dead, I’ll introduce you to them.” Jamie cooed softly, his free hand moving to lead her head into the crook of his neck, fingers running softly through her hair.
“And the day you’re released from your reaper duties, we can go to the afterlife together so it’s not so scary.”
