Chapter 8: After math

I sink to the floor unable to do anything more than sit there.
"I'm sorry Seth." I jump at the sound of Joshua's voice. I hadn't heard him come in.
I am unable to speak, unable to process the horrifying realty of the situation. How could this happen? When did this happen? When I am finally able to speak my voice comes out; barely louder than a whisper.
"Is this what you were trying to tell me?" I ask over my choked sobs.
"Yeah, it's been the same story at every house I checked."
"What happened?" I asked.
"I don't know." Joshua replied.
"You don't know? You don't know! How could you not know? You have been the only one out of the Den since the bloody meteor hit." I was yelling, but I wasn't angry and Joshua knew it.
"Calm down Seth, I know you are upset, but I have no more of a clue than you."
I wanted to scream at him wanted to hit something. Why wasn't I there when they died? I should have been there to help them. I asked myself these questions, but I knew that there was nothing I could have done. Until a couple weeks ago I couldn't even walk through the Den without loosing myself. The worst part of all was I didn't know how they died, and I never said goodbye.
"Come on Seth." Joshua said, "let's go back."
"Yeah, okay." I said defeated. "Can I go find my sister first?"
"Alright, but then we're out of here."
We made our way back down the hall making sure not to step on Sal. I entered first into my sisters room, a place that was foreign to me even when I could see.
"Where is she?" I asked Joshua.
"Right here." He said, leading me to the bed side. I sat on the edge and searched for her hand. It was cold like the night air; limp and lifeless.
"Oh Jade why did this have to happen." I whispered to her, hoping her eternal soul could still hear me. "I know we didn't always get along, but I never wanted you to die. Why did you leave me alone?"
"You aren't alone Seth," said Joshua "I'm still here."
"Thanks Joshua."
"Hey Seth, I want to give you something." he says. He drops a weighted handle into my hand. I feel along it and can imagine the leaved detail carved into it. I had only ever seen the knife on rare occasions. It was his father's hunting knife, a family treasure, or so we were told.
"But, why?" I ask, confused as to why he was giving me something so precious.
"We're all of the family we've got left, so I wanted to show you that I've always got your back."
"You know, you could of just said that." I say a smile spreading across my face. But it leaves again when I remember my dead sister lying beside me. Everything is silent.
The next sound I heard was a faint buzzing like before, but louder, closer.
"Did you turn on the light?" I asked Joshua.
"No, why?"
"Cause I hear a buzzing..."
But I couldn't finish, for as I raised my face from the floor I got caught in the amber glow of a ghost.

Reviews

[Cousitarian]

Jade? Seriously? All I kept thinking of each time I read her name was of my own dragon character, lol. Augh, ghost! Still, now we're starting to get somewhere aren't we? I'm hoping I at least get some answers in the next chapter as to why everyone died the way they did. Due to the meteor effects, no doubt. Well done. Well done, indeed. Very eager to see what happens next. ;)

[Eryn ♪]

Yeah I toyed with the idea a bit and it stuck. I liked it better than Miranda and Sophie, and I wondered how much I would bug you. And you better get used to "ghosts" cause they are gonna be around. :) Patience young padawan, all will be revealed in time.

[Cousitarian]

Very well, I'll wait. I'll be patient. And, yes, Jade seemed to bug me a bit but not enough to not like the chapter nor the story.