Encountering Ember (Currently Editing)

Chapter 4.

cнαpter 4.

                I jinxed myself.

                Two days later, here I am coughing my lungs out, I reach over to my nightstand and grab the towel to dry the sweat covering my body. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright at home alone?” My mother asks with a worried expression on her face. I nod my head yes as I scrub at my scorching skin, frustrated with the lack of ability I have in controlling it. “I can stay home today, son,” My mom suggests.

                “Mom, I’ll be alright. Just go.” After a long period of looking at me, probably debating on whether to go or not, she finally sighs and gives me a kiss on the forehead. 

                "Call my cell phone or your dad's if you need us." She says before walking out of my room. I listen until the sound of the front door shutting echoes through my ears. I’m absolutely positive she forced herself to go to work, she’s always babied me. No doubt she’ll baby me until the day she passes. I could see myself having grey hair forming on the top of my head and still she’d consider me her baby boy.

                 My coughs become so repetitive that my throat starts to ache because of the constancy.  I still don't comprehend the logic of being sick. Here I was, sweating my ass off, and yet I was shivering from how cold I felt. It made no damn sense. Sitting up, I reach for the cough medicine my mom’s left for me, opening the cap I don’t bother using the spoon and just take a gulp of the nasty tasting thing.

                Lying back down, it doesn’t take too long for me to fall asleep to the sound of the pitter patter of the raindrops against the roof top.

                              ˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•٠·˙

                Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

               Sitting up in alarm, my vision is hazy, and my head's pounding. I look at my window and see that the sky has darkened a lot since I last looked out. “What the heck is that?!” I scream before realizing that it’s the doorbell.

                Throwing the covers off of my body I stand up and immediately feel light headed. Who the hell was it? Using the walls to assist me, I make my way to the door.

              I stumble around with the locks before my fingers start communicating with my brain and I finally manage to unlock the top bolt. Opening the door I see Ember, in yet another dress, but this one was lavender, and ripped at almost every angle. She wears something white beneath it to keep her skin from being exposed.

                “What are you doing here?” I mutter in an uninviting tone. She holds up thermos and tilts her head to the side with a smile.  “How’d you know I was..?”

                “I had my suspicions due to your absence from school,” She answers before I can finish my question. Moving me to the side she welcomes herself in.

                “How’d you even know where I lived?”

                 “It’s a small town, Mathew, people talk.” She looks around, observing the pictures and little knick knacks my mother’s placed on the shelves and tables around the house. “Your mother has impeccable taste,” She comments before looking me up and down. “You may want to put some clothes on, Mathew. You’re making me uncomfortable.” I look down and notice I’m in nothing but boxers. She giggles as realization shows on my face, and I have to admit, it was the most adorable little giggle I’ve ever heard.

                “I’ll be back.” I say walking away, trying my best to keep my dignity. I wasn’t ashamed of my body, it was somewhere in-between built and scrawny, yet neither nor. Still the way she giggled did affect my ego just a tad bit.

                Walking back into the living room with a white shirt and a pair of pajama pants on, I don’t see Ember anywhere. “Where are you?” I call out walking towards the kitchen, there’s no response. “Ember,” I call out again, but still there’s nothing. As I enter the kitchen I notice the thermos sitting at the center of the counter with a note leaning against it. I take a quick scan through the house to assure myself that she had left then return to the kitchen to read the note.

                It smells awful, but you’ll be better by tomorrow, Guaranteed.

                                                                                Ps. drink all of it!  

                I scoff at that last part and open up the lid of the thermos. The term smells awful was an understatement, it smelt like a skunks scent mixed with two year old gym socks, and a mixture of rotten tomato soup multiplied by infinity. Pinching my nose, I down all of the regurgitating thick liquid.

                I really hope I don’t regret this later.