Temptation 2: Promises

Ch. 47 She's Still Here

(no editing at all, i'll edit this laterrr)

Corey's P.O.V (Duh *SOBS*)

***

"You're so stupid, Corey." Rowan smiled cutely.

We were on our roof and I was goofing around with her, just to get her to laugh. I love her laugh.

"Why thank you, I try to act more like you these days." I teased.

She scoffed and hit my arm, but she was laughing. Until the laughing turned into hacking and coughing. Rowan was coughing up blood and black stuff and just things that are unhuman. I couldn't help because for some reason I was frozen in place.

"C-Corey, help me!" Rowan gurgled through coughs.

I could see Rowan's breather right next to me. But I still couldn't move. When I tried I got a shock so hard I fell right back in place. But after Rowan LITERALLY coughed up an organ, I finally just took all the pain and reached for the tank but it was too late. She faded from my vision as my eyes filled with tears.

"ROWAN!"

***

I sat up, gasping and wheezing and apparently crying. I could still feel the shocks and hear Rowan's "coughs" which was clearing someone knocking on my door. I looked at the clock as I gulped for air. 2: 00 AM.

"Um...Come in." I choked out.

The door opened and Princess was standing there. Well she and Cowan were. They both look like they hadn't gotten any sleep and were crying instead. I'd rather that than the on and off nightmares I keep having.

"D-Dad? Um...can I....we...talk for a little?" Cowan asked.

I wiped my eyes and sighed.

"Yeah, of course. Turn on the light--"

Princess scrambled to flip on the light switch. Like she was terrified. Maybe she's afraid of the dark. She and Cowan crawled into the bed and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What did you wanna talk about?" I asked.

"Mom..."

I would've immediately told them to go back to their beds because I didn't wanna hear about Rowan but it was Princess who said that. She called Rowan, "mom".

"S-Since when do you call her mom?" I asked.

"Too late, apparently." Princess squeaked.

She started crying and like some freaky parental reflex I've developed I hugged her into me. Cowan curled into me.

"I had a nightmare. I dreamed I was sent back to the orphanage and you didn't want me because I reminded you too much about Mom. And then when I looked in the mirror my face was morphing into Mom's. You just left me there...You'll never leave me right?" Cowan asked worriedly.

"Won't ever even cross my mind." I promised.

"I didn't get any sleep at all. I just kept thinking mom was somwhere in my room and whenever I turned on the light it's like I couldn't see her, but I knew she was there. She's still here, Dad. That shouldn't scare me but it does--it's not comforting." Princess sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"I'm right here...that's going to have to be enough for a while." I breathed.

"Dad, how come you're so calm? Aren't you having any nightmares or freaky experiences? She was your wife..." Cowan pointed out.

"I feel terrible. Completely destroyed. I've watched Rowan die 50 different ways in my nightmares and in all of them I could've saved her. I've cried more this past day than I have my entire life. But It's just my job to protect you guys, and I can't do that if I'm crying my heart out."