ethereal | ✓

t w e l v e

v o t e   a n d c o m m e n t ! !
* * *

    "Listen, I need you to do something for me," Luke whispered, his jaw clenching and hands gripping the edge of the counter tightly, his knuckles turning white. Each word broke him, for each word brought him closer to the words that would make him loose Cassie forever. As Sadie looked up at him expectantly, his throat went dry.

    "I need you to make her forget."

    There was a sense of finality in those words, for he knew that once he spoke them, he would have might as well already erased him from her memory, for just suggesting it was as promise that it would happen.

    Suddenly, as he thought of the possibility that Sadie would not be able to perform the spell, he gripped the edge of the counter tighter, his eyes glossing over with pain. "You can do that, can't you?"

   Sadie immediately offered him a nod, and he was beyond relieved, hating himself for not even considering the remote possibility that Sadie wouldn't even know the spell.

    The way Sadie was eager though, showed Luke how much she cared for Cassie, and he guessed that was why he hadn't considered that possibility in the first place, because he trusted Sadie enough to do anything to save Cassie as well.

* * *

    Cassie scoured through books in search of a spell that could help them, the idea ridiculous to her at first, but was then overtaken by the hope that she so desperately tried to shove away, the hope that she knew would just leave her broken.

     She had put a record on, a familiar tune filling the room. Soothing her.

    Suddenly she caught sight of a figure at her peripheral, and she peered over at it, finding Luke leaning against the doorframe. Cassie suddenly felt as though her heart had been ripped from her chest, for the sight of him reminded her that they were on borrowed time, and as she craned her neck and brought her attention to the grandfather clock to her left, she saw how that borrowed time was now so close to running out.

    Tears welled up in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks, her hands trembling furiously. When Luke saw this, he made his way over to her and wrapped his arms around her small frame, allowing her to cry against his chest. They stayed that way for a long while, pretending they had all the time in the world, so Luke whispered in her ear, his voice calm and soothing. "Dance with me."

    As Cassie hung her arms around his neck, they began to sway to the music, their foreheads touching and breaths colliding. They swayed for an eternity, the rest of the world forgotten. As the song was coming to an end though, Luke pulled away and cupped her cheeks, staring deeply into the eyes he loved. He dipped down, taking his time, lingering before softly pressing his lips against hers, savoring what he knew was their last kiss.

    "Do it," Luke uttered once he had pulled away, causing Cassie's brows to immediately knit together in confusion. Before she could utter a word though, she caught sight of Sadie by the door, muttering an incantation.

    "Luke, what's happening?"

    "I'm so sorry," Sadie whispered as she finished the incantation, eyes filled with so much guilt.

    "What-," suddenly a strange feeling swept over Cassie, and she barely had time to register it when suddenly, her mind felt as though it was being searched.

    Suddenly and thankfully the pain subsided, and just as it did, memories started to flash before her eyes. As she watched the memories come and go, she felt a small smile creep onto her lips, the memories leaving a warm feeling in her chest. She was about to ask Luke what was happening when, suddenly, she felt the pain return, her smile disappearing almost immediately. She felt the memories slipping through her fingers, burning out somehow. She felt them being stolen from her, and, as hard as she held on to them, they slipped right through the cracks.

    "No," she whispered, shaking her head furiously. She stared up at Luke, tears streaming down her face. "Luke."

    Suddenly and all at once, more memories came crashing down on her, and she held on to each one as tight as she could before they vanished. She couldn't take it, she was broken, helpless.

    "I love you," Luke whispered, as he pressed his lips to her forehead, his eyes screwing shut and jaw clenching, and in spite of the pain Cassie was feeling, she was able to look straight into his eyes and utter those three words back.

    "I love you."

    And that was it.