The Harvest Of Souls (beast wirt X reader short story)

9: Embers of Life

"We are healed from suffering only by experiencing it to the full." -Marcel Proust

Hands quivering outside in the air
Souls shifting beneath the roots
Minds pulsating within the skull
Eyes lost above the sky

All of these feelings brooding within one another, festering and nesting to make a home of its own. The loneliness that tormented the poor dead boy, the fright haunting the dying girl. Her breath can't hold for much longer in this world.

All conflicting to do what they want against what they should do. She soon hears the sound of work all around her, the work of something dragging against the floor, footsteps, the sound of wood being placed in the fire place, and soon, the sensation of warmth is brought to her body once more.

Surprisingly, it took a little amount of time for her eyes to open, as she starts to cough the last amounts of water left in her system before she moves her neck around to find him awkwardly near the side of the room, indecisive on wether he should leave or stay.

"Are you really what they say you are?... Are you really the... the sins that you've committed?" She asks, just a small shivering form, pathetic to what he could be, to what he is. He takes a moment, and hesitates before picking up a blanket and going over to put it on her shoulders.

"Well... if I am the sins that I've committed, that must mean so are you." He says, in a split second it's as if he's looking into her very core, knowing what she did to get herself here. However, that moment doesn't last long, as he closes his eyes solemnly "Although, it would also mean that we're both the virtues we've done as well."

Her lip quivered as thoughts soon rushed through her head like a never ending flood of emotions. "I... I just wanted to see her again... my life was total shit s-" " so you thought suicide was the only way out?" "Yes!" The word echoed through the room as silence was left between them. "Yes... no one loves me in life, they all just ignore me or... or they just yell at me or abuse me" "Who?" He asks, sitting down with her besides the roaring fire, "My family, my friends, my classmates, just everyone!"

He looks into the fire, taking another moment to choose his words carefully "Look, I don't know what house you've grown up in, what burdens you were born with, the expectations that have been put on your shoulders, but... family and society are two things we can't really change at this point in life. They'll tell us what they plan on molding us into wether it be good or bad, but it's your choice to fit into that mold or not. The mold that society and your family gave to you might have been suicide in your eyes, heck, it's suicide to a lot of people's eyes. But did you ever consider that perhaps they come with good intentions but just really stink at being an effective leader?..."

Her body is still quivering as her eyes are brought to the fire as well. Her mind wonders to different points, reflecting on better times, reflecting on the good things she's done in here too, however this only makes her tremble even more "How am I going to make it out there without someone like you to be there with me?"

He looks away after that comment, melancholic over his situation as the fire begins to slowly simmer as his hand goes to awkwardly itch the back of his head "I'm sure there are plenty of people out there,... just as long as you're looking in the right places you know?...." the air grows tense as outside the wind howls.

"And I really miss someone too... I miss my brother, my parents, my friends... I feel like shit, regretting never doing so many things in life, never driving a car, graduating, having a first kiss, any of that stuff! And worst of all... I'm afraid... I never got the choice like you did to live or not, I had no clear choice for any of this, but you do! So... please... please don't become what I am. I'm so grateful for what you've done these past few days, you've warmed my heart far beyond what any trees can give off to my lantern. And for that for at least my sake... please wake up."

As they glance at each other, she carefully puts a hand to his cheek, feeling how cold it actually is, pitying the kid who could never grow up in life, only to in post- mortem. Pushing her chapped lips together, she looked to the side for a moment, before looking back to his face and quickly yet gently pressing his face to her's in, be it the most innocent attempt at a kiss.

"There, I know it wasn't amazing but... at least you can scratch that one off your bucket list..." he smiled down at her bittersweetly before returning her a similar attempt, as behind them, the fire was nothing more than just a few red twigs and candle flames. "Thanks for the advice... for, helping me make the right choice... But, can I ask you one last thing?"

Out of curiosity , something just gnawing at the back of her head, "What was your brother's name?" He raised an eyebrow at the question, yet he still decided to answer "It was Greg, how come?..." A blank spot swept through her head, as the last embers began fading away "I... don't know, I just"