Indigo was screaming and so was I.
"Where am I?" he screamed and I could hear him thrashing around, but I still couldn't see him.
The rain was still pouring down on us, still soaking us to the bone but I didn't care. Indigo was alive! Indigo was alive! Indigo was alive!
It worked.
Tears of joy were streaming down my face as I rocketed forward, blindly searching for him.
"Indigo!" My hands fumbled forward, till I grasped something boney - his ankle maybe?
Indigo stopped screaming long enough to ask, "Lavender?"
I broke out into a smile. "It's me."
"What are you doing here? Where are we? What's going on?" Something was wrong with his voice, but I couldn't tell what.
My eyes finally cleared long enough that I could make out the vague image of his face.
It was filled with horror.
I sat back on my heels in shock. He was ... scared?
Indigo swallowed and his eyes darted around. They flitted back to me before they moved on.
"What - what's going on?" Indigo finally got out, "The last thing I remember was walking into the kitchen and reaching down to pick up the rose vines when they - they suddenly-" he broke off as he started to hyperventilate.
I scooted forward to put my arms around him. He immediately sagged into me as he started to sob. "Indigo! Indigo, it's alright. It's alright. I saved you."
Indigo pulled back, his face scrunched up. "You saved me? What the fuck does that mean?"
I smiled gently. "You ... well, you died-"
"I died?" he interrupted, his face aghast.
"But I brought you back!" I quickly put in.
I reached out for him again but he flinched back. He was breathing hard. His hand wandered up to his head and he felt the nail. His eyes widened and he immediately grasped it and pulled it straight out, yelping as he did so. I grimaced at the sound it made coming out, but the wound immediately began mending itself. I guess the magic was still coursing through him.
He glanced down at his body and noticed the blood and began checking for wounds, but he didn't find any. That, it seemed, freaked him out more.
He finally looked up at me, his face cautious. "What are you?"
My breath caught in my throat. "I - I can't tell you."
His face contorted into a snarl. "You can't tell me? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
I looked away. "It's against the rules."
He shook his head and grabbed my arm, pulling me towards him. I've never seen him look so mad before. "You don't get to tell me that I was dead and that you brought me back without telling me how. Tell. Me."
I swallowed but began to speak. "If I tell you then you'll be in danger."
"Tell me anyway," he demanded.
I hesitated for a moment before deciding that he had a right to know. "I'm ... well, I'm a witch."
He blinked. "You're a witch?"
I nodded.
"What? You have a broomstick or something? You cast spells?"
I shook my head. "It doesn't work that way."
"Then how does it work?"
I took a breath and began explaining the secret that I've never told anyone before. "Well you see, it all starts with a God and a witch, my ancestor, named Ntombi ..."
By the time I was done explaining, Indigo was staring at me like I was a freak. Like I was something to be scared of.
I shivered where I sat hunched over. "Do you ... do you hate me?"
Indigo didn't say anything for a long, long moment. His mouth kept opening and closing before he finally spoke. "You lied to me."
I flinched. "I had to."
He shook his head. "You lied to me! I specifically asked you if anything was going on in this town and you said that I should trust you!"
"There was no other way!"
"Bullshit!"
"Indigo, please," I begged, reaching out for him, but he just slapped my hand away.
"No! You don't get to touch me. You don't get to act like nothing has changed!"
I sat back, tears welling in my eyes. "Indigo?"
Indigo just shook his head. "How - how did I die?"
I didn't say anything and Indigo's eyes narrowed.
"How did I die, Lavender?"
I finally met his eyes, my lip quivering. "I - I lost control of my powers."
His eyes widened and he looked shocked. "You killed me?"
"I swear it was an accident. I swear I didn't mean to!"
He shook his head and stood up. "I need to go."
I rocketed to my feet. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry."
He didn't look at me. "Do you need a ride home?"
My mouth dropped open and I took a step back.
"Come on, let me give you a ride home." He still wasn't looking at me.
I sighed and quickly turned away before he could see the tears streaming down my face. I sniffled quietly and began walking back to the car, Indigo trailing behind me.
I glanced up at the big house when it came into view. The candle was still in the window but I thought nothing of it. Let the town burn for all I cared. It did nothing but take my hopes and dreams and crumble them to dust.
Indigo reached in his pocket for the keys only to find it empty. I held them out in my hand without looking at him. He was very careful to not let out palms touch as he took them.
I got in the car and immediately turned towards the window, curling up to be as small as possible. I wish that I could just fold in on myself. I wish that I could just disappear into nothing like a human blackhole.
Indigo started the car and pulled out of the driveway.
The drive back home was both unbearably long and much too short. It was an odd mix of wanting to run away and being scared that Indigo wouldn't look for me when I did.
Much too soon and much too late, we pulled up at my house. We sat in silence for a minute just letting the car idle.
Finally, Indigo said, "Well, we're here."
I turned to look at him for the first time in the entire drive. "Will I see you soon?"
Indigo paused and shook his head. "I - I need to leave. I need to clear my head."
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know. Maybe back to my parents. Maybe somewhere else. I'll figure it out."
I shriveled in on myself. I debated whether I should tell him. Finally, the thought of never saying it prompted me to speak. "Let me come with you." It wasn't a question or a request; more of a beg, but it was what it was.
Indigo just sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Lavender-"
"I know! I know that it's crazy. I know that you don't love me. But ... but I love you and I want to go with you. I won't take up that much space, I promise. I just - I just don't want to stay in this town without you. Let's run away together. We can go anywhere. We can go somewhere no one - no one - can find us. We can be happy," I finished lamely.
Indigo was quiet for the longest time, just staring out the windshield before he finally spoke, still not looking at me. "I never said that I didn't love you, Lavender."
My breath caught in my throat and a slow smile spread across my face. "You - you love me?"
He tensely nodded, just once. "But that's not enough, Lavender. It just isn't if you can lie to me that easily. I - I need some space - from you - to clear my head and figure out what I'm going to do."
Just like that the budding hope blooming in my chest withered. I swallowed sharply and tears beginning budding in my eyes again. "I - I understand."
He finally looked at me. "No, don't do that. Please, don't cry." He reached out for me but I pulled away. His hands hovered between us for a moment before he let them drop.
"I - I need to go," I whispered, unbuckling my seatbelt.
Indigo nodded but didn't say anything.
I got out of the car and stood to go, but Indigo's voice stopped me.
"I - I do love you, you know. Just because I'm leaving doesn't change that."
I stood with my back to him and didn't say anything.
"Lavender, did you hear me? I love you."
Finally, I said, "I wish that was enough."
I walked away then, going into my house, refusing to look back. If he was going to leave anyway then I refused to be left, I'd leave him first. As my hand reached for my doorknob, I heard him drive away.
I entered my house and standing in the hallway, wrapped in her robe, was Grammie. She was holding a steaming cup of tea that she quickly put down on the side-table.
"How did it go?" she asked carefully.
Without warning, I burst into tears.
Grammie just sighed and opened her arms for me. "Oh, baby," she whispered.
I stepped into her embrace and cried against her shoulder. "He's alive," I sobbed.
Grammie froze. "Isn't that a good thing?'
I shook my head and kept crying. "He's leaving. He doesn't love me enough to stay."
Grammie closed her eyes tight and held me tighter.
Finally, when my tears had started to slow down, I pulled back just enough to look at her.
"Why are you up?" I asked.
Grammie smiled at me sadly. "The phone rang. It was Miss Boone from the nursing home."
I stared at her in confusion and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. "What did she want?"
Grammie licked her lips before answering. "Miss Clay - the woman she said you visited? - she died tonight."
I stared at her in shock, my breath catching in my throat. "Is it - is it my fault?"
Grammie shook her head. "It's our fault darling. It's our fault. The magic choose her."
I didn't say anything, just collapsed back into her arms and started crying again. I had killed someone. Miss Clay was dead because of me. Indigo had left because of me.
I was alone.