Ember

by Madison Daniel

  I slowly reached for it and turned it to my nervous eyes. Mia’s little eyes stared back at me, book ended by two long pigtails with red bows. A smaller, happier version of me was sitting behind her with a goofy smile painted on my face. I touched the glass, running my fingers along her cheek and then tucked the frame inside my bag.

  As I removed my hand it grazed a fat white envelope sticking out from a pair of jeans that Frank had packed for me. I walked to the kitchen as I opened it. Inside was a stack of money, mostly hundred dollar bills. Almost $7,000 all together. I stood at the table shocked. He had packed me get away money, even before I knew I would need it. I stared at it for a long time. I almost left it on the table feeling like there was no way I could possibly take it. In that moment two things occurred to me, it would hurt his feelings if I didn’t take the money and that amount of cash wouldn’t get me too far in the big bad world.

  My mind was racing so I grabbed a pen and paper and quickly scribbled a few last words for my uncle. It was the least I could do for him. How could my life change in such a short amount of time? When I finished I looked down at Oz one last time, tossing him one last treat. He ate it with his tail wagging and I felt lucky that he had found me. He was destined to find my glowing burning embrace. His home. Now it was my turn.

  “Lions, tigers and bears.” I slid my guitar around my back and snuck out the front door to start my long journey but first I had one last stop.

  Tuesday afternoon – 1:03 p.m.

  Standing in the mess that used to be Asia’s beautiful home, I fell silent. My eyes scarred by the giant red letters carved into the wall. I was only able to look at them for a second. The thought of how much pain she must have been in to write them, choked me. I felt numb thinking that she was out there thinking the worst, that I was dead and she was alone.

  I made a lap through the house and almost every step was met with crunching glass and damp footprints. In her bedroom I sat thinking of the last time I was in her bed. A smile fell across my face at the thought of how sad it was that we couldn’t even consummate our relationship. Her scent was still all through the house, even with the blowing wind rushing inside all the broken windows. That made my heart beat quicker.

  Downstairs in the kitchen, I wondered just how she left. Her boat? Her helicopter? Her private jet? As I pondered such ridiculous questions, my eyes came to rest on the gift box I had left for her. It was unopened and still in remarkably good condition. The one thing to survive her hurricane. Without even thinking I picked it up and placed it in my bag.

  A horn beeped from out front, signaling that it was time to go. I had called the cab company an hour ago but I was happy it took so long to get here. My eyes glanced around the broken house one final time before I quietly left. Outside the impatient cab driver honked again just as I walked up to the car.

  “To the next ferry,” I said climbing in the back seat. A pair of familiar eyes glared at me from the rear view mirror. The cabbie that had first picked me up from the airport the day of my arrival and again he said nothing. He just shook his head in some weird “I told you so” mannerism and drove off.

  On the way to the pier I watched the scenery drift by and I quickly filled with an overpowering sadness. I reached in my pocket and pulled my headphones out and placed them in my ears. Turning my mp3 to something hopeful, I closed my eyes and let the music soothe me.

  3:33 p.m.

  Frank walked into the house, tossing his keys on the table by the door. He could hear a tiny whine coming from the kitchen and quickly went to find Oz. He was curled up along the letter that I had left on the edge of the kitchen table and whimpering lightly.

  “I guess he broke your heart too, huh little man,” Frank said with a small smile and rubbed the top of his head. As he picked him up he read the words that I had left.

  “Frank...I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared – so I won’t say it. You know me better than that anyways. I really don’t know where I’m going or when I’ll be back. Just know that I’ll be okay and that I will be back…it just may be a little longer than I was letting on. (But I’m sure you knew that too!)

  Now I know I am capable of some amazing things – the fact that I’m here now, writing you this letter is proof of what I’m capable of. But the one trick that I haven’t been able to figure out yet…the one miracle that escapes even my gifts is…

  …How do you heal a broken heart? I don’t think there is a magic out there that can fix that. I’ll check in on you every chance I get. Don’t let the little guy sulk too much…and you either! I love you old man…Max.”

  He folded the note and tucked it in his pocket with a tear in his eye. He walked to the living room and turned on his stereo. To his surprise I had replaced his usual selection with one of my favorites. Something that would leave him with a smile on his face. Frank fell back in his chair as the song started and he laughed until he cried.

  “…Far away…This ship is taking me far away…”

  5:51 p.m.

  Aboard the ship I found my mind at ease and I shakily felt happy. My guitar felt right at home across my back as the breeze swept through my hair, making me smile.

  “Hope you enjoy the music Uncle Frank,” I thought to myself.

  Now came the scary part. The future was mine. Whatever I wanted to do, all I had to do was do it. Surfing in the Bahamas, sky diving in the desert, or chasing a falling star across the ocean. I pulled out the large manila envelope that Sam had given me and ran my fingers along the edge of the seal. I wanted to open it so badly but I had made her a promise that I wouldn’t until I was ready.

  “I will keep that promise Sam,” I said to the ocean. And I’ll keep the one that I had made to her hours ago…

  “I will come back.”

  As I stuck the package back into my brown bag the shiny silver paper from Asia’s gift winked at me. I pulled it out, gently brushing the curly black ribbons on top of it and held it in my hands. The mirrored paper reflected the distant shades of the sunset. I watched the colors mesmerized. Would I be able to give her this one day? I scratched my hand through my hair and caught a familiar scent. Just past that sunset a tropical storm was fading away.

  Behind me the island shrank smaller with each passing wave.

  “Far away…fade away,” I sang. “But with hope I’ll be back one day.”

  “Hope. What a crazy word…hope.” I turned the volume up on my music and gently leaned against the railing.

  “With hope…” I smiled.

  THE END?

  Ember_00

  ~With Or Without You: U2~

  Monday morning – 10:33 a.m. – October 23rd.

  This was it. I had spent over a month in a zombie-like crippled state. Well, 48 days and counting. It made me so mad that he had brought me to this pitiful level, counting the days without him.

  I think I was starting to lose my mind a little and my health was not far behind. I had cut my long hair to just above my shoulders and dyed the naturally blonde locks to a dirty brown, chestnut shade. My way of rebelling against him…I guess. I had lost a little weight and I was starting to have a hard time keeping food down now. It began about a week ago and mentally I knew that was messed up but it only seemed to happen in the mornings. This new side effect to not having him around was enough to kick me in the butt and start making things better.

  So here I was…at her house. My first step to freedom, confront your worst fear. I had driven past Asia’s house a couple times before but never found the courage to actually stop. The front yard was a mess with the landscaping a wreck and covered in overgrown brush. Most of it was beginning to wilt and turn a dying shade of brown. Her once lovely home missed her daily torrents I guess. The front door was completely open and exposed. The emptiness invited me in.

  As I walked through the archway my eyes were amazed at the destruction before me. It looked as if a tornado had smashed through the home. It was hard to tell if the damage was intentional or just from the month
and a half of exposure to the elements. My nerves began to get the best of me as I stood motionless in the foyer.

  “Alright Samantha…you can handle this,” My stomach felt sick and full of knots.

  As I pushed my feet forward and into the enormous living room, I couldn’t have been more wrong. My heart sank as I read the giant red words that looked to be dripping down the wall.

  “Love don’t live here anymore,” I whispered under my breath. I stood there for what felt like hours just staring at those five words. I couldn’t remove my eyes from them. In an instant, something broke inside of me and a flood was released.

  “Ahhh!” I cried out from my soul. I screamed again and again until it felt only natural to do it. My hands reached out around me for anything they could find and hold. I started to throw every piece of junk around me. Trash, debris, and broken furniture took the brunt of my tirade. Kicking and screaming I unleashed all that I had left. Those words! I hated those words that she had written. I despised that she had written them for him! For my beloved! For my Max!

  My stomach cramped as my mind folded under the anguish. I felt like this hell would go on forever when my own blood splattered across the wall, stopping me in my tracks. The blood painted the five horrible words in a deep crimson flood. I had crushed a wine glass in my hand as I threw it at the wall. It tore a huge chunk of my palm open, making my stomach turn over again, as the blood poured from the fresh wound.

  The gash smiled up at me about three to four inches long and at least half an inch deep in the center of my right hand. At first the blood showed no sign of stopping and sent me into a panic. Quickly, a nervous calm over powered the panic as a new fact had my mind racing. It didn’t hurt. Not one bit. It hurt the moment it happened but not now.

  I pulled my hand closer to inspect it and realized that the pain should be fantastic. Maybe I had cut it deep enough to cause nerve damage but I was moving it just fine. No pain…only heat.

  Slowly the gash faded right before my bulging eyes. The pieces of skin pulled together like a zipper as the faintest trail of smoke twisted off my palm. My eyes blinked not believing what they had just seen. Franticly I wiped the excess blood on my pants and shirt to get a better look. Unbelievably, I found my hand completely healed…good as new.

  I was stunned. I was confused. My eyes glanced back at the words on the wall and then back to my warm hand. A soft breeze slithered through the house, messing my hair. How could this be? How was this possible? I racked my numbing brain trying to process what had just happened. My stomach rolled over again and I felt close to losing my breakfast. As my hand slid to my stomach and filled with a familiar heat…I felt at peace…

  “Max.”

  “Thank you so much for taking the first step in Max’s journey. I hope you choose to follow his next step. It is filled with much more adventure and heartache. Keep an eye open for the next book in the series... ‘Downpour.’ Remember, music is life and love never dies...” - Madison Daniel.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

  Madison Daniel is new to the literary world. He hopes to exist in that world by bringing something exciting to it. A literary soundtrack is woven into everything he writes. Combining the love of music and the written word with the latest technology is his passion.

  We live in an “instant culture,” lets embrace it.

  A SPECIAL THANK YOU:

  Sometimes you dream of what could be and sometimes you run away from it. This goes out to the quiet force that made me believe in this series completely. Thank you Court.

  ~LITERARY SOUNDTRACK~

  Ember is a living, breathing work of entertainment. It is meant to be enjoyed and consumed with a musical playlist. Each chapter is bookended by a song that resonates with the story and its characters. I have enclosed that musical playlist. Feel free to follow my lead or download your own playlist. Support the arts and the artists. Don’t illegally download.

  Look, listen and fade away...

  ~Chapters and Playlist~

  Prologue - NIGHTMARES “STOP CRYING YOUR HEART OUT” - Oasis

  SAVIOR - 01 “CRUEL SUMMER” - Bananarama

  2000 MILES - 02 “(SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY” - Otis Redding

  BROKEN - 03 “TIME IS RUNNING OUT” - Muse

  MORNING GLORY - 04 “AMBER” - 311

  NEW KID - 05 “ISLAND IN THE SUN” - Weezer

  JADED - 06 “DIG” - Incubus

  IRON JAW - 07 “SOMEWHERE I BELONG” - Linkin Park

  DARK SKIES - 08 “MONSOON” - Tokio Hotel

  CRUSH - 09 “#1 CRUSH” - Garbage

  TEMPTATIONS - 10 “FLUTTER GIRL” - Chris Cornell

  RAINMAKER - 11 “CAUGHT IN THE RAIN” - Revis

  BAD MOON - 12 “PARALYZER” - Finger Eleven

  HIGH TIDE - 13 “BREAK THE ICE” - Britney Spears

  SUNBURN - 14 “SUNBURN” - Fuel

  “DAYS OF THE WEEK” - Stone Temple Pilots

  BREATHE - 15 “OXYGEN” - Colbie Caillat

  TRUTH - 16 “POLICY OF TRUTH” - Depeche Mode

  KRYPTONITE - 17 “I DON’T TRUST MYSELF WITH LOVING YOU” - John Mayer

  TRIAL BY FIRE - 18 “BEAST OF BURDEN” - The Rolling Stones

  UNDER PRESSURE - 19 “UNDERNEATH IT ALL” - No Doubt

  DESTINY - 20 “DESTINY” - Zero 7

  SPARKS - 21 “ARE YOU HAPPY NOW” - Michelle Branch

  WILDFIRE - 22 “I DON’T CARE ANYMORE” - Phil Collins

  “OUT OF CONTROL” - Hoobastank

  INFERNO - 23 “24” - Jem

  CRAVE - 24 “CRAVE” - Nuno Bettencourt

  NUMB - 25 “STRAIGHTJACKET” - Alanis Morissette

  “AFTER TONIGHT” - Justin Nozuka

  CRASHING - 26 “MOUTH (THE STINGRAY MIX)” - Bush

  “WALKING AFTER YOU” - Foo Fighters

  FORBIDDEN - 27 “LOVE BITES” - Def Leppard

  “BREAKDOWN” - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

  WICKED GAME - 28 “WICKED GAME” - Chris Isaak

  SUFFOCATE - 29 “STRONG ENOUGH” - Sheryl Crow

  “RAIN” - The Wreckers

  FALLING - 30 “SIGN YOUR NAME” - Terence Trent D’Arby

  BLACKENED - 31 “SHAME” - Stabbing Westward

  ASHES - 32 “LOVE IS DEAD” - Kerli

  RISING - 33 “SAY (ALL I NEED)” - OneRepublic

  HOPE - 34 “STARLIGHT” - Muse

  EMBER - 00 “WITH OR WITHOUT YOU” - U2

  All music is used in complete respect and admiration.

  “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” written by Noel Gallagher. Copyright 2002. Creation Songs Ltd/Warner Chappell Music Ltd.

  “Cruel Summer” written by Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Karen Woodward, Steve Jolley, & Tony Swain. Copyright 1983.

  “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” written by Steve Cropper & Otis Redding. Copyright 1968.

  “Time Is Running Out” written by Matthew Bellamy. Copyright 2003. Taste Media, A&E Records, East West.

  “Amber” written by Nick Hexum. Copyright 2002.

  “Island In The Sun” written by Rivers Cuomo. Copyright 2001.

  “Dig” written by Brandon Boyd, Michael Einziger, Ben Kenney, Christopher Kilmore, & Jose Pasillas. Copyright 2007. HUNGLIKEYORA MUSIC.

  “Somewhere I Belong” written by Chester Bennington, Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, Brad Delson, Darren Farrell & Joseph Hahn. Copyright 2003. BIG BAD MR HAHN MUSIC; PANCAKEY CAKES MUSIC; CHESTERCHAZ PUBLISHING; ROB BOURDON MUSIC; KENJI KOBAYASHI MUSIC; NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT MUSIC; ZOMBA SONGS INC.

  “Monsoon” written by David Roth, David Jost, Peter Hoffmann, Patrick Benzner & Bill Kaulitz. Copyright 2007.

  “# 1 Crush” written by Shirley Manson, Steve Marker, Duke Erikson & Butch Vig. Copyright 1995. Vibecrusher Music / Irving Music, Inc / Deadarm Music.

  “Flutter Girl” written by Chris Cornell, Alain Johannes & Natasha Shneider. Copyright 1994/1999.

  “Caught In The Rain” written by Robert Bruce Thiemann, Justin Keith Holman, Nathani
el Joseph Cox & Robert Wayne Davis. Copyright 2003/2004.

  “Paralyzer” written by Scott Anderson, James Black, Rick Jackett, Sean Anderson & Rich Beddoe. Copyright 2007.

  “Break The Ice” written by Marcella Araica, Nate Hills, Keri Hilson & James Washington. Copyright 2008.

  “Sunburn” written by Carl Bell. Copyright 1997/1998.

  “Days Of The Week” written by Scott Weiland & Dean DeLeo. Copyright 2001.

  “Oxygen” written by Colbie Caillat & Jason Reeves. Copyright 2007.

  “Policy Of Truth” written by Martin Gore. Copyright 1989.

  “I Don’t Trust Myself With Loving You” written by John Mayer. Copyright 2005/2006.

  “Beast Of Burden” written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards. Copyright 1978.

  “Underneath It All” written by Gwen Stefani & Dave Stewart. Copyright 2002.

  “Destiny” written by Henry Binns & Sam Hardaker. Copyright 2001.

  “Are You Happy Now?” written by Michelle Branch & John Shanks. Copyright 2002/2003.

  “I Don’t Care Anymore” written by Phil Collins. Copyright 1982.

  “Out Of Control” written by Chris Hesse, Douglas Robb, Daniel Estrin & Markku Lappalainen. Copyright 2003.

  “24” written by Jem Griffiths & Justin Griffiths. Copyright 2004.

  “Crave” written by Nuno Bettencourt. Copyright 1997.

  “Straitjacket” written by Alanis Morissette & Guy Sigsworth. Copyright 2007.

  “After Tonight” written by Justin Nozuka & Winston Neale. Copyright 2007. Golden Train Music (SOCAN)/ ib Entertainment/Ole (SOCAN).