The Rising Fire (The Witch in the Woman Book One)

by Stacey Criswell

  Chapter 7:

  I sit in my room thinking about everything. My brother dying, what Aldric told me about being Katrina's sister, what Jett had said about me having to work for Skylark when I turn eighteen in a week. It is all so much to take in. I don't even know how I truly feel about all of it. I know I should probably fall to the floor crying about my brother. Be angry that I have to work for Skylark. Be happy there might be a way to defeat Skylark if this girl Allison and I work together. But, I feel nothing. I am completely numb to the world around me. I just sit here in my room. I don't understand myself. I always say I would die without Jacob, but I'm not dying. I'm not even sad right now. I'm?numb.

  I go to my side to table to get my phone, and dial Michelle's number. It rings three times, and then I get the voice mail. "Hey this is Michelle. Leave me a message and I'll call you later." I wait for the tone and say, "Hey this is Ren?e. Call me back when you get this. I was just going to see if you had heard from Chelsea yet. Bye."

  About the time I hang up the phone my doorbell rings. "Who is that?" I ask myself, and run down the stairs. I look out the peep hole and automatically I know something is wrong. There are two men in the army uniforms, which means they work for Skylark. "Can I help you?" I ask wearily as I open the door.

  An army man with a scar across his face says, "Are you Ren?e Perry?" I nod slowly. The man snaps his fingers at another army man with a scar across his arm. The man with a scar on his arm goes to the truck they came in, and gets what looks like a body out. My heart is beating fast, I don't know who it is yet but my guesses are dwindling. They drop the body at my feet, and my breath catches. I put my hand over my mouth to hold back a scream, it is Jett. His throat is slit, and he looks like he has been fighting.

  Tears are building up, but I don't want to cry in front of these men, they will only laugh at me. I sink down to Jett's body, "Why?" I ask my voice shaking.

  The man with the scar on his face says, "Skylark says that if you don't come to him, your friend named Chelsea is next. You have forty eight hours." He looks down at me with a sympathetic look that shocks me.

  They all turn and get back into the truck they came in. I can't hold my tears any longer. I pull his head up in my lap, "Jett I'm so sorry." I sit rocking him back and forth.

  He is still alive a little bit, because he groans. "What are you crying for?"

  I laugh between tears, "Nothing, you don't worry about it. You have to sleep now."

  He smiles sadly, "I don't want to go to sleep. You know, I'm going to do my best to stay awake for you."

  "You can try, but?" I trail off.

  "I know. Have I told you lately that I love you?"

  I shake my head slowly, "No, tell me again."

  "I love you so much. He wanted you. I couldn't let that happen, you know that right?"

  I nod, crying uncontrollably, "I know. I love you too." I pet his hair out of his face. He looks up at me with his deep blue eyes.

  I lean down and kissed his lips, "Mmm, that's a good way to go out." He says.

  His eyes start to close, "No, stay with me." I beg.

  "I'm with you forever, and always. You're never gonna be alone. Please, don't give up. Do everything you can to stay alive. I love you with all my heart." He mumbles. "I'm with you forever."

  His eyes close. "No." I beg. "I'm so so sorry. I'll never leave you again, I promise." I am completely oblivious to the rain, the thunder, the lightning, everything. I just keep saying, "Come back to me. Come back to me." Knowing he is long gone.

  I am soaking wet when I feel Michelle shaking me. She is crying and yelling at me at the same time. "Ren?e! Ren?e! Listen to me!"

  I look at her blankly, "He's gone. He died because of me. I killed him."

  Michelle hugs me still crying, "No, you didn't. Skylark did. Come on we have to take him somewhere and bury him. We can't leave him here."

  I shake my head. "No. I'm not leaving him. I'm never leaving him again. I promised." Michelle says something to someone else, but I have already blocked them out again. All I can think about is somehow I could have stopped all of this. But, it is too late. The only person that gave me a reason to live is dead, and because of me. I feel something pulling me. It is Sam; she is pulling me away from Jett's body. I thrash and pull away from her. "No! No! Don't take him away from me! Please, just wake up Jett! Please." I beg. Sam drags me into the house, and leans me against the wall. I pull my legs up to my chest, and bury my face in my knees. Sam is saying something, but I ignore her.

  I get up without thinking and go up the stairs to my room. Sam is calling after me, I just keep walking. I turn my CD on and put it on track three, then turn it up all the way and lie on my bed still dripping wet. The song Never Gonna Be Alone by Nickelback, which he said was ours playing.

  With this song playing over and over in my head as I drift off into a deep, dark sleep, hoping I won't wake back up.