It had now been a few months since Emma had last seen Alex, she thought she’d gotten used to his absence, but everytime she heard his voice, or received a letter, or saw him the hole inside her chest, longing for him back in her arms safe and sound, opened up again. The last time she’d seen him, about 3 months back, had only made it worse. They’d finally allowed her to see him, but instead of the news she’d been hoping upon that he’d be coming home soon she’d only discovered that they’d lengthened his stay because he’d tried something again.
"Don’t you fucking give up on me, Alex. I need you, our baby needs you." She’d told him sternly, but her eyes had also been ridden with tears and anguish over the thought of losing him. The scariest part was that she knew the feeling of being on the edge of that cliff, the oblivion below seeming more tempting than rotting in Arum forever, drowning in darkness and the ghosts of your past, not knowing what string The Bloody Nightmare could pull on or tangle, or even snap, next.
The only thing that had kept her going was the growing life inside of her, but the fear of her and Alex’s child growing up in Arum had also nearly been suffocating her. Some nights she would apologise that she hadn’t been stronger and gotten rid of her before it was too late, so her daughter would never have to know of the torments of the town, but on better nights, Emma would wish upon the stars in the night sky, something she’d once done as a child. She’d wish that for once things would work out, that everything she’d been through to get to Alex and their baby hadn’t been for nothing, that one day, maybe one day, they’d find freedom.
Emma wasn’t sure she believed in much, it was hard to when you were living in what felt like the worldly form of hell, but someone must’ve been listening to her on those nights, or praying for the same thing, because one day her wishes came true.
She’d stayed inside while most of the initial fighting had gone on, not sure whether it was just intense riots or not. But one night Emma wandered into town after seeing flames rising from one of the buildings in the centre, curious, especially following what seemed like gleeful, victorious cheering, not just those of an angry mob.
"What’s happening?" She asked a woman standing closeby.
"Arum is no more." She’d replied.
In that moment, flames had never looked so bright to Emma, a sudden warmth, joy and relief burning throughout her.
Not caring that it wasn’t visiting hours, not caring about anything but getting to Alex to share the news, share the freedom with him, Emma raced to the rehabilitation center. She probably would’ve sprinted if she wasn’t so heavily pregnant by now, she had that much adrenaline in her.
She’d seen the staff had changed since last time she’d visited, and although a wardsman tried to stop her, she somehow convinced him-maybe it was her pregnancy, or the look of overwhelming, tearful joy on her face-to let her go to Alex’s room.
The room was dark-it was maybe 3am-but Emma could still make out Alex’s sleeping form on the bed. It was strange how she could still remember it, still remember the small sounds of his breathing or see the spot where she loved to slip under his arms and snuggle against his chest. Sitting on the bed beside him gently, Emma leaned over and gave Alex a few light kisses, whispering in his ear. “Alex, baby, wake up. It’s me. You won’t believe what just happened.” She smiled as she kissed the skin near his ear again, a tear falling from her eye. But for the first time in a long time this wasn’t a tear of loss, or longing, or fear. It was a tear of pure and utter happiness and one thing Emma thought life had taken from her for good; hope.
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