Happy Writing Prompt Wednesday to all. It is beautiful in my part of the United States, but I know several states are currently dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. I wanted to shout out to those who are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and those who are preparing for Hurricane Milton. Please keep these individuals in your thoughts, and prayers, and send all of the good vibes in their direction. Mother Nature can be as cruel as it is beautiful.
For anyone who happens to be following Writing Prompt Wednesday, I’ve got Part 4 ready to go and I’m thinking, this thing needs a name! Next week will bring us halfway through the 10 parts that this short story will likely be so it is definitely time.
If you’re just joining us, welcome! I’ve included the links to the first 3 parts just below:
https://www.bluedandelionpress.com/autumn-festivals-and-short-stories/
https://www.bluedandelionpress.com/writing-prompt-wednesday-short-story-part-2/
https://www.bluedandelionpress.com/writing-prompt-wednesday-short-story-part-2/
Without further ado, Part 4:
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*Copyright © 2024 by This Book Beauty. All rights reserved.
The silence stretched between us for several minutes, only the wind and the waves broke the quiet that was beginning to border on awkward and would have been if the gravity of the moment hadn’t been so fraught with emotion.
“Why don’t you go change?”
I glanced at him with confusion written clearly on my face.
He sighed, “You just went on a mad dash through the rain and took a swim in the ocean.”
Like his words had summoned them, shivers stole over my body and the wind suddenly felt like it had razor claws that raked at my skin. I ducked into the estate room and did as he suggested.
The room was cozier than I’d anticipated. I took in the worn wooden planks that made up the walls, and the heavy furniture that was sturdy and of good quality bolted to the walls and floor. The bed was larger than expected for a pirate ship, though admittedly I had spent very little time considering the size of the estate room bed on a pirate ship. On top of the worn and comfortable-looking bedspread was a small pile of clothes and a pair of lavender-colored tennis shoes. I shrugged out of my damp, sticky clothes, and pulled on the warm black leggings and tank top over fresh undergarments. A thin white overshirt went over the tank top and I made sure to tie the tennis shoes with a double knot.
Everything fit perfectly; I took comfort in the dry cotton and spandex against my skin. Bemused, I realized, of course, he knew my sizes. Apparently, Sebastian knew everything there was to know about me. Not for the first time, I wish I remembered any of the time we had spent together, but I still wasn’t sure what it meant to be a Renascent. Did my memory get wiped every time I died? I struggled with that part the most. I didn’t want to do it once, having to go through it over and over sounded horrible.
After a sorry attempt at raking my fingers through the horrible tangles, I threw my hair into a messy bun. I’d have to deal with the mop at some point but now wasn’t the time. Feeling marginally more put together, I returned to the deck, immediately seeking Sebastian out. Against the rolling gray clouds and the nearly black sea, he seemed a steady force of nature in an otherwise chaotic world.
“Are you going to stare at me all day,” his voice seemed to boom across the ship. I felt my cheeks heat at being caught but I held my head high as I crossed to him.
He smirked, taking in my fresh clothes, “Better?”
“Significantly,” I beamed, refusing to let his grouchiness spoil my brightened mood.
“So, what’s the plan? What do we do now? How do we even fight The Dark?” Once I started asking questions, they poured from my lips without my permission as our situation sank back in and the elation at dry clothes faded.
Sebastian leaned back against a stack of wooden crates and kicked one ankle over the other. He crossed his arms and adopted a contemplative expression as if he had all the time in the world to puzzle out this question. Which, I guess he technically did.
“Well, I suppose that depends.”
“On what?”
“On you.”
I gulped, “How so?”
“The Dark is born of shadow and nightmare but it does have a physical form. Usually, it’s holed up somewhere not too far from where it’s haunting. The larger The Dark’s cloud, the bigger the creature.”
I shuddered thinking about the sheer size of the clouds of shade and mist that had chased me through my dreams.
“As a Renascent,” he continued, “you’re the only one who can take it with you back into the Otherworldly Realm where it’s supposed to dissipate in the endless light.”
I peered at him speculatively, “And, Mr. Immortal knows this how?”
It was the wrong thing to say; I knew it the moment my mouth closed on the final word and again, the progress I felt like I’d been making toward getting to know this man evaporated like morning fog in the sun. Mentally, I kicked myself and waited for the storm that was coming.
He snarled, “You told me. Last time you came back, I begged you to take me with you when you had to go. But you betrayed me and sought The Dark on your own.”
So much anger and hurt ravaged his voice, “Before,” he took a steadying breath, “when I lost you, it was always because we simply lost. We’d be overpowered or separated. But you left me and by the time I got to you, it was too late.”
That snarl was back and I could practically feel his wrath that was so wrapped up in anguish, it broke my heart. A part of me wanted to smack my past self for her selfishness.
“Immortality means very little in a world without a soul. So, this time, come hell or high tide, I’m going with you.”
There was nothing for me to do or say, so I nodded. Sebastian took several calming breaths, eyes closed until his brow smoothed and he could once again speak calmly.
“Something, you should know though Malia, before you tell me what comes next,” he paused and I felt myself leaning forward in anticipation.
The quiet stretched until I couldn’t help but blurt, “What, just tell me!”
His eyes met mine, nothing but a cavernous emptiness in his gaze, “To escort The Dark across the realms, the Renascent must forgo their long-lived nature and remain with the dead, forevermore.”
Next week brings our hero and heroine to the halfway point of their journey and things will start picking up! After all, they can only stay safe on the ship for so long don’t you think?
Thanks for being here and happy reading!
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