The Damned

Chapter 5: The Struggle

The Struggle

When he came to, he was curled in a fetal position on the ground, tears running down his face in dirty trails. He sat up, only dimly aware of his watering eyes. The only thought running through his mind was 'I'm so sorry, Auburn! I'm so sorry...'

"Auburn?" He called out. He half hoped and half feared that she had left him. But her reply came softly from behind him, "I'm here, Nathan."

He turned and saw her, knealing on the ground next to him, still regarding him with those sad, pained eyes. But when he saw her, she attempted a smile, but her eyes remained the same and turned that smile into a look that broke Nathan's heart to look at.

"Auburn..." He began, but then he broke down and began sobbing. The pain and guilt from what he'd done... it'd haunted him all these years. And, even now, she tried to smile. He couldn't bear it.

But, though he couldn't say anything else because of his sobbing, she seemed to understand his pain and took him in her arms and held him. After awhile, he managed to reexert control over himself and was able to stop the sobs, though tears still trickled down his cheeks.

"Nathan... I know that you're sorry, and i forgive you." Came her voice as she held him.

"I didn't mean to, Auburn... i loved you with all my heart, I didn't want it to get you... It was the demon..."

"Shhh... It's going to be ok, Nathan. It's going to be alright..."

So, she held him. He didn't know how long she did, but it was for a long time, and eventually he stopped crying and simply took comfort from her sympathetic touch. At last, she said, "Now, you must go Nathan. You cannot run from the demon that hunts you any longer. You have to face it. Until you do, you will never be able to stay with me in heaven."

Nathan looked up, and the pain in her eyes was genuine. He embraced her then, fiercely, holding her tightly for several moments.

Then he let and looked at her. "I'll find you again, Auburn. I won't lose you a second time."

She smiled at him, then, a real smile filled with love, pain, and longing. Then, they stood. She walked a few steps away and then turned back to him. "I'll wait for you, Nathan. I'll wait for you until you find me again." She was fading now, the light disappearing around her and the darkness swallowing her. "I want you to know that I still love you and i always will."

Then, she was gone. And suddenly, the darkness rose up and swallowed him as well. But he wasn't afraid. He knew now what he must do, what he -should- have done long ago.

The darkness parted and he found himself standing in the alley where he had tripped in when the demon first came to this forgotten city. He looked around quickly, searching for a weapon and found a sturdy wooden stake in one of the trash barrels. It would have to do.

He walked out of the alley and into the street. It felt like he was walking through deja vu; as if his steps had been pre-ordained and he was just doing as fate had assigned him. And when he looked down the street to see the demon standing there grinning at him, it was with no surprise at all.

"The time has come!" Nathan called.

The demon nodded at him. Nathan held onto the wooden stake with both his hands and spread his feet a bit apart, like it was a baseball bat and he was about to hit a ball.

"It ends now."