Chapter 1: Broken Hearts
1624 Words
Niky
“If someone said three years from now, you’d bee long gone, I’d stand up and punch them out, cause their all wrong, and that last kiss, I’ll cherish, until we meet again, and time makes it harder, I wish I could remember, but I keep your memory, you visit me in my sleep, my darling, who knew?”
I blinked away the infuriating tears as I sang the song that had come to be the story of my life. My husband was always running through my mind, and this song was almost always on repeat. I looked up at the fireplace mantel. Of all the pictures only one caught my attention. Justin and I on our wedding day. My eyes flicked to the digital clock on my wall. It was three fifteen. Hannah and Ben would be home from school soon, and I still had so much to do. I sighed and went back to folding the laundry that was spread out over my bed, as the song started again.
I finished folding and glanced at the clock once more. Only fifteen minutes had passed. I paused the song, and pulled my earbuds when I noticed Dylan standing in the doorway.
“Hey Nik.” Dylan grinned.
“Hey Dyl.” I rushed over to hug him. “What are you doing here?
“I live here.” Dylan laughed.
“Besides that.” I rolled my eyes.
“I wanted to check on you.” He rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish grin gracing his face.
“I’m fine Dylan.” I sigh.
“I know it’s just that today-“ He trailed off.
“I know.” I growled. “Can we not talk about it.”
“Okay.” Dylan put his hands up in mock surrender. “But you should know that we are going to the cemetery, and I wanted to know if you wanted to go?”
I glared at him. “No Dylan, I am not going to visit him in the cemetery when we both know that he’s not there.”
“His body is.” Dylan argued.
“No!” I snapped. “Now drop it.”
“Hannah and Ben want to go.” Dylan snapped back. “It would be nice if their mother would go with them.”
I turned and wiped furiously at the tears that had started falling. “Take them Dylan, but don’t ask me to do the impossible.”
I heard him sigh and then the door slammed as he left. “Why can’t he understand that I can’t go there?” I asked Silver.
“He does understand Niky.” Silver sighed.
“I think you are being too hard on him.” Storm added.
“I can’t do this right now.” I sobbed. “It hurts so much.”
“We know sweetie.” Silver purred sympathetically. “I hate this, I miss Arrow so much and I don’t know how to survive without him. You know I haven’t been at full strength since he died.”
“I know.” I felt guilty. I wasn’t the only one suffering. I knew Dylan was dying inside as well. We were still connected via the Trybrid bond, and sometimes our walls slip, and we feel each other’s emotions. “Dylan?” I opened the link.
“What Nik?” He snapped.
“I’m sorry.” I choked back another sob. “I’m being selfish. He was your brother.”
“He was your mate.” Dylan reminded me.
“I know.” I whimpered. “But Dylan, I forget that you are hurting to, but understand that I can’t go to his grave.”
“I know.” Dylan’s soft whisper entered my mind. “I love you Nik, nothing will change that okay?”
“Okay.” I closed the link. I heard everyone leave and decided that I was too tired to keep cleaning. I lay down on my bed and was asleep in seconds.
I blinked and looked around in confusion. I was in a forest. I brushed my pants off as I stood up. Directly in front of me was a familiar cabin. “Jaden!” I called out but got no response as I walked closer. “Justin!”
Again, no response. I walked closer to Jaden’s well. Images swirled there, I could see my family, Justin’s headstone, Robert at the precinct. I looked closer and saw Chelsea and Jason, a smile formed on my face. I hadn’t seen them in years. I needed to go and visit them. “Justin? Jaden?” I called out again.
The well caught my attention again as the images changed. Twin boys stood side by side. One had shoulder length dirty blonde hair, while the other had his cropped short. They had the same unearthly blue green eyes. They swirled and glowed with ancient power.
“There will be two, born of different parents, but twins in every sense, with them comes the destruction of the universe, and the world will be one.” I shivered as the whisper repeated itself as if on an endless loop.
I felt drawn to the boys for some reason. I looked closer, urging the well to show me more, and almost jumping in shock when it did. The image changed and it showed a young man and woman standing next to the boys. The woman looked like an older version of Hannah, and the man was an older version of Atlas. They were laughing with the boys.
Suddenly the image changed again. Meghan was front and center. I almost screamed when I saw her head bent at an odd angle, blood trickled from her mouth. Dylan kneeled next to her, his lips parted in a silent scream. “NO!” I yelled at the well.
“Unfortunately, yes.” A voice sounded behind me and I spun on my heel.
Three women stood behind me, they were beautiful dressed in all gold, The one in the middle had blonde hair, the woman on the right had brown almost black hair, and the woman on the left had red hair. My mind registered immediately that I was staring at the Fates.
“What do you want?” I snapped.
“You saw more than you were supposed to.” Blondie murmured. “We have come to erase your memories and send you home.”
“No.” I gasped. “I have to save her.”
“You cannot.” The red head growled. “It is her fate.”
They began mumbling, and a searing pain lanced through me. I fell to my knees, a cry leaving my lips as the pain intensified. “Enough!” A roar sounded from what seemed to be everywhere.
The pain faded, but I felt nauseous if that’s even possible. One of the Fates hissed and then they were gone. “Niky?”
“Jaden?” I gasped as my vision swam.
“What are you doing here?” Jaden asked. At least I think it was Jaden.
“I don’t know.” I groaned.
“Why were the Fates wiping your memories?” He asked.
“I saw something in the well.” I tried to look at him.
“What did you see?” He demanded.
“I don’t-“ I shook my head as the memory faded in and out. “Meg!”
“s**t!” Jaden cursed. “Can you stand?”
I nodded as I stood up. The world spun and I crashed into Jaden. “Meghan is going to die!” I yelped. My vison cleared and I stared at the man in front me. It was not Jaden. “Justin?” A sob caught in my throat.
He stared at me. His eyes glazed over and when they refocused I saw none of the warmth I was used to. He pushed me away and took a step back. “Justin?” I whispered.
“You need to go home Niky.” His voice was like a bucket of ice water. I shivered at the indifference.
“I miss you Justin.” I stepped closer and he moved back. “What happened to you?”
“Death!” He snarled. “You need to go home.”
I nodded. “I love you.”
“Niky.” He warned. “You need to leave now.”
“Do you not love me anymore?” I whispered. He turned and began walking away.
“I don’t have time for this.” He snapped. “Go home before the Fates come back.”
“I don’t even know how I got here.” I yelled at his back. “How do I go home?”
“Close your eyes and imagine your body.” Justin turned and looked at me. His icy glare froze me in my place.
I nodded. My heart breaking. I thought he would be happy to see me, but my wildest dream had become my worst nightmare. I didn’t understand how or why. I closed my eyes and imagined my body in my bed. “One more thing before I go.” I said not even knowing if he was still there. “Happy Birthday Justin.”
My eyes snapped open. I looked at the clock and saw that I had only been asleep for an hour. My heart felt like it was breaking all over as I thought about Justin’s cold indifference. “Oh Justin.” I sobbed silently.
I cried myself back to sleep whispering his name. No dreams came this time, only darkness.
“Justin!”
- Writer
