Death's Embrace

Five days of this nightmare. I had been surviving on the combined energies of Drear and Jeton. I did not like it. I even insisted that they just leave me, but Drear would not hear of it. He did not care that he appeared so tired, so drained- all because of me. I cared. I cared greatly. After all, I was becoming a burden to those around me again. I hated that feeling...

I walked slowly down the hall with Jeton. Besides the fact that I was draining their energies, I also wished to have some time to myself! Constantly being around people- even Life and Death- was- ugh.

"Lea! Jeton!" Drear skidded to a stop at the end of the hall before quickly changing directions. He ran up to us. "I found him! I found Shymal! He is in the Upper Region of Sector 8A."

"Ya, no idea what that means." I shook my head with a slight frown and smile. Drear glanced back at me before striding over.

"It means," he drapped his arm across my shoulder, "That we can finally get to him."

"That's very good news!" I smiled at his great mood. Who knew Death could be so happy?

"Very, very good news." Jeton grinned in agreement.

"So when do we leave?" I asked. Jeton gave me a startled look. Wait, they were bringing me along weren't they! I didn't want to stay inside and miss out...

"It's too dangerous to bring you." Jeton shook his head. Like I cared about my safety...

"It is, but one of us needs to be with her at all times, remember? Our movement against Shymal will take the two of us at the very least." By the look on Drear's face, he did not much like the sound of his own logic.

Jeton shifted, "It's too dangerous for her."

"Well, how can it be dangerous if Shymal can't kill me because Death can't take me? I'm safer than anyone." I crossed my arms.

Jeton shifted uncomfortably, "Not quite. There's something I failed to mention before. I didn't do what I did just to spare you pain..."

"What do you mean?" Drear and I asked at the same time.

"I mean," Jeton sighed and closed his eyes briefly, "You can still die just not in the normal way. See, the pain would have been so excruciating, you would have lost the very will to live. When that happens, people sort of- cease to exist."

"I've never encountered that!" Drear pulled me to his side and wrapped a protective arm around me. Again with the weird touchy-feely...

"You wouldn't have, now would you? You only deal with typical death. Ceasing to exist isn't typical, but it does happen." Jeton shoved his hands in the pockets of his white jacket and fixed a stern gaze on me. I could just imagine what he was thinking. All those times I had felt I had lost the will to live. How close I must have been to simply ceasing to exist...

"Well, if the pain is going to cause me to 'cease to exist', don't I need to come along with the two of you anyway? "

"Only if we are slow in doing this. You could probably survive for about twenty minutes on your own." Jeton said quietly.

"That doesn't give us much time." Drear's arm tightened firmly about my waist. "And I won't risk it."

"It's up to you two, then. Do what you will, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Drear narrowed his eyes at his brother, "Whether she stays or goes entails some sort of danger for Lea either way, but she'll be safer with me."

"So, Sector 8A huh? What the hell is he doing there?" Jeton changed the subject quickly.

"Where is Sector 8A?" I asked curiously, eager for a change in subject as well. Things were getting a little- tense. Drear looked down at me with a hard expression.

"What? You don't know your own hometown?"

"Oh haha!" I rolled my eyes at him. "Wait, why would Shymal-" Drear and Jeton watched as I thought quickly. Realization dawned on me. "Oh no!" I whispered.

"What?" the two brothers echoed each other in varying degrees of alarm.

"We have to go NOW!"

"Lea, what's wrong?" Drear caught me up in his arms. I looked up into his dark eyes and saw anxiety reflected in them, but it did not match the level it should had he known what I figured out!

"My mother." my voice sounded hollow, even to me.

"That would make sense." Jeton nodded with a dark expression.

"If he has her he hasn't killed her yet." Drear tried to be reassuring, looking from Jeton back to me. He began to radiate that dark shadow quality again; the wraith was coming out to do battle.

"He still doesn't get it." I turned to Jeton in desperation. We had to move quickly if we were going to save her from a fate worse than death!

"What don't I get?" Drear's eyes flashed angrily at my words.

"What if Shymal decides to do to my mother what he did to me? No one is there to help her! She'll die!"

Drear's eyes lost all trace of emotion, "We must move quickly then."

"I- I'll go get weapons we'll need." Jeton walked off swiftly, in a sort of daze.

"It won't take him long." Drear said quietly, summoning his wicked sword and examining the blade. "Lea, I don't want anything to happen to your mother, but if it comes to it-" he stalled.

"What?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"If it comes to it, I'm going to save you. Not your mother."

"Drear, my mother-"

"Don't ask me to watch you slip beyond my reach. Beyond even death and into nothingness." his knuckles were white as he gripped his sword and stared at me with a look of pure loathing.

"Drear, my mom!" I whispered in agony. He had to save her! Why was he saying this? Why did he pick NOW to go all cold and cruel!?

"Uh hum." I turned my stiff gaze away from Drear upon hearing Jeton's announcement of his return. Drear reluctantly looked towards his brother too.

"Another lovers' spat?" Jeton sighed in exasperation. I rolled my eyes and caught sight of the bag he was carrying straped across his shoulder.

"Can we go now?"

"What did you bring?" Drear completely ignored what I had said and looked at the bag that was looped over Jeton's shoulder.

Jeton gave a small laugh, "Everything that would fit."

"Will we really need that much?" I asked.

Drear ignored me but Jeton turned back to me, "The last time we encountered Shymal- well, things didn't go as smoothly as we would have liked."

Wait. I thought Shymal was just a demon. A demon out for revenge against Drear because Death had taken his love, a mortal woman. Why didn't things go smoothly? Why couldn't they handle a lowly demon? As if to answer my thoughts...

"We aren't quite sure what Shymal really is." Jeton added swiftly.

"I thought he was a demon or something. You should be able to take him." I voiced my mind.

"We thought so too." Drear growled. I studied him as he stared at the floor then quickly looked away as his angry eyes flickered up to meet mine.

"But we were wrong." Jeton added.

"We should move quickly." Drear pulled me roughly to him and wrapped his arm around me. A black, supressing fog surrounded us, clotting my lungs, as we traveled across the nothingness. I couldn't breath, I couldn't see. The darkness was overwhelming. Seconds dragged into unbearable minutes before my feet finally hit pavement.

"Drear!" I gasped as I clutched my frantically beating heart. I could finally breath again! Glorious air! The fog had now cleared and I realized we were outside one of the old Victorian homes in my hometown. A light drizzle started up.

"Sorry, I forgot you have to breath." Drear glanced slyly at me. Ya, sure he forgot...

I gave Drear a disbelieving look, but he just shrugged uncaringly. Jeton then appeared in a white mist, very much alike to Drear's shadowy one. The only difference, besides color, was that while Drear's drew darkness, Jeton's seemed to attract light. The mist swirled and disappeared, revealing a rather worried Jeton.

"One of us should go in first. To scout out." he dropped the bag down on the ground and began unpacking.

I didn't even recognize half of the things he brought out. A few looked vaguely familiar, in the shapes of crossbows and throwing knives, but I was lost on the rest. Among the peculiar weapons was a long, metallic wire. It sort of reminded me of a car antenna or something. Drear handed it to me along with several glass viles filled with a translucent blue liquid. What good would these do? I shrugged and pocketed the viles, fingering the wire curiously.

I watched Jeton pull a black spear-like thing out of the seemingly bottomless bag. He hefted it to Drear who caught it with quick reflexes. I noticed it had a gleaming, malicious-looking blade forged to the top that dinged as the thickening raindrops hit it. I was mesmorized by the sound, but I started to feel suddenly dizzy. I thought it was my imagination until Drear reached out and grabbed my arm to steady me. A trace of emotion crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant and the wraith let go of my arm as if he had been scorched.

"Forgot this would effect a human like that." he smirked again. Sure, he conveniently forgot again...

"You seem to be doing that a lot. Forgetting and all." I shot him a dirty look. He just looked back at me. That icy, iron grip clenched my stomach into knots again...

"Ah, don't blame him. He can't help it." Jeton said as he dove once more into the bag. "Born that way and all. OUCH!" Jeton brought his head back out and rubbed the back of it moodily. Drear had banged the blunt end of the spear against his head.

"Stop stalling. This couldn't have been all you brought!" Drear pointed at the heap accumulated around us. Jeton and I looked at him in complete disbelief, then at each other as if checking to make sure we heard him right.

Drear watched us with a malicious smirk. "Damn it, Drear! Stop fooling around with us!" Jeton stood up and grabbed a crossbow/dagger/rope thing. I had no clue what it would do or how it worked, but there it was. Weird.

"So who goes first?" I asked as the three of us turned to face the house.

"The expendable one." Drear glared at me. Oh ya, he had to be bipolar.

"Fine!" I snapped back.

I sighed as the rain hardened, plastering my long hair to my face. A street light flickered on beside us and hummed like the old ones always do. The house, however, remained dark and hostile, cloaked in the gloomy shadows of bare trees surrounding it on the mournful grounds.

A scream pierced the air. I stepped forward without thinking, only to have Jeton clamp his hand down on my shoulder to hold me back Drear didn't seem all that concerned. I looked back to find Jeton staring at the house in something akin to mingled rage and horror. Drear was completely impassive.

"I guarantee you that was my mother!" I whispered, looking back to the house in alarm. I had to help her! I couldn't just stand here! Another scream echoed around us. Mom!

"Lea," Jeton began, "You can't go in there. Not yet. That's what Shymal wants."

"I say we give him what he wants." Drear growled. Wow, what was with him!? I couldn't help the fact that I didn't want death at the moment! I had to live to help my mother! I had to embrace life! Drear would have to get over it! But at the moment, none of that mattered. Mother! Her screams increased to a frantic frenzy!

"I'll go in first." Jeton let go of my shoulder and stepped forward. "If I reach her in time, I can give her the same protection we gave you." he nodded at me.

Jeton walked quietly across the front yard as Drear and I stood in the rainy street. I tried to calm myself, but the screams of my mother resonated around us haunting me, tormenting me. I watched Jeton slip inside the house after listening carefully at the door. Drear remained a statue next to me.

"If we don't hear from him in a few minutes, we'll go in after him and your mother." Drear flicked the blade experimentally. I shivered in the damp cold, or was it from my mother's shrieks? I didn't know, but I didn't care to analyze. I was just glad Drear was with me even though he was being wretchedly awful.

Minutes passed as the wind howled furiously about us. I wished Jeton would hurry up. I wished none of this nightmare was happening, but it was. This was all because of me. If I hadn't prayed for death and gotten Drear, Shymal wouldn't be after my mother to get me, and in turn, me to get to Drear. This was all my fault.

Drear stiffened even more so- if that was possible, "Something's wrong. I can't feel him. It's like he's gone."

"Time to go in then." I marched forward determinedly, completely prepared to die for my mother. I felt a light grip on my arm as I was whirled around to face Drear. His features weren't quite so hard, but there was still a lingering darkness to them.

"Promise you'll stay with me, Lea?"

"Promise." I yanked my arm away and glared. He was only moderately caring when I showed a lack of fear of death. This was going to get really old really quickly.

"Whatever happens?" his lips were inches from mine and his face was far softer as I thought about how lovely everything would be if I had just died on that bridge.

"Whatever happens." I repeated. I pulled back at a renewed wave of agonized screeches. Drear took my hand and led me up to the house. A sense of calm washed over me. How strange! I knew I had to save Mother, no matter what. That was never clearer to me than just then.

The rickety door creaked open as Drear gripped the spear-like weapon in a white-knuckled grip. We proceeded into the dark house. The smell of mold washed over me. You know, that smell that's in antique shops? Or a really old book? The floorboards squeeked underfoot, for me at least. Drear seemed to be weightless.

Nothing moved. Nothing made a sound.

"Drear?" I whispered uncertainly. The silence was opressing.

"It's alright." Drear let go of my hand and walked forward. I quickly followed. We peered into the vacant family room, the kitchen, then a basement. Nothing. Up to the second floor.

"Where are you?" Drear said as if to himself. We opened every door until one revealed stairs up to an attic. Always an attic. Drear went up first and I was right behind him. Suddenly it was so cold that, had it been bright enough, I was certain I would be able to see my breath. Why was it so cold? It felt like it dropped twenty degrees! Thirty! To be honest! Fifty...

"Stay in my sight." Drear tugged me up as I began to slow down because of the artic temperature. Drear opened the door to reveal, not an attic, but a frozen tundra. Well that wasn't good! Imagine what heating this place up in the winters would cost!

"Damn it!" Drear hissed as he pulled me in to the white world. I stepped onto the snow, wondering what we would do now. The door disappeared. How were we going to find them? How were we going to save her? Mother! She was dying a little each second.

Drear turned to me and enclosed his arms about me, "Try very hard to let your mind go blank." he whispered in my ear, back to his semi-tolerable self. His body kept me warm, which was a mark of how cold it was because I normally found Death on the cooler side. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his chest. Nothingness. I felt like I was going to lose myself, but I obeyed Drear.

I gasped and opened my eyes as my stomach lurched with the sense of falling. We were falling into a dark pit, with a bright firey light at the end of it. Actually, it was more like we were flying. Grant it, very quickly and dangerously, nearly smashing into stalagmites as we veered sharply around countless corners. The light grew as the wind whistled around us, causing my eyes to water and my face to sting. Drear registered no discomfort. Curse him.

A wave of heat assaulted my skin as we fell/flew toward a rocky platform in an infinitely large cavern filled with firey lava churning threateningly. Six bridge-like pathways branched off of this platform we landed on. They didn't go anywhere; their purpose for existance was only to connect to the main platform. Odd.

"Mom!" I took a step forward upon spotting her collapsed figure on the bridge opposite our own. Drear grabbed my shoulders and whipped me behind him as a brilliant crimson flame engulfed the platform I had been about to walk across to get to her. Shymal stood there, cloaked in black as the wind whipped around him. He let out a horrible laugh that reverbrated around us. His silver-blonde hair danced in the heat currents cicrling around us and his black eyes were fixed on- me...

There was a soft moan to my left. I looked over to see Jeton, sprawled spread-eagle on the bridge next to us, weaponless. What was wrong with him? I tugged on Drear's sleeve and pointed. He nodded fractionally, but his eyes never left Shymal.

"So, Death finally comes knocking after all this time. I must say, it is a little disappointing that you fell for this so easily. I was hoping for a bit of fun with her first." Shymal nodded at me. I did not see, for my eyes were now on Mother's twitching form. She seemed to be screaming, but no sound came out of her mouth as she jerked around.

I tried to make my way to her, even though that meant I had to go through Shymal, but Drear spread his arms out to prevent it, holding the spear pointed at Shymal. I glanced at him then back at my mother. MOTHER! I was afraid she was going to roll off the bridge with all her violent twitchings! I gritted my teeth and watched as every muscle in my body tensed. God, how close she was to the edge!

"Oh come on, Drear. Why be so selfish? Lea, come here darling." he called mockingly. I shivered and stepped back so that I was completely hidden behind Drear. Oh, I had been so close to ending it on that bridge that night...

"Let them all go and you can have me." Drear said quietly, softening due to my thoughts.

"NO!" I hissed, forcing my mind to think of how I hated the idea of death. Maybe that would help him? Sad to say, I think Drear knew what I was doing and didn't become the wraith again. Either that or I was just doing a horrible job.

In the meantime, Shymal laughed coldly as the wind and fire roared about us, "You think it is as simple as that? No, not anymore, Drear. I want you to suffer, true enough. Suffer like I did!"

"Lea?" I looked over to where Jeton was sprawled. He blinked wearily over at me as he woke up. Drear and Shymal seemed not to have noticed him speak.

"Jeton, are you alright?" I stepped away from Drear so I could hear him better.

"Lea, if I die here, I need you to do something for me." he whispered in pain. I didn't understand how I could hear him with all the background noise, but I did. It was like we were right next to each other in a quiet room.

"What?" I frowned wishing he wouldn't talk like that. He would make it. Life couldn't die!

"You will see. Tell Drear this is how it is meant to be." Jeton got to his feet slowly and turned to face Shymal.

"Wait, what?!!!" I watched in horror as Jeton called to Shymal.

"Oy there! Shymal!"

"You! You filthy, wretched little-"

"You want to know why we took her from you like we did?" Jeton laughed evily. I gasped as he lept over to the next bridge as a bout of crimson flame shot over the area he had been standing on. He was as graceful as a cat. How he pulled that off after looking so close to death was beyond me. I guess life is just like that...

"Because we wanted to!" Jeton sneered.

"Jeton, what are you doing?" Drear yelled, stepping forward to try to help his seemingly crazed brother. YES! My pathway to my mother was free! Jeton had not only distracted Shymal, but Drear as well! I darted around Drear to reach my mother.

"Lea!" he yelled. Too late. Shymal had turned to catch me as I passed. He yanked me back into him. I held still, rage filling every fiber of my being. I HAD to get to my mother and Shymal was standing in the way. Drear's eyes were on me, hollow and dead as he watched Shymal tighten his grip about me. I looked into his face, instantly regretting not thinking this through.

"Ready to have more fun, Lea?" Shymal whispered in my ear, smiling wickedly at Drear.

"LEA!" Jeton and Drear yelled as I sank to the ground in unbearable pain. Whatever Jeton had done, Shymal had reversed. He let me fall to the ground and stepped over me. Death. Sweet death. NO! I had a purpose! I had to save my mother.

"Watch her die like I watched my love die!" Shymal laughed from somewhere above.

"Lea. Lea please get up. JETON DON'T!" I heard Drear yell.

"Lea, look at me." I felt strong arms turn me over. I was looking up into Jeton's face. "Listen, Lea. You have to die."

"WHAT?" I tipped my head back to look at my mother above where I lay. Purpose. No... Her face was chalk white, frozen in a silent scream, eyes dull and lifeless. Gone.

"Lea, listen!" Jeton took my chin in his hands and forced me to look back at him. I was vaguely aware of Shymal and Drear battling behind him. A spear tip flashed or a dagger whizzed through the air, barely displaying the true magnitude of ferocity they fought with.

"Jeton, why?" I blinked in confusion, tears welling in my eyes for my mother. The internal pain was so great, it masked the external caused by Shymal. I could think clearly now, to some degree.

"Because this is the only way they would let me plan it." Jeton whispered softly, pushing my hair out of my eyes. "I told Drear that I couldn't plan out your life, but that is not true, entirely. You are meant for something greater than what you were born into. And I am ready to retire."

"Huh?" I frowned slightly, my body trembling with pain I could not feel.

"Lea, you must let go. You must die."

"But Drear!"

"Lea, I am sorry but this must be done."

Jeton layed his hand over my eyes. I gapsed as horrific scenes of the world flashed through my mind. Death, despair, rage, lust, murder... Everything horrible that the human race had done. The world was coming to an end. Everything was lost. I didn't want to live. No happiness could balance this devistation!

It didn't stop there. I saw everything horrible in my life flashing before my eyes. My father and mother drinking. The two of them falling over and laughing about it. My sister crying. My father dying. My sister leaving. Everything...

"I will see you again Lea." I heard Jeton's voice whisper.

___

Jeton stood up to face Shymal and Drear as they struggled desperately with each other. He stepped away from Lea's dead body over to the main platform, carrying the slender wire from earlier. It was then that Drear caught sight of her collapsed form. His eyes went completely hollow. The wraith came out to do battle. Yes, this was the way it was supposed to be.

Jeton materialized over to Drear's side and began to attack Shymal with the same ferocity as his brother. Light and Shadow were so great that their surroundings took on an erie blue glow. The red flames danced back, casting hues of blue against all that moved on the platform.

Shymal matched their attack with a strange tactic they had never seen. A strange power emitted from him, matching their combined strength, but it was neither light nor shadow nor flame. It was- unprecedented. Drear increased his strength in the struggle against this new power.

"Drear, let go." Jeton said in a far away voice.

"Are you kidding?!" Drear yelled above the roaring winds. "He'll kill you!"

"But I can kill him! Just pull back!" Jeton ordered. "NOW DAMN IT! I'M DYING ANYWAY!"

Drear pulled out some of his strength, but he would not abandon his brother completely. What was Jeton doing? He had increased his attack by ten fold! He would drain himself!

Jeton rubbed the metal wire between his hands and threw it into the air. Drear suddenly found himself being hurtled back by a sonic blast. Jeton took on a new form now. He was pure energy, completely composed of a brilliant blue-white light that maintained his previous form.

"NO!" Drear yelled. A second blast knocked him to the ground as he tried to get up. JETON! WHERE WAS HE? He looked around wildly for his brother, but they were gone! GONE! He had taken out Shymal for him! DAMN IT! At the expense of his own life!

Sorrow overwhelmed Drear. He suddenly knew why humans grieved so much over their loved ones' departure. The only difference was he would not go where Jeton had gone. He would remain here, forced to continue his work as Death. Death...

"LEA!" he spun around wildly...