pride rock flashes in her mind.  But this memory was a good one.  She doesn't push it away.  She embraces it.  A good memory is better than a bad one any day.  It's of Jay sitting in the doorway of pride rock.  Em had walked up to him and they had run out into the rain together. 

          Em comes back to real life.  She tries to hold the memory.  She wants to be in that moment forever.  One of her favorite memories.  She wants to be with Jay forever.  But no matter how hard she tries to keep the memory, it goes away just as fast as it had come.  She sighs as she goes to sit next to Cole.

          "I love the rain," he says as she sits next to him. 

          "So do I.  A memory I want to remember took place in the rain.  I was running with a friend.  A good friend.  His name was Jay."

         "Is that the one you have flashbacks about?  What happened?"

         Em looks to the ground.  "Something terrible happened."  She doesn't say any more.  If he found out she killed someone, he'd probably make her leave or treat her different. 

         "You said if I showed you my scars, you'd tell me what was wrong."  He turns to her.   He avoids his eyes.  She has never been able to look into his eyes.  She doesn't want to look into eyes like Jay's.

         "You're right.  I did."  She hesitates before she starts.  She digs back into her mind to pull up these memories.  "Jay was my boyfriend.  We loved each other.  We were always happy when we were together."

          Cole doesn't look away from the sky.  "What happened?"

bsp;       "Drew was an old friend.  Always a loner, he was passing by when he saw what was going on.  I wake up to him and find out that Abyss had taken Jay.  Drew decides then and there that he's going with me when I tell him I was going to find him.  I didn't really want to go alone, so I let him come along. 

         We find out where they're headed and leave that day.  Normally a four day travel, we take it in two days.  The second day is when he asks me about the sunrise. Also that day he teaches me how to fall down a cliff without getting hurt.  Without that, I probably would have died getting across the gorge we had to get across.

         That night, I get cold.  Drew sees me shivering and he comes over and lays next to me.  I don't mind because he's my friend and is just keeping me warm.  He tells me to tell him if I get uncomfortable because he's to close.  I turn to tell him it's okay, and we lock eyes.  My thoughts seem to go away.  I let myself kiss him."

         "What about Jay?" Cole asks.

         That sentence echoes in Emethyst's mind.  She's startled by the question.  The memories of that night come back, flashing along with what Jay says before he dies.  Em starts to freak out.  She can't take the image of Jay's face.  She starts to tremble.  Cole is already reacting. 

 

Ch. 6

 

        "Em!  Shhh.  It's okay.  I said something didn't I?  I'm sorry.  Stop trembling.  It's okay."

        "His face.  I don't want to remember his face."  Em is trembling in Cole's arms.  He holds her has she calms herself down.  "I'm erasing the memories.  Don't worry if I make any noises.  It hurts."

       "Then why erase them?  They're your past.  It's what has happened to you."  Cole rubs his paws up and down her arms. 

       "I can't remember.  It hurts too much.  I can't see his face without breaking into tears."  Tears are running down her face now.  She trembles more. 

       Cole rocks her back and forth.  "It's okay to hurt.  It's okay to remember.  You need to remember the bad things so that you know what to do the next time.  Memories bad or good help you through stuff."

       "You don't understand.  I do something worse than cheating on him.  I....I...." she can't finish her sentence.  She sobs in Cole's arms for a while.  After a long time, she stops.  

       Cole holds her as they watch the rain stop.  After asking if she's okay and she nods, they walk out and watch the sun come out of the clouds.  The ground dries as Em and Cole lay on top of the cave.  Both thinking about things.  

       Cole looks to Em.  "I'm not going to ask you to finish today.  You seem to be a wreck.  What did I say?  I'm just wondering."

       "You asked the same question Drew asked when that happened.  It made me remember Jay's face....." Em fades out.  "I knew I'd get there in the story, but I didn't want to actually remember.  I can't stand that look he gave me."  Em puts her head down.

       The sun starts to go down.  The rain and story took up most of the nd there that he's going with me when I tell him I was going to find him.  I didn't really want to go alone, so I let him come along. 

         We find out where they're headed and leave that day.  Normally a four day travel, we take it in two days.  The second day is when he asks me about the sunrise. Also that day he teaches me how to fall down a cliff without getting hurt.  Without that, I probably would have died getting across the gorge we had to get across.

         That night, I get cold.  Drew sees me shivering and he comes over and lays next to me.  I don't mind because he's my friend and is just keeping me warm.  He tells me to tell him if I get uncomfortable because he's to close.  I turn to tell him it's okay, and we lock eyes.  My thoughts seem to go away.  I let myself kiss him."

         "What about Jay?" Cole asks.

         That sentence echoes in Emethyst's mind.  She's startled by the question.  The memories of that night come back, flashing along with what Jay says before he dies.  Em starts to freak out.  She can't take the image of Jay's face.  She starts to tremble.  Cole is already reacting. 

 

Ch. 6

 

        "Em!  Shhh.  It's okay.  I said something didn't I?  I'm sorry.  Stop trembling.  It's okay."

        "His face.  I don't want to remember his face."  Em is trembling in Cole's arms.  He holds her has she calms herself down.  "I'm erasing the memories.  Don't worry if I make any noises.  It hurts."

       "Then why erase them?  They're your past.  It's what has happened to you."  Cole rubs his paws up and down her arms. 

       "I can't remember.  It hurts too much.  I can't see his face without breaking into tears."  Tears are running down her face now.  She trembles more. 

       Cole rocks her back and forth.  "It's okay to hurt.  It's okay to remember.  You need to remember the bad things so that you know what to do the next time.  Memories bad or good help you through stuff."

       "You don't understand.  I do something worse than cheating on him.  I....I...." she can't finish her sentence.  She sobs in Cole's arms for a while.  After a long time, she stops.  

       Cole holds her as they watch the rain stop.  After asking if she's okay and she nods, they walk out and watch the sun come out of the clouds.  The ground dries as Em and Cole lay on top of the cave.  Both thinking about things.  

       Cole looks to Em.  "I'm not going to ask you to finish today.  You seem to be a wreck.  What did I say?  I'm just wondering."

day.  They had spent the rest of the day enjoying the after-rain smells, sights, and feelings.  Feeling as if everything was fresh.   But it wasn't.  Everything is still the same.  Jay is still gone.  And he will never return.

       They go down the cave and sleep that night.  Not an exciting day, but they have plans to hunt tomorrow.  Em is feeling restless after laying still for so long.  They will hunt together tomorrow for the first time.  Em's first time hunting in a while.  Tomorrow will not be as boring as today was.

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