fun."

     For Em, time seems to freeze when she sees Cole smile as big as he did.  He must be getting used to his scars being ignored.  She can only smile back as she goes into the water.  She swims around for a while, then gets out to lay next to Cole.  She hesitates before asking, "How did you get your scars?"

     "Why'd you say it like that?" Cole asks trying to stall.

     "Well, I have mental scars.  Yours are physical.  But, they both impact you in your life.  Mine seem to hurt worse.  But, I don't know your story."

      Cole sighs before he begins.  "I got in a fight with another lion over my girl."

      "Who one?" Em asks softly.

      "He d

 

      Em and Cole had just gotten to the cave.  Cole sets down the antelope and they start eating.  "You lied to him?"

      "No, I just...... just something happens that makes it not true.  Just wait.  I turn down a hall looking for Jay.  I focus my senses.  I never knew that I could do what I did.  I could feel Jay.  Hear him.  I can feel his pain.  How?  I don't know.  All I know is that he's down that hall."

     Em takes a few more bites of the antelope and continues between bites.  "I run down that hall and skid to a stop in front of a cage.  When I see him there.....lying on the floor..... covered in blood..... I can't believe it.  Someone actually beat him enough to practically kill him." 

     Em stops eating and tears roll down her face.  "When I take him into my arms, I don't know what to do.  All I can do is cry.  I cry even harder when he smiles at me and tells me that they had said I wasn't coming or had found someone else.  It hurt to not tell him, but I knew it wouldn't help right then.  I was just concerned with getting him out of there.

     "Then, I hear someone.  I hope and pray it's Drew.  But when I ask, I get a sinister and evil voiced return.  It was Tornado.  Abyss' brother.  He tries to get me with words for a while but I would have none of it.  I jump at him.  He's so big and strong that he overpowers me.  He bites down on my throat.  I look over at Jay."

     Em stops here to try to stop crying.  Cole comes over and lays next to her.  He wipes the tears off her face.  He seems close to tears himself.  "Look.  Why don't we stop here today.  You need to think about something else for a while."

     Em looks up at him.  "I want to get it over with."

     "Yeah well, I say you need to stop.  Let's go do something else."

     "Okay."  Em slowly stands up.  "What should we do?" 

     "You like water?  There's a pond a little ways away."

     Em almost hesitates.  Thinking of how she and Jay used to play in the water.  She figures it should be okay.  "Sure."  She follows Cole to the pond.  When they get there, she sees a small waterfall coming from a river that goes long into the distance.  It's a beautiful pond. 

     "Well, this is it."  Cole sits down and smiles.  "I'm not much of a fan getting deep into water, but you have fun."

     For Em, time seems to freeze when she sees Cole smile as big as he did.  He must be getting used to his scars being ignored.  She can only smile back as she goes into the water.  She swims around for a while, then gets out to lay next to Cole.  She hesitates before asking, "How did you get your scars?"

     "Why'd you say it like that?" Cole asks trying to stall.

     "Well, I have mental scars.  Yours are physical.  But, they both impact you in your life.  Mine seem to hurt worse.  But, I don't know your story."

id.  My girl, ended up going with another lion.  Not the one I fought, but another."

      Em's quiet for a second.  "Sort of how I almost treated Jay."  Em leaned against Cole.  It was as much for her as it was for him.  They laid there for a while, taking comfort in each other's company and their shared pain.  After a while, Em and Cole headed home.  They took their time, and stopped at a few places on the way, just taking in the sights.

     As they get back to the cave, the sun is just beginning to set.  They look at each other and know what they're thinking.  They go to the top of the cave and watch the sunset.  Em turns to Cole.  "You must have loved your girl a lot to fight for her like that."

    Cole doesn't pick up his head, but he does look Em in the eye.  "I loved her more than she ever knew." 

    She thinks about this for a while.  She lays her head down.  What kind of girl could leave him.  He's so sweet and considerate.  Em falls asleep as the sky turns from purple to dark blue.  She faintly remembers Cole carrying her to her spot in the cave as the stars come out. 

     Cole lays a little closer to Em tonight.  He lays there, waiting for her to have another nightmare.   He knows she will, after talking about what happened today.  He closes his eyes.  If only I could tell her the truth he thinks as he goes to sleep. 

 

Ch. 8

 

      Em wakes up the next morning confused.  She had the same dream again.  She woke up at the same time too.  Maybe it was trying to tell her something.  Maybe, the dream needed to be finished to get the message.  But when will it continue?  One thing she does know, she's glad that Cole was there.  Without him, Em would be a wreck.  Without him at all, she'd be dead. 

     She gets up and looks around.  She knows where he is.  She goes out and climbs up the cave.  She goes and sits next to him.  "Thanks again for last night.  You getting tired of calming me down yet?" 

     Cole smiles.  "No problem.  And, no, I'll be here whenever you need me.  Not like I have anywhere else to go.  What was the dream about this time?"

     "It was the same one I had the other night," Em answers.  "It ended in the same place too.  I just keep seeing Jay go over a cliff.  What confuses me the most, is that you and Jay keep switching places.  It must be because you look so much alike."  Em looks at Cole.  "It hurts."

     "I'm sorry.  I can't fix that."

     "No, it's not your fault.  I just need to accept the fact that he's gone."  But you can't her heart tells her.   Em ignores this.  She turns and leaves Cole.  

     "Hey!  Where are you going?" he calls after her.

     "To the pond!"

     Cole goes down the cave and catches up to her.  "You okay?  You seem upset."

      "No, I'm fine." 

     Cole just follows her in silence.  When they get to the pond, he lays down at the edge and watches her in the water.  He loves her so much, but he can't tell her the truth yet.  It wouldn't tell him what he needed to know.  He had to wait a little longer.  "Do you want to finish the story?  You said you wanted to get it overeaned against Cole.  It was as much for her as it was for him.  They laid there for a while, taking comfort in each other's company and their shared pain.  After a while, Em and Cole headed home.  They took their time, and stopped at a few places on the way, just taking in the sights.

     As they get back to the cave, the sun is just beginning to set.  They look at each other and know what they're thinking.  They go to the top of the cave and watch the sunset.  Em turns to Cole.  "You must have loved your girl a lot to fight for her like that."

    Cole doesn't pick up his head, but he does look Em in the eye.  "I loved her more than she ever knew." 

    She thinks about this for a while.  She lays her head down.  What kind of girl could leave him.  He's so sweet and considerate.  Em falls asleep as the sky turns from purple to dark blue.  She faintly remembers Cole carrying her to her spot in the cave as the stars come out. 

     Cole lays a little closer to Em tonight.  He lays there, waiting for her to have another nightmare.   He knows she will, after talking about what happened today.  He closes his eyes.  If only I could tell her the truth he thinks as he goes to sleep. 

 

Ch. 8

 

      Em wakes up the next morning confused.  She had the same dream again.  She woke up at the same time too.  Maybe it was trying to tell her something.  Maybe, the dream needed to be finished to get the message.  But when will it continue?  One thing she does know, she's glad that Cole was

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