FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Cold air washed over his skin, as the night winds blew over the river. Nathan stood, on the other side of the railing, looking down to the dark waters below. The night was long. And at this hour, it was just him. Up here, on the bridge, it was only ever him. Cold metal stung his hands, as he leaned against the railing, a feeling of vertigo escaping him, as he was just on the edge.

His hands burned and stung from the cold, and, like a clock, he knew it was only a matter of time before he'd let go to ease the freezing pain on his hands. But that was the point. He wasn't going to stop it. He wasn't going to step back. Because there was no turning back. There was no going back, and fixing everything. Not this time.

Everything was over. And he couldn't do it anymore. Couldn't fight it. Didn't want to. Everything crumbled at his feet, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep it all together. When he looked at his future, what lay in wait for him, he saw nothing. A dead end. So, why not save time? Why not skip all the pain, and save himself the trouble?

As the wind howled over the bridge, even as it whistled through, he heard them. Footsteps. Nathan closed his eyes, a sense of dread washing over him. He'd been found. Why now, of all the nights? Why, why interrupt this for him? Sure enough, as the dread grew in his stomach, it was shattered by a voice he was expecting. Words he was expecting.

"Please. Don't jump."

Nathan turned his head back, straining to keep himself steady on the edge, his hands burning from the cold bite of metal. A woman. Like any other. Nothing remarkable. Dressed for the cold, simple blonde hair in locks from under something warm over her head. Nathan shook his head. No, no, he'd played these games before. This was just another of life's insults. As he leaned over, looking back down over the water, he spoke.

"Why? Why shouldn't I?"

Wind howled in a silence across the bridge. He was expecting it. An answer. Something she thought would give him a reason.

"Because you don't know what you have to lose."

Nathan shook his head.

"Why should you care? You never even showed up until just now. If you cared that much, you would have showed up a long time ago."

"I'm sorry. Please.... Don't jump."

Nathan chuckled.

"My hands are getting cold. Any minute now."

Nathan watched as the woman dialed a number on her phone. He laughed aloud onto the wind.

"They won't get here in time. A fall, from this height?"

Nathan laughed, something hollow inside of him.

"I'll be gone on impact."

The woman slid her phone back into her pocket, and stepped closer. Nathan only watched.

"Lady, if you think you can climb the railing and catch me, and hold me, by all means, try it."

The woman stopped in her tracks, looking at him. Her eyes were focused solely on his. Never flinching, never gazing away.

"Please.... You don't have to do this. I know.... How bad it must look. But you can't. You can't give up."

Nathan smiled, just as hollowed as before.

"There's no point. Life gave up on me before I even had a chance. I'm just finishing what it started."

The woman shook her head.

"No, please.... Come down from there. Please.... Let's just go out, sit down. I'll buy you something. No strings attached, I swear."

Nathan chuckled.

"That's funny. Because I don't have any strings anymore either."

The cold was too deep now. His hands burned, and his muscles tensed, trying to force him out. His grip weakened, as cold fingers unwrapped themselves from around the metal they gripped. Vertigo, a flutter in his stomach that registered he was falling, a brief spark of light and life inside of him, as his feet left solid purchase. A weightlessness, telling him that he was free. And then, he stopped.

Dangling in midair, Nathan's feet hung over nothing, like he'd fallen against an invisible wall. Shock washed over him, as he looked back. There, at the railing, was the woman. Her hand was held out to him, shaking, as blood streamed from her nose. Her eyes focused on his, as she shook on the spot.

"Please....... grab on......I can't hold it......"

Nathan's mind collapsed on itself as he dangled in the air, suspended, trapped. The woman steadied herself, gripping her other arm as she gritted her teeth, blood becoming more apparent from her nose, her mouth, and her eyes. There was shock. Confusion. But he reached back, as the woman struggled, collapsing to her knees, still holding her arm out towards him.

In the calamity of it all, sirens blared in the distance, growing close now. Visible light flashing across the night. The woman's hand shook, as she looked down the road to the oncoming vehicles. She looked back to Nathan, shaking from the struggle. The words formed on her mouth, in silence, as blood streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry."

The invisible barrier that held him back shattered, and vertigo returned as Nathan fell, no longer suspended on invisible thread. His mind, was broken. Shattered into pieces now. As he fell, plummeted towards the dark water below, through the cold winds, something ignited in him. A will to live. A single, burning question, as he came to a crashing wave of regret.

"Why?"

The dark waves smashed into him, bones shattered and broke, and his life, his ruined, shattered life, now finally showing him a purpose, vanished. And dark consumed him.

From the dark, Nathan emerged. The first flutters of life that returned to him was sound. The sounds of equipment. A steady pulse of electronics. Then touch. Feeling. Pain, a dullness. Constriction. And finally, he opened his eyes. A darkened room. A hospital. From the light of the hallway, as his eyes traveled around erratically, trying to make sense of where he was, he looked upon himself.

White caste material covered him, his legs, his arms, even portions of his body. He was immobile. Trapped. Even a slight attempt at movement was met with resistance and a stinging pain. But, he was alive. He was okay. He had survived. He survived..... an impossible fall. An impossible barrier that stood in his way, held him. And like a great wave, he remembered. The woman.

Blood streamed face. The struggle as her body shook, as if she had extended an invisible hand, and caught him. And, like that, a fire ignited. Nathan struggled to move, as machinery responded to his heart rate, the activity registering on monitors. He needed to find her. He needed to go. Suddenly, his life was back. There was a reason to live. A reason to fight. This woman. A mystery. Someone impossible.

Through his struggles, Nathan heard approaching footsteps down the hall, in the quiet of the night. A nurse, or a doctor, coming to see him, now aware of his recovery. The footsteps grew stronger, louder, and the telltale outfit of a nurse rounded the corner of the doorway. Nathan's struggles ceased. His fight, his fire, the need to move, died.

He looked up, to eyes he'd seen before. Eyes that bled from strain and concentration. Eyes that watched him, with such an unwavering sharpness of a hunter. Eyes that did not belong to a Human being. And, slowly, as the woman raised a hand to her lips, one single finger, he felt it. A profound still in him. His eyes grew heavy, as he grew quiet. They fluttered back and forth dangerously, as the woman, a nurse, approached him.

She loomed over him, watching him. In his sleep addled brain, Nathan struggled against the still that was spreading through his body. The woman leaned down, placing a finger over her lips, as once more, another still of silence washed over him. Her eyes were inhuman in their steadiness. They looked, like any other pair of eyes. But the fierceness in them, the command, the dominance, showed. She smiled, as Nathan closed his eyes, as sleep pulled at him like a puppet. She spoke, in the last moments he remained awake, speaking into his ear gently.

"Our little secret. Ssshhhhh. Rest now."

Nathan did as he was told, a peaceful, powerful sleep washing over him. Soothing, relaxing. Once more, he drifted off into the silence of the void. But this time, the void did not claim him. It did not surround him, and consume him. It was peace. It was relaxation. It was happiness.

In the early morning hours of the day, Nathan woke. Light streamed into his room, as his eyes fluttered open. He felt good. He felt well. He felt alive. As he looked around the room, he spotted a nurse, checking nearby equipment. His mind ignited, excitement coursing through him as he spoke. The nurse turned in surprise, revealing a face he did not know, but a smile none the less.

"Oh my heavens you're alive! Thank the stars! We were starting to think you'd never come out of it."

Nathan watched, staying quiet. The nurse moved about his room, checking things over, before she turned back to Nathan.

"Hang on just a minute dear, I'll fetch a doctor in a minute. I'm sure you have a lot of things to discuss, since you crossed paths with that lucky young lady Emile when she was coming to work."

The nurse stopped, eyeing up Nathan.

"You're very lucky she happened on you, you know that? My, even a few minutes and she might not have been there to call for help! You're a very lucky man Mr. Dominick!"

The nurse gave Nathan a smile, before promptly walking out of the quiet room he resided in. Nathan looked out to the sun streaming in through his window. Emile. That was her name. She worked here. The minutes that passed as Nathan waited for the arrival of a doctor were short, as now, Nathan knew something about this stranger. This impossible woman. She had a name.

Nathan's thoughts were brought back as a man clad in the usual clothing of a doctor stepped in. An older man, balding with age, yet sporting a smile on his features.

"Well, hello to you Mr. Dominick! It's good to see you're feeling well. I'm Doctor Thomson. Call me Jack, for short."

Nathan was immobile, but summoned the strength to speak, his jaw and neck, seemingly the only part of him that wasn't broken.

"Hello Dr. Thomson. How long was I out for?"

The doctor paced around the bed slowly.

"Roughly a week and a half now. I must say, you are a very, very lucky man Mr. Dominick. To survive a fall from that height, is, truly, extraordinary."

Doctor Thomson paced around the room, before shutting the door quietly, as he turned back to Nathan.

"Mr. Dominick, you are extremely fortunate. Both in that you survived a fall that has killed every other person who jumped from the bridge you slipped from. And, even more so, fortunate that one of our resident nurses found you on her way to work in the evening."

Nathan nodded quietly. An image returned to his mind's eye, of lips parted, a finger over them in silence. A secret. Her secret. His secret. Doctor Thomson stood at the foot of Nathan's bed, leaning down over it.

"Although, Mr. Dominick, when we called your wife to notify her of the bad news, well, let's just say that I have my doubts about you slipping off the bridge that night, even if you were drunk."

Nathan's mind raced, as the Doctor loomed over him.

"Forgive my intrusion Mr. Dominick. But I wanted to make sure of things first. Your wife, left you, recently over the span of the last few months. Court issues and hearings. Your family, your home, and up until a few days ago, your job. Full confidentiality here Nathan, you can trust me, as the doctor who took care of you on the night you arrived. Did you fall from the bridge on purpose?"

And then, it returned. That crushing feeling. Hopelessness, and despair. He wanted to say yes. Something in him, wanted to let it loose. He was at the end of his rope. But, in the corner of his eyes and mind, those lips, those eyes, returned to him. Soothed him. He looked up to Doctor Thomson.

"No. I've....been drinking. A lot. And I went for a walk that night. I guess I just wanted to sit somewhere on the railing, and I guess I wasn't thinking very straight, and now I'm here."

Nathan looked down at the casts across his body, as Doctor Thomson simply nodded.

"Okay Nathan. I believe you. But know that I'm here to do my job. If you need any help, just ask."

Nathan smiled, for once, something that didn't seem so hollow.

"Thank you Doctor. I think you've done enough for now."

The doctor chuckled as Nathan looked across the casts he was encased in. As he stood and turned to leave, Nathan had an idea.

"Doctor Thomson, wait."

The man turned at the door, waiting.

"That nurse, who saved me. Who is she?"

Doctor Thomson rubbed his chin.

"Oh, that would be Emile. She works the night shifts here. But, there are a lot of staff on hand here, and I admit, I don't know much about her or see very much either. She is very brave, and bold, I know that. She ran down to the riverbank and pulled you out when she saw you after she called the hospital."

Nathan nodded.

"Can you send her my way if you see her Doctor? I'd like to thank her very much, for saving me."

Doctor Thomson nodded.

"That can be arranged Mr. Dominick. After all, you'll be here for some time. Your bones need lots of rest and recovery time to heal. I'm sure one of these nights, Emile might have time to stop by."

The Doctor smiled as he stepped out of the door.

"Now then, get some rest, and don't be afraid to call if you need anything. Have a good day Mr. Dominick."

Nathan nodded.

"You too Doctor. Thank you."

The door closed shut behind him, leaving Nathan all by his lonesome. Looking out to the sun filled world beyond, Nathan rested his head back on the pillows that supported him. Something sparked in him. Maybe.... Just maybe, it was hope. Suddenly, everything he'd gone through seemed to wash away, just slightly.

He was alive, for starters. Not in the best of condition, but alive. And, this woman, Emile. She was a mystery. He was drawn to her. He wanted to know. Who was she? What was she? Nathan closed his eyes, resting on the soft fabric of the pillows. He hoped, in the night, answers might come to him.

In the dim light of the hospital, in the dark of night, Nathan's eyes opened. Outside in the hallway shone the lights of the hospital, as he sat in his darkened room. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, and he looked around, in the quiet corner of his room, was a figure, sitting down in a chair. Nathan opened his mouth to speak, a combination of being startled and afraid, curious and excited.

The figure emerged from the shadows, wearing the same uniform as she did last time. As she stood, a single finger graced her lips, and a calm washed over Nathan, as she closed the door to his room. Sharp eyes peered out at him from the darkness, as the woman reached out to a lamp sitting on the small table next to her chair, before sitting back down. Nathan, as excited, and frightened as he was, couldn't find the strength to speak. It was like she had a hold over him. And, in the silence, the woman, Emile, spoke first.

"Good morning to you, Mr. Dominick."

Nathan blurted some simple words out, barely audible, as the woman crossed her legs and leaned down into her lap.

"Well, night for you I guess. Morning for me. After all, the nightshift messes around with your internal clock quite a bit."

Nathan was coming to now, less drowsy.

"Who....who are you? Why did y-"

Emile held a finger up to her lips, and Nathan stopped mid-sentence. She raised her hands up defensively.

"I know, you have a lot of questions right now. Questions that I can't answer on my coffee break. So, we're going to play a game, Mr. Nathan, I believe? A question for a question. Only one. I will ask first, and you will answer honestly. Then, it will be your turn. Do we have a deal?"

Nathan nodded silently, as the nurse, this woman, Emile, smiled.

"Very good. One question per night. Okay, I'll go first. Why were you on the bridge when I found you?"

Nathan opened his lips and found that he could speak once more.

"I....I couldn't do it anymore."

Nathan paused, as the woman simply watched him. She was so, strange. Dressed as a nurse. Acted like a nurse. Was a nurse, by all appearances. But her eyes held something more. Her casual smile, and relaxed demeanor, as if she had everything under control, soothed him.

"I lost everything. My wife......my job..........my kids. I woke up, one day, like this. And I didn't want to do it anymore."

Emile nodded.

"A future not worth being alive in. How could you want to go on, when everything seemed so broken and hopeless? Now, it's your turn, Nathan."

Nathan's mind exploded with questions, but he spoke faster than his mind could choose one for him.

"Why do you care?"

Shaking his head, as he knew he screwed up, he watched as Emile smiled at him.

"I'm a nurse, Nathan. It's my job, to care. I take care of people here. And you were a man on a bridge, ready to jump to his death. I couldn't let that happen."

Emile stood up calmly, walking over to Nathan's bedside. Nathan watched her closely.

"What are you?"

Emile smiled, waving a finger at him.

"Uh-uh. Not tonight. One question only. I'm making that one off limits. You can ask whatever you want. But who I am, is a secret. Perhaps one day, you will see. But, right now, you need rest. Your body needs time to recover. Your bones need time to heal."

Emile leaned down, holding a finger up to her lips, blowing into it softly, and Nathan felt sleep begin to claim him once more. The strings beckoned and pulled him, as his eyes fluttered slowly, until silence claimed him, and he drifted off once more. Emile looked over him with a smile, nodding as she turned around to leave, opening up the door.

She stopped briefly, and looked over to the lamp on the table on the other side of the room. Reaching out her hand and gripping, a whisk of her arm and the lamp turned off as she pulled on the switch with invisible strings. She turned back to Nathan with a smile, looking over him one last time for the evening, before leaving his room, quiet as a ghost.

For Nathan, the days were hard. Long, slow, boring. He was largely immobile. Couldn't do much other than watch TV. He tried sleeping to pass the time, but even still, the day was a slow grind. The night however, was something he yearned for. Because with the night, came the woman. Like clockwork. Emile. A person who looked so regular by all appearances..... but wasn't.

Nathan had too many questions on his mind about her. More than he could bear to ask, one, and only one per night. And Emile was smart. He knew he had to choose every word carefully, otherwise she would dance around him with a very true, but vague answer. It was almost as if this was her sense of humor. But, it didn't matter now, as footsteps, something Nathan had become acute to, traveled down the hall in the evening.

Only one set of footsteps would ever hold that sound. Because over time, Nathan noticed that Emile was very, very quiet. And so, her footsteps were forced. She forced herself to make sound. And although she seemed to be a master of imitation, Nathan could tell, for some reason, that the sound wasn't normal. And so, with a gentle smile, Emile rounded the corner and stepped past the door frame, closing the door behind her as Nathan tried his best to perk up. Nathan spoke first, for once.

"Evening."

Emile smiled.

"Morning."

She went to the quiet corner of the room, sitting down as usual, as she flicked on the lamp next to her. As ever, sharp eyes watched him.

"So. Nathan. I know a little bit more about you now. But I want to know, what it feels like. When you were standing on that bridge, ready to jump. What did you feel inside? In your soul?"

By now, Nathan was accustomed to Emile. Her questions often caught him off guard, as their thought process led seemingly nowhere at random. Without missing a stride, Nathan let himself go, completely. Emile was strange. Otherworldly. But he knew he could trust her. Because right from the start, she trusted him.

"It's grey. It feels horrible. Like I'm alone. I'm alone and I can't change it. And, I just want it all to stop. I just want it all to end. Because...... I look at where I go from here....... and I see nothing."

Nathan closed his eyes.

"It hurts. It hurts so much."

Emile remained quiet, simply nodding. She remained quiet, waiting for Nathan to recover. And when he did, he knew what he was going to ask.

"How did you catch me? What is that..... that thing you did?"

Emile's eyes lit up, as a smile graced her features, as she stood from her chair. She walked around Nathan's bed, as she stood beside him. She held a finger up to her lips, a sign she used with him often at this point, and he knew this was a secret. She pointed at the chair across the room, and held a hand out. With a confident flick of her fingers, the entire chair flew through the air of its own accord, towards Emile, where it stopped.

Emile took the chair out of the air, before setting it down to the floor, as she sat down next to Nathan. Even though he had already experienced what she could do, seeing it again, frightened him. Excited him. Emile smiled, as she looked him over.

"A very, very long time ago, people called it witchcraft Nathan. It was something people were hunted for. But, for the most part, most who were burned were the wrong people. But, today, a man of science would call it telekinesis."

Emile smiled, as she stood up out of her chair. Nathan still wanted to know more.

"Emile. Wait."

She stopped, watching him intently.

"When you saved me. Why were you bleeding?"

Emile sighed, but still kept a smile, as she bent down, and ran a hand through Nathan's hair.

"Okay. One freebie. This power, my power, is born of blood. It runs in my veins, in my blood. But this power needs fuel. Just like you do Nathan. You need to eat, burn calories to stay alive. I need to burn calories too. My job is stressful. Busy. I don't have much time to eat. So, when I saved you, it took a lot out of me. I held you back from falling. But I couldn't risk being seen. So before you hit the water, I slowed your fall."

Emile leaned down, close to Nathan's face. This was the first time he'd ever been so close to her. And the eyes that watched him, frightened him. Dominance. Power. But.... Compassion. Emile smiled.

"Rest now Nathan. The more you rest, the better you'll feel. You'll be good as new in no time."

Nathan's head was spinning, trying to make sense of everything she'd just said, but all that chaos died down, went silent, as Emile put him into her grip once more, shushing him to gentle sleep, a lull in the darkness. It was comforting to him. The dark. Not grey like the world used to be. Not cold and unwelcoming. In the night, in the dark, there was peace.

Days went by in a daze. An endless wait. Boredom and rest, to pass the time. But every night, without fail, Emile was there. In the day, Doctor Thomson checked him, tested him, to see how he was coming along. How he was doing. And in the night, Emile came. He was happy, in the night. Emile opened a new world for him. She was patient. Waiting for him to finish what he had to answer her, because what he often said, was something that wasn't easy.

But she always waited. And when it was his turn, he listened, with absolute attention. And, slowly, through often vague answers, Nathan was beginning to know a little more about Emile. Something, finally, was starting to fit together. Emile was well known here, among the people. She worked night shifts easily, seemingly never tired, never disorientated from being switched in her sleep cycles.

And she was caring. If there was something wrong in the hospital during the night shift, Emile was the first one there. And yet, she had no friends. Nobody really seemed to know her. When Nathan asked questions to doctors and nurses, they couldn't give much. Emile had never been seen around on a day shift. But, without question, she was here in the night.

One doctor said that over the past seven years she'd worked here, he couldn't recall her ever once being sick, or taking time off. And Nathan could believe it. He already knew what she could do. But he didn't understand it. He didn't understand what she was, or why she was here. But, every night, he learned something new, if he chose his questions wisely. So today, was something to think about.

Nathan wanted to learn something. Something more. She was kind. Caring. Confident. Otherworldly. Ancient even. But she was also cold. Despite her rapt attention, and her gentle demeanor, she seemed so, cold. Lifeless. It was a stark contrast really. Emile would listen, and take care of those around her. But when it came to herself, she was just... empty. So, tonight, Nathan knew exactly what he was going to ask.

Like it happened every night, Emile showed up like clockwork, sitting down casually in her chair, and opening the night off with a question. Tonight she paused, looking over Nathan with a smile.

"My, you seem to be doing better Nathan! Another month or two and you might be good enough to take your casts off."

Nathan laid his head back on the pillow.

"You know, I think I'd like that. I'd like to move around again. Go outside and get some fresh air."

Emile nodded quietly.

"So. Nathan. Let's just say, by some miracle, you were all better, what would you do with yourself?"

Nathan paused, as he watched Emile, casually sitting there, watching him with sharp eyes, calm and collected.

"Uh, I don't know what you mean."

Emile smiled.

"Let's just say, that tomorrow, you woke up, and your bones were healed. What would you do?"

"Well. Um. I don't know. I mean, I don't have anything to go back to. I'd be homeless. Jobless. I wouldn't even know where to start."

"But would you find yourself back on that bridge?"

Nathan suddenly smiled.

"Ah! That's another question. I get two tonight from you."

Emile crossed her legs, folding her arms up casually on them as she smiled.

"It's a deal. But only if you give me an answer. I want the truth Nathan. Do you think you'd go back there?"

Nathan closed his eyes, thinking. He didn't know. But he seemed happy now. He was happy to be here. Happy to be alive. Was happy, that Emile was here to talk to him.

"I don't know. I really don't. It can't be that easy, can it? Just, going back to everything. Picking it all up again?"

Emile smiled.

"Nobody ever said it was easy Nathan. It never has been. But, a new life, a fresh start. You could go anywhere from here. What I ask, is would you go to the bridge? Would you find yourself, back on the rails, squandering the gift of living, the gift of dying, when you are not ready?"

Nathan watched Emile closely. He couldn't tell what she was talking about. It almost felt like.... She was talking about somebody else.

"Why are you asking me this, Emile? I'll be in here for a long damn while yet. I'm not going anywhere."

Emile held up one finger, a slight grin across her features.

"That's one Nathan. I'm asking you, because I can help you. But, I don't squander this. If I were to give you this, I need to know that you wouldn't waste it."

Emile stood up, and approached Nathan, peering down at him, steady eyes watching his. Nathan's original question was gone. All that was important was Emile. And, he needed to know.

"Emile. Who are you? What are you?"

Emile hovered close to Nathan, studying him.

"You want answers Nathan?"

He nodded.

"I am something, somebody, from another time. I've lived lives Nathan. Hundreds. Maybe even thousands. Myself, and my people, were once feared. Respected. Tales told to frighten children in the night. But, who am I now, Nathan?"

Emile smiled, baring teeth, and a pair of elongated canines, and a set of strange teeth, vaguely Human, but different from anything he'd ever seen before.

"These days, we are forgotten. Relics from a time long gone. Popular culture has absorbed what's left of us. And for good reason. Because there are no more of us left Nathan. I am the last. I've been the last for a very, very long time."

Emile closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, as she opened them once more. Her normal eyes faded, as if blood was seeping into them, and they changed to a bright crimson. Emile smiled, baring her fangs.

"And I can see, that this gift will not be squandered by you, Nathan."

Nathan's mind was racing, as all he could do was watch. Emile pressed a finger up to her lips, sending a shiver through him, as he calmed. All he could do was watch. Emile smiled at him.

"Blood is life Nathan. We take life, so that we may live. Blood is power. With blood, our strength grows. With strength, comes power. Power over those beneath us."

Nathan watched, helpless as the dominance in Emile's eyes reached a new height. She was in total control. But, then, it faded. Replaced by something else.

"These were words said to me long ago Nathan. But, in the long, long lives that I have led, I realize now, how foolish they were. With power comes cravings. So, what happens when all possible cravings are met?"

Nathan knew the answer. He was right. That was why she was here. Nathan struggled to speak.

"You......look at the future.......and see.......nothing."

Emile's eyes, sharp, powerful, hungry even, watched him. The smile faded from her lips, replaced by something else. And he realized, this was her true face. Her smiles, where genuine. But, they were masks. And in blood drenched eyes, he could see. A deep, crushing sadness. Emile nodded.

"I took life Nathan. I took everything. Power. Wealth. I did everything. Nothing was off limits. And now, at the end of things, there is nothing."

Emile closed her eyes, inhaling deeply before opening them.

"But, there is. There is something. I can give, Nathan. I can give back every life. Every life I ever took, out of pleasure. Out of hunger. Fear. Joy. I can give, every last one back. Because in blood, there is life. And in my blood, there is power. And with power, comes responsibility."

Emile stepped back, and held her arm out, pulling her sleeve up. With a single finger, she sliced across the air, and Nathan watched as her skin parted, as if being cut by a knife. Grabbing a vial from out of her pocket, Emile turned her wrist over, watching as blood seeped out. Her eyes were intent, focused on her wrist as blood seeped out, and was held by an invisible force in the air, collecting into a large drop.

Emile channeled the blood into the vial, and Nathan watched as her body healed before his eyes, closing the precise cut on her arm completely. As the last of the blood filled the vial, Emile pulled another out of her pockets. She looked over to Nathan, crimson eyes watching him, as she smiled.

"I'm a relic Nathan. When mortal men can find the secrets to my blood, and unlock the power in it, when they can take it, synthesize it, play god with it, pick and choose this curse, then I am no longer fit for this world. But, men of science have always been useful for help in making new options."

Emile opened the second vial, and poured it into the first, a simple clear liquid that merged with the collected blood. Emile put the cap on and shook the vial, waiting. She watched him, as she waited. Nathan struggled, trying to overcome the silence that gripped him.

"Are you....going to make me like you?"

Emile smiled, laughed. Something that was charming across her features, baring clean teeth, and sharp canines like knives.

"No, Nathan. I'm going to make you better than me. I'm going to give you the gift of Humanity. The gift of life. The gift of trials, hardships, and successes. The gift of death. Death when you are not ready, so that you cling and fight for your life. Death, when you are ready, so that you may rest, slumber in peace."

Emile opened the vial, whisking the blood out with invisible force, watching it float gracefully through the air, as she stepped forward. She leaned down over Nathan, crimson eyes filled with millennia of sorrow.

"I'm sorry Nathan. This will hurt. Your body is covered in casts that I cannot remove to avoid suspicion. I have no other access to your main arteries. I promise, I will make this quick."

Nathan watched, fear overcoming him as Emile held one, single finger out. She flicked it once, and invisible force pressed against his neck. Slid through his skin like butter. Air escaped, and pain became apparent. Emile held a hand up to calm him, one finger on her lips, as he grew tired. But he watched. Watched with fear. In pain. And sorrow.

A deep sorrow, that wasn't his own. He watched Emile bleed, slowly at first, from her nose, as she moved the blood into his wound. He felt it. It was cold. Lifeless. It traveled through him, cold, stinging. But then, warmth. The warmth of a fire, warm on a cold night. Steady, and powerful. Consuming. Yet life nourishing.

Emile's features became strained, as she appeared to become thinner. Hollow. She was using much of her power, soothing him. Collecting escaped blood. And working her own into his system. Nathan could feel it. Air, traveling from his lungs to his brain, being held and trapped by Emile. And as the fire and warmth spread, Emile lessened her grip on Nathan, as skin, his own, healed in seconds.

With shaking hands, Emile collapsed onto Nathan, only briefly, as she finished everything. His blood was sent back into place, not a single drop staining his sheets. Air filled his lungs and traveled freely. Emile looked up, wiping blood from her face, breathing heavily. She smiled. One that was hollow. She was happy. But the crushing sadness that lurked in the crimson of her eyes was there.

"Goodnight Nathan. Enjoy this. Do not squander this gift."

Emile leaned down, kissing him on the forehead, before she stepped back, unsteady on her feet, as she placed a finger over her lips, smiling. Calm washed over Nathan, rest, sleep. The purity of darkness that supported him, but did not consume him. And he felt it. That warmth, in his heart. It was fragile. But so strong. Despite trying his best to fight it, sleep claimed him, and Emile's face, ancient, yet pristine, happy, yet sad, commanding, yet compassionate, disappeared from view.

The coming calamity of the day was nothing for Nathan. While it was true, and he had to take time to stop, and believe what he was seeing, as did the doctors, a burning desire filled him. Emile. It started simple, at first. The twitch of a finger. The need to move an arm. And Nathan grew irritated. Agitated. His muscles burned from being locked into place. And when Nathan's fussing's finally grew to their peak, a cast was removed.

And there, like a miracle, a gift from god himself, Nathan moved. Shattered bones where healed. Muscles returned to peak strength. His entire body was healing. And in only a matter of hours, his body recovered. Life flooded his veins, a pure, intoxicating happiness. A will to move. A will to stand. And Nathan did.

Doctor Thomson, nurses, people in the hospital, were in awe. Baffled. Amazed. Attention grew on Nathan quickly, about his recovery. Tests, questions, awestruck faces, all barraged him. But he wanted none of it. He was alive now. And despite his situation, Nathan knew he could make the best of things.

He could start over. He could go anywhere from here. But in the back of his mind, was her face. Inhuman eyes, crimson as blood. The weight of sorrow in them. And Nathan knew what he had to do. She needed someone. Emile, something ancient, someone powerful. Someone alone. Nathan needed to find her. So it was with great difficulty, after battling through swarms of the curious and awestruck, through tests and studies, Nathan found his answers.

A check on Emile's files. His supposed gift from god provided leeway and friendly faces more than happy to help. And then, it was revealed, in full. Nathan had been in the hospital for a month now. Two weeks ago, Emile had handed in her official resignation. Her last shift was last night. There were no parties. No celebrations. No goodbyes. Nobody knew her. But in her wake, Nathan began to see things.

Young patients, in the terminal wards, children, pale and bald, with spots of hair. Not falling out. Growing back. The sick, and the dying, looking just a bit better. And Nathan knew. He knew exactly what it was. It was no miracle from god. It was her. She looked, through eyes of dominance, and power. Looked upon the sick and dying, picked and chose those she deemed worthy.

But her eyes, lingered in him. The sorrow, so deep that he knew it consumed her. Nobody else here knew. But Nathan did. He was going to find her. He had to. Because he knew what was going to happen now. And some part of him knew where she was. Because how could she not go to the end, where everything started for him?

Dressed in old clothes, the clothes of his he wore on the very same night he arrived, Nathan stepped back into the world, from out of the hospital. The chill night air greeted him, something pure, refreshing. And then he walked. He walked, because he knew she'd be there. Her end was his beginning. But not if he could help it.

In the quiet of the night, in the lull of traffic, lights and sounds, sirens and people, Nathan walked. Everything was new to him. Lights, sound, people. Life. Even his coat. It smelled of river water. A reminder. Nathan walked the distance, down the quiet road, and there, in the distance, was the bridge. Dilapidated and abandoned. A relic from another time.

Nathan walked. He knew she was there. He walked, getting closer, until his feet stepped on the platform over the water, the start of the bridge. And he looked, down the walkway for pedestrians. And he saw her. On the rails. He wanted to run. But, something told him he should walk. And so he did. Nathan walked, growing closer every passing minute. And, finally, he stood, Emile's back to him, in silence. Wind blew across the bridge, past her hair in streaks, and Nathan could see. How dead she looked. Hollowed and frail. Burnt out. Without even glancing in his direction, Emile spoke.

"I thought I'd never see you on this bridge again Nathan."

Nathan shook his head.

"I'm not here for me Emile."

"Passing by on a night walk then? Feeling better?"

"You know why I'm here."

Emile turned her head, her skin having gone pale. Everything had sunken in, clearly highlighting Emile's skull. Red eyes watched him, still as strong as ever.

"No, Nathan, I don't. Because you know who I am. And you know, that you can't stop me. So, why are you here? Certainly, not for me."

Nathan stood in the cold wind, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"All right. I'll bite. I'm here for me. I'm here, because I know what you're planning. And I don't want to see you go."

Emile smiled, baring fangs on her shriveled lips.

"I can smell it on you Nathan. How alive you are. Did you know, Nathan, that for the years I worked there, I starved myself?"

Nathan leaned back against another set of rails on the other side of the sidewalk.

"How do you mean?"

"Blood Nathan. You burn calories. I burn blood. And I never took it from the innocent. Never laid a hand on the sick, or the dying. Never preyed upon those that didn't deserve care, or pity. Once a day, maybe twice in a week, a stray blood pack."

Emile watched him, her eyes, at this point, the only true thing living about her. Power, hunger. Emile smiled.

"I used every last ounce of power Nathan. I'm starved. Hungry. I could kill you, here and now, and take back the life that I gave you."

Emile raised a finger, and Nathan felt something press against his neck. A force, invisible, powerful. But she lowered her hand, looking out to the river.

"But it would be pointless Nathan. Why kill, when there's no point anymore?"

Nathan would be lying if he believed he still wasn't afraid of her. Emile was something else. Above and beyond him. But what he saw in her, was enough to drive him forward. Nathan stepped forward, up to Emile, as he leaned up against the railing she sat on, casually hanging her feet over, devoid of shoes or socks. Nathan looked over to her.

"You know why you don't kill anymore Emile? Because you care. All those people. Me. How long have you been doing this? Helping them like that?"

"A few hundred years. It's all I have left Nathan. After everything. I want to atone, for what I've done. After all this time. Money. Power. Sex. Depravity. Hunting."

Nathan looked out to the river, at the city lights in the distance, the outlines of buildings and skyscrapers.

"What happened to them Emile? Your kind. How can you be sure?"

Emile nodded.

"I just know. It started. Long ago. One of our kin was found. He was too powerful to be murdered. It was suicide. And then, it started. More, and more, realized it. Even the most powerful of our number where not immune."

"Depression?"

"More than that. Nathan, when you've lived as long as I have, seen everything, done everything, after a while, it all goes cold."

Emile looked over to him.

"5000 years Nathan. I'm not the last because I was the strongest. I'm not the last because I'm a survivor."

Nathan watched her eyes closely.

"I'm the last, because I was afraid. I was always afraid. And I wanted to do anything I could, to stop that from happening. You don't know what I did to be like this Nathan."

Emile sighed.

"And look where I am now. I've done everything. Seen everything. And now, there's only one way this ends. My kind, my species, are not fit for this world. We couldn't adapt Nathan. We had all the power, all the strings. And we thought we were gods. But the world left us behind. Because we thought it would stand still for us."

Nathan nodded.

"That sounds like nostalgia Emile. You know as well as I do, that once it's gone, even if you could go back and re live those days, it wouldn't be the same."

With some sense of fear, Nathan stepped over the railing, onto the other side with Emile, hanging on carefully. The wind blew past, and an all too familiar feeling returned to him. Suddenly, he knew what he was doing wrong.

"Emile."

The woman beside him looked over.

"If you've really been around, for that long, then you must have heard everything. Every excuse. Compliment. Pick me up. Experienced everything. Lovers. Flings. Friends. So, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to wait Emile. For however long it takes."

Emile tilted her head.

"You can't stop me Nathan. But you're right. I have heard it all. And it doesn't make a difference. I appreciate it. My choice in you was right. But you can't stop me."

Nathan nodded.

"I guess it's a little late to go for a coffee right?"

Emile smiled.

"Sorry Nathan. I would have liked that."

Nathan nodded, gripping the rail tightly in silence beside Emile. He'd wait.

Nathan stayed true to his word. The night was long. And he struggled, sore and cold. His muscles were stiff, burning from being locked into place. But he stayed, through the hours of the night, on the old bridge, overlooking the river. Emile was silent the entire time, waiting. And then, from out of the darkness, came light. The early morning rays of sunlight. Nathan spoke, through bitter cold, barely awake.

"Emile. How old do you think this bridge is?"

Emile turned, sliding a hand across the metal railing.

"80 years old. I was here, when they built it. The trains used to thunder along on it, day and night. And now, it's a relic. No longer used by trains. Hardly ever used by people. It's just a forgotten road now."

Nathan smiled.

"Is it? I came here. You use it as the path to go to work. It's old. But it's not forgotten."

Emile looked out, to the faint rays of light on the darkened sky, growing stronger.

"You know what I've forgotten Nathan? The sun."

Nathan looked out to the light in the distance, the bright orange glow threatening to round over the hills soon.

"Emile, listen to me. I'm the only person who knows about you. The other people at the hospital don't. The doctors, the nurses, the patients. I don't think anybody has ever known you."

Emile looked out beyond the hills, at the orange light as it grew brighter. She flexed a pale hand, skinny and weak, and Nathan felt something grip him. His entire body. Emile sighed.

"I know what you're trying Nathan."

Nathan nodded, the only part of him that was free to move.

"I know Emile. But that's the point."

Nathan looked out to the rising sun.

"Emile, you might be old. I don't know. You can do all these impossible things. You've done things most people dream of. But you're still a person. And you were a person, before you became what you are now."

Emile turned her head, crimson eyes watching his.

"Emile, listen to me. Some part of you understands that. That's why you talked so much to me. That's why you helped all those people. You're alone. And you're afraid. You've always been afraid. And when you had all that power, it pushed that aside. Because you thought you could beat it. You thought with all the power in the world that you could do things by yourself."

Nathan struggled to move, as the sun rose higher, barely cresting over the horizon, as light filled the sky. Emile held him in place, her hand shaking, just barely.

"Emile, don't tell me you didn't see that same feeling in me. Because my world was gone. And I couldn't face it. So I wanted to end it. I was alone. And I couldn't do it."

Nathan pushed against the invisible force that held him in place.

"Come on Emile! There has to be something!"

Emile closed her eyes, as the first small rays of sunlight found themselves on her. Exposed skin reacted instantly, turning black as if it were burning. Emile bared her fangs and held Nathan in place. Nathan pushed, against nothing, fighting to move, as the sun rose higher.

"Emile please! For once in your life, do something you've never done before!"

Nathan pushed with all his strength, as Emile struggled to hold him, blood seeping across her face. And there, he felt it. Something was giving. Nathan pushed, and broke free, only partially. He reached out a hand. One side of Emile's face was going black, completely burned as light shone down on her, peeling away and turning to dust on the wind. Nathan pushed, reaching his hand out that much farther.

"Emile. Take my hand. I'm right here."

Crimson eyes turned, watching him as she burned, her sunken form struggling to regenerate. Nathan struggled, trying to close the gap.

"Emile. Don't waste it. It's not over. Please....."

Emile's hand struggled, still holding Nathan back.

"Emile. It's not dying you're afraid of. Because you're dead, right now. Your skin is cold, your feelings, your emotions, they're gone. You're not afraid of death Emile."

Emile turned her head now, as more of her burned in the rising sun. Nathan kept his hand out, reaching. So far away from her, yet so close.

"Emile. Listen to me. Take my hand. For once in your life, do what you've always been afraid of. Do it, because I believe in you. Just like you did for me."

The grip on Nathan weakened, and slowly, Emile reached out. Her exposed skin burned as she did so, and Nathan reached forward grasping her hand in his. The invisible barrier shattered, and Nathan leaned forward, a smile on his face as for once, Emile's blood red eyes showed something more. They were shocked, as he leaned in close, and pulled her tightly to him.

Nathan's feet slipped, his balance lost, as he pulled Emile with him. Cold winds blew, as the sun rose, now fully beginning to show itself for all to see on another morning. Nathan was not afraid, as he fell. There were no questions anymore. He was not lost. Not in the arms of the one with him. The fleeting moments traveled too fast for him to see, but with a jerking force that sent butterflies up in his stomach, Nathan and Emile stopped mere inches from the water.

Crimson eyes looked out at Nathan through charred and blackened features. Understanding and wonder in them, as Emile spoke, one word, as her hands struggled to hold them both up, suspended in time, suspended in a frozen moment of falling.

"Nathan."

Emile's grip broke, and the two fell into the river together.

The two traveled down river, as the coming dawn rose, spreading light across the sky, growing stronger. Nathan held Emile close, keeping as much light off of her as he could, keeping her in the water, where the scorches and burns had more trouble igniting. The ice cold water flowed, carrying them along gently, until Nathan found refuge. Old drainage pipes, dry as a bone, leftovers from a different time in the city.

Nathan walked out of the river, carrying Emile silently, as be brought her into the darkness of the great pipe, as he wrapped his coat around her. She was motionless. No breath escaped her, although Nathan wondered if she ever did breathe to begin with. She was already ice cold, but her burns did not heal.

Nathan leaned down, shivering, as he brushed a hand across her cheeks, sunken and frail. Emile stirred, but kept her eyes closed.

"Nathan."

"Emile, you're not healing. You should be. What's wrong?"

Emile opened her eyes, barely.

"No blood. No....power left."

Emile smiled.

"Thank you Nathan."

Emile shut her eyes closed, remaining still. Nathan, shivering from the cold, battling hypothermia as he slowed down from the rush of things, put his hands over her shoulders.

"Emile."

To the touch, no life stirred. She remained still, burnt across exposed skin, frozen over what was left. Nathan shook her, harder this time.

"Emile, come on."

Nathan tried, one last time.

"Come on Emile! COME ON!"

Through shaking or talking, nothing stirred. Nathan pulled her still form close to him, tightly. Something in him broke free. It was a sorrow. Not for himself, but for the one in his arms. He held on, as tight as he could. Even across blackened and charred features, her face was still there. The simple little smile she gave. Eyes that were sure of their surroundings, sure of her own abilities. But never sure of herself.

Nathan stayed there, for an unknown amount of time. Refusal to let her go, as he held her tight in silence. The cold crept up on him, as he too, was subject to his own weaknesses. But despite the frost, and the ice, he felt something. A little fire. Running through his veins. It was dim now. The high that had come had long since faded and washed away, as Nathan returned to normal.

And then he realized something. Fighting to look up from his silent mourning, he looked around the remnants of the tunnel they resided in. He had to try. Reluctantly letting go, he stood up, walking in frozen stiffness towards the entrance to the tunnel. Daylight and sunshine greeted him, as he stood out, looking to the nearly frozen river beyond. Looking over the entrance to the tunnel, he brushed his hand along the metal of the pipe, feeling as it traveled over his hand, a cold sharpness to it. In one quick motion, he slid his hand roughly across, feeling the sting of metal as it cut into his palm. Turning it over, he saw the telltale sign of red.

Hurrying back into the tunnel, Nathan cupped his hand in the other, and stepped over to Emile. Titling her head back, he opened her mouth before letting what he'd collected in his own hand spill over. Drop by drop his hand bled. Stung from the cut, stung from the cold. Nathan stood over her.

"Come on. Come on come on come on."

Nathan stood, aware of the creeping cold on him.

"COME ON EMILE."

Drop by drop, Nathan counted. He could feel it. The last bit of life in him, the extra boon, the gift he'd received, fade into obscurity. His wound did not close, heal shut in seconds as if god himself watched over him. The cold both stung him and numbed him. He was just him now. And then, he saw it. Small at first. As black charred skin peeled away, being pushed out by new skin. Nathan smiled, steadying himself as he sat down beside her, letting blood seep out of his hand to jumpstart her.

Emile's eyes opened, and with a speed that was unexpected of her sickly state, she reached out, and pulled Nathan's hand to her mouth. Sharper teeth, uncharacteristic of a Human's punctured his skin, drawing more. Nathan winced at the feeling, but didn't pull away, as Emile's eyes turned on him, a powerful hunger in them that overrode everything else. Nathan nodded.

"I trust you Emile."

Even in her state, Emile was gentle. Cupping his hand in hers with care, withdrawing sharpened teeth, and letting charred lips that were now regenerating back in full press against his hand. A tongue, soft and gentle, spongy even, pressed against the cut in Nathan's hand. Emile watched him, as Nathan let himself rest against the cold metal wall around him, taking short breaths that collected in the air around him. Emile broke away, still looking frail and sunken, but alive, no longer charred bone and ash.

Emile's sharp eyes watched him, once more the only part of her that truly looked alive, as a visible need to replenish herself was present. She spoke softly, betraying her weakened state.

"Nathan. You have to go. You'll freeze to death."

Nathan looked over slowly, smiling.

"I'm not going anywhere. Not without you."

"Nathan. I can't go outside. I have to stay here, until the sun goes down."

"Then I'll stay."

Emile shook her head slowly.

"Hypothermia Nathan. If you don't find somewhere warm, you'll die. I'm not giving you a choice."

Emile raised her hand up, and Nathan felt invisible strings tug and pull at him. He was pushed up, forcefully slid along, until he was forced out of the old drainage pipe, into the sunlight beyond. Nathan scrambled up to his feet, stiff and cold, as Emile peered out from the pipe, tossing him his jacket. Nathan circled the spot, pacing.

"I'm not leaving you Emile!"

Straying close to the sunlight from out of the darkness of the pipe, Emile watched, smiling.

"I'll wait Nathan. I trust you."

Emile smiled.

"You can bring something nice back if you want. Coffee maybe."

Nathan reached down to the ground, picking up his jacket. He looked up, to the sunken form of Emile, as she clung to the shadows, yet so desperately tried to reveal herself to the sun, if only to let him know that she would be here, when he came back. She would wait for him. Nathan nodded, smiling, before stepping away along the riverbank, looking for somewhere he could find purchase to climb.

She'd wait for him. Wait when the time was right. Wait for when he was ready. And he'd follow her. Keep her secret, and catch her when she fell.

1 Month Later

To most people that passed in and out of the small, homely little shop, a bakery of sorts, the lone man that stopped buy in the day, to sit down, alone, with something hot to keep the cold outside at bay, was now a regular customer. He'd come in, one month ago, and with the last of his pocket change, bought himself a coffee, and then left.

But he came back, since then. And in better shape than most would admit. No longer looking homeless and lost, in clothes that had looked like they had been run through a washer and not a drier. Every day, without fail, he enjoyed his afternoon there.

And, in the night, something else happened. He would arrive, in the early evening, with a woman. Sit down with her, and enjoy talks and laughter. The man, Nathan, as some would learn over time, was a regular customer. A friendly face. The woman was only there at night with him.

But to those who worked the store, they could see. Passerby could see. The two were inseparable, even if the woman only appeared at night. And, to some eyes, it was a wonder, what they did when their time in their quiet corner of the shop ended. The two were obviously distant from another, the man, showing up early at dawn, once again in the afternoon, and finally, late in the night. Regardless of their distance, the two seemed close.

But, it would remain a mystery, as the two would leave together, and head out into the cold night beyond, seemingly unbothered by the cold or the night.

Nathan's days were now filled with purpose. And every day, was like a special ritual to him. In the morning, he would wake, to the arrival of Emile, whose shift ended. As the early morning sun dawned, among the blackened skies, Emile would prepare for sleep.

Nothing as ornate as any of the legends would have people believe. In fact, her home was simple. Common even, etched with occasional pieces of rare art or furniture. Memories and memoirs of countless lives that she clung to. But among all in her simple, common home, she clung to Nathan.

In the early dawn, she'd slip into bed, and wait for him to wake. Her own ritual. Nathan never asked for much. He knew that she had seen it all, experienced every last sensation. But he reveled in being close. And despite all the years in her mind's eye, this was new to her. Nathan simply wanted to be there, as close as possible.

Skin that never aged, that remained firm and strong. A statuesque body that never tired, or damaged, remaining as pristine as it was on the day it died. Emile was cold, always. No amount of heat warmed her. But to Nathan, he wouldn't change a thing. His body, full of life, entwined in Emile's, cold and embraced in permanent death. The contrast always stood out to the two of them. Nathan pulled her close, feeling the cold against his skin, while Emile did the same, feeling the heat of life.

And that was their ritual. Emile would talk of her night, her experience and interesting things on the job, as Nathan held her close. And when the sun dawned, after a night of simple pleasures, Emile would rest. And Nathan would rise for the day, leaving her in the confines of her bed, under blankets despite her own natural coldness.

Nathan would work, at his job throughout the day, his usual life, and then, when he came home in the evening, Emile was there. He would wake her, gently and slowly, and they'd go out together. Into the night to enjoy their time together in yet another ritual of theirs. Nathan would wind down, begin to tire, as all mortal people would, and they would go home. As sleep claimed Nathan, Emile was there with him.

There to relax him, lull him into rest for the night. But it was more than that. As the day passed through its phases, so too did Emile and Nathan. In the morning and the day, Nathan was the dominant force. Alive and awake, as the light lulled Emile into sleep. And he took his simple pleasures from her that she shared willingly. But in the early evening and the night, as Nathan slowed and the dark lulled him to rest, Emile became alive. Predatory and hungry.

And so while the day was tender and care, the night was lust and control. A pact born in blood. Nathan was not afraid of Emile any longer. The power and dominance in her eyes only succeeded in entrancing him further. And she would take from him. Blood to survive, blood to grow stronger. It was pain laced with affection and care. But Emile was something more, beyond her kind. Because she gave back.

She reveled in it, and Nathan accepted it. She gave into her simple, primal desires. And when she was done, she exchanged with Nathan. Blood of hers, distilled and controlled artificially, that she gave back to Nathan. Flooding him with new life, the gift of being Human, but not the curse of her Undeath. And as the day ended, after a night of primal desires and raw instinct shared between the two, Emile would leave him to rest. To sleep in sound peace, waiting to wake the next day, with a bounce in his steps.

The two were entranced. Caught in one another's grip. Bound by love and care, lust and control. They circled each other, light and dark, always so far away from one another in function and purpose, yet bound together as one. Where one would fall, the other would catch. A love and truth Emile had not known in a very, very long time. An allure and a purpose, Nathan had never truly enjoyed until now.

Light and dark bound as one, never overpowering the other.

But instead, meeting in the middle, like dawn and dusk.

A shade of grey.