Ashes to Embers by Abigail Livinghouse (best book reader txt) 📕

It has a way of creeping up on you. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think it would be this hard to let go. When I moved into the Haven, into the building where all the Prophets live, I thought I would easily be able to forget all about my old life as a wanderer. I didn’t miss it in the least, but the things that I experienced and had done were still making their appearance.

If Felix were here I knew what he’d say. He’d say I should stop wasting my time dwelling on things that didn’t matter anymore and that I should focus on what matters now. However, at this point I wasn’t even sure I knew what mattered right now.

 It seemed as though the drive and will to live that first amazed me when I came to the Haven was slowly leaving the people here. They moved sluggishly with a dazed look in their eyes. If you stopped them on the streets and spoke with them, they would be able to hold a conversation. But when you would leave you would realize that what you had been speaking about didn’t really have much meaning to it at all, and that you had just wasted your time.

I wondered if it was just me who thought this, if I was the only one who noticed the light dimming in the Haven. I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t be the only one noticing the changes, and yet I had to be because no one else spoke up about it.

Some things just went around and around in my head, in a never ending game of tag. Neither side came out the victor.

I was in my room shared with Dimitri when he stepped inside and flung his leather jacket over one of our moth eaten chairs. His hair was wet. It took me a few minutes to register the pitter patter of rain outside to make sense of his appearance. He kicked off his boots, running a hand through his dripping black hair. Finally, he looked at me. Dimitri’s eyes were bright green and brown, like a forest. His muscles strained against his soaked white T-shirt. When my eyes went back up to his face, he was beaming at me. I had always marveled at how white his teeth were. I smiled back, feeling an embarrassing heat flush my cheeks.

“You’re back . . . early.” I had trailed off because I saw out the window that not only was it raining sheets, but it was also getting dark. I had forgotten the sun was setting. Usually Dimitri got back around sundown.

He hunted with the better half of the Haven, the stronger and fitter types. On a good day he and the rest of the hunters would bring home dinner for the whole place. On a bad day, well it was vegetable soup with a few bits of rabbit or squirrel meat here and there. And even that was beginning to get few and far between. To say I was worried would be an understatement.

Dimitri’s smile faltered as he unbuckled his belt and slid it off. “Things are rough out there, Siren and only getting rougher.”

He spoke as he undressed, taking off his jeans first and then his shirt. When he was wearing only boxers he sat down on the bed next to me.

“I’m afraid for the Haven’s future. This location-it’s not suited for anything long term. I don’t know what Felix was thinking.” Dimitri said, shaking his head. “Game is scarce, very scarce. No one understands better than the other hunters and me. Winter is coming, and that means no more crops for nine months. And these past three have been bone dry.”

He ran his hand through his hair again. I’ve noticed it’s a habit of his he only does when he’s anxious, or scared. I took his hand and held it in mine as he continued to confide in me.

“We don’t really have a leader anymore, and we need to think of a solution food wise and fast. What worries me the most is a possible change in location. These people have been here for years and I don’t even see how logic could persuade them.”

I swallowed hard. My stomach had dropped when he mentioned moving. I knew he was right. No one would agree to it. And without a leader, we were stuck between a rock and a hard place. A very, very hard place.

Dimitri sighed, giving a small shake of his head. “Well, anyway. How’s Lilith doing?”

I jumped at the welcome subject change to something easier, however my excitement dimmed at this particular topic. I wasn’t even sure if Lilith had come inside yet, and it was nearly dark out. I would have to go looking for her if she didn’t come in soon.

“She’s doing as we expected.” I said.

He wrinkled his nose. “Not good then, I suppose.”

“You know how much she cared for Felix. She’s not going to get over this.” I said.

I tossed around the notion to tell Dimitri what Lilith had tried to get me to agree to. Sending a search party for Felix and possibly losing a fraction of the people here. But I didn’t say anything. I didn’t feel that it was all that important, not unless she brought it up again.

“We all cared about Felix.” Dimitri’s voice had dropped, as if he was afraid Lilith could hear what he was saying. “But there’s nothing we can do now. He left, knowing exactly what he was leaving behind.”

That was the thing about Dimitri. He could care so much about someone else, almost to the point where he completely disregards his own wellbeing. And then there’s other times when another human being isn’t even on his spectrum of compassion. Although I suppose that’s what a world like this does to a person. You either care too much, or you don’t care at all.

I laid down on the bed, patting the space next to me. “You worry too much. How about we try to get some sleep?”

He took me up on my offer, sinking gratefully down next to me. Dimitri threw his arm over my shoulders and I nestled into the hollow of his neck. He gave my forehead a quick kiss.

“Goodnight, Siren.” He murmured.

I didn’t have time to respond before I was sinking into deep, blissful sleep.

Someone screamed. I sat straight up in bed, Dimitri along with me. It was pitch black in our room. The generator automatically shut itself off at midnight in order to conserve energy. As we scrambled out of bed without a word and pulled on some clothes, I snagged a flashlight off of Dimitri’s hunting belt. He grabbed a knife and gun, handing the knife to me. I was more comfortable with that, I worked better with knives than I did with guns.

We ran haphazardly down the steps. I tripped over a few in our haste to get to the lobby. I wasn’t sure where we were going, and I knew Dimitri was just as clueless. All we knew was that we had to get there, and quick.

It seemed like an eternity before we finally reached the lobby, where every single Prophet was gathered and fully dressed. I scanned the room until my eyes found Lilith and Aurora. I made my way over to them, Dimitri in tow. I shone the flashlight at our feet once we were facing the twins.

“What happened?” I asked over the chattering of confused voices around us.

“We know just as much as you do.” Aurora said. Her hot pink hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. She wore a pure white dress, and was barefoot as usual. Her sister sported the same look, except her hair was as white as the dresses they wore.

I wanted to ask Lilith if she was okay regarding earlier, but by doing so I would give away that she had been upset. So to avoid any further conflict with her, I kept quiet.

“Is everyone alright?” Dimitri asked the sisters. Aurora opened her mouth to respond, but a window in the corner of the room shattered before she could speak. The loud noise drowned out anything else, along with the scream that came with it.

We all spun around. I saw with horror a gnarled gray hand reach through the window, grappling for whatever it could find. Everyone had cleared out of the way, safe from the claws of the Undead. I gripped the knife I had and made my way over to the window. I looked out, seeing shining white eyes staring back at me.

I turned to Dimitri and nodded. Without another word we both made way for the door. Someone grabbed my wrist from behind and I stopped, but didn’t look back.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Aurora’s voice was panicked. I realized with a sick feeling in my gut that this must be the first time she had seen one of the Dead in years. I patted her hand.

“We’ll be fine. We know what we’re doing.” I assured her, prying her fingers off of me.

We didn’t have the luxury of time to say anything else. We just had to hope and pray that no one was out on the streets at this time of night. The last thing we needed right now was a city wide panic. And one of the Undead sneaking in through our gates would do just that. We would have to be quick, and we would have to be quiet.

Dimitri went out first, checking the streets before waving for me to come along. Outside, it was bare. Thank god. We flattened ourselves against the brick exterior of the complex then slowly crept along the edge. When we reached the corner, Dimitri peeked over and stepped out. I did the same, seeing the entire creature before us.

 Its clothes dangled from its husk of a figure in shreds. There were wisps of hair on its mangled skull, which was missing bits of skin. The Undead thing crouched before us looked like it had been attacked, and the state it was in now was so gruesome you couldn’t even tell it had once been a human being.

I was past the state of feeling any kind of emotion for these Dead creatures, but this one made a certain kind of sadness wash over me. The breath was knocked out of my lungs, and for a moment all I could see was the pathetic thing in front of me, reaching, struggling through the broken window.

My momentary spout of grief vanished with one single gunshot to the creature’s head, which rang out sharply in the otherwise silent night. The Dead crumpled in a heap in front of us. I looked at Dimitri, who held the smoking gun at his side, shaking