Night

TRIGGER WARNING: PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING IN CASE YOU MIGHT GET TRIGGERED, IF NOT PLEASE ENJOY!

CONTAINS MENTIONS OF SA, BUT NOT DIRECT AND NOT ON-PAGE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SELF-HARM

Aestrial panted, running around the house, trying to find the meds. She knew they were somewhere, but then again, Jaylen always hid them from her. For some reason, she didn't trust her with medicine. Sure, there have been a few incidents, but nobody died. However, this is a cruel twist of fate. Jaylen was dying, needing a certain medicine that Aestrial couldn't find. Tears streaming down her face, she held her hand, whispering a song her mother used to sing;

A safe space I used to have,

A place to sit and be at peace.

With my head against your calf,

The softness of your pants made of fleece.

I used to lie like that,

Every night, without rest,

Laying flat,

Never to test.

I remember those nights sometimes,

before you left,

before I tried,

in this place where we cried.

It was needed, of course,

for me to end,

before you forced,

so there are no wounds to mend.

I cried that night when you were asleep,

or so I thought,

you didn't make a peep.

A cold stone face,

that once was light,

I tore the lace on my dress,

that night.

Forever, I will wish to know you more,

to hold you again,

before you were on the floor,

with wounds I had to mend.

They say wounds will heal,

but this broken heart,

reliving your final meal.

My dear, now we rest beside,

forever now,

into the light.

So please, don’t cry.

Aestrial cried into the hand of Jaylen. The Jaylen she grew up with, who was now gone. No will, only one note.

My dearest Aestrial,

I’m sorry you have to go through this alone. I’m sorry I had to do this. But I have a secret, one that claws at me until I spill. People would kill me if I said it, so I had to leave first. It’s not your fault. This life of soft whispers and sympathetic words has gotten to me, so I leave. I will forever love you.

My best,

Jaylen

Aestrial sobbed into the note, crying until she couldn’t anymore. She picked up the phone that had been ringing for hours. Multiple messages saying, “Don’t go. Are you okay? Don’t follow through. I love you. On my way.” She replied, “Too late.”

She heard a bing that the message had gone through. She turned, picked up her phone, and sobbed. Her Jaylen was gone.

Suddenly, she was in her car, speeding without noticing. A light turned red, but in her frantic haste, she couldn’t stop in time and smashed into the car stopped in front of her.

Everything went black

. . .

She came to in a hospital with a blaring white light. People were looking at her face. A nurse with a pretty face and a soft smile peered down at her. Aestrial blushed.

“Hi, sweetheart, can you tell me your name? Your license plate was destroyed in the blast, and you somehow survived it.”

“It’s Jaylen,” She blurted out for some reason, “I- what- no. My name is Aestrial. Aestrial Soulsprite.”

The nurse chuckled. “Jaylen or Aestrial? I’m assuming you are Aestrial since you know your last name.”

“Oh, I don’t,” Aestrial retorted.

“Really? Why is that?”

“Cause I don’t know yours. Will you marry me?” Aestrial blushed, not knowing what came over her. However, she persisted.

The nurse stepped back, surprised and flustered. “I’m sorry. I must’ve misheard you. Repeat that?”

Aestrial smiled, “You heard me. You’re lucky you found me single and in need of a hand.”

”So, in marriage? Why so soon? How do you know I’m not taken?”

“Because we’re not married yet.”

“So I should marry you? What do you have to offer me?”

“My wonderous personality.”

“Good,” The nurse put propofol in her IV, making her start to drift off, “I’ll consider it while you are in the operating room.”

Aestrial was so busy flirting that she hadn’t noticed the pain she was in. Drifting off, she murmured, “You better, Jaylen.”

…

Jaylen. How did she know? She had left her nametag on accident at her house. There was no way for Aestrial to know what her name was. So how did she? What was going on? There was something so… familiar about Aestrial.

Jaylen blushed. Aestrial was attractive, there was no denying it. However, there was this gut-wrenching feeling that she was also linked to something evil. Aestrial was clearly radiating some disturbing force. Whatever it was, it scared but intrigued Jaylen. She shuddered. The cold claws, grabbing her… She shook off the memory threatening to pull her under. As a nurse, she needed to stay sharp. Otherwise, she might end up a patient in this mental facility. Those cold eyes, always watching. Connected to cold claws, grabbing her… No! Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think, don’t think. Jaylen had a routine that kept the memories from drowning her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to make it through each day. The memories would make her go crazy. She might do something that would result in her not being able to see people in a normal light. “Softly sailing,” she sang under her breath as she worked, checking on patients and making lunches, “I make my way to you.”

She didn’t know where she heard that song; she just had fond memories of someone special singing it to her. “You were a safe space I used to have, a place to sit and be at peace.”

As she continued to sing, she realized something was wrong this time. Around her eyes were getting dark, a sign that she was blacking out. She still kept singing, trying to push out the darkness, the pain. Everything that had hurt her over the years, everyone. The memories surfaced, and she fell, hitting her head against the ground. Crack. Pain shot through her, but she still continued singing, even as she lost consciousness.

There was a transparent figure floating above her. She moved and felt cold relief flood through her body. Any and all emotions she ever had vanished.

The figure sang, “My dear, now we rest beside.”

She joined it, “Forever now, Into the light.”

“So please”

“Don’t”

“Cry.”