A Long Kiss Goodnight

                                    

                                          
I lifted her head to rest against my thighs, my tears blinding me. The world around me shaking and trembling, but my only thought is of her. This beautiful, precious being. My tears cascade and fall, raining down on her face. All foundations seemed to be rocked. The walls around us are bursting open as the winds pick up. My blood heating up to the point of boiling over and setting us aflame. 
                          
Ha, 'us' aflame.'
                          
Imani
                          
Looking at her still, lifeless body. The room becomes quiet as a gust of wind bursts the door open. I can't even look up to acknowledge what is happening.
                          
"Kaira," a familiar voice calls out to me, touching my shoulder. I push them away still cradling Imani to me.  "Kaira, we have to go. This isn't part of the plan."
                          
I look up into the blackest eyes of my childhood. My 'adoptive' mother Ezzy. "Plan?" I mumble looking back down to the broken body of my life. 
                          
"We need to get you two to safety," she says. She begins to order instructions for everyone near. They are all indecisive as to whether to follow her directions or not. "Look, we have to go, I'll explain everything once we get everyone to safety." I can feel her eyes on me. "Kaira, we need to go before the change and markings start to take place with you."
                          
I blink in confusion. Markings? What markings?
                          
"Adit is blessing you two," she says as if reading my mind. "Well, it was supposed to be a blessing. Nerezza set us up," she continues while moving around and grabbing necessities. "She played us."
                          
I look up as men stand over me. "Peace my queen," one says. "We are here to carry our king." As he speaks the rest of the gentlemen lay a stretcher next to Imani. I grab a hand on the verge of breaking it before the one who knees on both knees. "We mean no harm. Our," gesturing to himself and the others, "our only purpose is to protect you."
                          
Glancing from them to Ezzy then back down. Releasing the guy's hand, I give a barely subtle nod. I look at the stretcher as they reach to lift her off my lap. Out of my grasp. My hand runs down her chest to her stomach across her sides. Her skin is still soft and warm. They lay her on the stretcher. "And you, my queen," another speaks, holding his hand out to the cot. 
                          
"You need to be close to one another," Ezzy speaks up. "You will be feeding off each other's energy," she looks away, "and pain."
                          
I look down at my wife. For so many years she has proved to be my one solid. There through everything. Not my parents, not Ezzy not even Adit can say that they were there through thick and thin. I crawl over to her, taking in her busted and bruised form. I bring my body flush against her, laying my head and hand on her chest. Her skin is still warm to the touch. I close my eyes as they throw a blanket over us. I breathe in her scent as we are lifted up. My world was engulfed in darkness.
                          
Images began flashing across my closed eyelids. Glimpses of the past, present, and future. I can hear the chaos surrounding us. Ezzy shouting orders, the sounds of babies and kids crying. Our bodies being jerked about from the movements of our carriers. 
                          
"Be gentle with them," Ezzy barks. Her hand runs through my hair, moving it from my face. "Her temperature is rising we need to be quick about this."
                          
"Ezzy if what you're implying is true, she won't be tethered anymore." someone says.
                          
Our paces becomes quicker. The sound of engines roaring to life can be heard in the distance. I fall deeper in the rabbit hole. One thing I can say the deeper and darker the hole, the better my other senses. Being blind for pretty much all of life. My body slumps deeper into Imani. I inhale her scent. She hasn't moved in forever, I do not detect any sign of life. Only the heat of her flesh. The strechter comes to a halt, we are slid into the back of a vehicle.