Work Text:
– Wren! Wren!.. – Tabitha’s screams were muffled. It was as if it were passing through some kind of haze before reaching the brain. – Please…
Pain. Pain. Pain. The whole body ached. The limbs were weak and a sharp pain pierced them. The head seemed to become ten times heavier. The skull was ready to shatter into thousands of pieces from the pressure.
– Hit me with that knife! – it became easier to breathe. The vision was no longer blocked by anything. He could open eyes and see her.
The black curls were thick, covering her shoulders. The face was flushed, and a huge amount of tears flowed from the eyes. Such beauty took the breath away.
Although it wasn't from it. Lungs, heart, muscles. Everything hurt terribly, not allowing to take even one breath. The feeling was such, that even bones ached.
– Please...!
If it were not for the pain penetrating every corner of the body. He wanted to apologize. But thoughts were confused. It was as if control over the body had already been lost, and now it was impossible to wish for anything other than to endure this pain.
A cough escaped his throat. The whole chest seemed to be burning from the inside. It felt as if gasoline had been poured into it and set on fire. All this went down the throat to the oral cavity, like bile during violent vomiting.
– WREN! – horror froze on her face, bursting out with an even larger waterfall of tears.
There was an unpleasant metallic taste in mouth.
When he tried to breathe, the man was pierced by an even more monstrous pain than before. Was it bigger? Or does the body simply no longer have the strength to endure all this?
Simply lying down brought pain, pain, and nothing but pain. It was impossible to say where it was and what it was like. It seemed to be mixed in the body, turning into a small ball inside the heart. Eventually exploding and cutting through the flesh from the inside.
Splashes of blood flew to the sides. Tears that seemed to have dried up long ago flowed from eyes. The iris could no longer be seen. The eyeballs rolled under the eyelids.
The tense body went into a death throes, eventually relaxing.
It is unclear when her voice disappeared. It has long ceased to be heard. Or has it only been a couple of minutes? Unclear.
There was only darkness here. Is it really over? This endless nightmare never lasted forever...
– Wren...
Oh. Her voice again. Will this all continue? After so much suffering?
– Wren! Wake up already, sleepyhead!
The bright sunlight hit the eyes, forcing to close them as soon as the blue eyes opened.
It was possible to open them only when the red color in front of the closed eyes changed to black.
And immediately after opening his eyes, she appeared before him. Tabitha. She is no longer young, but still as beautiful as when they first met.
– Tabby..?
The eyes opened in shock and the body tensed. From the side he could hear his children's screams and laughter.
– Mhm? Of course it’s me, sleepyhead, – the woman smiled radiantly, as if replacing the sun. – You have such a funny expression on your face now. It looks like your sleep was very long.
Wren didn't have the strength to answer. The surprised face turned into a grimace, from which tears flowed. Either they were from happiness, or from sadness. These emotions mixed, breaking out from within with a howl.
The long-awaited peace was found in the warm embrace of his wife.