Trick or Treat

Welp, it’s been two years since the last chapter in this series. This is also going to be the final one, you’ll see at the end why that is (you’ll know if you’ve read the ‘Storm’ series before).

I’ve also decided to let Syl go. It’s been over 11 years since I first made him up to channel my anger through him. He’s seen love, too, but it’s enough. It’s time to move on.

Previous Chapters:

→ I’d Still Like To
→ Definitely Something Magical
→ If You Do Too

– Promise you’ll be good while I’m gone?

– If you mean I won’t eat all the candy, you know very well I can’t promise you that.

– Don’t you dare, those are for the kids! I wish I could be here to see their costumes…

– Uhm, you call me childish all the time, I think that warrants at least some candy.

– Shut up.

Emily grabs Syl as she’s walking by him and kisses him on the cheek. Syl grabs her back and kisses her lips. They look each other in the eyes for a few seconds.

– You know I still have a hard time believing this, right?

– Believing what?

– This. Everything. The fact that you’re real and you’re here.

– Oh, shush.

– No, Em, I mean it. I’ve been thinking…

He pauses.

– You really are amazing and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you. For the longest time, I felt I would never have this. Like I didn’t deserve it. Like I was being punished, more than I punished myself. I had genuinely lost hope by the time we found each other. I was at my absolute lowest and if it weren’t for you… I don’t know where I’d be today.

– Syl…

– I love you, Em. I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. These past seven months with you have been like something out of a dream. I didn’t think I’d ever get to feel like this again. I didn’t think I still had it in me.

– Damn it, Syl, I’m going to have to redo my makeup!

She kisses him for what seems like both the shortest and the longest time.

– I love you too, my lion. With all my heart. I always will.

They kiss again.

– But I really need to get going, promise you’ll keep that thought until tomorrow morning when I get back, I think I might want to give you a nice wake-up call.

She winks.

– Oh, I definitely will.

Emily looks in the mirror and takes care of her makeup.

– Be careful while you’re all alone, I hear there’s all sorts of nasty things roaming around tonight.

– Oh, really? Let them try anything.

She smiles, grabs her scrubs and everything else, and kisses him goodbye as she walks out the door.

Syl looks at the bowl of candy and stops for a second before going to the living room and sitting down in front of the TV. He reflects for a moment on his life; on Emily. He’s longed for this peace for as long as he can remember and feels gratitude and joy that he kept going even when it looked like he wasn’t going anywhere.

His phone rings. An unknown number.

– Hello?

Nothing.

– Hello?

He can hear what sounds like a woman breathing on the other end.

– Hi, Syl. It’s me.

Time stops.

– I’m outside, can we talk?