Pain

Sophie’s pov
Excruciating pain.
That’s the feeling that curled in my body. Especially my ab-domen.
I tried to move out of the darkness that gripped me in its ugly coldness, but I’m not strong enough.
I whimper inwardly.
My limbs felt like they had given up on me, and my heart…
.. it
hurt.
I’m drowning further into the darkness that pulled me harshly.
I want to get out.
But I can’t.
I need something to lash onto. But there was nothing. I can hear voices, they were faint. But they were there.
Unfamiliar.
Not one can I recognize as the voices I want to hear. Not one was Aiden.
“We need to get her to the hospital now. She’s bleeding pro-fusely.” A man’s voice rushed out in a panic.
Was he talking about me?
He must be.
There’s a slickness between my thighs, but it wasn’t what you were thinking. It was warm… and it trailed down my thighs in a gush.
Was I bleeding there?
“Roll her in! Roll her in! She’s giving up!” An urgent voice blasted just as the darkness won and I succumbed to it.
Fear gripped me in its sheathe. I’m enveloped in it. It’s cold here. Dark and terrifying.
I’m alone.
And I loathe it.
But I see it. That little light at the far end.
My heart is pumping.
I’ve heard about this place.
The place of cold hard darkness that pushes you closer to the other side.
Was I dying?
It feels like it.
It’s getting colder where I stand in the darkness of my mind.
Every second, it feels like ice kissing my skin.
I took a step forward. Then another.
The more I move closer to that little streaming of light, the warmer I feel.
But the cold bit behind me, gluing to my skin and forcing me to keep moving forward.
I walk, I plod, I run through the darkness…. I can hear my own heartbeat. And it’s the only thing that’s running through my head.
The quietness of the dark makes it even louder.
I’m drawing closer.
I’m getting warmer.
I’m going to make it.
The light streams on my face, warming my bones. Finally, I’m not cold.
My fingers reach out….
“Sophie.”
I freeze.
My heart jams in my chest.
That voice I’ve been wanting to hear. I’ve been longing to hear since being in this cold darkness.
Now..
He’s here.
I turn around slowly, hoping that he was actually behind me.
He was.
His eyes connected with mine.
And they warm my soul instantly.
He smiles and takes a step forward.
“You were not planning to leave me, were you?” He tilted his head, a playful grin on his lips. My heart skips.
I approach him.
“You’re here.” I whispered.
His grin widens, warming me even more as he stared at me with so much love in his eyes.
“You didn’t think I’d let you stay here alone did you?” He jokes and with one hand, he wraps around my middle and pulled me flush against him.
He warms me even more than that light did.
“Aiden.” I breathed, my vision blurring. I’m about to cry, but he raises a hand and with the pad of his thumb he wipes the tear away.
“I wouldn’t dare leave you alone here my little Soph. ” He whispered, staring down at me fondly.
I sniffle, lifting my hands and played with the top of his shirt as I peered into his eyes. “Where am I? Where are we?”
I flicked my eyes around. Everything is so dark, and the only light that streamed was the glow behind me.
Aiden smiled at me, brushing his thumb down my cheek ten-derly. “We’re in the in between.”
I bunch up his shirt in my hands when his words registered in my head.
“We?”
Aiden nod. “Yes baby. We both ended up here. ” He looked behind me. “And they’re calling us.” He whispered, pulling me closer and brought his gaze back to mine.
I swallowed, my heart skipping. “Who’s calling us? Aiden?
What about our baby Ash?” Tears streamed down my face as I sobbed.
The in between.
I heard about that too.
here the soul goes before it moves towards the light.
I was dying.
Aiden cups my face and cooes me to relax. “Baby. Shh. It will be okay. Ash is safe, he’s unharmed and he’s waiting for us.”
One of his hand then fall to my stomach. “And little baby Aiden is waiting for us too.” He rubbed my stomach lightly, a bright grin on his face.
“I can’t believe you’re cooking up another me in there Soph.”
He whispered happily, his eyes falling to my stomach.
“You keep making me the happiest man in the world right now.
I can’t fathom the thought of never being beside you ever again.” He lift his eyes to mine and planted a chaste kiss on my nose.
Thiccuped and he hugged me.
“We’re not dead yet Soph.” He whispered knowing that I was terrified of not seeing Ashton’s face ever again.
I sniffle. “But we’re here Aiden. I was walking towards the light, if you hadn’t stopped me-”
Tears strolled down my face.
“Shh baby please stop crying. I told you I wouldn’t have made that happen. Our story isn’t done yet. We have to go back and finish it.” He kisses my neck and picks me up.
I wrap my legs around his waist and wrap my arms around his neck as I plaster my head on his shoulder, my nose touching his neck.
“Where are you taking us?” I whispered as he turned around and walked back to the pitch darkness.
It didn’t feel cold anymore because Aiden was beside me.
“Home.” He whispered with a kiss on my head.
I listen to his steady heartbeat as he walked further and further into the darkness. When I lift my head and peered over his shoulder, I noticed that white light had drifted farther away
from us.
Or perhaps we had walked farther away.
A few more steps and Aiden suddenly stopped. He places me down on my feet, cups my face and smiles down at me.
“It’s your time to go back now baby. Wait for me, yeah?” He nudged his head forward.
My brows furrowed, and I looked behind me. There’s an image, and image with me on a hospital bed.
I looked back at Aiden. Confused.
“Aren’t we going back together?” I whispered, my voice crack-
ing.
Aiden smiles sadly. “No baby. You’re going first.”
I gripped his hands, panic making my head spin. “Aiden. What do you mean I’m going first!?”
He pulls me flush against him. ” I’ll be right behind you Soph. I just need to fight a little more.”
I gripped his shirt. “Aiden,” I cried. Please tell me you’re going to come back?!”
He smiled, his head dipping, his nose brushing against mine.
“Didn’t I say our story isn’t done yet Sophie?”
I nod.
He kisses my lips.” Then trust me. I’m coming back baby.
There’s no way I’m leaving my little family.” With one last kiss, Aiden suddenly pushes me to the huge image.
I yelped, a screaming tearing out my throat as I felt like I was falling.
Until I felt my ears were ringing when I hit something hard.
And just like that, everything is white.
White? Are these white lights?
“Oh my God, you’re finally awake!”
I turn my gaze to her. She’s smiling happily. Mila.
“I’l go tell everyone. They were hungry so they went to get something to eat.” She smiled cheerfully.
She’s beside the bed, standing up. She reaches for my hand.
“I’m so happy you pulled through Sophie.”
“Aiden?” I cracked through a dry throat.
Mila’s face lost the smile and she looks sorrowful. Swallowing harshly until I saw the bob of her throat, Mila whispers.
“Soph,” Her voice is heavy with sadness, making my heart throb with pain.