FS1 11 - send off to Erebus. Tysm to @hogwartsavenger for setting up the whole plot for this book.
I don’t know why Erebus walked over to me. I was walking back to my cabin with Xavier when he
came up to me. Hey Audrey… um… weird question… what was Nerth’s favorite food? He asks. Gods
just saying his name sent me down a rabbit hole of memories. I summoned up the courage to talk.
Um sprite and chicken nuggets. I say softly. Xavier put a comforting hand on my back. Great, thanks.
Um can you meet me later? I want to show you something. He says. Ok, um what time? I ask him. 10
minutes? He asks. Um ok. Where? I ask him. Ill come grab you. See ya. He says awkwardly and walks
off. I sigh and Xavier walks me to the cabin. Hey, if you need a friend just ask. He tells me. I nod.
He gives me a hug and then waves goodbye. I walked inside and freshened up for a second. I walked
down to the entrance and waited for Erebus. He came back right on time with Uncle Cole, Aunt
Astraea, Cypher, and Evelyn. Everyone was red and puffy eyed. Ready? He asks with a bag of chicken
nuggets in his hand. I nod and walk next to Eve. She had a reassuring hand on my shoulder. We
walked to a small patch of ground outside of camp. He mumbled some things but I didnt hear him.
So… your goning to raise him from the dead? Eve asks. That got my attention. Was it even possible?
My spirits sunk at his answer. Pfft, no. He says plainly. Im going to raise his soul for a few minutes.
He says shrugging like it was no big deal. What? I ask him. He looked at me as I bit my lip. Yeah… he
says. He did something with the dirt and food and closed his eyes. Nothing happend until i was
frightened by a blue hand shooting out of the ground. SO MANY CHICKEN NUGGYS! BBQ, RANCH,
HONEY NUT! AND- I gasped. Ghost Nerth looked at us. His eyes widened and he looked around. Dang
it… i was eating chicken nuggets. He says. Cypher chuckled. I couldnt believe it. He was here. But not.
The memories threatened to overpour in tears but I had to look away for a second. Everyone talked
with him but I couldnt. I didnt know what to say. It was too… painful. Especially with everyone else
there. They knew him better than i did. He was their family. I felt like an outsider. I was about to
leave when everyone stops talking. Hey.. can I talk to my friend here… in private? He asks his family.
My heart froze. All eyes were on me. I wanted to disappear. Everyone did. I didnt meet Nerth’s eyes.
He walked over on silent steps. Hi! He says and I envisioned him smiling. Hey. I say softly. It was
hard to even get that out. Dang it why did this have to be so hard?! I had been wishing for the past
hours ot be able to talk to him one last time and here I could and I couldnt even say hello? That’s
messed up Audrey. I tell myself. I didnt realize I was cryong till he tried to wipe a tear that was
rolling down my cheek. I felt cold as his hand went right through me. I looked up slightly. He tried
to kick a rock but couldnt. I um… i miss you. He says. I bit my lip. My eyes started to puff up. I miss
you too. I choke up. He looked at me with those warm maroon eyes. Hey, dont cry because of me. Cry
because I have zero rizz. He says chuckling. What?! I ask him looking him full in the face, which was
hard since he was like 6’4. It was Nerth’s turn to look down. He looked back at me with joy and
sadness in his eyes. I… i love you— or well I loved you when I was alive. I still do. I was just scared
to tell you. He says and looks down. My heart froze. I mean literally froze. That’s what he meant to
tell me. I think. Nerth? Love me? Tears formed. Nerth tried to wrap me in a hug, and for some
reason he did. He didnt go through me. He felt real again. I sobbed slightly and let his strong arms
comfort me. I love you. I always will. He says into my ear. I felt the arms loosen and sink. No. Not
now. Please. I just got him back. Please no. I plead in my head. I try to hold on to him. I watch him
smile sweetly at me with such a love in his eyes I knew it would never leave me. And then he was
gone. Just like that. I stood there. Torn between grief and love. I wiped my face. At least I got to
talk to him. I tell myself. Dont cry because of me. He had said. I would never stop cryong for him.
But at least I wouldnt cry as much. That thought gave me hope and courage. Nerth will always be in
My heart. I was now realizing that I did have feelings for him, however distant and small it was. My
first love. Gone. But at least we will never forget each other. I tell myself. I looked at Erebus who I
had forgotten was there. He looked at me. I walked over to him. Before I knew what I was doing, I
wrap him in a hug. He resists for a second but then relents. He was tiny, i was bigger than him, but
he didnt stop the hug. Whatever feelings of uncertainty and doubt had been there about him
vanished. Thank you. I tell him with a grateful smile. He nods. Lets get back shall we? I ask him and
he nods awkwardly. Grey was right about one thing, teh kid was SUPER socially awkward. We joined
Nerth’s family and walked to our cabins. I walked to mine and realized Haley wasnt in her bunk. I
realized she probably was in the healers tent. I showered the grim off me and put on my pjs. I
settled into bed and was about to go to sleep when I grabbed my journal. I journaled for a bit but
then turned to the page behind my big group one and started to draw. I dont why I drew it, but I
did. When it was done, i smiled, satisfied, and then fell asleep.