Chapter 23 (Conclusion)
A few hours later, Liz was sitting on the beach watching the sun rise. She felt as if there was some sort of balance in the world that broke before her. She did not know if it was good or bad, but the light tremor gave her the answer she needed. A second sun rose out of the water. It pulled itself to the shore, where Liz could make out the shape of Dem’s colossal head. He seemed small compared to Marcus. As soon as they made eye contact, Dem turned to face her and said, “I couldn’t. He wouldn’t let me save him.”
Dem looked like shit, and he probably knew it. Liz wanted to respond, but the lump in her throat wouldn’t let her. She held down the weeping, and the beauty of the rising sun did not help hide her tears. She could faintly see two great tigers swim to the island from a distance. Neither Mish nor Dragoon spoke. Both gave her solemn looks, but nothing more was needed. A massive red bird flew overhead, but Liz did not recognize it. She replayed what Dem told her in her mind and decided to believe him. Yes, Marcus would not let himself be saved, but he was still alive. Of that, she was sure.
Twenty hours later, on the following night, a party was held on Angel Island. The soldiers and the citizens celebrated their victory. Everyone enjoyed the music – that is, until someone drank too much and tried to swing from the disco ball – and the food. Even Colson started to lighten up after enough rum. Every kind of music played and everyone let their cares melt away as the night went on. Liz wanted to enjoy the ceremony, she wanted to have fun, but it was not something she could do with a clear conscience.
Isaac made it to the island the day before. Liz was the first person he sought out. After he told her about Marcus’s fate, she could not stop crying. The last thing she told him was that she wanted to kill herself. Now, she felt like doing that more than ever before in her life. She knew that Marcus would want her to live on, but it just was not possible for her to live without him. Just then, she understood the full weight of her loss. He was everything but a lover to her. He was her professor, her father, her mother, her brother, and her guardian angel. Marcus was her salvation and her devotion. Without him, Liz was not whole.
While the others were partying on the inner part of the island, Liz sat on the beach alone; she watched the sun set beyond the horizon. She heard a noise beside her and she turned to see Mitch walk to her side. He was still wearing the duster he gave her on the night they met; Liz wondered if he ever washed it after that. Mitch held two bottles in one hand and a blanket in the other. He covered her, sat down next to her, and handed her a bottle of alcohol. He said, “Marcus told me what he did to you.”
Liz continued to gaze into the ocean. She hated the fact that Marcus told another, but she decided it was better to tell Mitch than no one at all; he built up a reputation on his island as an advisor to both the parents and the children. When she made it clear that she would not respond, Mitch asked, “Do you forgive him?”
“I do. I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It always matters. Even though he’s probably not coming back-”
“He is coming back. Wait and see.”
“I’m sorry, but I just think it would be best to-”
“I’m not leaving here until I see him. The last time we spoke, I said I wanted to kill myself. Do you have any idea what that can do to you when you see yourself as a guardian angel?”
Liz started to cry, and she leaned up against Mitch. This time, she did not stop the tears. It would have gone on for weeks, had another earthquake not shaken the earth. The ground started to shake around eight thirty at night. This tremor was followed by a massive amount of water fall deeper into the ocean. This normally meant a tsunami, but none of the soldiers or civilians were locals, so they paid no attention. Liz saw a large amount of bubbles start to rise out of the water. She tried to focus her vision, but her tears made it impossible. Her eyes may have been useless, but her ears worked flawlessly. She heard a thunderous roar that reverberated throughout the entire west coast. Many of the people were frightened because they did not know where the noise came from, but Liz finally felt whole again.
Dem looked like shit, and he probably knew it. Liz wanted to respond, but the lump in her throat wouldn’t let her. She held down the weeping, and the beauty of the rising sun did not help hide her tears. She could faintly see two great tigers swim to the island from a distance. Neither Mish nor Dragoon spoke. Both gave her solemn looks, but nothing more was needed. A massive red bird flew overhead, but Liz did not recognize it. She replayed what Dem told her in her mind and decided to believe him. Yes, Marcus would not let himself be saved, but he was still alive. Of that, she was sure.
Twenty hours later, on the following night, a party was held on Angel Island. The soldiers and the citizens celebrated their victory. Everyone enjoyed the music – that is, until someone drank too much and tried to swing from the disco ball – and the food. Even Colson started to lighten up after enough rum. Every kind of music played and everyone let their cares melt away as the night went on. Liz wanted to enjoy the ceremony, she wanted to have fun, but it was not something she could do with a clear conscience.
Isaac made it to the island the day before. Liz was the first person he sought out. After he told her about Marcus’s fate, she could not stop crying. The last thing she told him was that she wanted to kill herself. Now, she felt like doing that more than ever before in her life. She knew that Marcus would want her to live on, but it just was not possible for her to live without him. Just then, she understood the full weight of her loss. He was everything but a lover to her. He was her professor, her father, her mother, her brother, and her guardian angel. Marcus was her salvation and her devotion. Without him, Liz was not whole.
While the others were partying on the inner part of the island, Liz sat on the beach alone; she watched the sun set beyond the horizon. She heard a noise beside her and she turned to see Mitch walk to her side. He was still wearing the duster he gave her on the night they met; Liz wondered if he ever washed it after that. Mitch held two bottles in one hand and a blanket in the other. He covered her, sat down next to her, and handed her a bottle of alcohol. He said, “Marcus told me what he did to you.”
Liz continued to gaze into the ocean. She hated the fact that Marcus told another, but she decided it was better to tell Mitch than no one at all; he built up a reputation on his island as an advisor to both the parents and the children. When she made it clear that she would not respond, Mitch asked, “Do you forgive him?”
“I do. I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It always matters. Even though he’s probably not coming back-”
“He is coming back. Wait and see.”
“I’m sorry, but I just think it would be best to-”
“I’m not leaving here until I see him. The last time we spoke, I said I wanted to kill myself. Do you have any idea what that can do to you when you see yourself as a guardian angel?”
Liz started to cry, and she leaned up against Mitch. This time, she did not stop the tears. It would have gone on for weeks, had another earthquake not shaken the earth. The ground started to shake around eight thirty at night. This tremor was followed by a massive amount of water fall deeper into the ocean. This normally meant a tsunami, but none of the soldiers or civilians were locals, so they paid no attention. Liz saw a large amount of bubbles start to rise out of the water. She tried to focus her vision, but her tears made it impossible. Her eyes may have been useless, but her ears worked flawlessly. She heard a thunderous roar that reverberated throughout the entire west coast. Many of the people were frightened because they did not know where the noise came from, but Liz finally felt whole again.