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Chapter 64

Am I dead?
Is this it? Is it all over? Have I reached the end, that ultimate, deciding stop?
But, no... My entire body aches and shivers with every harsh gust of the wind, my stomach gnawing a hole in my side, my head pounding... My heart still beats, however faintly, however unevenly. No, I'm still here... But is Coal?
At that thought, my eyes snap open, and I'm staring right into Coal's still, emotionless face... The wind blows and howls. and his hair lifts off his face, but he doesn't move, wince, or react in any way.
"COAL!" The scream in ripped from my throat, and while the sensible part of me is still trying to figure out how I even managed to cry out, I'm suddenly on my knees next to Coal's motionless, bloody body, gripping him by the shoulders and shaking him like a madwoman.
"Don't-leave-me!" My cries are muffled by the sobs that begin to escape me, shaking my entire form, hurting my chest, but still, I shake him, pounding him into the ground, something, anything to bring him back.
"No!" I adjust my methods, and lock my hands together, bringing them down onto his chest, hard, trying to jump start his heart. Tears stream down my face, and my heart is being wrenched in two after it's been rubbed raw and bloody by sandpaper. "You can't go! You can't leave me! COAL!!!" I continue pounding his chest in vain effort, my arms shaking from the strain, his blood sticking to my hands, but still I raise my arms and bring them down again, though every beat is weaker, every strike slower, until I'm just holding him and sobbing.
"Coal! Stone! Whoever you are, don't leave me! Don't, you can't! I-" I look from the tattered black wolf ears, to the bloody swords cast on the ground, the black crown and 69 on his neck, the scars on his chest, then on his face, and lastly, his eyes... They are closed, but his face is relaxed around them, though his mouth is drawn in pain. Then something hits me, something that never before occurred to me... Stone and Coal are the same person after all, aren't they? They've always been, and always will be... I can't love Stone without loving Coal, as infuriating as the latter is...
"I love you." I whisper, then lean over and kiss him.