Brimstone

Everybody Dies

She coughed hard a nasty crackling sound from deep within her chest, and I rushed to get her a glass of water. As I stared at her with concern she sighed deeply before looking up at me.

"I know you know that I'm dying." She stated calmly and I didn't know how to respond. "I need to tell you the truth before it's too late."

She took her ring off and laid it before me upon the old wooden table. It was Silver and Black. Two Dragons swirled together each holding a stone. The black one held a black onyx stone while the silver one held a white opal. I stared at it blankly and she pushed forward an old picture. There she was young, graceful, petite, and beautiful with long strawberry colored hair and crystal blue eyes smiling brightly as what I assume is my father held her close. It was like the dragon prince from the story had been brought to life. I had his eyes of emerald green.

My hand softly reached forward and touched the picture in amazement. It seemed to be a wedding picture. My father was dressed in an all black suit to match his wild black curls as he looked down upon my mother with a soft tenderness. My mother was dressed in a flowing white dress that seemed iridescent upon her skin. She held a bouquet of white and black roses, calla lilies, and anemones.

The picture almost didn't seem real as they stood on a mountain top with colors of light painting the sky around them. I don't think I've ever seen my mother look more beautiful or happier than she did in this picture.

"I am Eira Rogan a half human half dragon. Cursed as a halfblooded mistake and by birth doomed to death and shame." She announced as if that should explain everything to me.

"What?" I whispered crunching my eyebrows in confusion.

"I am a halfblooded dragon, Eileen, and your father was the dragon prince, Rhys Hayes." She paused to look at me. "We were a bonded pair, fated mates."

I stared at her unable to find my voice. The sad fairytale of the dragon prince was true. I shook my head.

"No that would mean.... I'm not a dragon."

"Yes, you are the last dragon princess and in danger. Your father protected us with his life, and the day he died my dragon suffered too. My dragon held on only to raise her child. You are an adult Eileen. It's time I rejoined your father."

"NO!" I stood abruptly pushing my chair back to scrap the floor as my hands slammed down on the table top.

"It is my fate, and what I want. I don't belong in a world where he doesn't exist. I have kept my promise and you have grown into a beautiful woman." she smiled softly, "Please help me to the bed. We can't hold on much longer."

I led her to the bed in the corner of the room next to the fireplace. Her hand felt like ice as she held on to me. After I helped her under the covers she smiled again looking deep into my eyes as if she saw him there.

"Under the bed pull out the chest." She asked.

I bent down to find and old black beaten up chest with a large dragon crest carved on it and my father's name.

"Only Rhys's heir can open the box. It has books, heirlooms, and clothes from our world." I shoved it away frustrated, but she didn't seem angry with me.

"You can't leave me. You are the only person I have in the world. Don't leave me alone with all of this." I cried laying my face on her stomach. I knew it wouldn't do any good and that it was a child's dream to hold on to her mother.

She ran her hand through my hair softly and she began to sing a song that she had sung a thousand times since she first heard it on the radio. Her voice was soft and enchanting as I listened to the sad melody of the Billie Eilish song, Everybody Dies.

"Everybody dies, surprise, surprise

We tell each other lies, sometimes, we try

To make it feel like we might be right

We might not be alone

Be alone

"Everybody dies", that's what they say

And maybe in a couple hundred years

They'll find another way

I just wonder why you'd wanna stay

If everybody goes

You'd still be alone...."