Soul Takers 2.0

"Have you even been laid?" Dargon asked.
"Idiot! Do no be so rude!" His half demon brother said.

Riley nodded slowly and stood up, picking her up from the couch.

"Only twice, by one guy." Char replied.

"There's a process...I can't guarantee I'll survive..." Kro started.

"Don't leave me babe." Riley said as he carried her out of the house. He took her outside and the gathered demons made a space for him.

"Lame." Dragon said.
"Have some respect nitwit!"

"I may have to...but I don't want to leave you with nothing." Kro said and she got lost in thought for a moment. "Just put me down on the grass."

Riley cried and nodded as he gets to his knees and places her on the ground. His tears roll down his face.

"Would you have ever wanted a child with me?" Kro asked, forcing herself to speak despite her injured throat.

Riley cried and nodded. "Of course I would." He whispered as he kissed her forehead.

Kro smiled and tried her best to hug him. Then she laid back and put a hand to the ground. A sapling sprouted and grew about four and a half feet tall. She pulled its roots up and it grew thorns up the branches. "If I don't make it, prick your thumb on one of the thorns until it draws blood." She passed it to him.

Riley took it. "Don't say that baby...you'll be fine." He said trying to convince himself.

"I should've probably stayed dead to begin with. I've been living on stolen time." She sighed

"And there is nothing wrong with that." Riley said.

"I'll see Meara again. And Ceallagh... I should say my father but I never really called him that." Kro said before she stopped speaking since it hurt to. Her skin started to turn to bark and vines twisted all around her.

Riley held her hand and bit his lip. "Don't leave me..."

Kro held his hand back and closed her eyes. Her hair started to turn from black strands to vines growing with leaves.

Riley cried watching her go.

She laid still, frozen looking like a log carved in the shape of a woman.

Riley cried as he looked down at her. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Good bye...Kro."

The sapling's branches seem to curl around his arm a bit as he held it in his hand.

Riley stayed sitting next to her until it was done. He just cried.

Charlotte got up and walked outside. She crouched down beside Riley and put her arm around him to comfort him.

He didn't respond just cried.

Charlotte stayed with him for as long as he needed, not saying anything and letting him cry it out.

Riley cried all he could and looked down at the small tree he had given her. He held it close to him.

"What's that?" Charlotte asked, looking at the small tree.

"I-I think it's part of her..." He said. He ran a thumb over one of the thorns."