Shadewood sandwiched between heaven and hell

With nothing but silence enhaling his mind, when the rustle came for him, he honestly suspected it to be Slade. But in his mind, he could feel bliss. In his mind, he knew grace had come to whisk him away and put him where the souls who had tried to salvage their blessings over their sins would be, a nicer limbo. A place where he could see Gwen, smiling, but where he wouldn’t be able to touch her. 
He didn’t deserve to touch her. 
Not anymore.

The helix of guilt sucked him from the thoughtful coma, and it spat him back into the cold world he was locked in. He was entirely too close to death, and while he couldn’t wish for death anymore than he already was - but he had a mission. 

“Protect-    Family..” the words lift his dry tongue in a rasp like nails against bark. 
Mans he forced himself back to his fours, clearly unable to move further as he couldn’t even recognize the difference in crying outside his head from the wails within.