I don’t know what The Reaper did to me, but it feels like a knife in my skull and I feel like I am being consumed with visions. I can’t even keep up with the visions to remember or even understand them. My mom pulls in, I tell her in detail what happened with Dad, not The Reaper. It’s best not to mention that. She looks like she is distressed, especially knowing he hasn’t taken his medications in days, and last night they refused to do anything about it.
After about twenty minutes she managed to get him around and out the door to the car. He was murmuring complete nonsense and setting a fire here and there. That’s his power fire. He can create warmth out of nowhere and spark some flames with just a glance. He is not the strongest fae of this type, but he is still really good at it. Mom’s power is linked to the earth, growing and creating specialty beautiful scenery. And I am just a seer. I hate being a seer. A sinking feeling sits in the pit of my stomach as I put out the little flames, an end is coming soon. I feel nauseated.
I force Ember inside, she loves being out in the cold air. Boost follows her in, he doesn’t care for the cold as much as she does. But he loves to follow her about, thus he follows her anywhere. She is the leader, the boss, and she knows it too. It’s funny watching their dynamics. I get their dinner around and water as the feeling will not let go of me to prepare for the worst. I start to meditate to clear the visions running through my mind. They are strong this time, to the point I can smell the visions. Just breathe.
Deep breath in... Let it go slowly… I smell the fresh water in the forest, the smell of the after rain… I slowly open my eyes, I am no longer in my room, but in the forest. I am not really here though, just in my mind. It’s a foresight. Something that will be happening. When it happens I am not sure. Not too soon, as it is warm here and it’s cold right now for this type of warmth. This would be more like May. It seems almost peaceful, but something is out of place. It just doesn’t feel right. Then I smell a metallic smell, I look down and the water has blood in it. I feel panic set in, a tightening in my throat… and as I bring myself to the realization of what I am seeing, my phone rings grounding me back to my room.
I looked at the caller ID, and it was Mom. Oh no! NO! She never calls unless it’s urgent, or important, or something is wrong. Very wrong. I shakingly swipe the screen to answer my phone dread setting in with the full swipe.
“Hello,” I answer trying to keep calm. I try to hold my voice in a calm tone, but it fades quickly with the anxiety consuming my mind.
“You need to come here… It’s not good. I think you should be here,” my mom slowly, shakingly replies. I can tell she has been crying in her voice. My mom rarely cries, usually someone dies if she cries like this. Dying. Dead. My mind starts racing to the worst possibilities.
“Okay.. I’ll be right there,” I reply as tears finally break loose and start flowing down my face. Pull it together.
I take a few deep breaths in and out slowly, to try to pull myself together. Then hurry down the stairs, not even grabbing my coat, and get into my car to hurry along to the hospital.
I pull into the hospital taking a few deep breaths again to try to calm myself again. Hope out my care and rush for the emergency room entrance. Near the entrance, my brother stands. Slightly pacing. He looks eyes on me. Weirdly, he is here. That’s not a good sign… He looks odd. The waves of emotional distress hit as get closer to him. God, it’s going to be bad. I can feel it. When I get within arm's length of him he pulls me into a tight hug. So wrong… It’s so bad… What is happening?!
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
“I’m so sorry!” he exclaims in sadness. “I will protect you now though. Don’t worry.”
“What’s happening?” I question in severe confusion. He is being too overly nice, and super emotional. Not the same brother who kept trying to unalive me anytime he got angry and jealous.
“He’s gone, I am sorry… You should go see Mom and the others inside,” he claims with tears swelling up.
I look up at him to nod my reply, for I don’t lose myself. Only to notice the Reaper lurking at the entrance watching me. My head is throbbing with pain were he touched earlier, and continues to get worse the closer I get to the entrance.
Everyone is here already. Did she contact me last? Why would she contact me last?! Angry and sadness flood me, I feel the Reaper still lurking, watching, and pulling on my energy. I say nothing though. Just like emotions of betrayal take their toll. I lay my head on my mom, even though I feel betrayed by her, we still both need each other. My Grandmother keeps repeating “It’s not right... It’s just not right.” My one Aunt is taking care of things for my Mom for her work. And everyone else is just kind of silently sitting here. Not sure if it’s just supposed to be a respectful thing, or shock since my Dad wasn’t that old, or just silent support for us. But it was eerie either way. Especially since normally, my family is loud, full of laughter from jokes and whatnot. The sad, eerie silence isn’t right.
My cousin puts his hand on my shoulder. “Come on, you should go see him. It’s important,” he claims. Why would it be important, he’s not there anymore… He’s gone, it’s only flesh now. No soul.
The Reaper is semi-smiling now. While the spot on my head throbs unmercifully something about seeing my father’s vessel must excite him, but why. Or maybe his soul is still hanging out there. I jump up at the thought. My mom looks at me she looks like she is in some kind of void.
“You don’t have to if you don't want to…” she states quietly.
I just shake my head, and follow him out. My brother joins us. My mom follows behind us. As the two of them lead us through the hallway to where my Dad’s body lays. It was a trick, the smile it was a trick to drain my soul. Hot, raging sadness floods my entire body. As my mom takes me in for a hug.
As she pulls me in my headache turns into the feeling that knives are stabbing me everywhere. And there it was my Dad, his soul. It is here, I got to reach for it and bring it in for a hug with my mom and me. I feel him, his warmth, his goodness. It’s not right. It’s not time for a goodbye yet! I start to do the unthinkable.
I try to use my power to fuse my Dad’s soul back with his body. It’s a banned practice, and forgotten practice by most. Those who had the gift, usually never fully succeed at tying the soul back to the body. But I think I can. I think I could succeed without punishment. I feel like I can, this power is different and involved. A bright light starts to fill the room, and then I hear a crash. It startles me… and I stop. NO! NO! I was almost there! No, Dad, I am sorry! I am sorry! I love you! Goodbye, Dad.
I released his soul, there was no turning back from it. I had to say my silent goodbye and walk out with the others. I stared at them, but none of them said anything. I came to the realization that none of them saw or felt any of what I just almost succeeded in doing. I almost brought him back… I was so close. The Reaper is smiling, he is impressed. He starts to fade away leaving alone with the others.
My mom talked to some more staff at the hospital and directors for the funeral meeting that needed to be set up. Then we all went to leave. None of them said much, and we all went home in shock, sadness, and anger. Grief. I got a silent goodbye at least.