The List: Fourteen

No guesses this week.  The challenge this week really stumped me! LOL...

To catch up:
Chapter 1              Chapter 8
Chapter 2              Chapter 9
Chapter 3              Chapter 10
Chapter 4              Chapter 11
Chapter 5              Chapter 12
Chapter 6              Chapter 13
Chapter 7

Misty Minnesota Morning
"I See Dead People"
Incorporate a Simon & Garfunkel Song Title
"Sound of Silence"


Picture:

After a lot of research, it's a stone carving of the Roman God, Mercury.
You can find this stone carving at Penn Station.

If this was a misty Minnesota morning
I'd have been informed without warning
Misty Florida mornings are all I find

Fourteen

"I've been here all this time," I find myself say.

"No," he replies.  "Your nanny cloaked  you from me."

"Then how are you seeing me now?"

"You're willing it, I suppose.  Magic is a very funny thing sometimes."

I just stare at him.  I had so many plans, and I at least thought--Well, I guess it doesn't matter now.  I give a sigh and speak.

"I'm ready to go," I say.

Chase gives me a strange look.  "Go where?"

"To wherever it is you go after you die.  That's why you're here, right?"

He tilts his head to the side, picks it back up.

"Although," I say before  he can say anything. "Why did you save me back at the bookstore then?"

"What?"  I can see he's trying to play it off.

"My parents are scientists.  They would do anything to keep me alive.  I know about demons and monsters like vampires.  I know about angels, and I know about reapers.  You're here to take me, and I'm ready to go."

He walks up to me and wipes a tear from my eye.  I didn't realize I started to tear up.  I look down because I feel embarrassed about crying in front of anyone.

"Is that what you think?"  I look up into his eyes.

"Then why are you here?"  I look around and still see everything frozen.  "Why is everything still frozen?"

"We're in an in between world," he replies.  "One where time stands still enough for me to talk to you."

"You want to talk?"  I question him.  What is it with these guys and never wanting to say anything until months later.  "Don't you usually avoid me?"

"I didn't want to freak you out," he admits.  "I know the kind of person you are, Kalura.  I know of your plans.  I know about your list."

I shoot him a look.  "Have you been the one who has been sending me those cryptic messages?"

"No," he says as if he knows what I'm talking about.  Xander had no idea that someone else was sending me messages until I said something about it.  "And that's what I wanted to warn you about.  You're in danger."

I scoff.  "What's more dangerous than dying?"

"Take a look around you, Kalura."  I look around.  "Do you see those people walking around?"

I notice there are people walking around.  They seem like they're in some kind of a trance; they're not paying attention to me.

"You can believe in life and death," I focus my eyes back to him talking.  "You can believe in monsters and angels.  But you can't believe in an afterlife?"

I look away from him, and look back around.  "So what you're telling me is I'm seeing dead people right now?"

"It's more than that," he replies.  "It's what you don't hear."

"I hear sounds of," I pause in my words.  "I hear a sound of--"  I trail off.

"Silence," Chase finishes the sentence I couldn't think to say.

I look around some more and notice a few things other than how silent this in between world is.  I watch as the people are walking in a fog.  They seem lost, and they keep circling around a statue.  I walk closer to the statue.

"That's Mercury," Chase says to me.  "He was considered to be the Roman God that lead others into the underworld."

I look back at him.  "Are you telling me there's an actual underworld?"

"Well, it's more like how Shakespeare refers to it as purgatory.  These people are supposed to be in purgatory until they're ready to move on to the next phase."

"But they don't seem to be moving on," I find myself say.

"No one is meant to be on this plane for too long.  Only the crows, and the angel that used to stand guard."

"Where's the angel now?"

"My best guess is he was turned into that statue."

"Let me see if I can wrap my brain around this," I begin.  "There are lost souls, an angel has been turned to stone, and no one can get into the underworld, or purgatory as it's called."

"Yes," he replies.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you can help us."

"I can't help you?"

Chase looks at me with concern.  "Why's that?"

"Because I have no special powers," I start building a list in my head.  "Because I have about a month left of life in me if I'm lucky.  Because--"

"Because you are more powerful than you realize," he interrupts my list.

"No," I say in a weak tone.  "No I am not."

"Would you just humor me then?"  He looks at me with his green eyes.  "Please?"

I look away.  I don't even know what to say.  I've already tried telling him I don't know a thing on how I could help him at all.

"Why don't you just think of it as adding it to the list of things you want to accomplish?"

I look back at him because it reminds me to ask him.  "How exactly do you know about my list?"

"I'm an angel," he replies.  "I was sent to help you, believe it or not.  I have no intention of hurting you, nor do I plan on letting you get hurt."

"If you're here to protect me, then why do you need my help?"

"You will eventually see if you say you'll help me."

"Could you be anymore vague?"  I look at him in confusion.

"We can't talk here anymore," he says.

He gently grabs my head and kisses my forehead.  I close my eyes and open them to find myself in my own bed.

I get out of bed assuming everything that just happened, was all just a dream.

©Diana Jillian
*****
DJ

~~