The List: Fifteen

Blogophilia, Week 23.9

Rumors of Revenge (Jessica)
Use a quote from To Kill a Mockingbird (Doris)

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

Include variances of the lyric, "I'm a little teapot." (Irene)

Picture: (Christopher)

I'll be back, my pretty!

The List Chapter Index



Chapter 1                               Chapter 13                           ...

Chapter 2                               Chapter 14                           ...

Chapter 3                               Chapter 15                           ...             ...

Chapter 4                                                             ...                           ...

Chapter 5                                                             ...                           ...

Chapter 6                                                            ...                           ...

Chapter 7                                                            ...                           ...

Chapter 8                                                            ...                           ...

Chapter 9                                                           ...                            ...

Chapter 10                                                         ...                           ...

Chapter 11                                                         ...                            ...

Chapter 12                                                        ...                            ...

THE LIST: CHAPTER 15

Before I get out of bed, I decide to pinch myself just in case this is a dream as well.  I really, honestly thought I was in the park just moments ago talking to Chase, but I was severely wrong.

I don't understand these boys and what they truly want from me.  No one really has bothered to even talk to me.  All I got were eyes from Xander, and Chase only appears to me in my dreams.  What if my dreams were real?

I once read somewhere that angels can communicate with you in your dreams.  I'm a little confused about what it all means.  I hear a teapot whistling, and I head out of my room to see what's going on.  I see Nora pouring some tea for Smith.

They both take a look over at me, but then proceed on with their conversation.  They both seemed to have looked right through me.

"Nora?"  I ask.

"They can't see you.  They can't even hear you."  I hear a voice say.  I turn around because I recognize the voice.  It's Cristi.

"What's going on?"  I ask.

"Oh, don't play stupid with me," she replies.  "I know you've been with that angel boyfriend of yours."

I look closer into her eyes and notice something is off with them.  They're not the emerald color I remember her having.  And after--apparently witnessing--I had possibly gone to a supernatural school, I know that anything is possible.

"You're not Cristi," I say.

"I take it back," she says.  "Maybe you're not so stupid after all."

"Who are you?"

"That's not important," she answers.  "Cristi is almost dead, which is kind of ironic considering she is a vampire and all.  The point is she will desiccate if you don't do what I want.  Not only will she die, but I will reap her soul.  And if you still won't cooperate, I'll go after everyone else you care about.  Including your cousin, Ame.  Then I'll work my way to your boyfriend, Xander, and you're other boyfriend--"

She takes a pause and looks back at me.  "Just how many boyfriends do you have?"  She asks.  "You know what?  It doesn't matter.  They're all going to die."

"What do you want from me?" I ask briskly.

"You mean, what do I want besides for you to die?"  She answers.  "I thought it was pretty simple.  I want your powers, as you've seemed to have wasted them."

I scoff weakly.  "I don't have any powers."

"You're dying, right?"  She asks quietly.  "I need to get those powers of yours before you die."

"Have you lost your mind?" I just look at her funny.  I'm too weak to run from her.  "I'm dying because I have cancer.  If I had powers, I could cure myself."

"Is that what your so-called family told you?"  She gives me a look that says she knows something I don't.  Even if I do listen to what she's saying, she's still a villain.  Bad people will pretty much say anything to get what they want.

"Who do you think I am?"  I play into her game.  I remember Ame telling me the rumors of the students missing.  Now I realize this being--who looks like Cristi--is the one behind all of this.  There is no way she can be the only one.  She is angry--or crazy--and wants revenge.

"I think," she pauses.  "No. I know you're a powerful witch."

"Okay," I reply.  "Say I am a witch.  What are you going to do with my powers?  I mean, you seem pretty powerful already for a reaper."

"I'll give you some more points for knowing I'm a reaper and not a shape-shifter," she speaks.  I thought it was only in movies where the bad guys spill all their info on what they'll do next.

Reapers are supposed to be kind beings.  They change form to comfort the being who's in transition.  They're angels who reap souls only so the souls can move on to the next phase of whatever they're supposed to move on to.  From the looks of things, this reaper went rogue.

"What if I climbed into your skin?" She asks, interrupting my thoughts. I give her a look of disgust, but she ignores it.

"'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-Until you climb into his skin and walk around.'"

"You're quoting To Kill a Mockingbird," I question.

"Well I did reap her soul," she replies.  "I know all their thoughts and feelings.  You're next on my list, but not just yet."

Within an instant, I am on my private plane.  I notice I'm sitting in one of the seats, and we are high above ground.  I have the sudden feeling that while I'm not in Kansas anymore, I'm not in Oz either.  I'm somewhere in between.

"This is better," fake Cristi speaks to no one in general.  "I can get your powers from you and no one will interrupt us.  Then I can make everything look like an accident."

I know I'm dying, but this is not how I ever thought I would go down.  Literally down.  She's going to make it look like I took the plane, and make it look like I got into an accident.  I don't see what the problem is?  Couldn't she have just taken this power she thinks I have, and just let me die in peace?

"This won't take long," she pauses.  I look up to see not only is she frozen, but so is the plane.  I am mid-air, frozen in time, on a plane.

"You have to get out of here," I turn around to see one of Xander's friends talking to me.  It's that boy Will, with the crew cut.  He looks like a soldier, and that's the moment it hit me.  I knew fake Cristi wasn't alone.  She had someone to help her.  She has herself a soldier; a reaper.

I look over at him.  "I don't understand," I say.  "What is going on?"

"There is no time to explain," he looks at me with his baby blue eyes.  "Time won't stand frozen for long.  She's getting powerful." He places a backpack on my shoulders.  I put my arms through the loops as he gestures to me.  He tightens the front for me.

"I'm going to make it look like you froze time and knocked me out." He opens the emergency door to let me out.  "You must go."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Please find Cristi for me," he replies.  Suddenly it was clear to me.  It seems as though fake Cristi has hidden the real Cristi, and Will really likes her.

I nod as I jump out the plane.

I start free falling through the clouds, and then I notice the wind.  Time is back on, and I have to dive down further before I can pull the cord.

I guess I can scratch skydiving off my list.

***
http://thethinkywriter.blogspot.com/2016/07/tl-xv.html



DJ

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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

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