Death's Captive: Will she escape eternal confinement?

CHAPTER 32

I wander up to the maternity ward and sit on the bench facing the newborns. A small child sitting to my right is swinging his legs back and forth while looking in my direction.

"Hello Ava," the little boy says. I look to my left to see if someone is approaching, but there's nobody there. I look at the small boy and he smiles at me as he continues to swing his legs back and forth. I cock an eyebrow and peer closer at the child.

"My little sister is being born today." The child looks towards the window and all babies. I reach out and poke the small child

"Ouch!" He looks at me scornfully.

"You can see me?"

"Of course."

The child looks healthy and I can't hear the familiar TING in my head.

"How?" I asked dumbfounded.

"It's me. Albert. Well I was. My name is Mackenzie now."

"Albert? You came back?"

"Of course. I made you a promise. I'm sorry it took so long, I had to get older and then I had to get here somehow. I didn't expect to see you for some years yet but then my mum went into labour near this hospital so they brought her here instead of the public hospital."

Albert's face is cheerful, excited. Or should I say Mackenzie? I'm struggling to work this new situation out.

"How can you remember me? You're in a new body."

"Well, I told you I'd try and help you and I did. I went to the other side and started to look for someone in charge. Not as easy as you might think, but I kept searching till I found someone who knew someone else who could help. I explained to them what happened and we came to an arrangement."

I must look like an idiot with my jaw slack and my mouth open. Albert/Mackenzie seems delighted by the astonishment on my face, as if he's a primary school kid who's played a huge prank on a grown up.

Albert looks towards the glass again and then back to me "I know you like to sit here sometimes. I remember you telling me. I was going to go look for you if you didn't appear soon."

"I often thought of you, Albert. I thought you were never going to come back."

"I know." The small boy puts his hand over mine and squeezes it hard enough for me to feel comforted through the veil. "I still get to watch over you, Ava."

"How?"

"It's like having one foot on both sides. It's how I keep my memories about my last life. I dream about you sometimes. Watching over you like you did for me."

"I want to hug you so badly."

"You can, I just can't hug you back. It would look weird me hugging thin air."

I slide myself across the bench and wrap my arms around Albert's small body. I don't have to push through the veil to feel his warm skin, or the fur on his jacket against my cheek. I embrace him for a few moments then kiss his forehead. I feel a tightness in my throat as tears spring from my eyes and flow down my cheek. I feel truly happy for the first time in a very long time. Albert has found a way to release me, a way for me to die. I've waited decades to pass on. Having a hospital to wander through endlessly doesn't take away from the fact that I'm a prisoner.

"I missed you too, Ava, but it's like I never really left you. I was always keeping an eye out for you."

I lean down and clutch his small hand and hold it. "How do I get out of here Albert?"