Timeless (Enoch O Connor x OC)

22: Ghostly Messages

Floating, lighter than air.

I was surrounded by tranquil darkness.

Suddenly I came crashing down, pressure building in my ears. I opened my mouth to scream but I couldn't hear myself.

Slowly I opened my eyes, my vision blurry and dark at the edges. From my curled-up position on the floor, I saw two pairs of feet before me. One had a pair of black shiny Mary Janes with pristine white socks under. Beside her were brown old shoes that looked like they had been through a lot.

I brought my sight up to see their faces. At first, they were blurry and vague but as I focused the faces began to form. Their faces transformed into those of Lotte and Victor. But they weren't right. Their faces too sallow and angular. As though someone had tried to paint them with the wrong shades and no reference.

Their mouths moved, they were saying something but the pressure in my ears was too strong.

Lotte brought her hand down for me to take it. It felt unnatural.

I reached out.

Our fingertips touching.

A sharp pull backward sent me flying.

My ears and eyes now clear.

I gasped as though pulled out from underwater.

What was going on?

I spun around to see who had pulled me and came face to face with Lotte and Victor again.

This time it felt right. Their faces were their own and the blurriness was gone. They glowed with the radiant happiness that I remembered from when they were alive.

"Lotte! Victor!" I cried out as I attempted to hug them but my hands went right through, "wh-"

"June," said Lotte, "we're dead, we're not really here."

"But-" I began as tears fell down my cheeks. Why was I experiencing this cruel reminder of their deaths?

"It's okay, June, you're okay," said Victor placing a ghostly hand on my shoulder.

"No, I'm not," I said falling to my knees, "the wights got me."

They kneeled down in front of me.

"Listen," said Lotte, "you are so much more powerful than you think. Multiply everything you can do right now by a hundred."

"She's right," said Victor, "you can save everyone."

"But I couldn't save you two," I said as I sobbed.

"We didn't have to be saved," Lotte said, "we both made a choice and we're happy now. We have all the freedom we wish for."

"Oh yes, June!" said Victor excitedly, "they have a special place for peculiar in the afterlife where you can rest from all of your hardships. I wish I could take you there but you'll join us one day."

"Ominous," I said with a little laugh through my tears.

"Not any time soon," said Victor with a laugh, "you still have many great things to do."

"I don't know," I said, the dream about the clocktower resurfacing, "it might be sooner than you think."

"There's a different way," said Lotte as though she knew what I was thinking. Back when she was alive she could do that too, she would always guess what I was thinking of before I said it.

"What do you mean?" I asked, "the dream told me I had to fall out of that clocktower to save everyone. They need me for all their plan and if I'm not there, they're defeated."

"June, who do you think sent you that dream?" asked Victor, "you don't have prophetic dreams so you know it was a message of sorts. Who do you think sent it?"

"That wight..." I said slowly.

"So he had control, he was showing you what he wanted you to see," he continued.

"What you're saying is that he wants me to jump?" I asked in surprise.

"He showed you that so that you would think that is what you would have to do," said Victor, "I don't know why they want you to fall out of the clock tower but they need you to do it willingly. It's part of their plan and if you do it you're playing right into their hands."

"What do I do then?" I asked. A heavy weight was lifted off my shoulders as Victor told this. I wouldn't have to jump. I would only be helping the wights if I did.

"You have to defeat them," said Lotte.

"How could I possibly do that?" I asked in disbelief.

"It'll be difficult and you'll need the help of others but when you discover just how strong you are I am sure you'll be able to do it," she told.

"You always did think way too highly of me Lotte," I said.

"For good reason," she said with a smile.

"I miss you," I said sadly, "you too Victor."

"I miss you too," they replied in unison.

"But we're not really gone," said Victor.

"We've been watching you this whole time," she said, "that's how Victor and I met."

I laughed at that. I imagined them both sneaking off to a cloud with a certain angle where they could see me and bumping into each other.

"Sad I never met this Enoch boy if yours though," she said with a mischievous smile.

I smiled at her. I wish they could meet, they were quite similar. They both put on a disguise of sarcasm and carlessness while underneath they were so thoughtful and caring.

"I'm sure he'd love you," I told her.

"Well I'm glad he loves you," she said.

"On the topic of love," said Victor, "could you tell Bronwyn that I love her and miss her the next time you see her?"

"Of course I will," I promised, "all the more reason to escape these wights."

"I'm sure you can do it," said Lotte, "I'll haunt anyone who hurts you."

"Thanks, Lotte," I said with a laugh.

"You'll be okay," said Victor.

"Ghost hug?" I asked them.

I put my arms around their ghostly figures and we pretended to hug. I really missed them but if I didn't want anyone else joining them I had to stop dwelling.

It was time to focus.

I was going to kill these wights.

"It's time," said Victor as he pulled back.

"Sorry about this," said Lotte with a grin, that made me think she wasn't particularly sorrowful, as she gave me a push.

Her push caused me to stumble and while I expected my foot to land again, it didn't. The darkness swallowed me as I fell down and I caught my final glimpse of Victor and Lotte. They had turned around and were walking away hand in hand.

The darkness seemed to spread throughout my body and my mind went blank.

Eventually, the darkness seemed to sap away. I realized that the only reason it was still dark was that my eyes were shut.

I was ready.