Captured Moments.

Ch. 15 ~ Good Time.

As I returned to the afterlife I felt noticeably lighter. A weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was free to rest, restart. I was free to do what I really must, move on.

I stood in the middle of the field. The between was eerily quiet, it was dark as storm clouds hung overhead and nobody was to be seen. Nobody at all. I suppose I was to do this alone.

As I turned to leave for the last time I heard a voice call my name. "Briar?" She stood in the darkest corner of the between as if to merge into the trees and never return. "Hello." She stood with her head hung low and spoke with an emotionless voice. "I was just about to move on, Briar if you need me to stay then just say so and I will." She shook her head violently. "Don't hang around on my behalf. You have people waiting," what did she mean by that? "I just wanted to ask your opinion of something."

I nodded. "Anything." Next thing she was gone. But she wasn't.
"What is my purpose?" She asked, from where I couldn't say.
"Your purpose as what?" I was confused, a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time.
"A wandering spirit." Next thing she was standing in front of me, her hung head had risen. Her eyes were darker than usual and her hair was covered in some sort of dark, oily substance. "Well I suppose to complete unfinished business, mine was to solve my murder, yours could be the same or something entirely different."

She nodded as she held an aura of darkness. "Thank you Tenley. For all that you've done for me. You don't know how much you have helped me find my true self. For that I will be eternally grateful." We hugged, I would be leaving this girl for a long time, forever perhaps. That scared me a little but I knew she was capable of great things.

"Briar, please don't use your power for bad. And don't play dumb, you're strong and you know it. I'll be watching kid, so watch yourself." She chuckled.
"Sure thing Harrison, revenge is the only exception." I nodded confused at what she meant. But I brushed it off. "See you kid." She nodded in recognition and I ran.

Only once I was gone did it click. I knew what she meant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before I died I would always love to sit at the dock in the most remote part of the lake and watch the fireworks on New Year's Eve. It was one of the many highlights of my holidays. So that is what I did before the time came. I relayed the good times while I still had the chance, after all I had no clue what was waiting for me on the other side.

It was dark and I was alone yet I wasn't fazed. I sat with my legs in the water, feeling my boots and jeans become soaked with the liquid. I smelt the gunpowder as the fireworks erupted in the sky. I watched them burst in all of their glory. Yet it wasn't as enjoyable as usual. I looked to my right, there was no Xavier to cling to my hand. I looked to my left, there was no Scarlett to jump with every explosion. I looked forward and there was no fireworks. They had been and gone before my eyes.

I left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stood at the edge of the lake ready to take the step to where I needed to go, yet I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I knew I had to be here, here was was it would happen. Should I submerge myself into the water and be carried to my next existence? Or should I wait and see what happens? I had no clue. Yet I decided with my first option.

As I went to take my first step into the water I heard voices, they startled me. I looked back to see Chris and Sierra walking hand and hand to the lake. "This is what we fell in love with! The lake and the alcohol." Sierra said to her husband. She seemed at piece with herself for the first time in forever. "And each other." Chris said as he wrapped his arms around his wife. They stood sipping their alcohol and were happy with themselves. I think I even saw Chris smile.

This made me smile, they were finally content with the life that they led. That is how they used to be, before reality played its role in their lives. This is how I hope to see them as they continue on without us. If not happier.

I took my step. Then another and then another until I could no longer touch the slippery ground of the clear lake.

I let go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The whole time I was there, I was not. I find that so hard to believe. The way I felt, especially towards the end of my somewhat existence, was just so real. My ghostly bones were cold, my flesh was full of air and my blood no longer pulsed through my veins. You forget that it ever had at some point.

There were never any rules. My existence never really relied on rules, just assumptions made by myself. I don't know if I would've been punished for my interference in the world of the living, I don't know why I said that I would, perhaps it was an excuse. Perhaps to stop myself from leaving my life behind, even though I never could leave my life behind. My life stays inside of me, my existence in that world is what stays behind. My existence in the next world will be entirely up to me.

I know so much more than I did before, but if I will carry that knowledge with me forever I don't know. If I have only a few things I really need to hold onto I know what they are.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A light begins to shine through my eyelids, I know I am where I should be. I'm at piece. I get a slap to my arm and my eyes shoot open. I was in our old family car. Everything was as it should be. Everything is the same as that day. The day that I started the walk towards my death.

"Mom's talking to you! God." Scarlett growls at me. I look towards her and she winks with a smile wide on her lips. I was confused. "Sorry Mom, what's up?" She shook her head in a disappointed way.
"It's getting dark out and were almost there." Dad then turned around to speak.
"So we want to talk to you about something," he continued to talk. "Be careful around Xavier, he's had a lot on his plate with his photography and all so he needs all the slack he can get, Chris and Sierra's words, not ours." I nodded in understanding as the car fell silent and we continued to drive along. I was thankful that we had never been 'sidetracked'.

I turned on my phone and changed the song, in this version of my story, the version that I liked best with no death and destruction, Ke$ha was oh so wrong. We were all getting out alive.

Once we arrived it was pitch black and obviously late at night. I saw everyone inside talking, some were crying others were panicking. As I got closer I saw somebody emerge from the house. They were stressed and started pacing. I dropped my bag at the sight of him. He must've heard my bag drop because he swung around and stared at me.

His eyes lit up at the sight of me. He ran to me and embraced me in his arms, he smelt so good. He smelt the same as that day but his scent was one of happiness in this alternate universe. My family unpacked the car as worried friends and family scurried to help. "Sorry, we had a few stops to make along the way, took us longer than we thought." My Dad apologised.

"I'm glad you made it Ten, in different circumstances, better circumstances." He winked at me. And so I kissed him, no fear I thought, no fear.

I dream. A lot. If I didn't dream, then, you see, I would have nothing left. My parent's and sister died two years ago. And so did I. I'm Tenley Harrison, and I'm peacefully dead.