A Thousand Years

3

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                ‘What…what do you mean, show me, you…you mean tell me, don’t you?’

                He just shakes his head. ‘Just watch.’

                The ballroom has larger than life portraits on the walls, of the royal family. Before my eyes, dust is blown from the paintings’ surfaces, and the ghosts of the royal family are lifted from the paintings, beautiful and as lively as though they’ve never left. Princesses and Kings surround me, dancing, oblivious to me. Everyone suddenly stops their dances, and all heads turn to the front entrance.

                I turn with them, and see him. Jack, in flesh and blood, wearing a uniform fit for none other than a Prince. I hold my breath in shock. He smiles towards everyone, and instantly the old spirits look on the face of his ghost has disappeared. He looks free, young, more vibrant than ever—alive. A young girl takes his arm, his mother, and they dance down the aisle together as the crowd cheers on. Their laughter echoes through the halls as the dances continue.

                As beautiful and breathtaking as it is, I can’t help but sit and wonder. I don’t understand. I can’t understand why he’s showing me this, this wonderful vigorous occasion…

                Suddenly the crowd gasps; everyone begins to form a path in the middle of the room. There’s a hooded figure, dark, walking slowly past everyone. A woman drops her glass, the sound of it shattering shrieks in the air, echoing once again as do all of their forgotten voices. Jack steps in front of his mother, in a protective stance, as his father steps towards the hooded man. His voice is deep, penetrating against my eardrums as its inhuman sound hits me.

                ‘You’re unwelcome here…’

                The man removes his hood. He’s pale, with scars around his face and body. He chuckles. ‘How dare you…I was your confidant, your mentor, I gave you everything—I made you what you are…and you repay me, how? Banishment!’

                ‘You took advantage of my family…you deceived and manipulated me, your power…get out! Go!’

                The man smiles, ‘I will not rest, until I see the end of the Hawkins family line…’ A revolver is pulled from the man’s waist, and before the king can utter a word, I hear the sound of a bullet hitting flesh ring in the air. Jack’s eyes widen, as he pulls his mother away. I run too, hearing the ringing of bullets against the walls of the room behind me.

                I follow Jack and his mother. He pulls her into a small room, like a playroom. He opens a window on the opposite end of the room, and looks down.

                ‘There’s a carriage, you need to go—now.’

                They have a servant with them. He takes the young servant girl’s hand and pulls his mother by the waist to the window. His foot gets caught on something, and he stumbles as his mother and the servant are thrown out the window, landing in the carriage. Jack turns quickly after standing, and the door is busted open.

                Three men burst in. I scream, knowing they can’t hear me. Jack tries to stop them, but a man takes his gun and thrusts it into the back of Jack. His body hits the floor, and his movements stop. I run over, kneeling down, trying to wake him. My blood freezes when I smell it—smoke. It seeps through the door, and the heat of violent flames touches my skin. I try to shake him, yell, and scream, as tears flow down my cheeks. Flames being to come through the room, soon surrounding us. I yell at the top of my lungs, lying on top of him, knowing I can’t stop what’s already happened to him. The flames finally begin to reach us. I flinch before realizing they won’t touch me, but sob and cry out his name when I see the flames touch his clothes. The smell of flesh has me on my knees, clutching my stomach in pain. The taste of vomit is in the back of my throat, but I hold it back, as the taste of salt touches my lips from the tears streaming down my face.

                His body turns from a vibrant red to ashy black before my eyes, and my body goes numb as my head throbs from the pain. I finally cover my eyes, and run from the scene, unable to take it for another moment. Tears blur my eyes. I stumble and fall, trying to reach the door, but I can’t stop running. Finally I push the door to the mansion open, and fall on my knees. The air is bitterly cold, and goose bumps rise on my skin. Rain covers my skin and I shiver. 

                ‘I’m sorry…’ I turn around and see him, back in his baggy jacket and boots. His eyes are filled with concern and guilt. ‘I shouldn’t have…put you through that.’

                I stand up, as he opens the door to let me back in.

                ‘Why did you leave me…why did you make me watch you die…alone?’

                ‘I couldn’t do it again!’ he shakes his head, and sighs, putting his palms to his forehead. ‘I know how I died…I don’t need to relive the feeling of losing my family and life again…’ He falls on the couch beside me. I get on my knees and kneel down in front of him.

                ‘…I’m sorry…’ My voice quivers. He looks at me, but something new is in his eyes. Something, like shock…bewilderment…wonder…I can’t place it. But it’s a look I’ve never seen before, and sends a shiver down my spine. I can’t take it. Every moment I see him, the memories of his death…visions of his body, burning, fill my mind. I run to the door, farther than I did before. I stop in the woods, and freeze, when I hear it…softly, but growing…growling. I turn behind me, to a hill, and see it, standing there, its eyes intensely frozen on his target—me.