Afterlife

• Chapter Eight •

She was reading a book when she first met him.

Lucille was sitting on top of a large cushion, back pressed up against it with her long fluffy tail wrapped neatly at her feet. Aaron had come into her library, his Cheshire-like grin large on his face when he saw her.

Her residence was always in the library. Despite her gift, the old king thought she was more useful working in a library than keeping out the bad dreams and memories of those who have died. Aaron, however, saw more in her. Not her gift, not her looks, just her.

Lucille had died when she was 20 years old. A king brought her into the Afterlife, one old and wrinkly from age. Considering where they resided, she always wondered if he would be moving on to another Afterlife soon. Quite frankly, she wouldn't mind if he did. There weren't any other Keepers in the castle. Later on, she would find out they had moved on to other castles due to the hatred they felt towards the king.

That day in the library, with Aaron walking in proudly, a smile so large it lit up the room, was the day her afterlife changed forever. So easily he was able to waltz into a castle and take it over just like that. No one seemed to care, she found out. The kingdom seemed pleased with the change, the remaining guards welcoming the new face with open arms. Even Lucille, who still spent time in the kingdom's library, enjoyed the change.

Lucille always wondered where he came from. Well, she did until she found out. Aaron's kingdom was growing rapidly along with his power. It was barely a question to her as to why his wings had gone from dragonfly-like to the grand display of a luna moth.

The girl was in her library again. In the back was a small room she had made for herself, filled with a small collection of things and a large pillow big enough to hold only her. Lucille curled up into a tight ball, a habit she gained after dropping into the Afterlife. She brushed her short white hair out of her face, occasionally blowing her brown bangs out of her face. Lucille allowed her mind to clear, removing unnecessary thoughts for one in particular. Aaron.

When she blinked the world was different. It was like she was up in the clouds, surrounded by a variety of portals that were gateways to people's dreams and minds. Lucille's feet carried her through the clouds, aiming specifically for Aaron's portal which was decorated with thorny vines filled with red roses. She knew it was bad without having gone inside yet. She knew because she couldn't see the inside.

It was dark, what little light there came from the only other people in the area. Others would view them as one benign, and maybe they were, but she would learn that that wasn't true. Every night she would come here when she felt it was time. Every night she would hear the stories, she would hear the rage, she would hear the pain. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. The emotions came from one of them, the cause of it all, well, technically the cause.

There was Aaron. Poor innocent Aaron chained to his own mind since the age of eleven. Lucille had heard his tale many times over, however, she would never tell it to another soul. Then there was Corrupted Aaron, the one she despised more than anything. She didn't realize she had already met him countless times over, in fact, she didn't realize she had also talked to the real Aaron. The eye of an outsider would see a man who seemingly shifted from calm and collected to evil and violent with just a snap of a finger. Simply talking to him all she sees is the dark soulless eyes dripping the black liquid. In the dark corners you can almost see them staring at her. However, upon closer inspection, she would find that there was nothing but a vase filled with the wilting souls of flowers.

Now she is twenty-two, and he, twenty-one. Evan had joined them almost a year ago. She had done everything she could to keep him safe. The sixteen-year-old was far too trusting, and Aaron, destroyed in the mind, was far from trusting.