Estrellas: Book 2

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: IT'S OK

(told in perspective of Andrometa)

I climbed up the stone stair case as Matthew's team covered me from behind, I was determined to save Matthew. What if he wanted this to be a solo mission? I slowed down and stopped at one of the middle stairs. No that wouldn't be good would it. I looked back up at the stairs and barely noticed a figure lying on the ground, motionless. Matthew? Matthew!! I got up once again, finding new purpose to climbing the stairs. "Matthew!" I yelled reaching the top of the steps, his body didn't move. "Matthew are you alright?" I reached his body and kneeled beside it. Is he dead? I took his wrist and held my fingers to it, realizing there was no pulse, I buried my face in his chest, tears now pouring out of my eyes, "Matthew, n-no..." I cradled his body in my arms. "Your ok Matthew your ok." My heart was pounding and Matthew still laid motionless in my arms. "Please be ok please be ok." I knew he was dead, but I just couldn't bare the thought, putting my forehead to his, tears rolling down from my checks onto his, I whispered, "I love you too." Then I gave him a small kiss on his forehead and the entire scene faded away, revealing a very alive Matthew, kneeling and staring, heartbroken at whatever he was looking at, I followed his gaze and just saw bare rock. "Matthew?" I walked over to him and walked infront of him, he didn't even blink. I waved my hand infront of him. "Matthew? Snap out of it!" I inched closer to him and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "Matthew!" I yelled, he didn't respond. "MATTHEW!" I screamed, it didn't do anything. Then I had a thought, it had worked before, so wouldn't it work again? Wouldn't hurt to try. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead, he shook awake and jumped up. He was flustered and his eyes darted back and forth. "Matthew!" I grabbed ahold of his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "Get ahold of yourself!"

"Andrometa?" He grabbed my wrists and took my hands off of his shoulders then he held both my hands. "Your ok." He seemed relieved and pulled me in for a hug. "I-I thought I lost you." His hug grew tighter and I hugged him back. Then he quickly pushed me away, "Wait!" His eyes quickly darted back to the stone wall he had once been staring at.

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking at the wall with him.

"Where are they?"

"Where are what? Matthew, your scaring me."

"The graves, my parents graves, they were right here!" He kneeled down and touched the wall, feeling around for something that wasn't there.

"Matthew, I think it was all an illusion." He turned to look at me.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"It's all an illusion to keep us from reaching the top!" I told him, slowly piecing things together. "That makes sense why no one has made it out alive except for that one guy, he must've chickened out or something." I started pacing.

"What the heck are you talking about? Y-your confusing me." Matthew gave me a confused look.

"The mountain, it plays tricks on people... it all makes sense now, I mean, climbing a normal mountain would be way to easy, especially for a mountain named the Mystic Mountain..." I paced harder.

"So your saying that my parents graves weren't real?" Matthew asked, finally catching on.

"Exactly, and neither was the dead you."

"Wait what?"

"Ah-rr nothing, you wouldn't get it unless you had seen it for yourself..." I laughed and Matthew gave a shrug.

"So it's sorta like seeing your worst nightmare or something like that?"

"Yeah, that's one way to put it." I shrugged and we both laughed. "I think the only way to get to the top is to keep climbing the stairs, no matter what you see or hear." Matthew nodded and then walked over to me, he grabbed my hand and stared intently into my eyes.

"You forgot one important thing." Matthew told me.

"And what is that?"

"Always stick together." He held up our hands and I smiled. Then he looked back up at the stairs, then down them. "We've got to get going, my team is good, but they can't hold off and army forever if you know what I mean." Matthew laughed.

"Of course." I rolled my eyes, "And actually it was two armies." I corrected him, I laughed and Matthew looked a bit surprised, then he shrugged.

"All the more reason to get to the top." We started up the stairs, climbing them as fast as we could, fixing our mindset on our friends, and not our nightmares. I ignored everything around me, only focusing on Matthew, and him only focusing on me. Our bodies were in sinc, our movements were one. Every step was a step closer to our goal. We didn't stop, because we had no intention to. We reached the top and found ourselves at a stone platform that mist rolled up against. A large stone stood out from everything else, it was altar-like and towered over both of us. Two figures were standing, holding hands, backs to us and staring off to the sunset, the man was dressed in bright orange and yellow colors, the woman dressed in whites and grays. "M-mom, D-dad?" Matthew slowly walked up to them and went to tap one of their shoulders. They stood up and turned around, their faces full of regret and remorse. Matthew fell back in surprise and I ran forward and caught him, then I helped him back up.

"Matty?" His Dad seemed unsure and Matthew walked closer to him, nodding his head.

"Y-yeah, it's me. Andrometa, are you seeing this?" Matthew inched closer.

"Yep, I'm seeing it, but I'm not believing it."

"Mom! Dad!" Matthew ran forward and went to leap into their arms, he ran right through them and he looked back. "W-what?" They shook their heads while Matthew put his hand through them. "What's happening, why can't I touch you?"

"Matthew." The Mother turned to him. "We aren't humans, we are spirits, the spirits of the sun and the moon."
TO BE CONTINUED