A Touch of Death

She's Gone (12)

I flipped the covers off of me and pushed past my family into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. I pressed my back against it and slid down to the floor. I needed to get away, I knew now that I had truly lost myself.

Yes, I looked happy and I was when I was with Adrian but there was still that gaping hole inside my heart that i never knew was there before. That nightmare had made me realise that I needed to come to terms with Andrew's death and I couldn't do that with my family babying me all the time.

I stayed in the bathroom for half the day before I got enough courage to exit the small room. No one was there. I sighed in relief and sat on my bed, I started to think. I needed to plan where I was going, who I needed to contact and when.

I was so lost in thought I didn’t hear anyone come in. I jumped when a voice interrupted my train of thought, “Delaney?” I looked up to see Fallon.

“Hey Fal,” I smiled.

She then got onto the bed and crawled onto my lap. I looked down confused, “What’s wrong?” I asked, “Everyone’s saying that you’re sad and scared,” She mumbled.

I stayed silent. This was going to hard but I needed to do it before I lost myself completely. Being around family isn’t helping, not when they’re treating you like you’re broken. That’s not how you fix a person.

I sighed, “I’ll always love you and our sisters, and you know that right?” I asked her, she nodded.

“No matter what happens, you remember that, alright?” she nodded again.

I sighed and gently lifted her up and placed her back on her feet. She ran out the door to leave me in peace.

I shut the door behind Fallon and locked it. I sat at the desk and wrote a quick note of what I was doing and why. I then grabbed a bag and packed clothes and necessary things for healing and spells then grabbed five candles and place them in the form of a pentagon.

I sat on my knees inside the circle with the bag on my back and my spell book in hand. I needed to do this now before I backed out. I slowly started chanting and then, I was gone.

I arrived in a small clearing surrounded by forests and surrounding me were woman pointing their spears at my neck.

“I bring no harm sisters,” I told them calmly.

“Delaney! What brings you here?” I turned to see the African woman wearing a brilliant blue dress with a silver rope belt.

“I’m sorry I didn’t contact you at first Zahara but it was a spontaneous thought,” I greeted.

We placed a fist over our chest and bowed to each other, “What brings you to Africa little one?” She asked.

Zahara was an African witch priestess who was quite known in the supernatural world and was a close family friend of ours, “I am lost. I cannot find myself or who I was. I need help Zahara,” I begged.

“Does this concern the soul you took little one?” She asked.

I nodded, “I will help you little one, it is the least I can do for an ally of mine but we have to cleanse your soul first. Come,” She instructed.

I followed Zahara into a handmade tent. They never used technology; they only used magic and their hands. The tent was a light brown and made of leather. Inside was decorated with statues, animal furs and candles.

In the middle of the tent was a small fire surrounded by stones to keep it controlled. Zahara sat down on the animal furs that covered the floor of the tent. She beckoned me forth and I followed, “This may be painful path to go on little one, are you prepared?” She murmured.

I nodded.

EBONYS POV

I walked up the stairs and walked to the door of our room. I knocked on the door tentatively and waited. She didn’t answer, “Delaney,” I called out.

Again, she didn’t answer. I sighed and went to open the door but it was locked, “Delaney, open the door!” I called out, banging my fist against the door.

Something wasn’t right. Usually she would yell out or answer the door if it was locked, “What’s wrong?” I turned to see Bethany walking up the stairs.

“She won’t open the door,” I answered.

Bethany glanced at the door knob and I hear the click of the lock being undone and I opened the door swiftly. The room was empty. There were five candles placed in the shape of a pentagon on the floor and it looked like they had been burning for a while.

Bethany kneeled down and placed her hands over the candles, “She used a transportation spell,” Bethany informed me.

“To where?” I asked.

“The signal's been blocked, I can't track her.”

I cursed and called out to the rest of the family, “She’s gone,” I announced.

“She left a note,” Cassie noted as she pointed to the desk.

Ariel walked forward to pick it up and started to read it;

“I have lost myself. I don’t know who I am anymore and I need to know. I have been trying to find the person that you used to know before Andrew died but I can’t. Not when everyone is treating me like I’m broken and never to be fixed. Tell Adrian that I am sorry, I will be back and I hope he can forgive me. Goodbye,”

Mum started to cry and dad pulled her in for a hug. I was shocked, I think everyone was. Was it our fault that Delaney had run away? Had we treated her unfairly?

All these different thoughts turned in my head. I stepped back and turned to walk away, “I’m going to go call Adrian,” I muttered before going rushing down the stairs.

I can’t believe Delaney was really gone. I don’t think anyone can believe. It felt like a dream, a very horrible, vivid dream.

I picked up the phone and called Adrian. After a few rings, he answered, "Hello?"

"Adrian," I choked out, tears blurring my vision.

"Ebony? What's happened? Is Delaney okay?" He asked.

Tears fell from my eyes, "She's gone Adrian. Delaney ran away."