Another Lost Soul

Chapter 23

"Jalaiah!" I got too cold after a while and just sat down against a large tree in the middle of the cold forest. I kept calling for him, but I wasn't sure if he could hear me.

I can't move my fingers anymore. I relaxed against the tree, it's scratchy bark uncomfortable on the back of my head.

"This way." A whistling voice slithered into my ears, it's whispers drawing me right back to my feet to look around.

"Hello?" I looked up to the trees, finding I was all alone. "Jalaiah?"

Wisps of glowing blue shot past my eyes, lighting a path that had been hidden by broken branches and wilting flowers. More followed, lining themselves up to show me the way forward. "This way..." the voice repeated itself, quieter this time.

I took one quick look back before I followed suit, peering through the thick brush to see the path lit up behind it. The wisps speak to me in breaths of sound. Gentle sound that I can't make sense of. They sound as if they're confused, muttering little questions to themselves.

I began to push forward through sharp and brittle vines, each wisp disappearing as I passed it.

The voice spoke much clearer, this time from right in front of me. "Keep going."

I stopped. "Who's there?" My eyes darted from tree to tree but I saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Hello?" Small bright blue embers began to float from further down the path, only drawing me closer.

My feet crunch against the dirt, which slowly becomes mixed with sand the further I go. After a few minutes, the entire path was made of sand and littered with seashells. The path seemed to go on forever but the wisps weren't budging. They only bounced in place, waiting for me to follow.

The moon lights my eyes, my body weightless as I finally reach what I assumed was the end.

I'm standing at the entrance to a cave. It's walls dance with blue light, reflections of water coming from somewhere inside. "Do not be afraid..."

It took a few moments for me to decide against my own safety, but I marched into the cave and immediately was met face to face with a giant pool of water. The entire cave had been submerged.

Streams of light shine down to the endless bottom of the water, shadows nowhere to be found in the bright crystal blue. The edges of the pool seemed to be lined with pale white crystal. Bright markings cover the walls above the water.

I traced my fingers over the lettering I didn't understand, flinching when it immediately turned bright red. I took a step back.

"Don't be shy." A familiar lady swam to the surface of the water and grabbed my left foot. "Join me."

"I don't think that's a good idea." I eye her sharp teeth, but she only smiles warmly with her mouth closed in return.

"You're already dead. Join me." She yanked my leg toward her and slowly pulled me down into the water. I clawed at the rock above me but only sank further down as she held onto my ankle.

How far down does this go? I look down, still unable to see the bottom. As I'm pulled downward, a high pitched song floats around my ears. The beauty of this music cause my head to spin around in search of its source, but I only found it was coming from the woman attached to me. She doesn't seem to have bad intentions, but I can't breathe.

"If he had spoken, love would return. Spoken inside, too soft to be heard." Her song reached my heart quicker than my ears. As she whirls around to face me, the song fades. "Why do you look so afraid."

I clutched tightly to the clothing on my chest, air bubbles rising from my mouth and I pulled my knees to my stomach.

"Oh. I see." Her expression softened, her lips reaching my own as she blew air into my lungs.

She bought me ten more seconds, but I couldn't hold my breath any longer. I kicked her hands away and tried to swim upward but she grabbed my waist to hold me in place. She's heavier than an anchor! I kick my legs but to no avail.

"Stop trying to leave! This is important!"

I tried to respond but merely got rid of every last bit of oxygen I had in the process. The crystal walls cut into my skin, her nails sharp as knives. She's scary, but Im not afraid of her.

"Just breathe!" She smacked me in the side of the head and glared at me, her eyes glowing a deep purple. "Like this." She took in a deep breath and relaxed, letting go of me as my body fell limp. I only shook my head furiously in protest.

"Open your mouth." She pried my lips apart. "And breathe!"

Eventually, i knew I had no choice but to take in a deep breath anyway. So I did.

"See? It's fine." She smiled at me but I only looked down at my arms in confusion. I wiggled my fingers just to check.

"Come on." She led me further down through different sets of tunnels. Some were thin, others big enough to be considered a small lake. Once we reached the very bottom, she placed my feet on the ceiling, a small air pocket above my head. "Walk."

The water felt like air. I could move through it swiftly and my feet stuck to the ceiling as if gravity meant nothing. "What is this?" My voice echoed off the walls, my voice leaving ripples in the water.

"It's where I was born." She laid beside me on the ceiling. "The magic properties of this area are unmatched by everyone but the devil."

"But why did you lead me here?"

"I told you, didn't I? This is where you died."

"I died?" I looked down at her.

"You are Amir, aren't you?"

"Yeah but-"

"So then I'm too late." She slid off the ceiling and back down into the open cave system. Her hair majestically flows with the water, her words holing nothing but confusion for me. "I was going to give you a hand, but it appears there's no use. You're done for."

"I'm done for? What do you mean?"

"You'll turn into a wisp." She plucked a strand of hair from her hair and pulled it tight between her fingers, snapping it in half. "You'll know nothing. You'll be nothing."

"But why?"

She looked at me with what I could only describe as pity. "I really did want to help you. I'm sorry."

"I don't understand. Did I do something wrong?"

She circled me in curiosity. "Not you. Someone plucked you from death's fingers. That's not an easy task, nor does it come without consequences."

"Then why am I being punished for it?"

"There's a balance in life and death." She froze in place in front of me. "If you knock that balance on its ass, you might as well summon the devil yourself."

"Why would the devil care?"

"He may be a demon but even he knows that life has rules. If it's not you being punished, it would just be someone else." She shrugged. "Unfortunately for you though, you're out of time and your friend is going to be held captive by the devil for the rest of his life."

"There has to be something I can do."

"There's nothing you can do but there may be something Jalaiah can do. Do you remember him?"

I nodded.

"Track him down. She spoke sternly. "Before you forget him."