Right Where You Left Me | Sebastian Sallow |

CHAPTER ONE: Sense of Touch

December, 1891

I sat silently in a dimly lit space during this cold December night in a place that felt like a memory. I had to keep pinching myself to decide if what I was seeing was real, or if my cruel imagination was giving me again yet another nightmare.

The only thing grounding me to reality was my sense of touch. I felt my loose braid draped around my neck and down the front of my chest, my favorite sweater clinging to my skin, and the slight rise and fall of a breathing chest. But overall, the most overwhelming sense of touch was the intense warmth I felt all around my body.

I stared at the small wooden fireplace in front of me. The warm flames danced across my face, highlighting my small freckles, and leaving behind a trace of heat on the tip of my nose. But overall, the heat that was mainly consuming my body was from right behind me.

Sebastian and I sat together in front of the couch facing the fireplace in the Sallow home. I sat in between Sebastian's legs laying my back up against his chest for support. Sebastian's arms wrapped around me as he held out the book A Christmas Carol. I leaned against Sebastian's chest and felt the hum of his voice against my back with my eyes feeling heavy.

Following the summer of when Sebastian and I finished our eventful fifth year, we both sent owls at least once a week. But leading up to the month of September and a new year at Hogwarts, Sebastian's owls never returned. I continued to send my own owls, but I received nothing in return. The thought of him turned cold like the approaching fall air.

I received his latest letter earlier this evening and left Hogwarts without any hesitation. I had to see if what I was reading was real, with Sebastian being non-existent for months. Ominis didn't even know I left. I flew on my broom expecting nothing. Just so my disappointment wouldn't consume me as much.

"Eliza wake up, we haven't even reached the best part of the story yet!" Sebastian whispered excitingly while lightly shaking my wrist.

I yawned in response and gave Sebastian a light tap on his wrist as I nuzzled myself closer into his chest as he started to read again. I could now feel three things now. The warmth from the fire, the heat from Sebastian wrapping his arms around me, and as I laid closer against his chest, the beat of his heart. His heartbeat was abnormally fast, but it eventually slowed to a steady pace.

I continued to fight back the heaviness of my eyelids as sleep approached. I refused to end this small moment of happiness between Sebastian and I. Sebastian always gave me a sort of happiness that I couldn't explain. With Sebastian being absent for months, I thought the spark between us died out. But tonight, it ignited itself back to life.

I eventually lost the battle between me and my eyelids and finally let them shut, but still intently listening to every word from Sebastian. I tried to listen for as long as I could until eventually sleep consumed my body and Sebastian's voice died down.

______

I woke up cold, not in the place where I last was. I found myself in a little cot on the opposite side of the room, away from the fire. The moon shined through the front window and the crickets chirped from the windowsill telling me that dawn hasn't approached. I looked over to the empty couch in front of the fireplace.

Hm, maybe Sebastian went to bed too.

I looked over to the cot next to me, halfway concealed by a big brown curtain. I slowly pulled it back and it felt as if the room got colder. I shivered and all the warmth finally escaped my body. I stared at a neatly made, empty cot.

Panic set in as I glanced around the empty Sallow home. Without putting on shoes or a jacket I pushed open the front door and ran outside into the cold, snowy oasis.

"Sebastian!" I called out with a lump starting to form in my throat, "SEBASTIAN!" I called again.

I ran around the whole cottage and town to find myself still alone. The only response to my cries were my own echoes bouncing back to taunt me. With my own heart pounding through my ears, I eventually ran back to the front of the small cottage and tried to call out again.

"S-Seb-Sebastian!" I cried out with chattering teeth and teary eyes. I could barely feel my toes as I took each step into the center of Feldcroft. My panic yells turned into chattered whispers. I found myself at the well in the center of town. My cries were so silent that the well didn't dare echo back.

I forcefully dragged myself back into the Sallow home and placed myself right in front of the fireplace where I once was hours ago. Curled up into a ball and letting my feet gain their sense of touch again, my eyes were drawn to the small parchment placed against the small fireplace column. I crawled over to the envelope and read the familiar handwriting scribbled on the front.

"Eliza"

I quickly opened the letter and as I read, my heart shattered.

Sebastian was gone.

The warmth that consumed me merely hours ago has left.

I felt cold and empty.

I felt nothing.