Insensate.

18. The Runner.

A few days later.

∞
I felt a tight grip around my throat, I struggled to breathe. Was this a dream? Or was this reality? I shook my head repeatedly. Finally escaping the mysterious grasp, I fell off my bed, and my knees made a painful contact with the floor. Breathing heavily, I look around the room.

A chilling sensation rushed down my spine, it felt like ants were crawling on my back. My body itched as Paranoia consumed me. I wasn't crazy.. And that wasn't a dream. My eyes struggled to stop staring at the bloodied, dirty and musty feet that stood before me. I gulped, my nose wrinkled, that foul stench infiltrated my nostrils, the same stench that was under Sebastian's bed.

The young Man?

The realization hit me, and I crawled away hurriedly. I had to get away, I was glad it was the young male, instead of Marie. Sebastian made the fear in me rise!

Soon, I stood up and ran away from my room. I wasn't sure where I was going, but I knew I had to get away. How and why were these spirits haunting me even more?

When I was with Sebastian.. I thought I felt a pair of eyes watching us, well it seems that I wasn't imagining it. I swear I could've felt the enviousness in the Air. And that just confirmed my theory.

It was the young man and Marie. But I've never had an encounter with them before, so why did they start to... 

I looked around, I was on top of Marie's grave. Okay.. This is definitely not a coincidence, my body led me to her grave. But what was needed to be done? Confusion filled my mind.

I took a few deep breaths and shut my eyes. Why.. That was the question that rang in my mind, constantly. Why?

I groaned and nibbled on my fingernails. This is wrecking my mind!! But then it clicked.

Sebastian's not fully alive, but he's also not fully dead. It's as if he's in-between, like mediums, so he's most likely still connected to the 'Afterlife'. That could be why I'm being haunted even more, and more spirits are roaming around the House. They haven't rested, as long as Sebastian isn't fully resurrected, then it's only gonna get worse.

I glared at Marie's tombstone, cracks started to appear. I widened my eyes and rubbed them, the cracks were still present and they only continued to grow as long as I stood on top of her grave. I stepped aside, the cracks stopped. I was about to resurrect her, wasn't I?

I need to meet that redhead soon.

∞

A few hours later.

Sebastian and I waited in the waiting room. José left to go speak to his 'friend.'

Before coming here, José told me to not touch him, after that, he uttered some incantations on Sebastian, and we then made our way towards the Hospital.

José came out of the room looking rather flushed, I raised an eyebrow and squinted my eyes as I tried to analyze the situation. He simply rolled his eyes and averted his stare towards Sebastian, "Meet Harry Shutterfly."

The red-headed, green eyed burly Man came out of the room too. A smiled played on his lips, as his eyes stared at José for a few seconds. The smile disappeared, his face was more serious and composed now. "You must be José's brother, Joseph. And you are.. Sebastian?"

Sebastian nodded.

He gestured for us to go inside the room.

Harry looked at Sebastian briefly, a questioning tone on his voice, "Sebastian.."

Sebastian answered."Shaw."

Harry definitely knows about Sebastian, but if he's surprised, he doesn't show it. "Right.."

He explains us very shortly. "I'm gonna examine your body, and run a few tests, is that okay?"

After Sebastian provided a nod, Harry looked at José, and a glint in his eyes made José rush me out of there. There was something going on with the two of them.

"What?" I questioned suspiciously. José shrugged, not even looking at me as we walked out of the Hospital. "Nothing, we're gonna give them their space, while we go visit that woman's grave."

I squinted my eyes in silent questioning, but soon I sighed, and replied. "Right.. I have a few things to inform you."

"Talk as we go." For the first time, José seemed interested in what I had to say.

∞

The graveyard looked a lot different than it did in the morning. It was more gloomy, leaves that had landed on the floors scattered around the area.

Marie's tombstone still had the cracks from earlier today, José glanced at me. "..Joseph, do you have anything to do with those cracks?"

I nodded, sheepishly answering. "..Well.. I'm not sure what happened earlier today, it felt so surreal. It was as if.. I had no control over my body, and I ran towards the graveyard after waking up abruptly. I stood on her grave, and that's when I noticed that the cracks were appearing. It only stopped when I stepped aside."

He listened carefully, José raised both of his eyebrows, crossing his arms as he stared at me with awe and disbelief. "I'm impressed.. You could've finished resurrecting her had you not been a coward."

I scoff, "I'm not a coward! I'm new to all of this, remember? Besides! I'm doing a pretty good job despite the fact that I'm a beginner, most necromancers with knowledge couldn't even do that on the first try!!"

He rolled his eyes and sighed through his nose. "..Joseph, you are a coward because you're not surrendering yourself to the Afterlife."

"What do you mean?" It's my turn to ask him with an incredulous expression on my face.

José looks at the direction that leads to the house, "This could've been easier. You wouldn't have had to practice with mom, if you had just surrendered yourself to the Afterlife."

He stares into my eyes, his knitted eyebrows, and serious expression overwhelms me. "Stop running away, let the voices in, let them lead you. You want to help Sebastian, right? So invite them, put yourself in his position."

He strides past me, but stops to say. "And when you're ready, come back to the Family house."