Second Chance

Chapter Nine

Claire Broker

"How come I wasn't able to see the dead until I moved out here?" I asked Gee Gee V, following close behind her as she guided us towards the old jail. The map had been useless, outdated even for her time. However, there were letters and documents in that office that might help us do something about the old mayor. "Because I wouldn't let you. As a small child you were seeing spirits all the time, and while most were friendly towards you, not all of them were," She explained as we came upon the jail. "Here we are," Uncle Jeff sighed, rushing past us. The wall around the jail was crumbling, revealing the giant concrete building. "Dakota, is this the place you remember?" I ask, looking behind me. He nods, looking at his feet. My stomach drops, the black shadow that had been following him around was right behind him. The figure reached out, grabbing his shoulder. Dakota's head slowly raises as he lets out a deep chuckle. "Good luck finding her alive," the voice was not his own, it was much darker, deeper, and slightly distorted. Dakota's head dropped again as the figure disappeared, leaving my brother winded and disoriented. David and I grab Dakota, slowly lowering him to the ground. "He did it again," Dakota croaks, tears brimming his eyes. "I'm running ahead," Uncle Jeff declared, his voice void of emotion but still shaky. "You don't know what's in there," Dakota wheezes, stopping Uncle Jeff in his tracks. "You don't either," He retorts, keeping his back to us. I look back at my brother. "Not entirely; but I do know that floors have collapsed, you can barely see the hand in front of your face, and that whatever's been controlling me could show up at any given second. I've seen it attack wild animals without using me to do it. It can hurt people and things, but it can't control them the same way," Dakota was still a little breathless as he stood, but I think it was more anxiety than anything else at this point. Dakota was fidgeting with his fingers by picking at the skin around his nails. "Well, then lead the way," Uncle Jeff sighed, halfway turning towards us while gesturing for Dakota to lead us. "Boy, his soul sure is destroyed," Gee Gee V whistles. I look at her confused, "What do you mean his soul is destroyed?" I ask, beginning to follow everyone inside. "He's just a black shadow. He is so twisted by his hate and anger that there was nothing left of him. Although, the way he died didn't help," She explains, following me. "How did he die?" I ask, stepping over a pile of rubble. Gee Gee V holds out her hand, "I'll show you, but don't worry, I'll guide you through this prison so we don't slow down the search for Sophia." I smile at her before I carefully take her hand and my vision goes white. 

To my left was Gee Gee V, and sitting on a blanket to her left was her as a baby. Ignis was playing with her, his face blotchy and his eyes puffy. Eden was nowhere in sight. I look over to Gee Gee V, and then back towards Ignis and her as a baby. Suddenly, Ignis'  head snaps to my right. I follow his gaze, finding that some guy in a fancy 1900's business suit was heading inside Eden's study. "Mr. Clark, will you kindly keep an eye on Violet?"  Ignis asks, russling immediately following before Eden's dad has a chance to respond. I look back towards Ignis and Gee Gee V, trying to see where Eden's dad was. He sat about five feet away on Eden's water fountain, holding something made of paper in his hands. I look back towards the direction Ignis ran in, watching as he disappeared inside Eden's study. A chill ran down my spine as it finally clicked that Eden's body was under the floorboards I had been walking on, and this was the day that she had been laid to rest there. Screams echoed out of the crypt from both men, ones of fear and pain from one and anger and emotional agony from the other. Flashes of red and white erupted from the window, shattering the glass panes. As quickly as the screaming began silence fell over the garden. Mr. Clark muttered something under his breath, pulling my attention back to him. He was picking up Gee Gee V from the blanket, so I followed them towards Eden's final resting place. We made our way inside, and if not for the fact it was physically impossible for me to do right now I probably would have vomited. "Well, there goes the mayor and the family name, as if that wasn't already gone," Mr. Clark mumbled, removing his hat for a moment before placing it back on his head. John Harris was laid out in front of Eden's desk, sporting a pretty severe looking sunburn. His eyes were wide open, his mouth agape in an eternal scream. His arms and legs were drawn up as if he was already going through rigor mortis. In front of  the book shelf several books had fallen off, and several others were barely hanging on. A pile of ash laid about ten feet from the late mayor, all books within a small vicinity were scorched. Laying on top of those ashes was a chain with the leather strap, now tarnished from ash and scorched from perhaps magic? I look around, trying to find Gee Gee V, but I can't find her. I can feel her holding me, but she's nowhere in sight. "Oh, Violet, two parents in one day," Mr. Clark sighed, pulling my attention back to him and baby Gee Gee V. "Claire," My name echoed around me, seemingly coming from every direction. Neither of the people in this memory seemed to notice it, or when it happens again and again. My vision swims, reality began blending with the memory in front of me. Uncle Jeff was fading in and out of looking like Mr. Clark, the prison was Eden's study, Dakota and John Harris were blending, but the more they called my name the less I saw the memory. "Gee Gee V, please, let me out," I tried to plead, my stomach swimming as much as my vision. "No, you need to see one more thing," She whispered in my ear. David grabbed my hand, and suddenly we were both back in the study. David was looking around in a panic, not understanding that this was what I'd been seeing randomly for the last three days. I grab his arms, steadying him so I could pay attention. He was clearly panicking, but no noise came out. I direct him towards the grown man carrying the baby. Mr. Clark went over to Ignis' chain and his ashes, picking up the chain and offering it to Violet. "Dada," She began to babble, and then Ignis appeared. He takes Violet from Mr. Clark, who immediately screams. Violet begins to cry, but Ignis starts rocking her and trying to calm Mr. Clark down at the same time. He didn't seem to understand Ignis, as if he couldn't see him. Then it hits me, Mr. Clark can't see the dead. "Mama," Violet cries out, and Eden appears on the other side of Violet. The pair try to soothe their daughter, but they're oblivious to the other even being there. Constance rushed into the study, grabbing mine and Mr. Clark's attention. "Oh, John!" She cries out, basically collapsing over the newly deceased mayor's body. "John? Since when are you so friendly with our daughter's ender?" Mr. Clark was flabbergasted. "Were you so blind that you did not see us?" Constance wept, laying her head on the mayor's chest. Mr. Clark's shoulders sagged, seeming to have forgotten that his granddaughter was basically floating in mid air. "We must do right by Violet," He pushed, gesturing to the ashes that were presumably Ignis. Constance looked over, taking note of them, "For once I agree with you."

It felt as though I was being dropped back into my body. I hadn't been in a memory that long before. "Claire, what just happened?" David stuttered, still gripping me like a lifeline. "A memory, that's what I've been seeing the last few days," I swallow, looking from the now speechless David over to Gee Gee V, "So, this chain, my chain that I wear everyday, is your dad's? And you gave it to me?" Gee Gee V smiles at me, "Well, you already knew that didn't you?" She teases, which made me smile wearily. "And it can, uh," I hesitate for a moment as I attempt to find the right word, "Summon? No, call upon?" Gee Gee V laughs, "Yes, it can make my parents come to you." I nod, trying to wrap my head around the fact I've been wearing a magical object as if it was just a piece of vintage jewelry. "This is also his grace?" I clarify, and she nods before I begin to nod along. "Why are you telling me this now?" I ask, but she just pats my cheek. "You're the only one with enough power to help them," She explains. "But why right now when I'm trying to save Sophia?" I push, but she just gestures in front of us. Everyone was watching me, but behind them was a crumbled floor. "Go on," She urges me forward, so I do as she says. I walk past our group, approaching the hole in the floor. We were on the second floor of the jail, the floor we needed to cross laying on the main level. "Remember, you're nephilim on both sides of your family," She reminds me. "I don't understand what that has to do with right now, though," I wrap my arms around myself as I inspected the crumbled floor in confusion. "Now, I know you know what I mean," Gee Gee V pushed, but what she was saying was impossible. Is it really impossible, though? I've been doing the impossible all day, the last few days even. I put my hands out, closing my eyes. I picture a floor materialising in the empty spot. "Perfect, now believe that it's happening," Gee Gee V cheers, so I try. Everyone behind me gasps, so I open my eyes to see a translucent bridge with a faint yellow glow where the floor should be. I laugh in disbelief, "Everyone, get across now, I don't know how long I can hold this." Uncle Jeff and Dakota run across first, but David wasn't moving. "How is this possible?" He couldn't process this, but I was barely doing that. "David, you can take this in later, you need to go now," I snap, forcing him out of his trance. Together we cross the bridge, but the second we were on the other side and I stopped picturing it the bridge disappeared. That didn't matter right now, though, because we had to find Sophia nad figure out what he wanted with my best friend.