Against the Stars

Chapter 33

Stephen's funeral was two days later. Ginny wasn't allowed to go. Within an hour of Stephen's death, Ginny had come down with the fever. She was forced to lay in bed and waited.

Ginny barely felt any pain during the time. All she did was cry. Stephen... was gone. Her mind couldn't -wouldn't- except that. He had to be downstairs, reading a book. He couldn't be gone.

Gone.

The word hung in Ginny's lip as she thought of how how quickly the illness took over Stephen. One day he was fine, the next day, gone. Ginny closed her eyes against her will and drifted into a hallucination.

She was sitting in a meadow full of blooming flowers of every shade. The sun was shining and the air was warm. It was the perfect day.

Ginny saw a person walking through the meadow a couple feet away. Their backs were turned do she couldn't see their face, but she felt like she knew this person.

"Hello!" She called. The person turned around for a spilt second, and then began to run. Ginny jumped up and followed him.

The man was fast, but Ginny was determined to catch him. She ran as hard and as fast as she could and had almost raced the man when she tripped. The man turned and Ginny fell into his arms.

She started into the big brown eyes and felt her breath sucked out of her. It couldn't be, it just couldn't be.

"Joseph," Ginny asked, her voice just above a whisper. The man nodded and pulled her into a hug. Ginny found herself crying. Joseph, her little brother. The one who had died in a tragic accident when he was the tender age of one.

"But how can this be?" Ginny asked. Joseph responded by putting a finger to her lips.

"Don't ask, just enjoy," Joseph said. "Now follow me, there's someone else who wants to see you. "

Ginny followed Joseph as he led her through a dark forest. The tree's branches seemed to be like arms, reaching down to grab Ginny and take her to their forbidden realm. "Joseph..." Ginny said, get voice full of worry and fear.

"Don't worry, I know where we are," Joseph insisted. Ginny believed him and followed on, her heart racing with every step.

They broke through the forset and entered a moonlit beach. Crisp ocean waves crashed against  the rocky shore in a gently pattern. The ocean glistened in that faint light, sending of a glow.

"Stay here," Joseph said as he dashed down the beach, his footsteps leaving delicate imprints in the sand.

Ginny walked over to the waves and started at her reflection in the mystic waves. The images wasn't clear and Ginny was all right with that. Her pale face was strained with tears, her green eyes, red and bloodshot. Her red hair lay in could on her head after having been neglected for a week. But for once, Ginny didn't see an ugly horrid face starting back at her. She saw a bright, smiling beautiful young woman.

Ginny was so lost in thought she almost didn't hear her name being called. She turned and saw s young girl running towards her, red hair flying and green eyes shining. Ginny knew the girl.

Delly.

Delly wrapped her arms around Ginny's leg and started into her eyes. Ginny stated back, green into green. Ginny bent down and pulled her youngest sister into her arms. If you could freeze time, Ginny felt she would freeze it right there.

"I've missed you," Delly said, her little bit reminding Ginny of the wind.

"I've missed you to," Ginny said, tears streaming down her face. Delly, Delly was in her arms. Her sweet little Delly.

"Oh Ginny, I wish u Ginny get to go. I wish I could have stayed with you."

"Oh Delly, I wish you could to," Ginny said, openly sobbing now, her tears mixing with the ocean's salty waves.

Delly, the Christmas miracle. Dellly, the Ginny reincarnated. Delly, Delly, Delly. Ginny couldn't believe it.

Deliah Rose Miller. The youngest Miller child, cruelly ripped from life, far too early.

"Ginny, I want you to know everything will be all right. You're going through a hard time; the war, Stephen's death, mother's controlling power, but believe me when I get it will work in the end. You'll be fine, you have plenty of life ahead of you, don't worry," Delly said as she loosened herself from Ginny's tight grip.

"Delly, where are you going?" Ginny asked, her voice full of panic. No, Delly could not be leaving  she could not be. Ginny didn't know if she could lose her for a second time.

"Ginny, this is your world, my mind. It's a miracle Joseph and I were even and to come here. You need to wake up. Mother and everyone else is worried you'll die to. Ginny you will not -cannot- die. You have a life to live! I do not. And that is why I just leave," Delly said, get body slowly fading away.

"No! Delly! Joseph!" Ginny cried.

"Live Ginny." Delly's voice echoed, sounding hauntingly like the wind.

Ginny ran in the waves, desperate to follow her siblings. The cold waves lapped against her ankles, but Ginny did not stop. Not until a freezing wave sent her flying back.

Ginny crumpled in a heap, wet, cold, and dirty. She didn't care, not one bit, as she began to sob. She sobbed till the darkness overtook her.