Until We Fly

Chapter 4: Jake and Nim

If I hadn't known a beautiful, young girl with red hair and a gold and silver eye was sat in my very own bedroom, I would have said it was a pretty casual morning.

Natalie made us all some cereal and asked about our plans for the summer.

"I guess we'll just see what comes up. There's no real plan at the minute. None that I know about anyway."

"Well, that's a shame. You should make some plans, James. Here, go take this up to that lovely girl upstairs, would you? I'm sure she's hungry too."
Natalie gleamed, passing me a large bowl of frosted flakes.

"Uh...sure. Hey, Natalie? I think she needs some spare clothes. You wouldn't have any, would you?"

"I can hook her up with some summer dresses if you like? I'm sure she'll love them."
She smiled, trying to sound cool.

Right.
That was some actual clothes sorted.
Wait...I forgot to ask about...
Underwear...bottom and top...
Hopefully she would have already thought about that...

As I walked up the stairs, I couldn't help thinking about her. About how she looked, how she acted, how she spoke.
Why was she like that?
Where was she from?
What on earth was going on in my life?!

"Hey, Köleil? I've got some food for you."

"Oh, thank you! Köleil thinks she knows how to use your light square now."

"...light s...oh, the computer. Cool, well done but we still need to figure out what on earth is going on with you."
I said, resting the bowl on the desk.

"Köleil does not know what you mean but is happy to hear the well done."
She grinned, sweetly.

It didn't take me long to notice the array of pictures smothering the google page.

"Köleil? What...why are you looking at these?"

"Oh, these are called the lilys, James. They are Köleil's favourite pretty plant. She thinks they are a type of...um...frowers?...no...that is not right..."

"I'm sorry...but she won't make it..."

"Ah! Flowers! That is it!"

"I'm sorry...but she won't make it..."

"It was the very hard when Köleil can not spell very good and she only knows a few symbols but Köleil sounded it out and soon...was right! That was good, yes?"

"I'm sorry...but she won't make it..."

"...James?"

"I'm sorry...but she won't make it..."

Slumping down on my bed, I buried my face in my hands, the familiar senses of dread, emptiness and pain flooding into my body.

"James? What is wrong?!"

Köleil's voice merely faded into the background as my mind filled with nothing but the images, sounds, smells, emotions from that day.
...that day...

The building...
The party....

The roof.......

Lily...

"JAMES!!"

Opening my eyes, I was greeted to the sight of Köleil's teary face as she hugged me tightly, screaming out my name.

"K...Köleil? Is there...where's that light coming from?"

For a moment and a single moment only, I was certain that I had seen some sort of light behind her, glowing bright and pure white.