Somewhat Dead

04: Broken & Bound

[04: Broken & Bound] Jaslynn to the side.

Jaslynn Fine

My chest is hollow. I am nothing but skin. No heart, no soul. My ribs found no use in air, and air found no use for me. My hands are cold, I am cold.

But he, is warm.

I don't know exactly when I woke up. What I do know is, if I could breathe, Sahaya's boobs would have suffocated me.

My eyes flickered open, the light in the room a lot dimmer than I remembered, and my hand hurt from clutching the man next to me's. I sat up, and in an instant I was met with Sahaya's boobs pressing into my face.

"Oh my God! You're alive! Ah-uh I don't know your name yet but oh my God I love you!" She screamed, as she pushed my head further into her chest. I tried to protest, but my voice was muffled by her skin. Cold.

When I was finally able to get her off, I looked around the room to see everyone standing there. Did they stay here this whole time? Had they waited for me? For us? I suddenly remembered I wasn't the only one laying here when I was awake. I turned around to see the man next to me wasn't laying there anymore, but that he was sitting in a chair in the far corner, his feet propped onto  a small revolving coffee table, more dusty books and papers underneath it.

As if he could feel my eyes on him, he turned. Our eyes connected for a moment, his face holding the same bored expression he'd had before he turned. I shook my head and turned back to the others.

"My name is Jaslynn." I told them. I felt like I owed it to them. Even though so much had already happened during my time here, and they've barely answered any questions I had.

"Jaslynn. Right. Can I call you Jas? I'm ganna call you Jas." Sahaya rambled with a bright smile. She had to me the bubbliest person I've every met. She had such a warm and inviting aura to her, which is probably why I trust her so much, even when I know almost nothing about her.

Jas, that was what Hailey and Deovan called me. I wonder if they've gone looking for me, if they'd thought of me at all. But then again, even if they did go looking for me, would there even be a body to find?

"Can someone please explain all this to me? I don't know if you knew, but I'm kind of lost here." I asked. Leo's eyes shifted over to Jasper, Jasper over to Levi, and this went on until everyone's eyes focused back onto me.

"Well... You died. In a way. Jaslynn, I need you to listen to me, and not ask any questions until I'm done okay?" Jasper asked and ran a hand through his hair. I nodded. "Good. Now, Jaslynn, you died. Well, you're soul did. When we die, we all enter into the void, which is the passage way from the mortal world to the afterlife. There are entry ways into this void all over the world in what we call Chapels. This is the Le Ossa Chapel. Which translates to bones in English." Jasper says and leans back against a nearby stone.

"This happens to be the strongest Chapel in the world. But back to the void, when you die you either enter the void or you are sent straight to a chapel. This is like a family. The people there are the people you fight with, live with, and care for forever. If you end up in the void, you're spirit will call out to all compatible ones. If one of us- the members of the chapel feel connected to yours, we can choose to pull you out, which would stop you from completely dying. If it is successful." Levi interjected, with unreadable expression on his face. So that's what they meant by 'you're one of us now'.

"You see, the void is alive. It is self aware. It could let the person be pulled out or it could rebuke the pull, causing the half light who attempted to pull them to enter as well. Both of them loosing their after life, and entering the underworld. If it is successful, the two are then joined together forever. An impenetrable bond that lasts forever. They are companions for eternity." Kamina explains and rests her head on Raven's shoulder. Companions for eternity?

"They do not have to be lovers, but they now form one new soul. This can only happen once. The process is quite painful, and must be done quickly for the void will try to revoke the joining of the enigmas. There is a mark that forms on the back of the two after the completion of the bond." Leo says. Levi simply nods his head in agreement with his brothers words.

"Wow. So they're like inseparable? Like by anything?" I ask. They all nod. "What's a half light?" I hope I'm not asking too many questions, but all of this is so new, and defiantly a lot to take in.

"You're a half light. You're soul is gone, but you're enigma is still living. Your enigma is your mind and body." Raven answered. This can't be real. None of this can be real. There has to be some other reason why I'm still here. Maybe I didn't die? Maybe I'm just dreaming all of this? Those are the only things that make sense.

"Now Jaslynn, I know this is a lot to take in. We've all been there. But you just have to trust us. We're family now. We all stick together." Sahaya said, and sat down next to me in the slab of rock.

"Wait, Leo, you said something about loving food twenty eight years ago? What did you mean? You look no older than eighteen." I questioned.

Leo threw his head back and laughed." I'm forty eight years old Jas. You might want to add about thirty years to that."

My eyes widened. "What?!" Sahaya pinched my cheek.

"What? Did you think your body would age anymore? You died Jaslynn. I'm not like all the other girls around here, I'm a proud one hundred and three year old still rocking no grays." I looked at her, shocked. They can't be serious. Is that even possible?!

"Yup and she's bonded to the grandest grandpa of the group. Jassy boy is eight hundred twenty three this year." Raven mocked and held Kamina close to her chest.

"Shut up Raven weren't you supposed to retire this year? You think you'd learn back when you hit the big six zero three years ago, while the misses is just able to drink." Jasper scoffed tolling his eyes. Raven growled at him and shifted Kamina closer to her chest.

"Hey, don't bring me into this, I'm twenty six, not deaf." Kamina scowled Jasper while patting a soothing rhythm on Ravens upper arm.

"Well I guess while we're all telling ages, I should tell mine. I'm fifty four this year." Levi said, boredom heavy in his tone. I sat back and watched as everyone started to bicker about who was moving into a retirement home first. Lines from, 'Please Jasper! You're as old as dirt, I'm surprised you're not sitting on a table somewhere in a yearn!' To "Hey Raven, you never did tell me the story of how you escaped the dinosaur exhibit at the Smithsonian.' Being tossed around in playful insult.

It was then that the reality of my situation really crashed down on me. I really was dead.

I turned to Leo, who had tapped out of the verbal wrestling ring, and took a seat next to me. "Who...who am I bond to exactly?" I asked him.

Leo turned around to look behind me, and I followed his gaze. "Well Ms. Jaslynn, you are bonded to the seven hundred and nine year old asshole in the corner. Don't worry though. He only bites when he has his dentures in." With that he got up and reentered the conversation, which from what I could tell had shifted to who was going to get Leo a Big Mac for dinner.

I continued looking at the handsome seven hundred year old stranger. Well. If the only condition to being bonded to him forever is feeding him applesauce and putting his dentures in a glass of water before bed, I think I'm fine with that.

He turned and looked me straight in the eyes, before giving me a glare and turning around once again. Or maybe there was more to it than I thought.