Not Quite Dead

Chapter Fourteen - Not Quite Related

Dawn

Two days had passed, and I was still Changing.  Apparently, there were a lot of other things that came along with the Changing: being able to feel more emotions (which explained why I actually felt love), and it seemed like the ability to go into technology was the first thing to go. 

Also, even if people couldn't completely see me, it seemed like they could notice my presence.  My invisibility status was going away.  Before I completed the Changing, I would have to make sure that I wasn't in the presence of any mortals, unless those mortals were Artemis or Seraphina. 

At the moment, I was with Kyler, playing with him by the lake.  He seemed even happier now that he knew Artemis and I were Kindred Souls and that we admitted we liked each other. 

"Mimi says you're going through the Changing," said Kyler, pretending that he was dancing on the water.  "Does that mean you can't play with me anymore?"

I shook my head.  Of course I'd still play with him, me and Artemis both.  Kyler was part of the reason we were almost together. 

"Great!  Make sure you stay close by though, Miss Dawn."

I smiled and nodded. 

Kyler seemed the most excited about me going through the Changing, but I thought it was because I couldn't tell Artemis myself because I couldn't, well, talk.  I thought more about Artemis and me finally being able together, that it was worth waiting three hundred years.  It made me happy. 

After a while of more playing, Kyler said, "But what about Mr. Artemis's Rachael girl?"

That was a point I hadn't thought through.  I looked exactly like her.  I would have to change some things about my hair, and everything, but my face especially looked too much like Rachael.  Having someone be the reincarnation of you -- well, it was a hard life. 

I hoped Catherine would take care of that.  I wondered if situations with reincarnations have ever happened before.  I guessed so; it happened with me.  Nothing was impossible. 

 "I don't think he likes her anymore, Miss Dawn, but I think she'd be mighty mad to find out that her boyfriend has a new girlfriend."

Kyler was so wise for being a -- what? around twenty-year-old spirit with an eight-year-old's mind. 

 "Hey, guys," said Artemis, who had just come by the lake.  "What's up?"

"The sky, duh, Mr. Artemis," Kyler said, doing a flip over the water.  Then he beamed and flew over to Artemis.  "Did you see that, Mr. Artemis, did ya?  Did ya?"

Artemis chuckled, and I smiled big.  "That was great, kid," he said, smiling at him. 

We played some games with Kyler, games that I didn't even remember the name of.  I just remembered that I had fun. 

And oh, goodness, I was experiencing the most wonderful sensations.  I could feel the ground underneath my feet.  I could feel the wind on my skin.  I could feel the warmth coming from Artemis's skin as I brushed up against him. 

I'd forgotten how much I missed skin. 

"Oh, my God, Cara, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" said a voice behind us. 

"Caleb, it's..."  The female voice trailed off. 

The three of us turned to see Mr. and Mrs. Alexander.  They were staring at all three of us, shocked.  It was obvious that they could see me and Kyler.  They kept switching their glances from me to Artemis to Kyler. 

Mrs. Alexander's stare kept lingering on Kyler more than anyone else.  She looked as if she was about to cry.  Kyler was doing the same, staring at them with their same expression. 

"Oh, my God, Kyler, is that you?" Mrs. Alexander said shakily. 

"Mom, what are you guys doing here?" said Artemis. 

"Well, son, we were wondering what you did every time you left the house and didn't come back for hours," said Mr. Alexander.  "Then we heard voices.  We heard you, and then we heard--"

"Kyler," Mrs. Alexander breathed.  Her tears started to fall, and she rushed at Kyler, and Kyler rushed at her.  They tried to throw their arms around each other, but Kyler's arms went straight through her.  I could tell she experienced that horrible feeling of cold, because she backed away involuntarily, and fell to the ground. 

Mr. Alexander rushed to his wife, and supported her, holding her in his arms as she sobbed. 

"Dad, what's all this about?  How can you can see them?" Artemis demanded.  I thought he should have been softer with his crying, upset mother, but I knew he was just as confused as I was.  And I learned that Artemis didn't enjoy not knowing things. 

"W-why can't I hold him?" she cried.  "Why can't I hold my son?!"

Kyler looked down at himself.  "I'm sorry, mommy."

"Mommy?" Artemis said incredulously.  "Your son?"

"Artemis, we never told you and your siblings, but years ago, your mother became pregnant with a son," began his father. 

"Yeah, she was pregnant with me, right?"

Mr. Alexander shook his head.  "No, Artemis, you're smarter than that.  It was Kyler, and we spent a wonderful eight years with him.  Then--"

"Some idiot drunk slammed into our car," Mrs. Alexander seethed through her teeth, finishing her husband's sentence.  "My baby was hit the hardest by the impact.  Your father and I were cut and bleeding with many bruises, probably injured almost as bad as my baby.  But we didn't care, and were only focused on Kyler."

"The ambulance came to pick us up, but Kyler was dead before we even got to the hospital," said Mr. Alexander. 

Artemis looked at Kyler, who had flown to his mother's side.  I realized why we hadn't noticed:  Kyler didn't look like Artemis's brother, not really.  He looked more like the triplets and Mrs. Alexander.  Some of his features were also slightly hidden because of his angel spirit glow. 

"Why hadn't you told me?" Artemis asked finally, after a moment of silence.  "Does this make me your rebound baby?"

Rebound baby?  I didn't get it, but everyone else seemed to.  That was one of the problems that came with being from the 1880s: I was a tad outdated. 

"No, Arty, we love and have always wanted you, but I fell into a depression after we lost Kyler," said his mother.  She cleared her throat and straightened herself up.  "Now, will someone please explain why I can't hold my son?" she said.  Her tone was more calm and less frantic than it had been. 

"I don't know if you're going to believe me, Mom, but..."  Then Artemis went into a full-on explanation and description of everything that happened, just as he had told Seraphina.  He started by explaining what me and Kyler were, telling his parents about spirits in general, and went from there. 

"Of course, I believe you, sweetheart," said Mrs. Alexander, wiping away a few stray tears.  "After all that I've seen, how could I not believe you?" 

"And Dawn is your...um...girlfriend?" Mr. Alexander said. 

Artemis stood by me, nodded, and smiled at his parents.  "Yes."

"Well, how is that going to work?"

Mr. Alexander's words sparked something inside of me, not inspiration, not a feeling.  It was as if something literally was sparked inside of me.  I started glowing brighter than I'd seen any spirit glow.  I floated up and my limbs went numb, and I instantly knew something:

Miss Catherine Williams was wrong. 

Looks like the Changing is completing sooner than we expected, I thought.