Under the Floorboards

Chapter 13: Forgotton

My eyes flutter open and I'm all alone. I'm laying in a field, full of flowers. A breeze blows the hair away from my face, washing into my lungs like medicine to the ache in my chest. And that's when I see them. Arizona. Chase. Ivy. Hazel. Yvoni. Lazaro. Cole. Alive and sitting in the field, laughing and talking.

I hesitate, questioning if they're real. "Guys," I call out with uncertainty. They look up at me, taken aback by my voice.

"No," chase whispers.

"What?" I ask him wearily.

"You couldn't have," He bites his lip.

"Can someone explain?" the intensity shakes through my voice.

"I thought you'd make it, of all people," Arizona's lower lip quivers.

"Wait..." I say with realization. "Did I... die?" I ask them.

"Sort of. We aren't exactly dead. You are just stuck." Lazaro explains.

"In the house?" I ask.

"Exactly," Yvoni ponders. Ivy enlaces her fingers into the soft green grass, calmly breathing. Suddenly, she rips the handful from the dirt, roots dangling. Her calm face turns to sympathy.

"I'm sorry," Cole jogs to me and hugs me. I hug in return, a breath of relief. He lets go with a smile. "Looks like you're stuck with ur big, bad uncle for eternity," He smiles triumphantly.

"Hey, wait," Hazel jumps to her feet and jogs over to me, a concerned look on her face.

"What is it?" I ask her.

"You're hands. They're gone," she observes. I look down and sure enough, they aren't there.

I wiggle my fingers, feeling them touch something. A face, maybe. I can feel the skin and the cheekbones. It feels like Mark. "I can feel Mark," I say with confusion.

"You must not be dead then. You have your hands stuck in the real world, almost as if you are still 'holding on'," Chase quotes with his fingers, walking over. Soon, everyone stands around me.

"That can't happen, can it?" I ask.

"We can't be sure. Anything can happen," Arizona shrugs, biting her lip.

"Amazing," Lazaro stares breathlessly.

"If I can get back, I will come back for you guys," I promise them with a nod.

"No! That's suicide, are you crazy?" Arizona shouts angrily.

"If the house lets us get out, then maybe we can come back without dying or being trapped. Like Arizona said, anything can happen," I ramble, fumbling through my words.

"No," Cole says sternly, clenching his jaw and folding his arms.

"I promise," I purse my lips with unison.

"If you get back... will you tell Nina that I am okay, and I will love her for eternity?" Chase stares at the ground with a sadness unimaginable.

"Of course," I nod.

"You have to try to get back, to tell them we are here," Yvoni whimpers.

"I will," I assure her.

"Be safe," Ivy and Hazel say at the same time.

"Chase, Nina said she could sense your presence... can you sense hers?" I ask with curiosity.

"Every second, of every day." He nods.

"Are we technically still in that room, then?" I ask.

"Oh, I almost forgot to show you!" Cole jumps excitedly.