He Followed Me Home

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Fifteen

"Wake up, you sleep long enough," Madam Zinga's voice broke through Wyatt's strange dreams.

He had felt so many physical sensations in his dreams. Hot, cold, fatigue, soreness... Things he had not felt since his death. He opened his eyes and sat up with a start. It took him a moment to realize he was still in the same stone room he had laid down in.

The first thing he noticed was that he was sweating in his heavy uniform. Sweating? He hadn't sweated since...... He jumped to his feet and looked down at himself. There was no blood, no evidence of the wound that Madam Zinga had inflicted on him.

"Am I..."

"Yes, you're alive," Madam Zinga replied, cutting him off. Wyatt nodded and instantly walked over to the tall Victorian mirror in the corner. When he saw his reflection again for the first time in one hundred and fifty years he nearly let out a cry of shock. He had forgotten what he looked like. He ran his fingers over his face and Madam Zinga snorted, "Yes, yes you are very handsome," she said. "I gave you what you wanted. In this time your name is still Wyatt Montgomery but you were born in 1983. Your parents are dead of course according to all of your records. You will find an envelope in your pocket. Inside is a drivers license and a birth certificate. You will need those things to start your new life."

"How long do I have, Madam Zinga? How long will Franny and I have together?"

"Long enough," she said impatiently. Wyatt's eyes scanned the room and he saw the silver dagger hanging on the wall. Whatever that thing was it had given him life back.

"Thank you Madam Zinga," he said and just for the hell of it he hugged the old woman tight.

She patted his back and then pulled away, "Go. Stop wasting what time you have. Find your woman."

Wyatt nodded and like an excited child he took off running for the door, realizing two seconds too late that he could no longer simply pass through it. His face smacked hard against the unforgiving wood and he was sure that through his daze he heard Madam Zinga laugh but when he looked back at her she was straight faced and shaking her head.

"I'm afraid you must open doors now like the rest of us," she informed him.

Wyatt grinned sheepishly, nodded and opened the door before running out as fast as he could. Wyatt was amazed by the warmth of the sun. He didn't even care that he was overheated and sweating as he ran down the streets toward Francine's apartment. He hoped she would be home. It was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon according to the man he had asked and Wyatt knew that Francine had said she always liked to leave work early on Fridays.

It felt so strange to see people and be seen back. The way people kept looking at him confused him at first until he realized the sight he probably made in his full union uniform.

He was standing at a crosswalk waiting for the signal to change when a man and woman caught his attention and the man cleared his throat, "What are you supposed to be, some kind of Civil War actor?"

Wyatt fought the urge to tell the man what he thought about those people but right now he was too happy to think negative thoughts, "Yes. I'm actually in a play and I'm in a hurry so I didn't take the time to change."

"Those weapons look real," the woman added with a sniff.

"They are," Wyatt replied with a shrug and the woman's eyes widened as she pulled the man away from him and they whispered amongst each other. Wyatt didn't ask what was wrong because at that time the signal changed and he was running again. It felt so good to be seen by everyone. To be able to wave and smile and have some of those be returned.