"Addison!" I immediately call out her name, pushing Harry out of the way and running towards her. My eyes well up with tears at the joy of seeing my best friend. She had been dead for years, and here she was in front of me: a Guardian.
"Madelynn!" She laughs, running up to me. She's still the same age she was when she died, eleven, so it's not surprising that I can lift her up into my arms. Her long, dark hair clings to my skin, and I inhale her scent. She's just the same as she used to be, just ice cold, and much, much paler. Her green/blue eyes still hold as much mystery and depth as they did, and her lips are still the healthy red of a child's. Freckles still litter her cheeks as well.
After a few minutes, I put her back down on her feet. She is almost as tall as I am, even though I'm a good 7 years older than her, physically, anyway.
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be living your life," she laughs, and I cringe at her use of words.
"I'm here with Harry," I turn around and point to Harry, who is talking with someone, and she nods her head and raises her eyebrows in understanding.
"I didn't know you were a Guardian," I say excitedly, wiping the remainder of my tears away. She looked confused. I explain. "That's what Harry and I call people like you. The ones that watch over another person's life." She nods in understanding.
"I watch over Luke," she tells me, referring to her brother. It comforts me to know that her voice is still sweet and soft like it used to be. "I would watch over my dad too, but being a...Guardian," I smile at the use of mine and Harry's name for them, "you only get to watch over one person, and protect them."
I nod, I think I understand. "Why only one?" I think to ask. She shrugs.
"It just wouldn't be fair to have more than one. When the person you guard dies, you die too. It wouldn't be fair to have multiple people keeping you alive, if this is your second chance."
"What about your mom?" I ask, suddenly remembering her. Addison grins.
"She didn't feel as if she wasn't ready to die yet. She didn't have that much of a problem with dying. It bothered me at first, but not now. She's happy."
I'm amazed that a child can explain the situation so well. I have to keep reminding myself that mentally, she is actually a few months older than me.
"It's amazing, that they would pair you with your brother. That's luck," I say, laughing. She furrows her brows in confusion. But then laughs.
"They don't 'pick someone out' for you. You pick them yourself. I picked out Luke, and all the other Guardians pick someone out," she says, and leaves me dumbfounded.
So Harry picked me out? How did he know me? How did he know to choose me, that I was the one? He's been hanging around with me for as long as I can remember. I don't understand how he could've just picked me out, without even knowing me.
"So Harry, he picked me out?" I question, furrowing my brows. I was beyond confused. But Addison nods, pushing her hair behind her shoulders. I watch as her beautiful hair cascades down her back, looking healthy-as if she were still alive.
"I don't know how he would've known me," I trail off and look over at him. He's talking to an older looking man. They seem to be in deep conversation. I turn back around. Addison's eyebrows are furrowed, and she seems to be in deep thought.
"I'm not sure. I've never really talked to him," she tells me.
"Why not?" I ask her, wanting to keep the conversation going, not wanting her to slip back away from me. And also because I want to find out a bit more about Harry.
