Remedy

Chapter 1

drip, drip, drip. The rain poured gently onto the old roof just barely keeping the porch dry. Old houses were cool, quite aesthetic. And I loved aesthetic. The creaking of the old wood planks leaves me comfortable anyways.

I felt a raindrop fall down my cheek, or perhaps it was a teardrop, I shall never know. I sucked in the sweet smell of lilies and daisies and gardenias. Oh, how relaxing the aromas of flowers were.

I have moved here, to Ohio, all the way from Florida.

I left everyone.

I left my mom and my 2 brothers, the most important people in my life. I reached toward my neck, feeling for the necklace. The only belonging I had that I had brought with me.

This necklace isn't just a necklace.

When I was 10, my father sat me down one night, handing me a silver necklace, a purple crystal hanging from its chain.

"Always," he looked me dead in the eye, "always wear this, for you are special. You won't understand now, but you will later. You will understand the true definition when the time comes."

He wrapped the necklace around my neck, the purple crystal suddenly glowing.

"And remember, Lily, I'm always with you."

And those were his last words, for the next morning, my mother informed me that he wouldn't be on this earth any longer, that he would now be in heaven.

After my father gave me the necklace, I constantly had visions. Not only visions, but visions of the past and even the future.

School was a violent place sometimes. Discrimination was an issue along with bullying.

I once visioned a young girl being picked on by 3 older teenagers. Some time afterward, the same girl I had visualized before, was being teased, mocked, and made fun of on the playground. The exact same way I saw in my vision.

And then I realized.

I could see the future.

And as I got older, visions became more serious. I could visualize kidnappings, rape, crimes...

I was very scared to tell anyone, and even more terrified of getting help. After all, who would believe a young child?

My brothers, they were very close to me. We were only born a year apart, leaving us a friendlier bond.

Lake, the oldest, who, at the time, was 22, asked to talk to me alone one night.

"Can you see them too?" He asked.

I was thankful I wasn't alone, that somebody else could believe me.

I wasn't alone, but I didn't know one day I would have to be.

I never wanted to leave, but I needed to. It was the only way to keep my family out of danger, the only way to keep my family from being killed.

"Enjoying the rain?"

I jumped, surprised anyone would be outside in this weather, let alone be outside in this small, ghostly, Ohio town.

A man, perhaps in his early 20's, stared right back at me from the unstable porch steps. His wet, shaggy, brown hair almost covered his eyes. His eyes were so unrealistic. They were unlike anything I have ever seen before. A certain kind of hazel, dull yet bright.

"I'm so sorry-I-I-didn't mean to frighten you."

"Hey, no I'm sorry, I'm lost in my own world. Here, have a seat." I motioned him next to me on the rocking swing.

"I'm Evan, by the way. I should have introduced myself when I first saw you."

"I'm lily."

"I can tell you aren't quite used to Ohio yet."

"It's comfortable." I looked out at all the hanging plants taking up the majority of the porch, ivy wrapped around the iron porch railing.

"The rain is quite comfortable, I agree. It brings lots of emotions."

"Emotions?"

"Yes, have you ever been kissed in the rain?"

I thought about it. "No, though it sounds very romantic."

"Romance is underrated nowadays, you know? You don't see very many dates just stargazing or dancing in the rain. Nobody appreciates each other enough."

I stayed unresponsive for some time, not exactly knowing what to say.

"Sorry for my endless rants, my relationship isn't going very well."

I glanced over at him. His eyes seemed to have lost its sparkle. I placed my hand on his, squeezing it. "I know how you feel."

Perhaps maybe our bond was because of the commonness of our sadness and pain, but at that moment, I felt like I have known this stranger forever, and I didn't even know his last name yet.

"She is beautiful..." He folded his hands on his lap, "Kate, my fiance. Her soul is beautiful. She is kind. She is everything I could possibly want. There's not much to say, I just really, really need her back. I miss her. I love her."

The rain had turned to sprinkling, and the sun began to set in the distance, reds and purples painting the sky. I looked out, noticing the dead trees and dirty-green grass. Everything was dead, yet still looked so beautiful.

"I'm sorry." I managed to say after some time of silence.

"I shouldn't bring my problems on others, I apologize. I used to come down to this house a lot. I decided to take a visit today and was surprised to find you here."

"How come?" I turned toward him, curious.

"You see," He began hesitantly, "the house you are currently living in, used to be my fiancee's house. I came to visit becau-" Suddenly he buried his face in his hands, stopping himself from breaking down into sobs. "...because one day I came home to her gone, and I never saw her again. That was 2 years ago. I always have some hope that one day she'll return home. Return to me."

I couldn't help but feel horrible for him.

"I still think about how our wedding will be." He smiled through tears. "I still think about the children we will have together. The life we will live. The future we will hold. I think about all of it. All the time."

"Why would she just leave? Without saying goodbye? Without a logical reason?" I questioned aloud.

"I ask myself that every day, Lily."

"Why didn't you perhaps try looking for her, instead of waiting for her to come home? Maybe she can't come home."

He sat in silence for a moment, deep in thought. Tears clouded his eyes, yet wouldn't spill. I could feel he was in so much more pain than his surface showed.

"What if," I added, "she needs to be found in order to come home?"