Guardian

chapter twenty-one (final chapter)

Austin? Kellin wanted to see Austin? Why the fuck would he want to see Austin?

"He took care of me when you...left," Kellin said. Oh. Guilt started to spread through my body. "I have to see Austin and make sure he's okay." Kellin said very sternly. I sighed. I had no idea how to even get back to earth. There where so many bad memories back there.

"Maybe I'll ask Jaime if he knows how to get back." I suggested. Kellin nodded as we started to walk, which was bound to lead us to Jaime sooner or later. I took his hand as we began to walk and I started to think about how I forgot about him. What a terrible person (ghost?) I am. Kellin remembered Austin, even if he did forget at first. I didn't even remember Kellin the first time I saw him up here. I was filled with guilt by this point and I think Kellin noticed my change in mood, but right then we saw Jaime messing around with a bass. He looked up at me and smiled before putting his bass down.

"Hey Hime-time" I said with a smile.

"Hey Vic. Whats up?" he asked as he picked up a water bottle and started drinking from it.

"Well um..." I started but what I didn't know how to word it. Has anyone ever even wanted to go back earth before? "I was wondering if you knew how to uh...get back to earth..." Jaime did a spit take before he started choking.

"Why the hell would you ever want to go back to earth?" Jaime said, taken aback.

Jaime had a thoughtful look on his face, I thought I saw him start to smile before he sighed. "You can go back to earth just like you can go pretty much anywhere here but you really have to concentrate. It's like...breaking a barrier. You have to imagine your breaking the barrier between earth and the afterlife and step through it" Jamie said. I smiled, but I didn't think it would be that easy.

"Where do we do this?" Kellin asked.

"You can do it right here if you want." Jaime said. Kellin looked hopeful and closed his eye as he started to imagine this 'barrier.' A few minutes passed before he opened his eyes.

"Nothing is happening..." Kellin said, looking disappointed.

"Hmm, why don't you tell me why you want to go back to earth. Tell how bad you want it." Jaime spoke.

"I want to see my friend Austin..." Kellin started.

"Why do you want to see him?"

"Well it's kind of a long and personal story..."

"Kellin, think about how bad you want to see him, now tell me how badly you want to see him!" Jaime was starting to raise his voice now.

"I umm... I died right in front of him..." Kellin half whispered.

"SO WHAT!?" Jaime was yelling now.

"Jaime stop..." I started to say but he merely put his hand up to stop me.

"SO HE TOOK CARE OF ME WHEN I NEEDED HIM AND I JUST LEFT HIM AND I NEED TO GO BACK TO EARTH AND SEE IF HE'S ALRIGHT!" Kellin yelled back. A blue light started to form in front of us and I saw Jaime smirk as I realized Jaime was just trying to get Kellin a lot more passionate about going back to earth for the barrier to break. I thought the blue light in front of us would make a sort of door thing, but instead a person, no, an angel, appeared in front of this.

"ENOUGH!" said the tall winged man standing in front of us. "I'm Mitch, caretaker of the dead. I see you'd like to go back to earth," he said, looking over Kellin with distaste. Kellin nodded quickly in fear. "Very well. I'll take you to earth." He looked down at his fingernails, seemingly disinterested. "But you can't come back. You've caused way too much trouble here. You are officially banished."

Kellin looked scared to death as he grabbed my hand. I was scared too- what does Mitch mean by he can't come back? Are they taking Kellin away from me?

Mitch raised his foot weirdly high in the air and stomped on the ground and just like that, Kellin was gone.

"NO!" I practically shrieked, "Bring him back!"

"I cannot do that, nor would I if I could." Mitch said very calmly. How can he do this? How can he take Kellin away? I can't live without him, I love him. An idea popped into my head.

"Banish me too!" I said. Jaime grabbed my arm and pulled me aside.

"No stay with me Vic." Jaime whispered. I looked at him as if he where crazy. "Vic I love you, and now that Kellin is gone we can be together!" I was shocked.

"Was this your plan all along? To get rid of Kellin?"

"I knew the only way to get back to earth was to get banished...but I did it for you! I did it so we could be together forever!" I was absolutely and utterly disgusted.

"Right now all I can see is a terrible person who murdered his own family and took away the love of my life" I spat back in disgust. I turned around, "Mitch! Banish me too" I said sternly. Mitch nodded.

"Sure whatever. Less of you for me to babysit. What do I care," he muttered and lifted his foot in the air before stomping on the ground. Instantly I was taken away to the afterlife we were in and I was back on earth. My heart was racing a thousand miles a minute. And where was Kellin?

"Kellin!" I yelled in a panicked tone.

"I'm right here," I heard from behind me. I turned around and saw his beautiful face. I have never seen anyone look more beautiful than the person right in front of me. I grabbed his waist and pulled him close, enclosing my lips around his. I kissed him like this was the last time we were going to see each other. When I finally broke the kiss I leaned my forehead on his.

"You scared the bloody hell out of me," I whispered and pecked his lips again. I was so happy to be with him I didn't care where we were as long as we were together. "I love you, I truly love you with all of my heart and nothing will ever change that," I said softly. Kellin paused and looked in my eyes.

"I love you too," he said before capturing my lips with his again.

It was clear that we would both be in purgatory forever, but at least I was there with the love of my life.