Another Life| Joel Pimentel

Seventeen; The Last Chapter.

She sat and wept for the longest time before she finally got to her feet, as she turned she wiped her eyes with her hands trying to pull herself together. As her sight cleared she saw Joel’s mobile phone gleaming on the table, walking to the table she picked it up and looked at it. Suddenly it started to move in her hands and a little rectangle piece on the top lit up with the name ‘ Christopher’. Elizabeth’s heart leapt in her throat, she was surprised 'cause the thing has been turned off a while. Christopher was one of the friends Joel spoke of, one of the guys he sang with. 

“ Joel.” She whispered.

Suddenly everything seemed crystal clear, why was she waiting here, and what did she have to stay for? Joel had promised he would look after her and he insisted his world was better than this one.

Elizabeth knew she was being stupid, she had all along, she had found the one boy in her life who loved her and yes she knew he did. She pushed him away as she always had done fearing love, fearing being left alone. That wasn’t what Joel had said; he wanted her to come with him.
Rushing to the door she took hold of her shawl and wrapped it around her head and over her shoulders and with the phone in her hand she ran off in search of Joel, she only hoped she was quick enough to get to him before he went.

Joel walked briskly up the hills; he had to get out of here as soon as he could. Maybe he would wake up in the morning and all this would have been a bad dream. He didn’t really think so though. And what would he tell everyone about where he had been all these weeks. He could just see Renato and Simon if he told them he had been living in a town one hundred years ago, yep that would be straight to the nearest Psychiatrist and then into the nut house.

The fog was closer now and he was going home, he vowed this time to appreciate everything in his life so much more than he had. He had tasted how life used to be and it was hard, much harder than he would ever have thought. 

Elizabeth saw Joel in the distance getting closer to the fog and she called out to him but her words were carried down the hillside by the wind and away from Joel ’s ears. She cried out several times, louder and louder but each time it was in vain.
Elizabeth lifted up her skirt an ran as hard as she could, she felt as if her lungs would burst. 

Joel took a deep breath as he prepared to walk through the fog hoping this was his ticket home. He stepped inside and it felt the same as it had before, the air was normal not cold nor light just thick and almost impossible to see. He turned to take one last look at the place before he left, he felt sad, he truly believe he had something special with Elizabeth but she didn’t feel the same. He turned back and continued slowly forwards.

“ JOEL!”

He felt sure it was Elizabeth and he turned back, he could see her faintly but she appeared to get harder and harder to see, he tried to go back towards her but he couldn’t seem to get out of the fog, he stretched his hand out as far as he could.
“ Eliza, take my hand... ELIZABETH !”
He screamed out and then after what seemed like forever he felt the tips of her fingers touch his own and he lunged forwards pulled her to him. He held her tightly around the waist as he planted kisses all over her face.

“Oh God Elizabeth, I thought I had lost you.” null was crying now as she held onto him, scared of what now lay ahead.

“I love you Joel, please don’t let me go.”

Joel kissed the top of her head and they both heard voices as they walked slowly forwards.

“Pimentel stop fukin’ around and get back here, Simon is gonna fukin’ do one if we are late. JOEL , JOEL!”

Joel frowned; he knew that voice anywhere in the world.

“ Zabdiel?”

He shouted out and then he heard Christopher and Erick moaning about him. They had come back to look for him, he wondered how often they had been back to this place.

Joel and Elizabeth walked forwards and finally out of the fog. Joel let go of Elizabeth and rushed forwards jumping on Zabdiel hugging him, he ruffled his hair up.

“Rik and Chris, my God I thought I’d never see you again…….”

He turned and hugged both Christopher and Erick now.
He also hugged Richard.

“Oh Guys its been the longest, weirdest weeks, I can’t even tell you but I’m so glad to be back and even more glad you were looking for me.”

Zabdiel, Erick, Richard and Christopher exchanged glances between each other and Erick then noticed the dark haired woman standing behind Joel .

“Has Pimentel hit his head in that fog?” Richard asked being confused.

Joel turned around and took hold of Elizabeth’s hand.

“Chicos this is Elizabeth Cole, the girl who has looked after me all this time and the girl I am going to marry.”

Erick shook his head.
“God how long did it take to set this one up Joel? Damn good trick even by your standards, even the fog has gone.” He said with his thick Cuban accent.

Elizabeth and Joel looked around and indeed the fog had gone, so had Elizabeth’s town and all she knew, she clung to Joel feeling scared now and unsure of what she had done. 

Joel turned back to Erick still keeping tight hold of Elizabeth.

“It isn’t a trick; I thought you had played it on me when I first went but to know you waited for me…. Well that’s just the best ever guys.”

Erick shook his head and went back into the car.
“Pimentel stop being such a dickhead, jokes over, you know as well as we do, you walked into that fog being stupid, told us it was weird then walked out with your lady here.”

Joel was dumbstruck; no time had passed at all? But he had been gone for weeks now and yet to the guys he hadn’t even been gone minutes, nothing had changed, life had almost stood still.

It was now Erick looked at her clothes, Zabdiel, Richard and Christopher seemed to notice at the same time. They got back in the car and looked at each other. 

“What the hell is she wearing? One of these days his jokes will back fire on him, you wait and see.”
Erick shook his head and then Christopher laughed.

“Oh yeah he’s gonna marry her don’t forget that.” Richard said.

Zabdiel was deep in thought.
“I wonder how he did it though. You know the fog and that girl?”
They all just shrugged.
Outside the car Joel still held Elizabeth as they looked back at where the fog once was and then at the car, Elizabeth was most unsure of the car, she’d never seen anything like it in her life.

“It’s alright my love, I know things will seem strange for a while but I will be with you and I will help you I swear.”
He took hold of her hand and kissed it as they walked towards the car. Joel opened the door and looked Elizabeth in the eye.

“I told you the fog would come back for me didn’t I? And it did.”
Joel helped Elizabeth in the car next to Zabdiel and Richard and he sat her on his laps, closing the door Erick pulled away.

Elizabeth looked behind them as they drove away. Joel smiled at her as she turned back.
“It’s all gonna be alright now, you’ll see.”
Elizabeth looked at him with her brown eyes full of fear.
“But Joel, the fog came back to get you…. What if it comes back for me too?”
The happiness fell from Joel ’s face as she spoke. 

THE END.

************************
And that's a wrap😂😂😂. Thanks for reading my book to the end. I appreciate it, seriously!👌💝💝😘😘