Tainted Happiness {Formerly Returned} (Book 4) (Completed)

Chapter 18

Dave POV
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I felt like I was flying. Melanie staked me and instantly I was flying down this tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, I was dropped down onto an asphalt road. The place looked all too familiar. I knew exactly where I was, but didn't expect it to be the Otherworld. As soon as I entered when was the main camping area of what appeared to be East Harbor State Park, I heard someone calling my name from what seemed to be over behind the little store that was situated at the front of the park. Behind the store a little ways was an empty field they transformed into a hospital room once I stepped foot inside it. Melanie appeared in front of me and began to speak.

"Show me that you aren't the scum you appear to be. Prove to me that I can give you a second chance. Bring me back my Rosa." She told me. I nodded in acknowledgement and I saw the hospital room scene slowly fade away.

"Kait, Kait, Kait, Kait." I mumbled, wondering where I could possibly find her.

I turned toward the area where her family always camped when she was a kid and figured that I'd better begin looking there. The hike up the large hill at the front of the park was a lot more tiresome that I remembered and it took me awhile before I actually got up the thing. The only hunch I had as to where Kait might have been was a lone camper sitting in Kait's favorite campsite. Having no other real clue, I ran toward the camper as fast as I could. However, when I got there I found Cory and Vince, but no Kait.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"Where's who? How are you here?" Cory answered.

"You know who. Kait. Where is she?" I said.

"She went down to the beach. For what I have no idea, but I think that's where she went. Now, how are you here? You're not dead." Vince said.

"Melanie found a way to get me into wherever this place is without actually killing me. She says that I'm supposed to help Kait gather the pieces of her soul and come back to the Living World." I answered.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you know where the beach is, so try looking there." Cory replied.

"Thank you." I said, turning toward the shortcut to the beach over by the Shower House in A-Section.

"Don't mention it. We still think you're a pile of bird droppings, though." Vince added.

I ran as fast I could to the beach. Once I got there I found Kait about to hurl herself off of one of the rock piles in the back of the swimming beach into the deeper part of Lake Erie.

"STOP!" I shouted as loud as I could, running out to her.

"Why? What's the point? I'm gonna die anyway!" She yelled back.

"You can't die here, you idiot! This is the Otherworld! You're already half-dead! Attempting suicide won't do anything to you here! Now get off of that rock pile and come here." I yelled, walking out to the edge of the water.

"How are you here?" Kait asked, finally climbing down the rock pile.

"Melanie." We both said at the same time, Kait realizing that only Melanie could figure out how to get me here.

"She sent you to help me. But why would she send you?" She pondered.

"She claimed that I was the only one who could. Now let's get you put back together." I said, wrapping an arm around her soaking wet body.

"How? I can't even find the pieces of my soul." She said, trying as hard as she could to get out of my grip.

"Have you tried looking in all your favorite places?"

"I can't remember what they are." She said, starting to cry.

"That's why you have me. I remember them all. One of them is right here on this very beach." I said, as a younger version of Kait came bouncing out of the water.