The Veil

Chapter Forty-Eight

I stumbled forwards, logic having no place in my head right then.

Lindsay grabbed my arm to stop me, I didn't want to take my eyes off my parents, who hadn't noticed me yet, but I needed to know what she was doing.

"Just watch, please." She whispered, her voice yet again loud enough to reach me over the sleet.

I shook her off, I loved her and she was my friend but these were my parents.

I couldn't move any further, my feet were grounded, it was like one of my dreams again, but I was in too much pain right then to still be dreaming.

I looked back at my parents, they seemed distracted, they were stood very close together, I couldn't hear what they were saying but they were clearly talking to each other.

I could see they looked worried, scared even.

I tried to move forward again but Lindsay's grip was too strong for me to get any further.

I whirled on her, trying to pull out of her grip, "What are you doing Lindsay, you don't understand, they're my parents! I need to see them!" I shouted at her.

She spun me to face her, gripping the tops of my arms so hard I knew she was going to be leaving bruises.

She forced me to look into her eyes.

"Lily, there is a lot of stuff going on, there is so much happening right now, you're not going to believe it, you're not going to understand it, and you're going to be hurt, but you need to listen to me right now and just watch what I'm showing you!" Her voice was stern and harsh like I'd never heard it before.

A shiver passed through me and the look in her eyes had more fire behind it than I'd ever seen in anyone before.

"I don't understand what you want from me, why are you here?" I begged her to explain.

I glanced back at my parents, they were still there.

"We don't have any time left Lily, they aren't your parents, your parents are still dead, I'm so sorry."

Just when I was starting to get my breath back it was taken from me again.

"H-how do you know that?" I stuttered, I knew I'd never told her, I'd never told anybody but Tom.

I could tell she was repressing a sigh.

"Just. Watch." She demanded, turning me back to face my parents.

It was like she had a power over me, I couldn't move, I couldn't talk, all I could do was what she said, watch.

"We've left it too late this time Lacey." My dad said, his voice now carrying to where I stood now.

"Don't say that. We have time. We can do it." She said back, stress laced her tone.

She gripped my dads arm tightly, I could tell her fingernails would be leaving marks on him.

Dad looked into her eyes for a few more seconds before he nodded, still frowning.

He pulled back and and bent down to light a fire, a little bundle of sticks already in place a few paces from where they were standing.

It lit quickly despite the rain and snow falling around us.

I tried to call to them, my mouth opened to shout to them, they had to notice me here.

But no sound came out.

Lindsay's hands still firmly locked around the tops of my arms.

What were they doing?