NINE LIVES

Chapter two: What Do You Need Me to Do?

first shout out t @Jan-vi-come-have-fun  and @writer4245 for their unconditional support and sense of humour during our convos

Do you know Vignette April Wilson?

That question nearly froze my mind for a moment.

Vignette Wilson- senior year student at La Monte high school with a perfect academic record and equally talented in music. Taller than most other girls with luxurious brown hair nod large blue eyes. However, the most bullied kid at school. Like she couldn't walk to her locker without being her books being thrown on the floor at least twice, she couldn't enter the cafeteria without something being thrown at her or she couldn't even say something in class without a snide remark being made about her. Even her clothes were made fun of when all she wore was a black hoodie and blue jeans. I had known her back since seventh grade when we would usually be made partners in projects. She used to be so full of life and we used to regularly talk to each other. But ever since I got into the basketball team, I saw her less and less, until we completely stopped talking to each other, and maybe that's why I never defended her when she was bullied. I always had a crush on her and even wanted to ask her out for the annual Winter Dance until....

Until she killed herself.

Yep, you heard me correct, she killed herself. I think someone, as a "joke", stole her notes from her bag and burnt them, by mistake, in the middle of the hallway, in front of her and the whole school. Next day, she had been found dead- her body was found in the basketball court, all broken, with her hands bleeding- she had evidently cut her wrists and then jumped off the school building. No note was found along with her, or after police investigation, in her room, which I think, relieved nearly 90% of the school population for they were absolutely horror stricken when they saw her dead body and the words cut into her flesh

I'm sorry.

And the worst part was that everyone literally cried their hearts out and said good things about her which they never had the balls to tell her when she was alive. Honestly, none of us had the balls to tell the truth.

So yeah, in short, I knew Vignette Wilson.

But why was she asking that? The question came as such a shock to me that I could just nod my head as a reply to her question.

"Of course you know Vignette." She said chuckling, "You were her classmate after all. So you even know that she committed suicide, right?"

I just simply nodded again. Goodness only knows where she's hinting at.

"Well, since you know that, that makes it much easier for me." She beamed, "As I have said, she has committed suicide. Means she has taken death into her own hands. And I have to bring her back; otherwise everything goes out of hand. And you Levi, are gonna help me. I need you to stop her from committing suicide. I need you to make her feel wanted so that she can follow the wonderful life we've planned for her. And even you, Levi, can go on to live your life as you wanted cuz, as far as I can remember, you died after visiting her grave. You were coming back home when that truck hit you and left with you as a mangled bag of bones and flesh."

I'm sorry, what!?

"Pardon me De-I mean Winter," I said still trying to process what she said, "You want me to go back and save her. But isn't she, you know, already dead?"

And as soon as that question came out of my mouth I realized I was literally the stupidest person in the whole world. How could I be so stupid? Of course she brought me back to life a month before my death so that I could save her. Today is the day she committed suicide. Of course. I needed to stop her from doing so. Indirectly, (I know it's gonna sound selfish) I'm saving my own life. Cuz if Vignette doesn't die she won't be buried; if she's not gonna be buried, then she won't have a grave; and if she doesn't have a grave, I'm not gonna visit her. And if I'm not going to visit her grave, then I'm not getting squashed by that drunken truck driver so..............no chance of dying.

Wow. Death does have a plan after all.

"What I'm gonna have to do?" I asked excitedly. Oh come on, if Death herself is giving you a chance to live, or rather prevent your own death, wouldn't you be excited?

Death looked at me cheerfully.

"I guess Summer was right after all. So here's what you need to do. As far as our angels have recorded, Vignette Wilson commits suicide after three, that is, long after school has ended. Don't do anything during school. You have to wait after school and notice Vignette's movements. She'll probably walk to the library which is open till, I presume 2:30. Then she'll go to the rooftop, cry for some time, and cut the message on her wrists and then jump. What you have to do is that you have to stop her from doing that. You have to make her feel wanted and show her that she deserves a much better life, I need you to make her believe that things are gonna get better, so that she does not jump. She'll maybe ask you to give her reasons to stay, which you have to think about. I've kept a special wristwatch giving you nine days time starting from tomorrow." She said, pointing to the black watch on my left wrist. The watch had a normal black band with a white face. The only thing special was that there were nine black feathers, spread out in the form of a fan- four on the left, four on the right, and one in the centre.

Nine feathers, nine days, nine lives and nine chances.

"These nine feathers will keep count of the days you'll have left starting tomorrow. As the days will progress these feathers will keep fading. If you fail, however, I'm really sorry Levi; your soul's existence will be wiped out forever. If you succeed then, the watch will automatically vanish and you'll continue to live. For now," she said as she grabbed her backpack and got off the bed, "you need to go to school."

And she began to walk away.

"Wait!" I said as I realized that she hadn't given me any reasons to state.

Death stopped at short at the door.

"Yes, Levi?"

"What reasons am I gonna give her to say?"

Death smiled. I'm really liking this woman less and less because of her smiles.

It was several moments before she spoke.

"I've given you nine days for a reason, Levi, I know that you're smart enough to figure them out on your own."