Hear Me

1.

Igninus
December 9th, 1910

Every night I heard this strange sound and every night my eyes stayed open, I couldn't sleep because of those unremitting howls. Where were they come from? Why was I the only person in the house who could hear them?

My mother didn't pay attention to me so I never talked to her about it but my father was different from her. So one day I told him but he just answered me that this house was ancient and that the pipes were certainly damaged. I didn't believe him, the sound was only present during the night, and my father assured me that he didn't hear anything, it couldn't be the pipes.

We lived not far from an abandoned jail which was due to be renovated soon... Well it is been many years since they decided to destroy it to build a new shopping mall but they didn't do anything yet, I was terribly curious to know why. Therefor, a winter night whereas my parents were sleeping in their bedroom, I went to this jail to try to understand why those howls resonated in my head and especially to discover if this jail had anything to do with this supernatural phenomenon. Because at this moment, I was sure that those howls weren't common. 

When I put a feet in this area, I immediately felt something unusual, as if I entered in a parallel world, everything was different. My second observation was that this place smelt of burnt, not like a burning piece of paper, but more like a barbecue that would have lasted too long. By advancing into the jail, I realized the walls were covering of a layer of soot, so that's why this smell hovered in this place, there had been a fire here. Then I remembered that no one never explained me why this jail had closed... I just heard some rumors about an incident which killed every prisoners in one night. Was this incident a fire?

In any case, it seemed to be.

The more I progressed in the darkness, the more I felt oppressed by the atmosphere, I had the horrible impression to be watched from all sides. But I was alone, wasn't I?

The doubt set in me, I didn't check if someone was here too so I couldn't be sure of myself.

I knew I have to move, but my curiosity was too strong, I wanted to discover every secrets of this jail because all I wanted in reality, was that the howls stop. I couldn't handle them any longer.

Nevertheless, I was ready to stay in a place where the howls were even more present than in my house and all of this because I was convinced that they meant something in particular. Motivated, I was walking straight ahead, following the howls which became louder and louder until they abruptly stop, letting me in a quiet cell. Here, the impression of suffocating reached its peak, I couldn't breath properly so the fear took possession of my body. What was going on in this jail?!

I was tuning on myself, trying to find an answer to this sudden silence but there was nothing except a foul smell, I could even have the taste of the blood in my mouth, a bitter and metallic taste which gave me the urge to vomit. More I concentrated my thoughts on this taste and this smell, more my limbs were painful, I didn't understand what happened but it was unbearable. 

I screamed because of the pain and fell on the ground – always covered of the layer of soot – when I felt like a burning rope around my neck, my hands and my thighs. I couldn't move, my tears flowed on my cheeks but the worst was the voice I heard just some seconds after that. A girl voice which was sweet but torn with sobs, just like me. She was suffering, as if someone tortured her in the same way as me.

Several flashbacks of this action came to my mind, I was watching a beautiful girl who was lying on the ground, covering of wounds and blood, it was abominable.

So it was the reason why this place smelt of burnt? The prisoners were burnt alive?!

"Yes Eadan, the jailers burned us to punish us when we did something wrong, but that's not all. I will explain you, I promise you."

This voice... it looked like the girl's one. How was it possible? I was alone in the cell!

"My soul is still in the jail, like others'. I know you think all of this is crazy but you're not dreaming, everything is true, Eadan. And I'm so happy to see you here, despite everything you came."

How did she know my name? What was she talking about?

I needed answers.

"I'm Ava and I died on March 13, 1895. During this winter night, a lot of things happened and especially the death of 581 persons in a fire. We could hear every screams, every sobs and every calls for help but no one has ever come. We had to manage by ourselves to try to survive because the jailers abandoned us. Finally, there were any survivor and I was the last prisoner to die, that's why you came to me today, because I called you."

I was still confused, even after she explained me her story. If she was dead, she couldn't call me... Unless supernatural phenomenon actually exist. But where I was the most bewildered, it was about her, Ava. This name, this voice... I knew her, I was sure but how? We had like 20 years of difference!

"Those howls... was that you?" I asked, trying to complete this inextricable puzzle.

I couldn't believe I was talking to a ghost, I had the impression to be completely insane. Moreover, she was invisible and it disturbed me, I had a conversation with someone who didn't exist anymore.

"Yes, the prisoners need you Eadan. We are stuck in this jail for too long, our souls need to be released... You're the only person who can help us." She replied with an imploring voice.

My body shivered, she had an unbelievable effect on me. Who was she to me?!

"Why me? Did we know each other? Even if it seems to be impossible." I whispered, as if I didn't want to break the silence.

I felt a presence next to me, like a hand on my shoulder, it was delicate, pleasurable and above all, it was well-known.

"I'm sure you will understand without my help Eadan. When are you born?" She smiled, I couldn't see her but it was a certainty.

"On March 13, 1895..." I answered slowly. I understood what she was talking about, I was born on the same date as their death.

"You were in this jail too, but you weren't a prisoner. You were a jailer, the only jailer who didn't hurt us, the only who appreciate us even if we were sinners. God brought you with him in heaven because you were like an angel. And about you and me..." She hesitated.

All became obvious in my mind, the prisoners were stuck in the jail because God didn't think they were enough pure to got to heaven, and Ava wanted me, an angel, to help them atone for their mistakes. But she didn't answer me about our relationship and the way I'm supposed to help them and my curiosity increased a little more.

"Your name was Sirius and we were in love since our first meeting. We were together when we died, maybe it is the reason why you heard my howls..." she wept, my heart tightened when I heard her sobs, I was so brokenhearted at this moment.

I was connected to Ava, hence the fact I was the only person to hear those sounds but also my presence in this jail during a winter night. I died, and then I reincarnated in another person... Another person always linked to this tragedy, another person always in love with Ava. So the girl I imagined every night was her, the girl I was falling in love in my dreams was Ava. And now, I had to help her and the other prisoners to find heaven... It was so crazy! But I still could believe it, because in the deeper part of me, I knew Ava was important to me and I would do everything in my power to help them, to help the love of my life to access to reincarnation.

"Ava, tell me everything I have to do. I will fight for you all."

Igninus → Latin word, meaning: "which live in the fire".
Name of the village in which Eadan lives.

The End