by K J Bell
No longer feeling like I was falling, I realized that my eyes had been closed the entire time and the cold floor was beneath me. I squeezed hard before opening my eyes. Everyone was huddled over me. Riley’s hands were on my chest. Brent was holding my hand, his eyes glossed over with tears. He let out a heavy sign when he saw my eyes gradually open.
“Oh, thank God, Claire.”
Brent may have been more right that he knew. I was fairly certain I had died. Given my second chance, I wanted to be worthy of who the spirit world wanted me to be. More importantly, I wanted to do this for Cecilia and Ben. Their faces etched in my mind pleading for the return of their loved one. Kace was monopolized by evil during a tragic time in his life. He was weak when he made his choice. It was my destiny to show him he was strong.
“You’re back, Claire. How’s Omni?” Kace sneered from behind me.
I stood and faced him more confident than ever before. “Not happy with you.”
Believing for the first time I had power beyond what I had begun to harness, I decided it was time to put it on full display. I finally reached the pinnacle of my ability to control the mind. I remembered Omni telling me that was the only way I would defeat Kace. He could not be killed or hurt – he had to be trapped – willingly. He had to be convinced and I had the gift to do it.
I willed my voice into the minds of each of my friends. When they replied, I looked at Kace to see if he was aware of our silent conversation. He seemed unfazed so I quickly filled them in on my plan.
Before we began, I spoke to Brent in his mind. I love you.
He replied in my mind. I love you too. Let’s end this.
“You know you won’t get that chance again, Claire. One redo a lifetime,” Kace interrupted the mental conversation I was having with Brent.
“Thankfully, I won’t need it, Kace,” I declared, nodding at Reese who nodded back before duplicating my presence over and over again in the room. Kace spun confused, trying to figure out which one was the real me. I mentally told Brooke to focus on me. I felt a jolt of energy within as she enhanced my powers. I had an anthem of my own that Kace was going to hear. I hoped this would work. If Kace was immune to my song, my plan would fail.
“Kace,” I called, singing. He looked at me in a very endearing way, like I possessed him. It was definitely working. He was not exempt to my tune with Brooke defining the pitch so perfectly.
“Do you want me to tell you who else I saw while I was away?” I sang the question, letting each word roll smoothly from my tongue.
I prepared myself for a blow from him or some other aggressive act but he was completely entranced, lost in my voice.
“Yes, Claire,” he answered softly, mesmerized by my words.
“I saw Cecilia and Ben. They are beautiful, Kace. They miss you much. They want you back,” I continued singing.
Kace stepped away from me. For a second I thought my record stopped. It was just a skip. “I don’t believe you,” he said, eyeing me guardedly.
I went to him and placed my hand over his heart, the hum beneath his skin surprising me. Choosing my words carefully, I spoke to him like he was broken, which I guess in a way he was. “I’m telling you the truth, Kace. Would you like me to show you?”
He nodded skeptically.
I thought I saw a tear roll down his cheek when I placed my forehead to his. I replayed the memory so he could see for himself. We watched as Cecilia and Ben asked for his return and said they missed him. I heard a sob escape his throat and the memory shifted, showing him a glimpse of the future. Cecilia and Ben were running towards him with their arms out crying and yelling how much they loved him. They were overjoyed that he was finally home. Kace smiled at them in my vision, genuine and full of love.
The film continued to play – a movie of Kace’s past. He was a kid standing up to a boy who pushed a girl down on the playground. I felt his growing discomfort but he was too far in to pull away. Another memory was of Kace stopping and giving a loaf of bread he just purchased to a man sleeping in the overhang of a shop. Next, was Kace yanking his brother off Cecilia. Her face was bloody and bruised. The final picture was Kace sitting next to Cecilia on a bed holding tiny, newborn Ben in his arms. Kace leaned down, gently kissing the boy’s head and whispered that he loved him. The visions stopped. Kace fell to his knees and I fell with him.
“You were a very good man once, Kace. Be that man again. Go home to your family. They need you more than The Shadow does. Don’t you want to go home, Kace? Don’t you want to be with them?” I sang softly, pleading to his love for them.
“Yes, Claire. I want to be with them so much. Please, please send me home,” Kace wailed, throwing his head back. His chest jerked forward violently. He raised his chin accentuating the curve between his chest and neck. His chest tore open and darkness shot from the hole, billowing out like smoke through a chimney as his body trembled, revolting against the release. It seemed like hours passed but I was sure it was only a few minutes. The darkness turned lighter as rays of sunshine were leaving Kace’s body.
“Now, Brent,” I shouted. Brent instantly came and stood beside me. He held his hand out like I had seen him do before, trying to absorb Kace but nothing happened. I saw the darkness half way up the rays as though the light was shadowed on top. The ray of light switched directions and started back toward Kace’s body bringing the darkness with it.
“Brooke, release me. He needs you,” I yelled over the hum from the energy leaving Kace’s body. Brooke turned her focus to Brent immediately increasing his pull towards Kace. I continued telling Kace to go to his family, reminding him how important they were to him. The light began to filter towards Brent’s hand. Kace’s image turned to a silhouette of energy before joining the rays of light and spiraling into Brent’s waiting hand. Brent continued to pull long after the light had vanished.
I looked up to see the other versions of me fading away.
“It’s over, Brent,” I said, placing my hand gently on his shoulder so as not to startle him.
Brent turned to me and I threw my arms around his neck. “You did it. It’s over. He’s gone,” Brent said in my ear, hugging me back.
“We all did it,” I said, as Brent let me go.
The group of us exchanged hugs.
“Congratulations. I knew you could do it.” I was startled by Omni’s voice in the room. I assumed he could only show himself through Maggie’s mirror, which given everything that happened, seemed trivial.
I approached him. “Thank you for believing in me,” I said. “But it took all of us to trap Kace.”
“As we knew it would. I never doubted you,” Omni started, and then paused, looking around the room making eye contact with each one of us. “Any of you,” he finished.
As much as I didn’t want to care about Kace, I did.
“What will happen to Kace now?” I asked.
“He has finally completed his purpose. He can move on now,” Omni said, taking my hand, the warmth surprising me.
“I was his purpose?” I questioned, pulling my hand away.
Omni answered. “For as long as time has existed, there have been lost spirits haunting humans, and there have been Chasers to hunt them down and return them to The Realm. The Shadow discovered how to lock their seals and it became harder for the Chasers. They had become powerless. After some time, a new breed of Chaser’s developed. We were not sure the role they would serve. Agents allowed The Shadow to visit Kace in The Realm. Kace’s purpose was to test the new Chasers as they evolved. What we hadn’t planned for was the need for a Locket to help him complete the purpose. It is a rare birth, from two spirits – uniting at a precise moment in time – to create a child with a soul so forgiving, they can see past any wrong. We surrounded the first Locket with other Chasers but never checked their seals for compatibility. As you know from Kace, the group failed and we had to wait for another to be born. We were much more careful with you, making sure the Chasers we paired you with had seals that shared something with your
own. It turned out the other possible Locket children pulled to you in a way we had not seen before.”
“So this was all a test?’ I asked.
“We needed to know if we would ever have a group of Chasers that were capable of hunting and trapping lost spirits once their seals had been locked. We decided if a group could hunt down a spirit that lost his seal to The Shadow himself, then we could be positive,” Omni explained.
I almost felt pity for Kace.
“So you used him?” I asked
“Don’t worry Claire. You unlocked Kace’s seal and he’ll see redemption because of it. This was always his purpose, Claire, to assist us in finding the ones,” he said, gesturing to the group of us. “He was correct about there being more like him, lost spirits. The group of you will hunt them and send them back to The Realm. Humans will continue to live with their shadow, allowing it to cloak their wrongs. As long as the hauntings bring darkness to humans, The Shadow will use it and control them.”
“That is a huge responsibility,” I said.
Omni smiled warmly. “Yes, it is, Claire. Some of them will go willingly, though. You have seen them.”
“The people in the cemetery?” I guessed and he nodded. “They speak to me.”
“They do, Claire. They have waited a long time for you as well. Once an apparition leaves The Realm without permission, they cannot return unless they’re trapped by a Chaser. There are many out there that escaped and have not joined The Shadow. They’re desperate to resume their lives. They return to their bodies, but are unable to reconnect. They are the truly lost, stuck in a human world without life and unable to return to The Realm.”
“That’s incredibly sad,” I whined.
“Yes, it is Claire, but you all have the power to free them. The others will not be so easy and those are the ones that pose a threat to the human world. We have faith in you. You were the right choice,” Omni praised.
When I went to say thank you, he was gone. I wasn’t sure how any of this worked or how we move forward from here – but I felt happy – my puzzle solved. I finally had my answer to why I was here.
CHAPTER 25
“When I think of what life is, and how seldom love is answered by love; it is one of the moments for which the world was made.” – E.M. Forster A Room with a View
We all gathered in the family room to watch television, drowning in the emotions of our shared experience. I was thinking about how hate could completely destroy you if you give into it. Kace had hated his brother and Logan had hated his father. Consequently hate was able to steer their fears, cloaking them in darkness and turning them into something they otherwise knew was wrong. Hate leads to fear and in turn, that could make us an easy target for the darkness that shadows us.
Hating the way I had grown up so much, I allowed my fear of getting close to someone to guide the direction of my relationship with Brent. That fear nearly stopped me from loving the one person that loves me immeasurably. I would always consider hate to be the greatest evil we could face in our lives because as human beings, it was our nature to be passionate. Passion, though a wonderful virtue, could make us weak, allowing us to hate more easily than we should. With so many people in the world, I knew I couldn’t reach everyone, so for now, I would allow myself to believe the words I told Kace, that humans are inherently good and stronger than he thought.
It wasn’t long before almost everyone had fallen asleep. Brent was still glued to the program that was on. I was finishing reading A Room with a View. I finally understood what Brent meant when he said George and Lucy ignored what was important. Brent did not belong to me at the time we discussed it and ignoring that would have changed everything. Much like their story, ours had a happy ending after all.
So engrossed in the words I was reading, I didn’t notice Brent was in front of me until I felt the warmth of his skin as he touched my hand. I let the book fall to my lap. Brent took my hand, lifting me from the sofa, his lips curled into a smile but he didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. Everything he needed to tell me, he said with his eyes. I loved that we could communicate this way, and often, it was clearer than words could ever be.
I knew what was about to happen when Brent lifted me gently into his arms, kissing me tenderly and carried me up the stairs. I knew without doubt I would give myself to him fully, my heart in my hand for him to take. In this life time or the next – it was his. I was ready for this and I wanted it more than anything.
When we reached my room, he put me down and faced me. His eyes were so warm, his feelings for me on full display, and I let the feeling linger between us, filling me with love.
“I love you so much, Claire,” he whispered breathlessly, and I started to panic.
My heart stuttered reminding me I needed a minute – to breath – my own air.
“I have to pee,” I lied, knowing he would read the hesitation in my thoughts if I didn’t get out of the room soon.
Brent chuckled, released me, and took a step back. “I won’t say you spoiled the mood, Blake,” he laughed, “but I’m just a tad disappointed.”
I went into the bathroom and locked the door. Turning on the cold water in the sink, I filled my hands and splashed it on my face, attempting to remove the flush from my cheeks. I turned off the water off and looked in the mirror, frozen to my reflection, searching my own eyes for help.
I didn’t need help with the choice. I was positive I wanted this. But I was at a loss for how to get past my insecure thoughts. I had no idea how to give myself to him like that, what he would need from me or wanted me to do. My only experience in this area was hearsay from girls saying it was awkward and had changed everything for them. I didn’t want anything between us to change.
The larger crisis was trust and I was fooling myself if I thought I was past it. I was still slightly insecure about where he had taken things with Mandy and how he handled it so callously. Could he break my heart the same way if I ever upset him? My choice meant releasing all of my fears, and trusting him with all of me. I wanted to, but could I actually let it all go like that.
I had guarded my insecurities and my heart with an iron gate for eighteen years. I finally unlocked the gate when I met Brent, but the kind of intimacy that came with sex was a different thing to unlock. My family had left so many places and so many people, so often, in my life. I never made an attachment I couldn’t break. I knew the stamp between us was strong, however, I knew it could also be broken, not as easily as other attachments, but it was possible. If Brent were to ever leave me, I knew I would be heartbroken. But if I gave myself to him and he left, it would kill me.
You cannot focus on the unknown. What is meant to be will happen, and you can’t change it. You know it’s true. Go out there and surrender yourself to him. He loves you irrevocably and it’s a love you are blessed to have found.
For once, my subconscious and I agreed. Brent and I loved each other, sharing a bond others struggled to find every day of their lives. I dried my face and took a deep breath, preparing to turn over my heart and my body to Brent.
When I entered the room he was laying on the bed on his side. The room was dark other than a dim glare from the small night light in the corner. I looked at the sharp corner of his jaw searching for any signs that he was conflicted, but it was relaxed. He patted the bed next to him and I slid in, facing him. I stared at his lips, the soft perfection that they were.
We were lost in the communicative stare between us and my body filled with warmth, slowly and deeply from within. I took a long deep breath in and let the warmth roll through me, soothing away all of my fears. I had been scared but I was foolish to think I couldn’t trust him with all of me. I placed my hand over my heart, feeling the throbbing on my palm, and Brent placed his hand over mine.
“All yours,” he whispered softly.
“I love you,” I whispered back.
He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed each fingertip tenderly. “We don’t have to do this, Claire. If you’
re not sure, we can wait.”
“Did you read my thoughts while I was in the bathroom?”
“Nope,” he laughed. “You lips betrayed you this time,” he informed me, lightly tugging on my chin, causing my lips to relax.
Damn pursed lips.
With his hand still on my chin, he asked, “Are you sure?”
“We were designed to be together…I’m sure, Brent.”
My words surprised me and I realized I was absolutely certain. Drawing me close, he buried his head in the crook of my neck.
“I love you,” he said. “For eternity, Claire.”
“Eternity,” I whispered, kissing him softly.
He wound his arm around my waist, sliding me underneath him. He kissed me back, just as soft. Pressing into me, Brent lowered me to the bed, never taking his lips off mine. And then his hands were under my shirt, exploring me, owning me. My body relaxed and I let go. For the first time in my life, I was ready to trust someone with all of me.
When he tugged on the bottom of my shirt, I sat up just enough and lifted my arms above my head so he could remove it. He whipped it off quickly and pinned me back to the bed, pressing his lips to mine. He laid claim to me with his mouth and I devoured him.
We were close. He was finally ready and I knew I was. I wanted him from the moment I met him – from the moment I dreamt of him.
His mouth moved to my neck, trailing kisses to my collar bone while his hands traveled under the denim fabric of my jeans. He hesitated just a second before undoing the button and easing down the zipper. I lifted my hips for him to make it easier.
“I trust you,” I whispered breathlessly.
With those words, it was decided. There would be no stopping this time.
***
I lay awake for hours, smiling, listening to Brent breathe and rain tapping against the window. I had been given an incredible gift. Not the abilities. But the one person bound to me, to complete me.
I tried to close my eyes, but I was too happy, rather wishing to freeze this exact moment in time. We had made love, and it was most definitely an emotional response to everything that happened between us.