Whispers of Death

by Alicia Rivoli

  Fear entered my body and pushed himself towards my heart. I could feel his strength increase as he turned my happiness into darkness. I thrashed under his grip, trying desperately to push him away. He laughed as he pushed his own powers deep into my heart. I felt my heart stop at his touch. Darkness filled my mind. Fear had taken control of my thoughts. I watched as my husband died over and over again and Abby and Hunter cold and wet on the streets alone. I felt the tears falling down my cheeks.

  I tried to focus, tried to find something that would bring back my happiness. I could still feel the strands of time through my fingertips, but I couldn't find the strength to manipulate them. We continued to fall through the portal. As the force pushed us closer together, I felt something sharp against the side of my body. I reached for it and clasped my fingers around something round and smooth. Instantly I realized what I had found. I pulled the Scythe from the folds of Fear's cloak. Before he realized what had happened, I grabbed the blade and forced it into his side.

  Fear screamed in pain as he released his grip. I felt my memories come back. I could see the joy on James' face as he saw Vanessa again and the happiness it had also brought to Mindy. Fear gasped somewhere next to me. I listened as he screamed in agony. I gave a final pull at the strands of time, holding tightly to the scythe, before my vision went black.

  Twenty-One

  My head was pounding when I finally opened my eyes. I tried to sit up, but my body refused to move. My vision was blurry, but I could see stars over head. It was pitch dark. The cold air swirled around me, causing my body to shiver uncontrollably.

  Where was I?

  Immediately the memories flooded back into my mind. I turned my head and quickly looked around, searching for the scythe. It sat on the hard ground a few feet from my body. I reached for it, grasping my fingers around the smooth wooden handle. I shifted my body to pull it close to me to keep it safe, but as I moved, pain shot through me. I realized that I had most likely broken something in my fall. I tried to find the source of the pain, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere. The scythe was heavy in my hand, much heavier than I had remembered. I struggled to pull it closer to me. The pain had become almost unbearable as I moved. I let out an audible moan as I gave it one final pull. I held the scythe close to me, afraid that Fear might be coming to find it. I couldn't feel his presence near me, but that didn't mean much. I may have lost those powers in the portal.

  I lay quietly, listening for any sign that he may be close. The stars moved overhead as the time ticked by. The cold was starting to affect me physically. I was now struggling to keep my eyes open. With each passing minute I felt as if my body would collapse from pain and cold. My eyes began to close, and this time I wasn't sure I would be able to force them back open. I knew that I was suffering from hypothermia, and I couldn't move to find shelter. I let them close, hoping it would ease my pain.

  "Hold on Amelia, I'm coming."

  The voice echoed through my mind. My eyes shot open. I pulled the scythe closer to my body. I wouldn't let Fear have it again. I had to protect my family. I tried to find the source of the voice, but all I could see were stars and darkness.

  "I'm coming," the voice said again.

  The chill down my back wasn't from the cold this time. I recognized the voice. Its deep chilling tone gave me mixed emotions. I feared the voice, but I also found joy there, a joy I couldn't explain.

  "Death?" I thought.

  "Amelia! Yes, it's me, hang on, I'm almost there," Apollyn's voice sounded relieved.

  "Death, where am I?" I could feel him searching my thoughts as he tried to determine my exact location.

  "You were lost in time. I'm trying to pinpoint your exact location by what you are seeing around you," he said. "I need you to tell me what you are feeling. Is the ground soft or hard? I know that you are cold, but can you see the sun?"

  I looked around; all I could see were stars in any direction. The ground was solid, hard and cold underneath my body. My body temperature was dangerously low, and I was in extreme pain. I tried to look around at my surroundings, but I couldn't see anything that stood out through the darkness. It all looked exactly the same.

  "That's good Amelia, keep looking around. I'm getting an idea of where you are," he said in my mind. "You have landed somewhere in the North."

  "I don't really care," I said aloud. "I just want to go home."

  His laugh rang through my mind. "You asked where you were. I was just letting you know."

  "I really just wanted to know if my family was safe," I explained, "and how quickly I can get out of here."

  "How about right now?"

  I peered through the darkness. Death stood a few feet in front of me; his long black cloak rested over his body. The hood was pulled down, revealing his face. Through the darkness I could tell he was smiling.

  "How are you alive?" I said bluntly.

  "Well, that is a long story. Right now, you desperately need a doctor," he said, bending down over me.

  "Where is Fear?" I grasped the scythe, afraid this was some sort of trick.

  "Fear has been subdued for now; parts of him are still around, but for the most part he has been destroyed," he said, relief pouring from his voice.

  Confusion and happiness stretched across my face. "Parts of him?"

  "Yes," Death answered, "I'm not going to tell you any more right now. When you entered the portal in your human form, it crushed you. You have broken nearly a third of all your bones in the left side of your body and fractured some on the right. You are also very hypothermic and losing a lot of blood through a large gash on the back of your head. I need to get you out of here and to a doctor."

  He placed his arms under my body; the pain escalated, and I gasped for air. "Wait!" I yelled. "Please, you can't move me yet."

  He paused. "Why?"

  I pulled the scythe away from my body. "This is yours," I said, my breathing labored.

  He looked at my face, and a sadness filled his black eyes. "I'm afraid I can't take that," he said.

  I was taken aback. "What?"

  He sighed and sat back on the ground. He looked at the stars and then off in the distance before resting his eyes back on me.

  "Amelia, you have defeated Fear, but he stabbed me with the blade. My time as Death is over. I can no longer control the power of the scythe; it belongs to you."

  Panic filled my entire body. "I'm still Death?" I managed to say after a few moments of shock.

  "Yes," he whispered.

  The tears built up in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks. They would have fallen, but instead they froze to my skin. The temperature had dropped significantly in the last few minutes, but I no longer felt cold.

  "What about my family?" I asked through the tears.

  He dropped his head. "I honestly don't know."

  I squeezed my eyes shut; the pain in my body felt numb. The only pain I felt was my heart as it shattered within my body.

  "After you have healed, we will take you to see the Seer. He will tell us more." He sounded a little hopeful as he spoke.

  I didn't move.

  "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I wish I could tell you more."

  He didn't hesitate as he swept me off the cold hard ground. The pain returned then; it shot through my body like a wave. I gasped. Apollyn moved quickly, but not quick enough. With each movement he made, a new pain appeared.

  "Hold on," he said, “this is going to hurt.”

  He jumped. Our bodies flew through the air, and I immediately knew what had happened. My body felt the pressure first, then my lungs. We had jumped into a portal. The power of the vortex made me dizzy. I screamed, the portal taking what little energy I had left. I struggled to breathe. I didn't have the energy to fight anymore.

  "Almost there!" Apollyn yelled.

  It was too late; I felt my heart as it took its final beat. Darkness enveloped me as I felt my final breath leave my lips.

  ***********************************************
****

  I was uncomfortable. I had been trying to move for the last several minutes but couldn't seem to be able to. I had also tried to open my eyes, but they wouldn't move. I began to panic. My heart raced inside my chest, and a beeping noise rang in my ears. I stopped. I recognized that sound.

  "Amelia?"

  The voice was strained, but I could hear the joy there.

  "Amelia, can you hear me?" the voice asked.

  "Mark?" I thought.

  "Amelia, please baby, open your eyes. I'm right here. Come on sweetheart," Mark pleaded.

  I tried to obey. I strained against the forces that held my eyes shut. The dizziness came first, and then my mind went blank. Immediately everything went dark, and the sounds disappeared.

  ***************************************************

  "It's been two weeks," a quiet female voice said.

  "Why won't she wake up?" It was Mark.

  "She will wake up when she's ready. Give her body time to heal," the female said. "She has been through a great deal. It takes time."

  I felt something soft touch my face; two fingers slid down my cheek and traced the outline of my lips. I heard the shuffle of feet as someone moved closer.

  "Amelia my love, please wake up," Mark said softly. He leaned forward on my bed. I could feel his body against mine. His lips pressed against my own. My heart raced inside, and the monitor beeped wildly.

  His body moved quickly, sending a pain through my own. I groaned.

  "Amelia?" Mark’s voice was shocked. "Amelia, honey, open your eyes."

  I could feel them flutter as I attempted to open them. The light from the room blinded me and made my eyes blink quickly.

  "Amelia!" Mark said, his voice full of relief.

  I blinked; the room was too bright. "Lights," I croaked.

  "Turn off the lights," he said to someone in the room.

  The room went dark, and I was able to open my eyes. My body didn't like me moving; even my eyelids hurt.

  "Where am I?" I managed to say.

  "Shh. It's okay honey. You are in the hospital," Mark said soothingly. He stroked my face with the back of his hand. He had tears in his eyes, and he was smiling.

  I tried to move my head, but pain instantly surged through my body. I cringed.

  "Don't move. You almost broke every bone in your body. The only thing you didn't break is your back and neck," Mark explained.

  I felt very restricted. "I'm so uncomfortable." I squeaked.

  Mark laughed. "Sweetie, you are in a body cast."

  I could feel the cast as it wrapped around my legs and torso. It felt restricting and slightly claustrophobic.

  "Hunter, Abby..." I asked.

  "Everyone is fine. They are with Olive and Peter getting some rest," Mark said.

  "What happened?"

  Mark hesitated. "You were in an accident."

  Mark had always been a bad liar. I moved my eyes to try and see who else was here. A tall red haired woman stood near my monitors, a smile on her face as she read the paper streaming from it.

  "Mrs. Sable, I'm Wendy. I'm your nurse," she said. "Try not to move, okay? You have had quiet the accident. The doctor is on his way to look at you."

  I cringed as I moved my eyes back to look at Mark. "I love you," I said.

  He smiled and kissed me softly. "I love you more.,” he whispered.

  I fell back to sleep as Mark held me in his arms. For the first time in months I slept soundly, completely free of any nightmares. When I woke the next morning, Hunter and Abby greeted me happily. They carefully hugged and kissed me, telling me all about what they had been doing for the last couple of weeks.

  "I'm glad you're home," Olive said, smiling and giving me a tender hug. "I've missed you."

  James and Mindy were frequent visitors over the next few days, often bringing a new bouquet of flowers.

  No one mentioned what had happened, and that was okay. I knew that I would eventually have my questions answered, but right now I just wanted to be with my family. Apollyn never came to the hospital, and neither did Vanessa. I had other visitors often that came, watched my interactions with my family, but never said anything. I tried not to think about the future and what Apollyn had told me before he brought me through the portal. I still didn't know how I had survived long enough for him to get me here.

  It was another two weeks before I was able to go home. My body cast was reduced to two leg and arm casts, and my torso was wrapped tightly in a brace. I couldn't walk and was told I would have to undergo intensive rehabilitation to get my body moving again. Doctor after doctor visited with me before my discharge, each saying how incredibly lucky I was that I hadn't broken my back. Mark happily pushed me out of that hospital in a wheelchair and carefully helped me into our car.

  As we arrived back at our home, I noticed several differences. The roof had been replaced; a large tree was lying across our yard, sliced into larger blocks. There were also a couple of windows that had been replaced.

  I inhaled sharply at the memory of the storm. "Is this from that night?" I asked.

  Mark looked around. "There was extensive damage. The roof was completely torn off, and a few windows were shattered. That tree missed the house by inches, but we were all safe.”

  "What do people think happened here?" I asked curiously, noticing only very minor damage on the houses nearby.

  Mark laughed. "The city is blaming it on a gas line explosion."

  "Is that what people think happened to me?" I asked. "Do they believe this is what injured me?"

  He looked at me. "Yes. I couldn't tell them the truth. They would think we were all crazy."

  I knew how he felt. For months I believed I was going crazy and knowing that if I told anyone the truth any number of things could have happened. I cringed slightly as Mark helped me into my wheelchair and pushed me up into our house. Olive, Peter, James, and Mindy were waiting inside, and as we entered they all yelled, "Welcome Home!"

  They opened small little bottles of confetti, and it all burst through the living room, raining down on me. Balloons were strung all over the house, and my favorite flowers sat in vases all over the living room and kitchen. We sat and talked for a while before James excused himself and Mindy to return home. The sun had set a few hours earlier, and now the moon peeked through the window. Olive gave me a big hug as she and Peter prepared to go home as well.

  "Olive," I said as she began to walk away.

  "Hmm," she said, turning around and looking at me, smiling.

  "Thank you," I said, "for taking care of my family."

  She gave me another hug. "Anything for my favorite sister."

  I smiled. "See you tomorrow?" I asked.

  "I don't know," she teased, "I haven't been shopping in ages. I'm needing some serious retail therapy."

  I laughed. "I'm sure you do."

  "Wanna come?"

  I looked at Mark. He sat on the couch, his eyes closed, Hunter and Abby asleep on his lap.

  "Not this time," I said.

  She smiled. "Your loss," she said, walking to the door. "See you tomorrow."

  I smiled as she walked out the door. As their car backed out of the driveway, the lights flashed through the windows, shining on a balloon in the far corner. Apollyn stood there, watching quietly. He tried to give me a quick smile, but I could tell it was forced.

  "I'm going to put the kids to bed," Mark said, startling me.

  I nodded.

  He followed my gaze. "Everything okay?" he asked.

  I looked up at him and smiled. "Yes, sorry. Just thinking."

  He kissed me softly on the lips before carrying Abby down the hall, Hunter shuffling behind.

  Twenty-Two

  "How are you feeling?" Apollyn asked.

  I stared at him, afraid of why he had come. "Good," I finally answered.

  "Sorry I didn't come see you in the hospital. I had a lot of things to take care of," he told me.

  "Apollyn, what happened that ni
ght?" I asked. "My memories are still a little foggy. How did I get to the hospital?"

  Apollyn glided across the room. "I actually brought you here.,” he explained. "When we went through the portal your body couldn't take the pressure a second time, and it crushed the rest of your bones. I shielded your back and neck as much as I could, but you will have problems the rest of your life. You blacked out just as we were about to step into your world, so I came here. I placed you next to the tree outside and explained to Hunter where to find you. Mark performed CPR when he realized that you weren't breathing and saved your life."

  He turned to look at me; his eyes were full of a sadness I couldn't explain. "He loves you more than you know," he said, bending down to look me in the eyes.

  I looked down the hall. "I know. He is a great man," I said. "I won't leave them again."

  It wasn't just a statement; I had made up my mind. I couldn't leave my family, not yet.

  Apollyn gave me a half smile. "I know," he said.

  "What about my responsibility as Death?" I asked, confused at how quickly he had agreed.

  Apollyn rose from the floor and walked back toward the window. He stared out for a few moments before turning back to me.

  "After your family is asleep, I will need you to come with me for a little while," he said.

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he put his finger in the air to stop me.

  "It won't be long, just a couple of hours. You need to visit the Seer."

  "You promise I will come back?" I said nervously.

  "Yes," he promised.

  I nodded.

  Mark came around the corner a few minutes later. He smiled as he saw me. "I'm so glad you’re home," he said, kissing me.

  "Me too," I agreed.

  Mark and I stayed up for quite awhile talking. He asked me a lot of questions about the night Fear had come, but I found I couldn't answer anything after I’d jumped through the portal.

  "After Hunter took Abby from you and started showing her pictures, you ran forward and disappeared, and the storm went silent. I searched the entire house for you. Vanessa told Hunter that you had pulled Fear through a time portal, but she didn't know what happened to you. Hunter said she stayed long enough to make sure we were okay, and then she left," he explained. "Amelia, where did you go?"