The Truth of Yesterday

by Josh Aterovis

  I stared at him in disbelief. Was he actually going to let me go? It seemed to good to be true.

  “Go!” he shouted. “Get out and never come back!”

  I threw myself away from the wall and dashed towards the door. He pushed me as I passed him and I stumbled into the darkness. I stopped dead when I saw that the passage only went a few feet before stopping in a heap of rubble. A cold laugh came from behind me.

  I twisted around, crouching down into a feral position of defense as I did. “You're nothing but a common whore,” he snarled. He moved again and candlelight turned his face into a horrifying mask of rage and hatred. “You think I would allow you to leave me? You'll never leave this house. Never! You'll die here like the dog you are, bitch.”

  He started to close the camouflaged door. Belatedly, I realized that he meant to lock me in the collapsed tunnel, leaving me to die. I threw myself at the door but it was too late. It closed with a sickening thud, shutting out all light. I began to scream and claw at the door, pushing against it with all my weight, but to no avail. I pounded against the wood, screaming for mercy, but my only answer was an unfeeling chuckle and then silence. The utter darkness slowly began to close in around me, until I couldn't breath. I crumpled to the floor, dragging myself away from the door until I collapsed completely to the ground where I began to will myself to die.

  * * *

  “Killian!” a voice shouted.

  I opened my eyes and saw light. I wasn't locked in the tunnel, left to die. I moved my hand and realized that I was once again back in my own body. I was lying on my back on the dirt floor of the tunnel.

  “Killian, are you ok?” Micah called again. When I didn't answer, he began to scramble through the opening, which while plenty large enough for me, was almost too small for him.

  I turned my head slowly to one side and found myself staring into the empty eye sockets of Amalie's skull. One bony arm was stretched out in my direction, almost as if she was reaching for me. I reached out a hand and rested it gingerly on hers.

  “I'm so sorry,” I whispered.

  * * *

  A couple weeks later, I stood next to Amalie's grave watching my breath puff out into the cold air. The small funeral we'd held as she'd been properly buried had been over for some time now, but I couldn't bring myself to go inside just yet. My visions, my out of body experience, whatever you want to call them, had affected me deeply. I'd been quiet and withdrawn ever since it had happened, leaving my family quite concerned. Experiencing the horribly traumatic events of Amalie's last night had left me very troubled.

  I looked over at the angel statue. It was somewhat comforting to think the angel was here to watch over Amalie at last. I thought it ironic that it was Amalie herself who'd had it placed here, in memory of the Captain who she had thought lost at sea. I'd always thought the statue looked so sad with her eyes shut as if in silent prayer. It felt very appropriate at this moment.

  “You're going to have to let it go, you know,” a voice said from behind me, causing me to jump. I turned to find Judy leaning against a tree watching me with a concerned expression.

  “It's not so easy,” I said softly.

  “No, I don't imagine it is.” She walked slowly to my side. “It's the past, Killian. It all happened well over a hundred years ago. There's nothing that can be done to change it now. We've done what we could, and I have to believe it's what Amalie wanted, that she can rest in peace at last.”

  “I know in my head that it all happened a long time ago, but feeling it, living it the way I did...it's hard to convince my heart that it's ancient history. It hurts just as much as if I'd lost a close friend...again.”

  She took my hand. “I'm sorry, dear heart. I know so little about this sort of Gift. I wish I could have prepared you better for what happened. I had no idea it would be such a powerful experience. We need to get you trained as quickly as possible. I've talked to Dashel; he'll be coming back in a few weeks.”

  “Dash?”

  “This is closer to his Gift than mine and he's been learning from a shaman. He'll be able to do more for you than I ever could.”

  “What if I don't want to do anything like that again?”

  She shrugged. “Then you still need to understand your Gift so you can control it instead of it controlling you. If you'd been a little better trained, maybe it wouldn't have taken over you so completely.” She looked into my eyes. “You have a powerful Gift, Killian. We're still learning just how powerful. It's not something you want to leave unchecked.”

  I nodded. I knew she was right.

  Judy slipped her arm around my waist. “Come on. Let's go inside with everyone else.”

  “I'll be there in a minute,” I said.

  “Okay, but don't stay too long.” She kissed me softly on the cheek and walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again.

  I stood for another minute and then turned to leave. I'd only taken a few steps before I felt a presence behind me. I turned slowly around to find Amalie standing in the shade of the trees. I felt the hair stand up on my arms but I wasn't afraid. Amalie was an old friend now. She smiled at me, the first time I'd ever seen her smile. She raised her hand and then slowly faded from my view. A sense of peace flowed through me and I knew everything was ok.

  “Rest well, Amalie,” I whispered and then I returned to the house and to the living, leaving the dead and the past behind me, where they belonged.