The Many Lives of Avery Snow

by Christy Sloat

  Chapter 27

  Only the Light Remains

  When I awoke I was in my own bed at home. I looked over the room and didn’t see anything alarming. I slowly raised my head off the pillow, bracing against the pain, but it didn’t come. Well at least it was not what I expected. I mean, it hurt but not like before. My chest didn’t hurt too badly either but I didn’t want to look. I noticed a glass of water on my bedside table and drank it. I was insanely thirsty. It tasted stale, maybe a day old, but it did the job.

  I slid my legs from the bed noticing I was in my favorite cotton pajamas and I wondered who dressed me. It really didn’t matter, more than anything I wanted to see everyone, mostly to see if Landon was okay. So I walked across the room and opened the door. I saw several people in my living room but the only one to notice I was standing there was Kerri. She flew off the armchair and ran towards me. I met her halfway and we hugged.

  “I am so happy you are okay. How do you feel?” She asked looking me over like a concerned parent.

  “I feel okay. My head only hurts a little. Shouldn’t it hurt worse? I mean it was split open just last night.” She laughed and so did everyone else.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “Av, you have been asleep for three days. I guess you really needed to catch up huh?”

  Three days? Holy crap! That was the longest I had slept in months. I felt good, but also very guilty. I had lost three days of my life. What had I missed?

  “Landon and Ianni? How are they?” I asked ignoring everyone’s laughter.

  “He is home and he is fine.” A beautiful red head rose from the couch. She was slender but busty. Her red hair was glossy and wavy. Her face was the picture of perfection, like a super model, like an Angel. Ianni walked over to me, dressed in a beautiful pure white blouse and white skinny jeans with red stiletto heels. She turned around to show off her new ensemble and I couldn’t help but notice there were no more wings. It sort of saddened me. My Guide was gone and before me stood another beautiful human.

  “Well we did it. We took care of the problem! You and Landon are safe. And I am a human,” she boasted. “Thank you Avery.”

  “For what?” She was the one who had saved us. I did nothing but drag the evil in.

  “You brought them into the house and you almost died doing it. Don’t doubt your significance in the matter. Without you they would have taken Landon.” I looked away. I didn’t even want to think about Benjamin or Dedrick ever again. I caught my father’s stare. He smiled at me, looking very happy to see me in one piece,

  “Where is Dallas?” I asked Kerri.

  “I just texted him to come over when we heard you waking up in there. Sorry you had to wake up alone but Ianni thought it was best.” So Dallas wasn’t even here? I tried not to worry about that. He had a life to live, didn’t he? I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad had happened. So I just plain out asked.

  “Okay, so is everything all well and good? Dedrick and Benjamin are gone but there is something you are not telling me. So go ahead say it.” They all looked at each other. It was Lillith who stood. I didn’t even know she was there. I thought it was only Kerri, Justin, my father and the new Ianni. Lillith looked tired and less beautiful, if that was even possible for her to look. She came over and stood next to Ianni.

  “Well here’s the deal. You knew it was going to happen. There was absolutely no way of avoiding it.” She paused. “They shaved his memories, Landon’s. He doesn’t remember anything.”

  I fought the urge to scream and hit Lillith right in the face. Even though I knew it was what we had all agreed to. We knew it was the deal they had made with the council and that there was no way of avoiding it. But I was so pissed. He didn’t know me, he didn’t remember us. I didn’t know why I was so mad. I had thought this would be a good idea. For him to be free of our memories together.

  “Avery, you knew this was going to happen,” Ianni told me. Her very human hand reaching for mine as I pulled away.

  “No. I knew this, but I am still not happy. What did you think? That I would be okay?” I stormed through the living room. They parted, letting me through. I went outside and downstairs. When I came to his door I pounded loudly. It took a minute but he answered, his blonde hair hanging in his eyes. It took my breath away to see a smile form on his lips.

  “Hi, can I help you?” Oh god he didn’t remember. It was true.

  “Yeah I’m Avery,” I said. Hoping he would remember my name but knowing it was a shot in the dark. He still smiled, confused.

  “Sorry I don’t know you, Avery. Wait… your name. I know you.” He laughed shaking the hair from his eyes. He was remembering I hoped. “You’re Dallas’ girl aren’t you?” I was wrong. “He did tell me you lived in this building. Nice to finally meet you.” He held his hand out for me to shake. I wondered if our hands touched if a vision would come so I grabbed it.

  Landon stood outside the house in a dank and dark boathouse. Looking above to see anything happening up there. Lillith had told him to stay here, but the love of his all his lives was up there in trouble. That was when the bright piercing light flew out of all the windows. Ianni had made it; he knew the light was hers. He at least hoped it was hers.

  “Is it?”

  “Yes Landon. That is the light of the Angel,” she answered him.

  He noticed Dallas trying to fight his way to the house, Avery’s dad holding him back. He would assist him he couldn’t let Dallas go into that house. And Richard was not strong enough to hold Dallas off for long. He grabbed Dallas with one hand and pulled him back.

  “Do you want to die? You will if you enter that house. I know how you feel but you have to stay here. They will do their jobs. They will protect her, cousin. Please don’t be a fool.” No matter how jealous he felt he would not let anything happen to his cousin. Although the thought of seeing them embrace again like earlier today pained him, he held him down. Dallas agreed and calmed down. He looked around for Richard and didn’t see him.

  The light stayed on for awhile, too long. He felt the urge to go up there himself, but instead tried to think of her. He focused his thoughts on her smile, her eyes, her hair, her unknowing beauty and her soul. He took a deep breath.

  Several minutes later the light went out and they were surrounded by darkness. He heard the sound of talking in the front of the house. He didn’t think, he just ran towards the noise. There she lay on the ground, blood rushing from her head and her shirt slashed open. Her dad was placing his shirt on her head and he saw her go limp.

  “No Avery, please don’t die,” he called to her. When he reached her he noticed she had only blacked out but still she had lost a lot of blood. Her father lifted her, but he struggled. Landon reached for her and Richard agreed passing her limp body into his arms. Landon carried her to Dallas’ truck. He laid her in the back seat and softy kissed her lips. Would this be the last time he would get to do that? He knew the council had said his memories would be taken. Lillith had filled him in on all the details. While he was fighting off Dedrick they all planned on saving him.

  No, this will not be the last time he would kiss her. He had to believe he would remember again. He would not anything take her away from him.

  “I love you, we will be together again. I can only hope for that and I will hold on to that.” She mumbled something. Was she waking up? He leaned closer to hear her better.

  “I love you too.”

  Hope! He had hope. She did love him too.

  When he took his hand away I looked into his eyes for any sign that he saw it, but nothing changed. It was like looking at a stranger.

  “Nice to meet you too.” And I walked away. It was weak, I knew this, but it was all I could say. I couldn’t say, “Oh no, I am more than your cousin’s girlfriend. I am your twin soul.” Not now. He didn’t remember me and he had known that he would forget. I had told him I loved him too. I didn’t remember that, but I said it and I felt it. But now it was worth noth
ing. Now I was in his shoes for once. Loving someone who doesn’t even know who you are.

  Several months passed by and the winter came full force. Snow dusted the ground everywhere you looked. It was beautiful and reminded me of how pure the white light had been that night. We didn’t really speak of those times. We just moved on like nothing happened. Ianni did move in with me, although she didn’t actually have things to move in with. She took the spare bedroom that I had just used as storage. She and Kerri had gone shopping and she got herself a big beautiful bed with lots of pillows.

  She says one can never have enough. Her closet is also filled with tons of beautiful clothes, all designer. Who knew she would have such expensive taste? She gave herself a last name, Maxwell. We were sitting together drinking coffee and trying for hours to come up with a name, when she picked up the jar of Maxwell’s House coffee. That is what she stuck with, she says it flows.

  We talk like girlfriends her, Kerri and I. We shop together and drink coffee and stay up and watch romance movies. Kerri hired her at Sunrise Estates. She helps me with the residence for now. It’s just until she can get used to being around the souls so close to moving on. She says it’s a bit scary for her but we all know she will come around. Of course we haven’t figured out how to get her a driver’s license or a birth certificate yet. Justin says he can help us with that. For now Ianni is happy, and I am happy with her being here. We don’t see Lillith anymore and for that I am a bit sad. But I don’t miss all of the weird and I relish in the normal for now.

  Dallas is getting ready to open his restaurant. Things are very busy for him but we still try to get in our dates as much as possible. Like tonight, I am going to his house for dinner and to sleep over. I figure Ianni needs to be alone sometimes. She doesn’t need to be treated like a baby.

  My father and I are talking regularly. He is still in Laguna, just until the house sells, then he will move up here. I can’t wait. We are working on our relationship and so far it’s going great. Aunt Pauline calls every Monday to chat. She is in a new relationship and I am beyond happy for her. She never brings up that night. So neither do I.

  Landon is still living downstairs. He still doesn’t remember me, or any of the paranormal things, that happened in his life. Our last vision still haunts my thoughts. We still do not know exactly what he went through that night while he was alone with Dedrick. It is Dallas and I who fight to get him to remember everything. We only try to think of ways to break through and nothing works or sounds like it will work. Ianni tells me nothing will work but Dallas and I won’t take no for an answer.

  I try to fight my feelings for him on a daily basis because I do love him and Dallas. I am in love with them both. I can’t help it I am weak when it comes to them. Even if Landon remembered I am not sure I could choose between them. Landon pretty much stays to himself, hanging with Dallas, when I am not around. For all I know he thinks I am Dallas’ strange girlfriend. I see him sometimes walking in the snow looking around at the kids playing and couples walking. Just like tonight, I am watching him from my window. He is walking around downstairs and he stops and looks up directly to me. He waves and my heart stops. I wave back. I want to run down there and play in the snow with him. But I don’t, I just smile and wave back at my boyfriend’s cousin, because that is all he is to me.

  Where am I to go from here? Right now I can’t answer that. So I am just living my life, it is all I can do and I know that he would want me to do that. I will not give up on him, because he didn’t give up on me. As I wave to him he says something and I can’t hear it. So I open the doors and step into the snowy night, my feet freeze as they touch the ground.

  “What? I couldn’t hear you,” I call down to him.

  “Do you like the snow?” He screams back.

  “Yes I love the snow. It’s my last name,” I holler back to him with a smile.

  “Then come down here and build a snow man with me.”

  “Really?” I think about it. It’s a crazy idea, Dallas is coming to pick me up soon, but I have a few minutes to spare. “Okay I will be right down.”

  I am giddy now as I throw on my boots, jacket and my ultra-thick gloves. I look into the mirror and I am pleased with how I look. I even feel beautiful for once. When I make it down the stairs and outside he is already started building the body. So I jump in by collection things for his face. We laugh like kids and we build the perfect snowman.

  “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…” He sings.

  “What are you singing?” I interrupt him. I know exactly what it is, it is our song. Well, was our song.

  “I don’t know why but I can’t stop singing that song, sorry.”

  “No, don’t be sorry. Keep singing,” I say. He does and I hum along.

  About the Author

  Christy Sloat is a Southern California native who now lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters. She believes that reading is a passion and it should be embraced. If she is not reading or writing she is cooking or spending quality time with her children. She believes in past lives and love that can last lifetimes. She is huge Twilight and Harry Potter fan who watches the movies constantly. Some of her favorite vacation spots are Maine, Massachusetts and California.

  Find her on her Blog http://christysloat.blogspot.com/,

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