The end of Forever
Page 6
said, and it was true. She wore the dress, and her hair tied up in a ponytail. She curled her hair even more, today.
“Now, how do I look?” I asked, pulling at my loose curls. I had curled my hair also, but I hadn't tied it up.
“Perfect.” She said, with a little nod of approval.
A little part of me felt mad, because why was she approving me? They where my dresses, and I probably looked better than her! Then I rushed those thoughts away. Kelsey was my friend, and just saying I looked perfect.
Kelsey was wrong. Nobody there wore dresses. Nobody got dressed up. My face reddened as soon as I stepped in the door. Kelsey's didn't. I felt myself tugging at my dress, wishing I was wearing a tee-shirt like everyone else.
Everyone there stared at us, like we where aliens. I don't blame them, I mean, who wears dresses to a sleepover? Kelsey, apparently.
When night came, everyone sat on their sleeping bag, and talked. The subject came to boys. I didn't like any boys, and I hadn't planned to.
I nervously tugged at my nightgown, (nightgowns where also Kelsey's idea) when Kelsey asked, “Who do you like Mel?”
My face grew hot, I had told Kelsey I hadn't liked anyone! I could tell by the fake smile Kelsey shot at me, coming here was a mistake. Wait, that smile. That smile looked like-
“Yeah, who, you know Brad has the hots for you!” Amy squealed. I was almost happy she said that, knowing Kelsey liked Brad, so I wasn't mad she interupted my thoughts.
I almost said I liked Brad in spite, “Nobody.” But knowing it would backfire later, I told the truth.
They all nodded, like it was perfectly normal to not like anyone. But the subject still changed.
At about 4:00am, Amy's mom came in, and said we had to go to sleep, or she would make us.
After she left I heard Amy mumble, “Like she could make us do anything.” Which I knew she was being sarcastic, but her mom had made her go to sleep.
I tossed and turned, Courtney and the motel man, always talked with me, until I fell asleep. But they weren't here. And it would seem like I was talking to myself.
I turned myself back to Kelsey. Her smile had been like, like, Grace's. I shivered. Thinking about my mom, and the scene, always gave me goosebumps. But I couldn't avoid this. What if Kel...
I must've drifted off to sleep, because the next thing I knew, Grace was shaking me, saying, “Your dads here!”
I rubbed my eyes, was it 3 already? I looked at Grace's clock. 8:00am. His clock must've been fast.
I got up, and got dressed anyways. I grabbed my duffel and headed out the door, Amy's mom offered me a pancake as I left, but I shook my head no.
“Why did you come so early?” I asked, yawning.
“Church, it's Sunday!” She replied.
“Church?! Since when did we go to church? You woke me up at eight, to drag me to church?” I demanded to know.
“I'm not dragging you.” My dad said, laughing at his not so funny joke.
When we where at church, I swear I saw Courtney in the window, with wings. The motel man, too. But I shook my head, and looked back at the Priest.
“That wasn't too bad.” I told my dad on the way home.
“I thought so.” My dad said, proudly.
That night Courtney came to me, the motel man at her side. Sure enough, they had wings.
“Kelsey is Grace, but don't worry we got rid of her, no more Grace problems, Mel!” She said, smiling.
The motel man cleared his throat, “We can't talk to you ever again until you die, we're angels now, we gave up being ghosts for you. It was the only way to get rid of every Grace.”
Courtney nodded, “I'm sorry.” She said, her eyes filling with tears.
“No! What?! NO!” I said, crying my eyes out.
I ran to the kitchen, grabbing the first knife I saw. I heard Courtney shriek no, and start to fly over. But the motel man blocked her way. I cried, and I plunged the knife in my heart.
It did no good. I couldn't become an angel. I would become a ghost. Ghosts can't see angels, unless if it's an emergency. I'd have to do something great to become an angel, like Courtney and the motel man gave up being ghosts to stop Grace.
I learned how important life was. I learned how great friends can be. I learned how loyal they can be also. I will fight on forever. I will fight to become an angel. And I wont give up. I will never give up again. It's in my blood now.
I gave up on trying to become an angel. I sighed. I knew I'd never see Courtney, the motel man, or anyone again. Questions rang in my head, why did Grace want me? Why had the motel man called me princess so long ago? How was Grace my mom and herself? How did Courtney know the motel man? Does Brad really like me?
I wandered into the same forest my mom killed herself in. When I saw Courtney, I rubbed my eyes. She wasn't supposed to be able to see me, so why is she here?
I must've said that aloud, because she said “I have a message.”
“What?!” I said wondering if I would become an angel.
“To become an angel, you must find something.” She said.
“Find WHAT?” I said, already knowing she wouldn't tell me.
She must've known I knew she wouldn't tell me, so she said nothing. Her eyebrows shot up, like she just remembered something. She dug around in her little purple purse, pulling out a lace white bag, tied with a big pink ribbon, and a perfect bow. She handed the bag to me.
“What's this?” I asked opening the bag, pulling out a perfect yellow rose.
“Every time you pull a petal and eat it, you will journey to a new place. You will be looking for the thing you must find. Don't worry, once you see it, you'll know you've found it. But also, if you take to long, the rose will start to die, and the petals will start to fall on their own. Once they have fallen you will not be able to eat them, therefore if they all fall before you reach the place the thing is at, you will fail and never become an angel. If you find the thing, you will be sent back to this exact spot. If you fail, and all the petals fall first, you will remain where you where last.” She said.
I nodded, promising myself I wouldn't fail.
“Your journey begins when you pluck the first petal.” She said, as she floated away, with a quick “Good luck!”
I starred at the rose, counting the petals. 15 of them. I closed my eyes, plucked one, and threw it in my mouth. Surprisingly it didn't taste bad, it didn't taste like anything.
I felt nothing, I saw nothing, as soon as a blinked after I ate the rose petal, I was in a meadow. There where no people in sight. Just a breeze, and some flowers. Immediately I raced around, looking for something, ANYTHING! I found nothing.
I gave up, and popped another petal in my mouth. I was in a city, New York I think. I heard car horns beeping, and tall buildings surrounding me, a woman, bumped into me.
“Sorry!” She yelled, tossing me a piece of candy. I grabbed the candy, tossed it into my watering mouth. I started walking down the sidewalk, wondering if I would ever find what I needed to. I wandered into a hotel, after searching for the whole day, I needed a rest. I checked my wallet, I couldn't believe I had 1,000 dollars! Courtney probably gave them to me. People could see me, now that I was human temporarily again. I stayed for another 4 days in New York, finally giving up.
I popped yet another petal, in to my mouth. I was tired from searching so much. I was at my school, only I was a high school senior. At the prom. And I was prom QUEEN! As I walked upstage to be crowned queen, everyone everywhere chanted my name. I had totally forgotten about looking for the thing. I felt something slip from my hands. The rose. I bent down, slowly and picked it up. I rolled it in my hands, staring at the two petals that had fallen. Immediately I knew what had happened. A diversion was created, so I would forget, well I won't make that mistake again. I made my way through the crowd, all those confused faces. I looked for it, I looked hard. I wandered out of the gym, and went up the school stairs. I looked in the first
door, I pulled the handle. Locked. I busted it open, realizing there where hidden stairs. There was dust everywhere, so I guessed nobody had been in it for a long time. I wandered up the stairs, and I heard voices.
“Ring around the rosy, pocket full of posy, ashes ashes we all fall,” The small child's voice, grew into a whisper as the girl finished with, “down.”
I wondered who would leave a little girl up here alone with no food, as I continued up the long stairs. As I got to the top of the stairs, the voice sang again. The same song over and over. As soon as I set foot into the small room at the top of the stairs, I screamed. I raced back down the stairs, just as the door to the stairs closed. What I had seen was a small child, dead, covered in ashes. I burst through the door again, and slammed it shut. Just as I realized I forgot the rose in the room. My heart stopped, I didn't want to go up there again.
I closed my eyes burst through the door once more, and ran up the stairs as fast as I could. The singing still continued. When I saw the rose, I was shocked. 5 petals where plucked off. They didn't fall off, they where plucked. I snatched the rose, and raced down the stairs, barely able to breathe. It smelled like smoke, fire, ashes. My eyes watered, and I banged my fists against the door. Nothing happened. I fell to the floor, because my feet wouldn't support me. The singing started again, and the voice grew nearer, and nearer. I forced myself not to look back, and banged my first one last time. The door flew open. I fled out, not even closing the door.
I ate one of the