SWNOVELS Chapter CHAPTER 13
Maggie and Grace had just parted ways with the Powers that Be and had learned of some very unpleasant news in regard to Alina and her current situation of being stuck in the Spirit Realm.
After having assisted her in learning how to take on physical attributes of the earth-bound realm, they had been amazed at the power they felt flowing off of her in waves while she practiced solidifying her ghost-like, transparent form. Once they were aware of her magical essence, they whispered amongst themselves on truly reaching out to the Powers that Be as to whether or not she should be in their realm.
The ladies were informed that it was unbeknownst to the Powers that Be that Alina had crossed to their realm. As far as the Higher Powers knew, Alina should have still held earthly ties to the earth. She shouldn’t be resting in the in between. However, even though it hadn’t been her time to be residing within their world, the Powers were unable to return her spirit to its rightful place. If they themselves were to intervene, the worlds would be thrown out of balance and that was something they just weren’t willing to risk.
With the information given, the ladies decided that they would take it upon themselves to have a little chat with Death, since he was the one who had pulled her soul from her body, maybe, he would be able to tell them who had first called her spirit.
**
It is hard to differentiate between dreams and reality anymore. However, at this moment, I’m pretty sure I’m dreaming as I am standing in what I can only guess to be the Ambrosial City cemetery. The only light is coming from the full moon in the night sky. Looking at the moon I notice that it appears as though it is haloed in a pink, reddish light. A shiver travels up my spine as I stare at the moon. The reddish hue in my culture is considered a bad omen. Not that I have the ability to decipher the true meaning to this particular one, but I do wonder what it foretells. Faint wispy clouds drift slowly through the sky as I stare in awe, but no stars are to be seen.
Alina appears out of nowhere. Dressed in a free-flowing silver gown that billows in a nonexistent wind. As Ali hovers near me though, I’m back to doubting whether or not to if this is a dream. All I can say for sure though is that Ali looks like an angel sent from the heavens above. Her beauty is breath taking and heart wrenching all at once. Her hair is pinned back from her face with a thousand tiny, diamond-like jewels that manage to catch the moon light, causing them to shimmer as she floats towards me.
I sigh in appreciation of her beauty and then chuckle as I notice her bare feet. She tilts her head curiously, “why do you laugh at me so?”
“You look absolutely stunning. However, your bare feet remind me of your first day at the Church of Covens, when you hadn’t had a chance to get shoes and you came into the lounge bare footed.” Ali smiles as the memory flitters through her mind as well.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she says as she comes to stand right in front of me. I stare into her green eyes and wish I could get lost in them forever. Before I can utter a response, her lips are on mine. The kiss says everything we can’t seem to say in words. The loneliness, heart ache, and the yearning to be with one another.
Breaking apart because we needed to catch our breath, I leaned my forehead against hers and we smiled. Just as I go to say, ‘I love you’, something slams into my backside causing me to fly several feet through the air before crashing into the base of a large pine tree. Stars and black dots flash across my vision and I gasp for the air that was knocked from my lungs.
As I go to stand, I become dizzy, the world around me spinning. I can vaguely hear Ali shouting my name, trying to get my attention but I can’t seem to focus on her words as my vision goes in and out of focus. I squint in her general direction in hopes of stopping the dizziness and see her lips moving. It looks as though she might be saying ‘wake up’ but I’m not certain as to whether that is right. “What the hell is going on?” I manage to ask between deep lung filled breaths. I want to make my way over to Alina, but every time I try to walk, I stumble and find myself falling to the ground once more.
Deciding not to make any more attempts to get to my feet, I look at Ali with an apologetic sadness upon my face. Finally, I can hear Alina; “wake up Nic. You’ve got to wake up. DOMINIC! WAKE UP!” Her words are firm and forceful, and I jolt awake, and I look around me, fearful that whatever was trying to hurt me in the dream may have followed me out of dream state. Breathing as if I just finished a marathon, I moved to get out of bed. I desperately needed a glass of water. “ARGH, FREAKING A!” The pain I incurred in the dream is as real as the sunlight outside my window.
I hear a voice within my room but can’t see anything. “SSSSHEEE’SSS MIIINNNEE! YOU CANNOT HAVE HEEERRRR!” The voice drew out the words as it spoke giving it a snake-like feel.
“Who are you? What do you want? Who can’t I have?” I demand to know as I frantically look around trying to pinpoint where the voice is coming from. The most menacing, evil laugh I have ever heard echoes off the walls and then suddenly, something rushes towards me, it feels like fire flowing across my skin. The intense heat of whatever is going on, causes me to black out.
**
“Grim, darling dear, are you here?” Maggie shouted out in a sing-song voice. She and Grace were standing in their “corner” of the Spirit Realm in hopes of getting the Grim Reaper to heed their summons.
“Do be quiet, Maggie. Do you have to be so obnoxious when calling on Death?” Grace looked at Maggie with annoyance while swatting her arm at the same time. Maggie just chuckled at her twin sister; “nonsense Grace, Mr. Reaper adores me! I could never be considered obnoxious in his eyes. I’m only seen as annoying in your eyes.” Maggie tittered heartily at the expression on Grace’s face.
“Mind yourself, Maggie. We’ve important business to discuss with him and I don’t want him getting riled up before we have a chance to do so.
Before Maggie had a chance to spout anything further towards her sister, there was a loud CRACK! as if time and space were being split in half for a moment and then Death stood in front of the ladies. “My two favorite ladies, what is the cause for your summons?” Death allowed his ice-blue colored eyes to gaze upon them with curiosity.
They both offered him charmingly sweet smiles and then Grace spoke. “Do you remember pulling an extremely powerful soul from earth, recently?”
Death tilted his head in thought as he recalled the many spirits, he had helped pass from one realm to the other.
Contemplating his words, Death said in a passive tone, “I cannot say that I do. Why do you ask?”
“Well, we have come across the most amazing spirit and when we chatted with the Powers that Be, they claim that she should have never been brought to the waiting station!” Maggie exclaims as she takes Death’s hands in hers, giving them a squeeze. She turned her eyes upon his and added; “you’ve never made a mistake before. What could have caused this one occurrence now?”
Mulling over her words, Death asked when the spirit had arrived at the waiting station. “In earth time, I would guess that she appeared about one week ago. But you know how time stands still around here, Grim…” Grace’s words trailed off at her uncertainty.
“At this time, I do not have an answer to this question dear ones. I am going to do some searching of my own however, and we will chat soon ladies.” Just as quickly as he had appeared in front of Maggie and Grace, he vanished.
*
“AARRRGGGGHHHH” Cal growled out in rage and frustration. “MINE, MINE, SSSHEEE’SS MMMMIIIINNNEEE!” There must be a way to stop them from taking her from me. Cal stomped back and forth in his little corner of the Spirit Realm, causing the fog like smoke to turn a charcoal color. “Hopefully that earth-bound soul received my message loud and clear. They will not stop me. I will find a way to keep her spirit-bound and use her for to get myself out of this hellish prison!”
~
“What is that Cal spirits problem? Ugh,” Alina shouted out to the empty space around her. I need to go back and check on Nic! I am scared that real harm may have been caused to him. I also need answers as to why Cal torments me so and to figure out how to stop him from hurting all of us. I wonder what Jean would do.
All these thoughts flew through her mind in a matter of seconds as Ali paced across the space that she considered to be the sisters’ dwelling spot, since there were not technically any places to call houses or homes, this area of the waiting station was where the ladies seemed to find themselves more often than not. The Spirit Realm seemed to be one vast open, hang out. Though she hardly saw any other spirits around, she knew there were many out there. She was ever so thankful that the sisters took her under their ‘wings’, especially with that menacing demon spirit constantly tormenting her.
Alina sighed, crossing her arms in frustration and anger. Maybe I can dream-visit Jean, see if she can offer any advice on how to deal with the Cal jerk! If tears fell from her eyes, she could not say, being in the Spirit Realm things were not like they were on earth.