SWNOVELS Chapter CHAPTER 15
“Jean… Jean, my favorite person in the entire world.” Ali leaned over Jean’s sitting-chair and whispered into her ear. Placing a hand on Jean’s arm, Alina shook her, dream-state awake.
“Dear girl, what are you doing wasting your visit with me? You should be with Dominic. Not with this crazy old lady,” Jean stated with a wink.
“Don’t be silly, Jean. You’re not crazy or old and I’ve always enjoyed spending time with you!” Alina replied with a smile upon her lips.
“If you say so dear. So, what has you calling on me instead of your soul mate?”
“Well, you are right, there is a reason why I’ve come to see you. I was curious as to whether you might have any answers or solutions for how to deal with a very evil, menacing spirit? Or rather any way I can deal with one in the Spirit Realm?” As Ali looked at Jean, she did her best to keep the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes at bay. Her soul had never felt so tired from evading Cal. She honestly didn’t even know why she was afraid of him because he hadn’t attempted to harm her, but she knew to be scared of him just the same.
“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry you have to go through this. I have asked a friend of mine to see if he can sort out who this bad rotten spirit is, and why it wants to keep you from us. Currently, however, I have no answers. The only suggestion I can think of is for you to do your best to stay as far away from him as possible, so you can avoid his torturous ways.”
Alina’s shoulders slump forward a bit in disappointment. “Yeah, I’ve been doing my best to keep my distance from him, but no matter what I do, all efforts seem futile and pointless, because he can find me with a snap of his fingers.” Alina emphasized this by snapping her own fingers.
“Oh, darling!” Jean exclaimed as she stood from her chair. Since they were in a dream state, Jean was able to wrap Alina in a much-needed hug without Alina having to try and solidify herself.
“Thank you, Jean. I really needed that. Oh shoot! I hear Dominic calling to me. I should go to him. I will try to visit you again soon, and again, thank you.” Ali’s voice trailed off as she disappeared from Jean’s dream.
Jerking from the dream herself, Jean looked around her study for a moment as she processed the dream she had. Clenching her jaw in determination, I will do everything within my power to help you Alina dear, she vowed to herself.
*
“Alina,” I shouted into the night sky. The air is frigid, and I can see my breath as I breathe in and out hoping for her to appear. I’ve got a black scarf wrapped around my neck, my grey pea coat on plus black gloves covering my hands, but it doesn’t seem to keep the cold at bay. My teeth chatter as I wait to see a sign that she is nearby. To my surprise, mom walks out onto the back deck, a mug of something steaming in her hand.
Handing the cup to me she says, “here, I made you some hot coca to sip on while you wait for Alina to visit.” I look at her questioningly, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth.
“How’d you know?” I asked her sheepishly, avoiding eye contact; shifting my eyes to the mug in my hand, choosing to sip my drink just then.
“I’m your mother dear,” Lisa responded with a wide smile of her own. “And besides, a love like yours and Alina’s isn’t something that is simply bound to earth.” Mom placed a hand on my shoulder and then rubbed it up and down a couple of times along my arm before turning and going back inside. I turned my head back to the moonlit sky and stared at the bright, twinkling stars, waiting.
The cold seemed to be constricting my lungs as I attempted to breathe, not realizing the temperature had dropped so much and I decided I should head back in myself. Turning towards the door, I see Alina quietly standing in front of me, smiling. “Hey, you,” I say, my voice an octave above a whisper. “How’d you sneak up on me?”
Not giving her a chance to speak, I leaned into her as she tilted her head ever so slightly up to my lips and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around my waist slipping them in between my coat and t-shirt and then slid her hands up my back. I in turn wrap my arms around her waist and squeeze her to me, but then acting silly, I bend her back like we are ending a dance, leaving a trail of kisses down her neck as I do so.
Stopping because she’s giggling, I pull her straight. Ali sighs happily, “I will be pulled back in a minute or two, but I had to see you. I wanted to tell you to keep an eye out for this awful spirit that has been tormenting me in the other realm.” As she states this, my heart clenches in my chest.
My eyes go wide in shock. I bet she’s talking about the same spirit that has been relentlessly torturing me! “Babe, I think that same spirit has also figured out a way to torture me in this realm.” I turn slightly and lift my shirt up a bit to show her the healing scrapes across my back and the almost healed burns along my side. She runs a hand across the cuts, sending goosebumps along my skin as she does so, and I shiver in response. “It’s trying to stop us from bringing you back to earth. We’ve been trying to figure out why.”
Ali’s eyes had gone wide with shock. “I’m not really sure there is a reason why. If there is one, he hasn’t revealed it to me in between the constant fighting I incur with him.” I shake my head at the whole situation and then pull her back into me, hugging her tight once more against my chest. The feeling of needing to protect her is overwhelming, but I know I have absolutely no way of being able as long as she is in the other realm. I stumble forward slightly as my arms fall in on themselves. Alina has vanished, leaving me empty once more standing on the back deck, letting the cold air numb my body and my soul. Hanging my head, I pick my now cold mug of cocoa up off the rail of the back deck and place my hand on the sliding door, pushing it aside and going into the house.