The Whispering Caves

_Chapter 9_

Eliza took a deep breath, and hung onto the long rope that they pulled out of the pack. She kept one hand on the rope, and she kept one hand on Buster. She moved carefully down to the left, and heard the footsteps of Fover disappear down the other passageway. It was quiet to her, and it almost felt like the walls absorbed some of their own sound, and she could not even perceive the paws of Buster alongside her.

She could see the stream flowing softly next to her, although its width had shrunk immensely. She felt so glad to see again, the small effect comforted her greatly. As she walked down, she felt a pull, like something was urging her to the spot she pursued. What is a trap of some kind? The riddle had talked about being possessed, did a demon await her there?

She remembered the name from her visions. “Fintanan. Are you....is he here?” She quietly spoke it aloud, and she felt nervous to speak it aloud.... she had heard of the horrors awaiting those who summoned, intentional or not, any creature of darkness. Names over demons, or supernatural beings, like the one who likely appeared in her dream, were powerful things.

There was only one way to find out. “Fintanan, are you there?”

She called out softly, and heard a faint whisper respond in her head: “Yes child, I am here. Keep walking, you are almost there. I swim at the bottom of the Stair.” Eliza felt determined that she may be closer than she had ever been yet in these last 10 years, to find her sister Mel. It was so close she could taste it. She felt three tugs on the rope. Fover was ok; Eliza gave three tugs back. Though how did she tell her new friend: I’m having supernatural voices in my head as we descend into darkness, but hey, its fine, want a mango?

She had to walk for some time before Buster gave a loud bark. “What is it boy? What do you see?” Buster kept up a whine and a low bark, or semi growl. She tightened her grip on him and she saw the stream wound into a pool in front of her. Finally she must have reached the end of the pool within the depths of the cave. She knelt down to stroke the beautiful water. I should know better than to touch the strange mysterious fantastical water, but who can resist such a pretty sight? I have not seen anything, so I am dying to touch everything.

Buster maintained a low stance against the pool, and the entire time, Eliza could feel the sword hooked to her waist, she was only so tall that it had nearly drug on the ground for the entire time. She had nearly forgotten about it, seeing how beautiful the water and the inlaid path and messages had been within the walls. She had expected to find crystals, and instead she found the beautiful internals of the cave scrawled with a language she understood, but the how she did not.

There was a splashing around her, and then Eliza actually heard the voice aloud this time, she did not just hear it in her head.

“Eliza, you have made it to my home. I would have greeted you better, but hard to do for a man that has fins instead of legs. I am so grateful; I have waited for a friend for so long.”

“Friends....I do not yet even know you. How did you even get in my head?” Eliza’s trust was not easily bought, even though as she met each person, she tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. But even this made her hair stand on end; she had a new, or at least hidden ability, that she just found out about, and there was now a fish...demon...guy inside her head.

“My name is Fintanan.” replied the small creature. She could now see his outline, rather than the fish himself, but the shimmering spring that had made itself available to her eyes was now visible. She was startled, for such a paranormal presence, this creature didn’t have a very large body. “I can get inside your head, because after all my time in this prison of my tropical pool, I have strengthened my mind. In lieu of my regular body, I was forced to hone in on my resourceful skills. You know what that is like do not you? You know what it’s like to fight for the self you want, to get yourself as far away as possible from the you you’re forced to live with.” Fintanan was swimming in place, and Eliza took a seat away from him, with the help of Buster to sit down. He laid across her lap, as if to tell the fish: you mess up my human, I turn you into seafood. He had ceased his growling for now.

“What’re you doing here? How did you get here?” Eliza remembered something briefly in her dream, but she didn’t recall the whole story.

“I was a man once, a great man that came from the nation East of yours; I do not know what they might call it in your day, but it was a place that looked herself like a beautiful emerald up against the sea.

I fell in love with a beautiful woman. We were an incredible force together, unmatched by any and second to none. We were in love with one another with the stgrength of a hurricane. Nothing could part us. That is what we believed, and we walked into the storms of life with no preparation for the reality of what it would mean for one another if we should face a great challenge.

We were both called to a challenge. We found out that we both had a hidden ability, to see beyond this world. To see beyond the lines we color within with our own spirits in this life. She did not want to have children though; she did not want to pass this on. I begged her to share our love with the world.; continue our immense unstoppable match. But she would not continue, for fear of passing on something unknown into our babies.

After that, we were never the same. I wanted to be a father, and she would not comply with me. No matter how I assured her we would be safe, we would nurture the child. One night, I woke up, and she had left me. The bed was cold and my heart was broke. I followed her here to these caves, and then got trapped inside. The magic of the spared my life as the form of a salmon. Here I have been ever since, waiting to ask my Question, how do I get out...? But here I have swum ever since, trapped thinking of how I might get out, and restart my life anew.”

Eliza did feel a tug on her heart because she did understand what it was like to not have full access to yourself. To feel a prisoner, unable to die, but unable to move. Did not everyone desire to feel like they were free to live, to love, and to make the best of their life? Eliza had felt for so many years that she had floated between the years, looking in every young woman’s face for Mel’s. It had been 10 years since she lost her sister, and by now she would have been about 19 years old; and she prayed with all heart that she was still alive. On a separate note, she wondered who would have taken her sister in the first place, what they wanted Mel for, and why it behooved them to keep Mel alive for so long, if she was still alive.

“I see. That is an adventure to be sure. I found myself back here because I too have a question I seek to answer. But you know that already don’t you? How did you read my thoughts? I do not know how you think I am going to give you my question, if I truly have made it to....are these the Springling Steps?” Eliza felt poor for the creature, but she also held her desire closely to her heart. The pain of Mel missing for a decade had burned a painfully raw hole in her heart, she wanted to soothe it, and cool the fire in her heart. It was not a passionate fire, it was one that continually burned her. She wanted her sister back so badly.

Fintanan had had much time to think about his smooth way with people, about how to grease their hearts with charisma and promises of heartache relief. Like a man with snake oil, Fintanan begged his buyers to purchase the promise of a better life with an easy fix, which we all know is never the case.

“Yes, you are at the Springling Steps.” Fintanan told her that she had essentially taken the right path - so where was Fover going then? She suddenly felt gravely concerned for her friend. Before she could continue her thought, Fintanan continued his thought for her. “Dear lady, no, no your Question would not be taken from you. On the contrary, if you help me, why, I can get your sister to you right away. Never mind just asking where she is, I can actually bring her to you.”

“How?” Eliza still did not trust him, but she was intrigued none the less. In the mean time, she gave three short tugs, and waited to feel the returning 3 tugs while she listened to Fintanan.

“It is my powers, as I told you, spared by the cave itself, I had time to develop my already magical capabilities. I was born of a supernatural race of Ireland, the Formorians. We were derived of the original supernatural leaders to my country, but mixed with the normal folk in the world, our blood and powers lessened. The springs here act as a natural enhancer to any gifts...they cannot deem gifts upon us, but they can certainly make you shine brighter. You can guess where it comes from already if you have read the book...”

“The Land of Eternal Night.” Eliza was starting to believe his story; she had seen a giant talking owl; why couldn’t a powerful shaman be kept by a curse? Perhaps her key lied not in asking her own Question, but if her intent was to help someone, perhaps like the riddle said, keep your intention pure. Maybe she needed a pure giving heart. After all, she could not guarantee that Fover would provide her the chance to ask her Question even if she took a risk. She wanted to believe with all her heart that he would; that she could trust people again. Wait, how did Fintanan know about the book? She tried to hang onto the thought, but it escaped her too soon.

But she needed to get back to her sister, and she had to do that be whatever means necessary. 4 tugs and it meant to come find her. If she did that, she would have to share everything.

“Why do you want to leave? How do you hope to find the way out, is there a dead person who may offer the knowledge to you?” Eliza was pressed in her mind to consider his idea.

“I want to leave because there is nothing more I can learn here, and my love is no longer a pursuit I can manage. I may possibly find a new life, to lead peacefully, to maybe have that family if I still can, and to find love. I wish to use my powers for good, to give back to the world. To help,” Fintanan paused for effect on her heart it seemed, “others like you. I want to reunite you with your sister, I really do.

I do not know anyone else who has died, I just know that the other side is full of the echoes of lost souls, not just dead ones. Due to that, the World of Eternal Night is officially the best encyclopedia this side of the universe. There is nowhere with more vast knowledge, and more spirits to learn from. Anything you want to ask, you can know. Or you can find a specific person, dead or lost, as you are after.”

Eliza’s own heart told her that she was a good person, who wanted to help those in need. This way she wouldn’t have to directly deny Fover the chance to ask his Question, she would make up some convenient excuse like - unfortunately the fish had already asked the Question, and his shape shifted form was the punishment. They had seen so many supernatural things that he would not likely question the odd explanation she put forward.

“How would I even help you if I could?” Eliza was getting more worried as she was speaking, because she realized that Fover had not tugged back. Where was he? Maybe she should go back for him, but she felt like if she did not seize the opportunity in front of her that it would just disappear in front of her, like her sister did before her.

“I know that you carry a great sword alongside you.” Fintanan’s tone almost changed, to a deeper inflection, almost one of both jealousy and defensiveness. As if she had done something offensive by simply owning it instead of just bringing it to him. Though how a fish would hold a sword was beyond her...but maybe that was the point. She had to be the one to deal with the sword as far as she could tell.

“Perhaps, I do. I am concerned if there is not anything your abilities cannot discern.” Like her thoughts about him that said: I think you are crazy, but I think maybe as in a powerful crazy.

“That sword comes alive with the truth and retaliates when it is in the hands of someone with an ill will. However, I could not wield it now, even with my pure intentions. I have fins for hands. But my intention is true. I just want to peacefully find a new life; to make myself anew after I have been spared by that chance.” He swam back and forth so vigorously that he almost looked like hands were holding him and making him squirm. Maybe it’s because he had all that time in the pool, and his small body was likely incredibly strong for a little trapped mystical body.

“I ran into your lover; Cessian. She’s told me a different story - that makes me wonder, because she sent me on my mission once I told her of my urgent need. What makes you think that I should believe you over her?” Eliza recalled the warning she received from Cessian.

“She guards the cave?! I haven‘t seen her; so she knows that I am here, and she still leaves me here? I do not know; perhaps she hoped that your warnings would stir you to slay me with her sword, since she cannot find her own way into the cave here I imagine.

“I on the other hand, could wield it with my hand, and speak your truth. How would we get to the Land of Eternal Night?” Eliza wanted to help, and she wanted to find her sister. At that moment she made up her mind, she would do it. She would help him, and ask his Question. But she needed to find Fover first. The brave young woman needed to ask her Question swiftly for Fintanan and then find him urgently. She wanted to help him, but she had to get her answer first.

“If you put the sword in the whirlpool, and you speak your Question, from the truth within your heart, the Springling Steps will open. I knew you were called to me for a reason. The portal is only open for a short while, the bridge between realms can only be walked for a few hours. If you can split the opening with your sword and your truth, I will be allowed to flow into the Night World and be allowed to go in and find the way out of this cave once and for all, and I can bring your sister back when I return. You do know that I have to return, if I want to make it out alive, so you will see me again, to be sure.”

Eliza stepped down into the spring, and watched the bioluminescent fish gently swim out of her way. She placed the hilt of her sword in her hands and used the strap on her hip to help hold it into the water and stand it up, since it had some wiggle room between the rope keeping it tied to her hip.

“Yes, I will be seeing you again, one way or the other.” Fintanan encouraged her further. Eliza felt a little uneasy, but how badly she wanted to see her sister. She cared about Fover, but she was desperate to see her sister. What wouldn’t you do to see the person you love again, especially if they had been ripped from you in an untimely fashion?

“Name your Question. Then, you will bring me my sister, or I myself will use this sword to retaliate, and share my truth with you that I will slay you indeed, if you do not bring her to me.” Eliza said it firmly, with clarity, and blind or not, her intention was clear. She was after her sister, and she would go to any lengths to get her, anything.

“How do we free the great Fintanan, from this cave in which by time he has been abandoned?” Fintanan sounded his question aloud; and Eliza thought it sounded both pretentious and victimized.

Even so, Eliza repeated after him, and asked in a wary tone: “How do we free the great Fintanan, from this cave in which by time he has been abandoned?” The whirlpool started to swirl and swirl; the waters were turbulent and started to roil around her.

“Fintanan, what’s happening?” She could hear his laughter echoing around her, like that of a smug man who had tricked his enemy. She couldn’t tell, but the worsening tightening feeling in her heart and stomach told her that perhaps she was correct.

She slipped, and she felt herself starting to get tugged away from the edge she so desperately clung to. Her fingers were starting to lose their grip, and Buster was barking from the shore like crazy.

“Buster, stay back baby!” She could not let anything happen to him. Fover! She wanted to know he was ok, and now she would never get the chance. Just then, as her fingers were about to slip, and her very fingertips were about to give in from the exhaustion of hanging on, and she would be swallowed whole to drown...

“Eliza! Eliza hang on!” Eliza heard Fover’s voice boom through the cavern opening, and she felt her strength renewed to hang on at least until she met him.

“Fover! Fover I am over here, help! Its Fintanan!” Eliza screamed at the top of her lungs, and she regretted ever trusting Fintanan, he had left her once he had gotten the Question and used her to gain entrance. She should have gone back for Fover; trusted him, included him and considered him.

He reached for her hand and caught her just in time. She gripped it, and felt that she would never let Fover go away again. He gripped her forearm, “I know! I’ve got you, I found something; Fintanan isn’t to be trusted!”

“Fover I messed up, I’m so sorry, I thought I was doing right, my sister...Mel, Mel!” Eliza felt her breaking point, she felt the weight collapsing in on her of everything she had been holding up for a decade. In one moment, she felt all the hope she had carried, all the strength she had preserved, all the courage it took to face the sheer wind and rain hellstorm of difficulty to even get the chance to fight for her sister, and she had lost her shot. She had wasted it. “Fover!” She cried out for him, and Fover pulled her with all his might. Fover looked at her and saw more than his friend, he truly felt he saw his partner.

“I am here, I will, not, let go! Hold on to me. Pull yourself up with everything you have; Mel is out there, we will find her. I will help you find her! Do not let go Eliza, do not let go.” Fover coaxed her, but he would not let her go. However, he needed her to fight, he needed her to come back with him; because he could not pull her back alone. She had to want to come back.

“Eliza....Eliza hear me, come back to me.” Fover’s voice echoed weekly in her mind, the world was so blurry to her. She was so tired. All of a sudden, in those low moments, she wondered how long she had been fighting. It felt like a war, that suddenly felt so silly to win. Why did she fight so hard? That future, the one with Mel, was already long gone. Who was she kidding? That future was gone a long time ago, and Mel with it. One slip of her fingers, and all of this ended. One slip of her fingers, and she did not have to feel this anymore. One slip of her fingers, and maybe, maybe she would see Mel again, in Heaven, if there was such a place for a broken spirit like her.

She wanted to let go. She felt one finger let go, and only three remained. She could feel Fover tighten his grip on her. “No, Eliza, no, do not give up. I understand, I know that pain. Emmeline is gone, I miss her everyday. If I quit now, I never get to be the chance of what she and I hoped I would be. Do not give up on Mel, she lives in you now. She needs you to live.” His words felt like they mattered, but they could not stand up against an exhausted heart.

“We can stay here and die here together Eliza. Or we can get up and walk out of here together, fight our way back. Turn around, come with me now.” Fover gave it his last attempt, as she only had a couple fingers left on his arm, and he could only hang on to her for so long.

“Fover...I...” Eliza wanted to die. But then she heard...could it be? “Eliza...Eliza hang on, Eliza...” It was a soft voice, one that she had not heard in too many years. One she only heard on videos anymore. It brought her back from the brink. Down to one finger now.

“Mel!” Eliza gripped Fover’s forearm with everything she had. “Fover I am here, pull me up, pull me up!” Together they hauled her out of the still swirling whirlpool, and even Buster used his teeth to grip the back of Fover’s pants and help pull him back. Together they all came back and heard the great roar of the water lessen slightly as they fell back against the wall. Fover collapsed with Eliza in his arms, and he held her tight. They clung to one another and wouldn’t let go. They were both soaked to the bone from the spray, and the whirlpool still stayed open.

“Mel, Mel!” Eliza sat up wildly, and nearly fell over because she was exhausted from fighting so hard to live in that moment, in the darkest night of her life. It was the fight of a lifetime to hold on when all she had wanted to do in the moments was let go.

She had heard Mel’s voice...had it been through the whirlpool? “Fover..Foo...verrr.” Eliza wept now, and Fover saw in his friend, in his partner, as much pain, if not more, than he even felt in his own heart. What would Emmeline do in this moment? Who would she want him to be in that moment? “Fover, I heard my sister.” She collapsed into him now, and both Fover and Buster wrapped around her, and held her tight. She could hardly breath, and he just rubbed her back. “I am here, I am here Eliza. I believe you.” He gently brushed her forehead with his hand as her body heaved with the expulsion of her emotional pain.

Just as Fover comforted her, he heard from his own ears... “Fover, Foverrrr....love....you.....” and then the faintest whisper was gone. Fover’s heart stopped. For all the strength he put forth for Eliza, now he choked on his tears and his breath. His sanity threatened to leave him....it was Emmeline. Her voice...

But he grounded himself; Eliza had just heard Mel. Where was it coming from? He strained his ears, and he realized - it was coming from the whirlpool. It was still open, and Fintanan was long gone. But maybe their hope was not.

“Eliza, its from the pool! It’s still open, maybe, maybe we can still get in! There was one Question...and I know it is gone, but maybe we can still see them! Our intention, your intention, is still pure. Come with me?” Fover stood up, and he held out his hand to to her.

Eliza felt her tears slowing, and her heart beating solidly. She was still alive. She was still here, She could still find her maybe. Who was that voice from? Was it her sister? She could rally, she could come back.

“Yes, Fover yes! Buster....is he coming with?” Eliza asked Fover gently.

Buster looked up at them with his big brown eyes as if to almost say how could you even think about not taking me with?

“How did you know that Fintanan was bad? He...he sounded so convincing,” Eliza sighed heavily, “as Cessian had told me he would be.”

Fover pulled out some old journal pages from his pack, which luckily had been waterproofed naturally by the dry dome they were stored under. They looked like they were torn out of a journal. “These, I found them under a rock when I went to that side. I followed the line, and I found a nest of sorts. It had...a very bad hive of serpent like creatures. It’s a long story, but I did defeat them. In the process of defending myself, since you had the sword, I had to use rocks. I was glad you had the sword, but I had to be resourceful of what was around me.

So I picked up a rock, and smacked everything I could. I just thought, give me anything, and I have such a will to survive, to get back to my friend Eliza, that I will get through this and survive. So I just kept swinging, hoping it would be enough. Knowing I would give it everything I had. And eventually, I was just hitting thin air. I opened my eyes, and their black snake blood was all over the room, and my blood was still inside my body. I’m such a slut for living life.” He looked at her now and laughed, because she had been a slut for mangos. He figured they made a great slutty pair together. It was good to see Eliza smile.

I found these pages underneath that rock I picked up - and they described Fintanan. They told me that he had...” now Fover choked up, whatever it was obviously shook him... “Eliza, he took hikers, he took the 1875 explorer we followed here in search of our Question. He killed them, in search of a Reader Beyond Words. He was hunting for someone like you. But he preyed on the same weakness, promised our explorer something similar as I am sure he probably promised you. He promised our explorer his answer, and even a solution. Beyond knowledge, he could act with his Shaman powers. But he lied and when they didn’t turn out to be what he needed, well....he took their life force to extend his own. He could have killed you. I don’t care if I don’t get my answer, if I don’t get you. You hear me?”

Eliza felt shaken up, and Fover did too, but they certainly felt it for different reasons. She had not meant this much to anyone, besides her sister and her parents, in a very long time. Her parents were long dead, and she and her sister had been in the care of their aunt Midge and uncle Bob. They hugged tight. They had lives in front of them, and they were one another’s family now too, and Buster and Miko’s of course as well. But in the end, the big picture was not getting stuck on the dead, and remembering to tell those around you I love you as much as you can, while time is with you; its of the utmost importance.

Buster barked almost happily and jumped on up Fover, as Eliza took his hand. The sword was still on her hip, as she had been tied to it still as the whirlpool swallowed up Fintanan. They took one another’s hands, and squeezed tight. Eliza held onto Buster and gripped his harness. They leapt together, as the small family that they had formed together.

The water swallowed them in, and there was a familiar whistling that they had heard outside of the cave. They still did not see Fintanan anymore, but they figured they would see him. She held tight to him, and now dedicated herself to hanging on for everything she was worth.

Eliza thought to herself - Why do we make permanent lives in the face of impermanence? Try to have families when we know we’re going to pass someday? Because we have faith in the future, that the future will live on, and we will live on in the small role we played in bettering the world. I won’t die quietly, I will live every day, every year, I am given. I hope I have many, I act like I have few.

They went down, down, down, twisting like the strange abstract pattern that their lives had already. Finally, their toes landed on smooth ground. Actual, hard ground. It was black sand, black smooth sand. It was surrounded in purple light - and...Eliza opened her eyes, and the blurriness came to. Her eyes sharpened to, and she focused. She focused?! She was blind! Yet she could see, for the first time in ten years. It brought tears to her eyes. The world was covered in purple light.

“Fover, Fover are you alright?” Then she saw him, for the first time, he had fallen while trying to land smoothly. She ran over to him, and he was so handsome to her. She felt like now she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

“Yes! Eliza, Eliza can you see me?” Fover looked at her in amazement and realized that they were connecting eyes. Her eyes were beautiful as they focused on him.

“Yes I can! I can see Buster, good boy! You are so handsome! You both are.” Eliza looked over at Fover as she said that too.

“What now? Where are they? Do you see Fintanan anywhere?” Fover whipped around as he tried to scramble to get a sense of their safety. They could not see Fintanan anywhere, but they did see a black horse drawn carriage. It was a beautiful Friesian horse, and it did look out of place, but what didn’t look strange in a paranormal paradise like this?

“Where are the voices...where are Emmeline and Mel? I swear I heard Mel, and you...I felt your hand on me, even though I couldn’t hear Emmeline’s voice, I could sense that you felt her. Do you see her?” Eliza asked Fover. They both looked around and searched for their loved ones, as it was a very real human moment, for someone who has grieved.

They did not see anyone, villain or loved one. But Buster ran over to the horse before they could stop him. She actually ran after him and let go of her seeing cane unintentionally in doing so. The sword was at least still attached to her hip. They may still need it before the end came.

They ran after Buster and saw the carriage ready with the horse. Fover climbed in the carriage after Buster, and Eliza was overwhelmed petting the Friesian. It had beautiful black hair, and it almost shimmered against the purple light and the black sand. Eliza turned around, and Fover gave her a hand up to the carriage. Suddenly, a Reaper appeared in front of them, but it was not dressed like a typical Reaper. It was dressed as a person, but with hollow eyes, and no expression. It did not speak, but instead in both of their heads, they heard a voice “Where do we go from here, where do you want the Reaper to steer?” The head turned all the way around, a little too far for comfort to be honest, and asked them.

“To Emmeline, find Emmeline.” Eliza spoke up first, and she looked over at Fover. “I’m so sorry, for not tugging four times on the rope to let you know I had found it, and even worse, not coming to find my friend, my partner in crime, when I didn’t feel you tug back. Let me give back now, let us follow her voice. Wait...I see something...” Eliza looked and to she saw bioluminescent musical notes floating in the air...but she could not hear anything.

“Do you hear anything Fover? Listen, Fover, listen!” And with those instructions from Eliza, Fover listened with his heart. Yes he did hear her, he heard Emmeline.

“But Eliza...your sister...” Fover looked at her, and now his eyes also filled to the brim with some tears. The carriage had already taken off, and the gentle lulling of the seats was already swaying them.

“We will find her, like you said, I know we will. But you have been so kind to me, and we heard her too. I can see her notes in the air, keep listening.” And Fover did, they trotted onwards, and pretty soon they came upon a tree. It had some fall leaves on it, shaded in different hues of the fall season.

Fover took her hand, and they climbed out of the carriage together. They stepped down, and they found around them a hill, or a cromlech.

“Emmeline? Emmeline are you here?” Then from behind a tree, Fover caught the shimmering of golden blonde hair, almost as gold as Rapunzel’s it seemed. Then a face, that he had not seen in a long time, peered cautiously around the tree. The last time he had seen it, it had been full of blood. As she saw him and registered who he was to her, her beautiful familiar strikingly blue eyes widened. A dress was flowing on her, and her wounds had been healed.

They ran straight towards each other at a dead run. It was like nothing happened, not a day had passed; they ran for each other, and Eliza felt overjoyed for Fover. She let go of him so that he could run to her.

“Fover! Fover here!” Emmeline’s voice was closer enough now in physical proximity, that it seemed they both Eliza and Fover could hear it. It was high and sweet. The air around the risen hill, covered in some soft grass, away from the sand, smelled pleasant and fragrant of second chances.

They embraced, and they embraced tightly. “Fover! How, how did you find me? I have been here for years, and just...I do not know, just staying, searching, seeking, seeking what and to what end, I do not know anymore. I can barely remember my own name.” Fover took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. He took both his hands and entangled both within her hair. She took her hands and put them in his hair, and lovers for a moment, were free of the pain. The Land of Eternal Night gave one more dawn to the love with a sunset they both never expected.

“I ...its such a long story, and we do not have much time. But I found a cave; I inherited some land in Montana.” Fover’s voice shook as he tried to tell her his story, and already felt the pressing of the clock, because he knew they both had to get back by Halloween’s end.

“You, in Montana?! That is a sight I would love to see; oh I’ve missed you! I never forgot about you, your love was a tether that stayed alive to me, even in death.” Emmeline’s voice was music to his ears, and he cherished every second he heard it, it was a work of art, and a chorus from a beautiful choir in his mind, he hoped it would sing forever, even though he knew time ran short. But he would look at it as cup half full instead of half empty. He never thought he would see her again. He had a chance to remember her differently now. They held one another tight, feeling the moments shuffling themselves along. Time marched above as it did below the same; it spared no human, and it spared no consideration.

“Its so silly, I know! And my friend here, Eliza...” Fover turned, and saw her and waved. She had stayed at a distance to respect them. He waved her over. As she walked over, Fover looked back at Emmeline. She was whole, her clothes were untainted by the blood that has masked so much of her when she had died in his arms almost ten years ago. “You are so, so beautiful still, Emmeline. I have missed you, I have missed you more than I ever thought a human being capable of feeling such depth of emotion.” He could actually feel her hand, feel her cheek as he stroked it, and even the soft presence of her hair.

He could even smell just the faintest aroma of lilac. It felt like being home, after spending so long outside a locked door, begging to come inside to a warm fire and favorite meal. How he ached for it to stay, his heart already lamented the moment’s passing before it had yet left. To be present now for the few moments they were given, was extremely challenging. It felt very human to already miss something while it was right there, to agonize the oncoming emptiness or perceived loneliness. But it was imperative he remembered too, that Emmeline would never leave him. Fover couldn’t actually believe that he had the chance to see her again, just shocked he tried to make the most of the time.

“This here is my friend Eliza.” He motioned over Eliza who finally stepped next to them both.

“Hello, Emmeline, it is an honor to meet you. Fover has spoken of you with so much love. I can see that he was right about you. It’s a pleasure.” Eliza put her hand out and was met with Emmeline’s and the two women exchanged kind smiles. Emmeline’s kindness was just one of the apparent reasons that she figured Fover would have fallen for her.

“It’s wonderful to meet a friend of Fover’s. I have hoped these many years that he was not alone, that he would find another soul.” Emmeline had a big smile on her face, and with her hand still held onto Fover.

“Well, I would say that my cat Miko has been the only company I’ve really kept before a few days ago when I met Eliza, and I only adopted Buster into our crazy clan hardly a week ago. But it is good to have company.” Fover had an ease about him that Eliza had not seen in him thus far; his whole body seemed to be more relaxed, with shoulders resting.

“Fover....it’s so good to see you. It really is. But I pray you aren’t here because you are lost or ill, tilting on the edge of death, or even worse....dead here yourself. Why, are you here my love?” Emmeline’s hand squeezed Fover’s, even as his eyes fell, and returned to hers again.

“Because I heard rumor, of a cave on the land I just inherited from my grandfather Felix, that had a great power. That power was to ask a Question of the one we love. We thought.... we thought that there was only one question to ask, but it seems that it has to do with going to through the portal to ask your one question; but the Champion must first even find their way here to your...the Land of Eternal Night, as this place is called. To find you, to ask you....” Fover looked of all places, at Eliza now. He looked at her, almost to beg her, please tell me what to ask her, do I want to know the killer, if she even knows, or do I want to know, if she would still... Fover felt like just then - he had his answer.

He took his hand out of Emmeline’s. She was startled, why would he break contact with her when they had such little time already? What could possibly be so important in his pocket?

Eliza recognized what was going on and stepped back. She wanted to give some space to her friend. Fover took a knee in front of Emmeline. Emmeline’s big beautiful, bright eyes grew wider than. Fover pulled out his wallet. His wallet? Emmeline felt a touch confused. She thought this was a something...but maybe she was getting bus fare for the portal ride back with him?

“Emmeline, I have loved you from the moment we talked and I first heard your laugh. I was on my way home that day...and I have walked in my mind so many times through what happened. I have walked to that ending so many times. But now, I ask...Emmeline, love, would you have married me?” And with that Fover took out his beat up wallet, and underneath the wallet picture there, it was a much younger picture of Emmeline, but there, in his hand, there it was. The promise of tomorrow, and the promise of the ship that he would have sailed on, if it had been theirs to sail on together. There was a beautiful white gold ring, with a square white stone on it. It was inscribed on the band with always and forever.

“Fover, yes, a million times, yes. I would have married you in a heartbeat, in the few seconds I had left in your arms, even then, I would have used my last few seconds to make you my husband, and to have you take me as your wife.” Emmeline pulled him up and hugged him tight and looked at the ring.

“It’s just beautiful, and that does not surprise me. You kept it...all these years.” Fover tried to slip it on her now softly pale finger, but she stayed his hand.

“What, what are you doing?” Fover looked at her in alarm, she had just said yes.

“This is beautiful, and I love you even more for it. That ship would have been beautiful to sail on with you, and I know in some universe we got to walk that path. I know I loved every second of it. But this ship, your ship, is still sailing, and I do not want you to miss it. Keep this in your heart, with my blessing, and give it away when you are ready to sail. There are a great comings and goings, great arrivals and great departures. My departure has gone, but your arrival into the world has only just happened. You can’t leave yet.” Her eyes brimmed over now with soft slow tears, rolling down the curve of her cheek.

Fover gripped it tight in one hand, and then hers in the other. “I will think of you every day, no matter what oceans I sail.” Eliza had tried to stay out of earshot for trying to be respectful, but she had heard everything. Her heart broke for Fover, but selfishly, Eliza hoped that he might still make it back with her, and have the ability to go on.

“I don’t have long, and I have to go, but not getting to stay here with you....that’s a difficulty for me no one will ever know.” Fover stood up as straight as he could, and breathed as deep as anyone could be expected to in that moment, which was still pretty shallow.

“Will you stay here?” Fover asked her gently. He caressed her face, memorizing the feel of it, the shape, the look of her eyes so close. “What will you do?”

“I will meet you in my dreams.” Emmeline looked at him, and dried the tears from his face, while still unable to stop her own from coming. It was okay to feel this, for tears were at times the soul’s way of speaking unspeakable words. Sometimes there was not language for the emotions that powerfully change us in a moment, sometimes all there is to do is to feel and move with the heart. To let go, and to hang on to yourself, knowing that you can trust what is coming ahead.

“Eliza, please watch our Fover, will you? You seem like a good friend for him to have. Fover, you can trust her.” Emmeline looked at Eliza now, and Eliza softly nodded back, “Of course,” Eliza said. “I’ll give you two a moment, Fover - I’ll meet you back at the carriage. Take as long as you need.” Eliza knew that time was quickly marching on, and that before long the carriage would have to move, but he knew that too.

“I could try to stay you know, and we could make this cromlech our home. I could...” Fover truly had no idea what he would do in the afterlife; but loving her forever seemed like a good start. His eyes searched hers, begging for any alternative to his departure.

“You could my love, and I cannot stop you from do anything; I know better already. But I can encourage you, to keep taking one step at a time, but don’t stop walking. Even for a love like ours; you still need to keep flying.” With that Emmeline dragged him into her arms, and sent with him every good wish for him she could manage. He clasped her tight, absolutely mastered every detail of the moment to his memory and swept her up into his heart to be forever kept with him.

Fover finally walked over to the carriage, and strode over to Eliza. “Eliza...thank you, thank you so much for stopping here with me.” Fover did not say anymore, he simply got into the carriage and looked over at Eliza. She had tears in her eyes for him, knowing what the carriage pulling forward must mean...did it mean that he was leaving Emmeline at the cromlech?

The Reaper turned to Eliza - “Which way do we go?” Eliza looked paralyzed now – she had finally arrived at the moment she had fought like hell and gone through hell to get to. All she could think of was how tired she had been all this time. She remembered Mel’s voice reaching through the opening; and it gave her heart reason to stride forward. Her legs wanted to stop, she ordered them to march on. Her heart wanted to stop beating, for fear of what it might find. What if the road was a dead end, and she got her answer, but her answer may not be what she hoped? Her sister may be gone; and if that was true, then what would happen? Would she survive? That was a test she didn’t want to be put to. But she had to know, even if it meant destroying her sanity in the process of hunting her answer down.

“My sister, Mel...I heard her voice here. She would be a young woman now, of 19 or 20. I don’t know if she is lost or she is...” Eliza begged herself to stay with it, and to continue speaking and seeking the truth, “perhaps dead either. Can you take us to her?” She reached for Fover’s hand while she asked the Reaper, and Fover grabbed her hand back, his was already there waiting when Eliza’s hand bumped into it.

“Mel, she is an echo. I will take you to the echo.” With no more explanation and no more provision of information, she slapped the horse ahead with a long lunging whip. Eliza listened, as she had instructed Fover to do so. She saw again those faint notes in the direction that the Reaper was taking them to.

“Fover, she is there, ahead. But what is she, what is she?!” Eliza, who had kept her cool in the face of everything, was now pressed to her limits. A decade waiting for change, and now it was uncertainly thrust upon her, and there was no book on how to react to this.

“I don’t know, but I can guarantee you this. You’ll not be alone to find out. Whatever the truth is, we will find out together. I will go with you my dear friend.” Together they held on, and Fover’s words were the last to fill the carriage as the soundtrack of silence played on the remainder of the time.

As the carriage had gone down the road of black sand for some time, and the purple lamplight seemed like it would never end, the carriage finally slowed down around a small cottage. Eliza felt her breath drawing in so quickly, that it almost felt like she was not breathing at all. “Come with me?” Fover nodded, “Of course, always.” He stepped down out of the carriage. Unlike where Emmeline was on a raised grave mound, called a cromlech, this was a flat ground, and it was almost like a valley.

It was grim, to say the least. This was not a cute countryside cottage, with flowers outside and a cute welcome sign. It looked like someone who had tried hanging on for a long time, had barely made it here, and had no ability to do anything but exist.

“Where is she?” Eliza’s eyes eagerly searched over the house, the windows, the curtains, peering everywhere that she might see her lost Mel. She heard the whisper again “Eliza...here, here…”

Eliza let go of Fover, and headed straight for the cottage. She burst the door open, “Mel? Mel! Mel it’s me, Eliza! Are you here?” Eliza’s voice rose as loud as it could, and it resounded and reverberated loudly off of the small paint chipped walls - there was no furniture here except a mattress on the floor, and a few books stacked against the wall.