My Demonic Ghost #3: Hunters and Creators (23 page)

Chapter Forty-One:

I didn’t hear from her or anyone else for the next few hours. I couldn’t stop from pacing. Evan lingered near the back of the room, just as anxious as I was. Out of nowhere, a pain hit my heart, drawing forth a memory. My body suddenly stopped. Something foul lingered on my tongue, a taste of remorse and absolute devastation. It was of something I couldn’t bear to swallow, but I had to. The memory was about dad. He was on the couch. I had gone to visit him on my own when he lived in Whitehaven. I was only fifteen years old. I had just brewed him a cup of tea. He had been jumpy and scared the whole afternoon, often whispering to the shadows. He was so broken, a frail old man that had the life sucked out of him. I didn’t want to leave him alone for fear he was going to snap in half. I went to bed and I remember waking to him coughing. My bedroom door was left open allowing his coughs to carry down the hall to my ears. When I reached him, he was dead. His warm body was limp in the chair; his sad smile was my last memory of him. Then Evan fell from the roof. The disintegrating boy kissed me to ensnare me in chains and seal my death. He had laughed back then, as if it was some sort of game.

I reared my head back; I couldn’t stand to remember anymore. Dad was dead. He had died. He was going to die all over again. It was like I was in the hospital room with them, feeling him slip between our fingers, as powerless as I was when I was just fifteen. Before I could stop myself I crashed to my knees.

“No! NO! Let me out! I can save him! I can save him, please!” I felt my heartache wrench to the point I wanted to puke. I had never felt pain like this before. The air vents kicked into action, oozing out gas, but I was so angry I didn’t want them to control me. I didn’t want to sleep. I wanted to mourn my father.

I lashed out, managing to tear through the vents and peel the walls back and creating an opening into the hallway. The world spun faster and faster, I tipped backwards. I was losing control. No, I had lost control; I started my descent into darkness. I wanted to fall, but Evan stopped me.  He continuously pulled me back. Using the chains he had around my throat, he absorbed the power and stopped me from spiralling downwards. I lashed out at him too, my anger unrestrained.

“You killed him?” I screamed at Evan. “Is that what you did? You killed my father?”

Evan scrambled out of my reach. “Wait, Rachael!”

Just as I was about to lose control a new memory appeared, the sudden thought popped into my mind.
No…wait a minute that’s not exactly true... It was me… He gave me poison to put in his drink, telling me it was medicine. I had poisoned him... It was me.
The realization had me stumbling backwards. When it felt like I couldn’t get any madder everything stopped. Time stopped. I stopped. My thoughts stopped and everything became suspended in timeless, weightless space. I blanked out, unable to accept the possibility that I poisoned my own father, or that he tricked me into doing it. A gentle touch raised my chin. A voice spoke to me through the suspended bubble and I struggled to find the strength to listen.

“Don’t…” He kept telling me, “Don’t… you didn’t kill him.”

“Yes… yes, I did.”

“It’s not your fault.”

The numbness faded and I started to feel everything. I felt arms around my shoulders, a nose pressed against my neck, and the tickle of hair against my cheek. My chest was pressed against another’s as though they were cleaving me to them, pinning my arms to my side in a firm hug. Then, just as fast, Evan’s body fell through mine as my anger subsided. He stepped back, tears clouding his gaze.

“Let me save you…” He whispered, “Please, let me save you this time.”

I slipped away from him and went back to my bed where I brought the sheets up over myself. I cocooned myself in a tight shell, not wanting to be seen by the cameras.  Evan was by my bedside where he carefully placed himself so he lay next to me. He let me mourn until I felt I could cry no more tears. It must’ve been hours later when I peeled the sheet back to see he was still there. Every time I glanced up he seemed so brittle. He was tearing up too, but shook his head to try to clear his eyes.

“I’m sorry…” He whispered again for what felt like the thousandth time.  I was too angry to speak.  I turned away.

Chapter Forty-Two:

As I slept, memories and feelings came back to me, leaving me numb against the tide. I remembered Evan explaining how the Banished are made. I remembered the Sins, and when Envy bit into Evan’s shoulder and poisoned him. I remembered Dean with Sabotage and our bus ride into the outskirts of town. Dean was not short or ugly as Evan had described. I remembered Rip and Michael, and how Gargoyle pushed him in front of a tram. I even remembered Betrayal and her undying devotion to the Banished, like she was their leader.
Why would she then be helping the Hunters?
I shook my head, that wasn’t a priority right now.

Evan remained by my side for the next few days, even when mum returned crying into her sleeve, he still remained. They wouldn’t let me out. I am a long term prisoner with no release date. Even convicted murderers knew the terms of their punishment; but not me.  As a few more weeks rolled past I started to feel less and less like myself. My memories were almost complete; and with them, my health declined at an unnatural pace. Evan never left my side. Not once.

The misery on his face was unbearable; I almost felt the need to go and comfort him. He wasn’t sad for my father. It wasn’t his death Evan was worried about, it was my own. I remembered that Gargoyle had banished us to the pits of Wrath and that I had died. I remember that now, like it was some terrible dream. The earth drank from my body till I was a Banished as well. Once the magic was gone I would be Banished too. At this point, wrapped in my own arms, out of reach from those that loved me that I felt at my lowest point. I didn’t want to get up. I didn’t want to speak. I didn’t even want to think anymore. I wasn’t mad at Evan anymore; it was so exhausting to carry such weight when there was nothing I could do about it. Plus, Evan didn’t deserve the cold silence I gave him. He had tried to make things better and I had forgotten about his repentance. In the end I forgave him, but I couldn’t find the strength to forgive myself.

“This isn’t how I wanted to live my life…” I whispered suddenly in the dead of night. Evan looked at me, but didn’t say anything. “I wanted to be a renowned journalist. I wanted to have a job where I could explore the world and never know where my next adventure would take me in the morning. I wanted that type of excitement in my life…”

He shifted over and sat on the end of my bed with his legs crossed. I continued, “I also wanted to have two children and live in a house near the beach. I wanted to have green in my wedding theme colour, I wanted to name my daughter Stephanie and teach her all about music and dance. She would want to be a ballerina when she was little, but fall in love with her first puppy and grow to become a vet. My son, Damian, would be a rugby player, he’ll grow into an admirable guy and would stand up for the little man,” I rolled my head away, “On my trips overseas I would bring back these amazing stories to my children and family, I would have photo albums full of incredible sights and people and think; ‘Wow, I had a wonderful life. I am so lucky…’”

I took a deep breath. Evan was quiet; he was so quiet I could hear my own voice tremble. “You know, it’s my birthday today too.” I whispered. Evan’s eyebrows perked up in mild surprise.  

“I didn’t know that…” He faintly said.

I nodded, “I had such plans for myself that I never imagined I wouldn’t live past twenty two.”   

“Rachael…” His eyes softened and I immediately shook my head.

“I’m sorry, here I am complaining about my sucky circumstances when you…” I gulped and swallowed my words. I complained about not living past twenty two when Evan had died when he was fourteen.

Evan quickly shushed me. “You’re going to be okay, Rachael. You can still have that life. You don’t have to die.” Despite everything, I actually believed him; even if for just a moment I believed and relaxed against the mattress.

Evan shifted over, his tone suddenly lighter, “Remember what you said to me earlier, when we were sitting underneath the tree at Whitehaven?” I could vaguely remember the conversation, but I was confused as to why he would bring it up now. “I know I’m not your ideal partner right now, but will you dance with me?” His question surprised me as I sat up. He stood up in front, offering his hand. My knees felt weak and I slipped off my bed and stepped closer.              

“You want to dance with me?” I chuckled. Evan raised his eyebrow, egging me forward. “Okay.” I answered with a smile. I very slowly lifted my hands up to his neck. It was like dancing with smoke, I felt his presence by the cool air, but I couldn’t hold onto anything.

He brought his face to my ear so his breath was a scarce whisper, “I want you to look at me and you’re not allowed to look away…”

I did as I was told. I raised my head and held fierce eye contact. His eyebrows pinched in concentration and the colours around me started to fade. My body relaxed and the once quiet beat of my heart now pounded in my ears. Listening to my heartbeat, I waited breathlessly, tingles running up and down my spine. The world around us melted. The green that poured from his gaze seemed to emit a type of fog, forming a cloud that surrounded us until I couldn’t see anything beyond the bleak minty overcast. Suddenly, echoing up from depths of the abyss was music. It surprised me and I looked around. A world had constructed around me in silence.

I was back at the Whitehaven carnival, the world unfolded in an orange haze and dark silhouettes that kept the night buzzing. The crowd felt different from last time, there were more children and families here.
Wait… I was here before, years ago
; the lanterns that decorated the trees like tinsel had the whole area shining with warmth and sunset orange. Walking forward, I followed the voice of a woman singing up on stage. Her wild red hair a flame against the black backdrop. She hit every high note perfectly, keeping the crowd by her feet jumping and swaying to her music. I turned around and was able to feel the earth beneath my shoes. I could feel the breeze caress my hair and the heat rise upwards above my head. I lifted my hands up and twirled and my summery dress spun out with me.

  A tickle of eyes caused me to stop. As the bodies parted, Evan’s lean physique shone amongst the dim shadows. He wore casual dark jeans with a rouge-collared shirt that fit him perfectly. His hair was swept back by his hand, curling against his head like a wave. He had stepped out like he had been waiting there for a lifetime. The music pulsed throughout my body.  

He didn’t say anything when he reached my side. The distance between us vanished; he lifted his hand and ran it along my neck. I inhaled sharply. I was surprised by the heat that radiated from his touch. Evan looked at me questionably with his hand held out, the question lingering in silence above us. I nodded my head, accepting his hand to dance.

He took my arms and pulled me into the crowd. The music was too fast to slow dance, so he pulled me into him, our bodies swaying with the tempo. Excitement had me on my toes, laughter had my head tilting backwards and I felt myself really smile without restraint, like we were meant to be here together at this moment. If he had not died and I had met him under different circumstances then this could’ve been our lives together. Our bodies fit perfectly, his hands big enough to cover my own. He spun me around playfully, then cupped my waist while we swayed. His head was held against my cheek, and I felt his every exhale like fingers caressing my skin. I shivered against him and I felt his grip tighten. As I always imagined, fireworks shot into the sky above our heads. He stayed close enough that I could hear even his softest whisper.

I lifted my gaze upwards and cupped my hand gently against his cheek. He nestled against my palm and placed his hand on top of mine. Sometimes words are just not necessary. A look is enough to let you know everything is will be fine, everything will sort its self out. The music fell silent behind us. The space shifted and we were alone, standing in the vast depths of the forest. Wild flowers climbed the tress and a stream burbled not three steps away.

The forest was full of so much green life that every breath was refreshing. I turned back to him to find he had changed his clothes to a black vest over a white collared shirt. He looked perfect against the sunshine spilling between the gaps above, his green eyes shining with an inhuman beauty. I looked down to find I was in a long white dress with my hair pinned up in curls.

The soft tinkles of a piano played behind us, lost somewhere in the forest. He pulled me in close, placing my hands on his neck and turning my head against him. My nerves calmed, making me feel light with happiness. This felt like the most natural thing in the world. This is exactly how I imagined it would feel like, but at the same time I held my breath unsure what to expect. I lay my head against his shoulder and he started to sway. Have you ever felt so in tune with someone that the world around you just softens? That you stand there, completely and utterly obsessed with your partner knowing they felt the same? He kissed me on the top of my head before bringing his hand to my chin, tilting my face up. I could almost feel the frantic beating of his heart, the nerves trembling through him making his fingers shake. He was nervous; I could sense it as if it were my own heart fluttering. He touched our foreheads together before whispering something so soft I could barely hear him…

When I woke I was still sitting on the bed looking into Evan’s eyes, his face mere inches from mine. He lifted his hand upwards, fingers slack as I lifted up my hand to match his.  My soul mate died when he was just fourteen and he was now trapped in the body of a tainted ghost. I never wanted to leave the world he had built for me, but the moment I reached out and my fingers fell through his I knew this world would never be for us. Despite it all, Evan was smiling. Suddenly, all the mean things I had said to him, of all the times I lashed out to make him feel horrible about himself had guilt twisting at my chest.

“I’m sorry for saying those awful things to you.” I whispered guiltily, “You can tell me off you know.”

“Why would I yell at you?”

“Because I’m horrible!”

“No.” He shook his head, “You can never be horrible.”

I rolled my eyes to stop the fresh tears from spilling, scoffing at him with sarcasm, “Yeah right, you treat me as if I’m perfect.”

His expression did not falter, “Of course. To me you are perfect.”

There was a knock at the door and the hinges screeched open. Mum marched in carrying her stuff strapped over her shoulder, “Rachael? Rachael, come sweetie, we’re going home!”

“What? Really?” I scrambled off the bed.  Evan lifted upwards and leaned against the wall. Doctor Hearth walked in, hands clasped behind his back.

“We’re releasing you…”He confirmed. I glanced over at Evan, grinning. Then the Doctor added, “But not the demon ghost Evan.”

“What? You can’t do that!” I argued; mum quickly came up to me, taking my hands.

“Rachael, don’t fight with them. He’s right, that spirit shouldn’t be here. Please, come with me. Let’s go home.”

“I’m not leaving without Evan!” I growled and tore myself from my mother’s grip.

“Go…” His voice surprised me as I turned. Evan nodded, repeating himself, “Go.” He unclasped the chains from my body and lifted his hands above his head, displaying his innocence.  “Find the others, get yourself to safety.”

“Evan! I’m not leaving you here.”

“I’ll be fine Rachael; I’ve let you go there’s no reason for them to hurt me anymore.”  I looked at both Evan and Doctor Hearth, not sure what else I could say to convince them. The Doctor looked over at Evan before turning on his heel and leaving. I was angry again; I didn’t like how they gave me no choice in the matter. There was one thing I had as an advantage, though, I still had Chō; which meant I still had power. I chased after him and caught the Doctor in the hallway. Teal flashed in my eyes.  I snared his collar and picked him up by the throat.

“Rachael! What are you…?” Mum gasped as she caught up to us.

“I’ve played by your rules and now I’ve had enough. You can’t stop us from leaving here. He’s coming with me and that’s final.” I shook the Doctor by his collar. There was something about him that felt off; a type of smell that seemed unnatural. I could almost see it on his clothes like someone covered in soot had been running their hands along his jacket. “What changed your mind? Why are you letting me out?”

“I…I am….” The Doctor wracked his brain, trying to dig up the answers. It was at that moment I pinpointed the scent. It belonged to a Hunter.

“Because I told him to…”

“Chaos?” I spun around and Chaos stepped into the hallway, dressed in a white lab coat with a surgical mask pulled down around his neck. He looked out of place wearing such clothes and being so young.

“They know about Banished, but not about Hunters.” He winked as he approached, giving my mum a brisk nod. Then he turned and waved his hand down Doctor Hearth’s face, sprinkling a white dust that caused his eyes to close. He whispered something so softly that I couldn’t hear.

“How did you find me?” I ran to him and pulled him into a hug.

“It wasn’t easy. Every Reaper and their Goon are out looking for you. It was actually a Banished that led us here. Apparently, he was an old patient but he managed to escape. You look horrible…” He lifted my chin to inspect my eyes. I moved his hand away.

“I’m fine. I just want to get out of here, please, get them to release Evan too.”