My Demonic Ghost #3: Hunters and Creators (29 page)

Betrayal didn’t whimper as she started to disappear along with him. She looked over at Jordon with her lips slightly parted like she was trying to say something. Then she vanished.

I turned back around, Evan was but a fading blue fog. Chaos was still unconscious.

Jordon jumped up and raced to his brother before looking back at Damage questioningly. She had her mouth buried in her palm, shaking her head in guilt.

“Can you fix him?” Jordon begged.

Damage looked over then shook her head. “No…I’m sorry…”

“Where’s Betrayal? What of Melissa?”

Damage drew in a shaky breath, “Nathan connected their two souls to stop her from betraying us. He knew she was your weakness, aside of course from…” She motioned down to Evan weakly.

“There must be a way.” Gargoyle’s voice was raspy. Jordon started to weep. The Creator frog, confused about its role, scampered underneath the rim of the door and into the room beyond. Mother was with me. I could feel her thoughts mesh with my own. I was losing my control. My body was moving when I didn’t ask it too, my consciousness was running low. Mother was becoming stronger, but she didn’t reflect the same desirers as I did. All she yearned for was to collect her Sins, to bring them back into their rightful homes.

Miira is in there… We have to stop her.

Click! Clickey-clack! No… not our purpose. Click! Click!

Please, Mother?     

They were all talking and arguing about what to do, but there was no time. Evan was disappearing. I was fading. I got to the doorknob and pushed the door open.

Chapter Fifty-Two:

Inside the hall was the only thing that still breathed beauty. Large marble pillars arched upwards to the roof, where a chandelier of smashed lanterns and bulbs was slowly being replaced. The farther I walked, the harsher the light seemed to shine; it got to the point I had to squint and cringe my head away.

“Rachael!?” Gargoyle’s voice called after me in a soft echo, far beyond my reach. I slithered in to find myself in the presence of not one, not two, but four different Creators. There was a frog, a black crow, a green snake and blue bird. They all nestled around the feet of a giant woman; a spirit I could only imagine to be Miira. Yet, as she watched me approach, she did not seem angry. She welcomed me with a nod of her head as I reached out to her. 

“Rachael…” She spoke my name as if she had known me for years. The power from the Creators radiating by her feet was impressive. Even if I had all the Reapers and all the Sins here beside me, we would be no match. “Child, why are you doing this?”

Why? It was such a simple yet complicated question. After all, what was I fighting for? Justice? Love? Revenge? After all this is done, what was going to really change? Miira was a God and we were mere spirits buzzing around her ear lobes. I had never felt as hopeless in my entire life as I did right now.  Why was I doing this?

My answer was obvious,
I want happiness. I want security. I want to be free from Mother. I want Evan, Gargoyle, Jordon and everyone to be safe and happy. 

“Rachael?” Gargoyle’s voice sprinted in after me.

Miira tapped her nails against the chair arm, “You want happiness, freedom and safety? You and I aren’t so different. In the beginning, I was not like this. In the beginning, I wanted peace and justice among the spirits. I created a Heaven for all those that worshiped my name, for all those that feared me as much as they loved me. Wisdom made me this way.”

Why do you need their love when you live in a world outside of theirs?

“It was unconditional. I wanted to feel loved and important; I wanted to know that I was remembered. But, stronger than their love, was their fear and dependence. I needed to control them. It was never my intention to harm the people. But can’t you see, they need me for guidance?  I have to remain ruler to ensure everyone goes to his or her rightful place. We all have jobs now and purposes; our lives have meaning, even in death. My purpose was to control. Dictate.”

Rachael… Click! Clack- clickey click! Time to go back… 

“I will never let them go. I’m sorry child, the curse has been set and there is nothing you can do to stop it.” She stepped up from her throne, so that the folds in her elegant kimono extended. Without a doubt, Miira’s power was so immense that I couldn’t just blow it out. She had grown this power, fed it, and moulded it like putty in her hands. “I’ve destroyed you once, Mother… There’s nothing to stop me from doing it again. It’s time you went back to where you belong, and never return. Everything is to go back to normal…” She stepped up to me, raised her palm upwards and formed a fist. I wobbled. This was it, this was my last chance to stop Miira, but I couldn’t find the strength or the anger to lift my arms. I sagged against the stone steps that lead up to her throne. The Creators hummed in gentle curiosity.

“Can’t you see it’s for the greater good? I must distinguish the evil in the hearts of humans.”

“Wait…” Miira pulled her hand back; Gargoyle’s faint outline stepped through the mist. The Creators all tilted their heads at him. “You’re right Miira.”

“Gargoyle?” She lowered her hand as Gargoyle reached my side. Darkness was encroaching on me swiftly. 

“You were right about the corruption in people needing to be distinguished, but you are also blind to your own faults.”

Even behind her heavy mask, Miira’s face twisted in her anger, “You forget your place. I don’t have faults! I am a God!”

“You sent down thousands of Hunters, you caused chaos in the realm of the living…” Gargoyle argued.

“My hand was forced!”

“No, you made a choice.” Gargoyle took another step forward, “I’m sorry, but I won’t allow you to continue your rein of corruption and terror.”

“Banished Gargoyle, you are a mere demonic spirit, a lone man. Not even your great monster, Mother, can stop me. What makes you think you can make a change?”

Gargoyle took another step, “Because you too were just a lone spirit once, Miira; and because I am brave enough to stand up for what is right. The beauty of this is that when you stand up for what’s right… others will follow.” Behind him, pushing the dreary fog aside, the Blue Spirit stepped out from the mist followed closely by Chō who perched on her shoulder. When the Blue Spirit paused, Chō scampered off and into his child size form.

He glanced over at me and winked, grinning mischievously, and his teal eyes flickered with happiness. He turned towards the other Creators, speaking to them in a series of clicks. They all seemed to relax their shoulders, stepping away from Miira’s side.

“What? What’s this? You can’t leave me...” Miira stepped forward to snatch one of the Creators, but they turned and hissed at her, thrusting her hand away.

“It’s time, Rachael…” The Blue spirit whispered into my ear. My eyes fluttered uncontrollably; I could feel myself falling asleep.

“Don’t worry, we won’t destroy you. I’ll let Mother decide your fate as she has decided all other corrupted spirits.” Gargoyle grinned.

The Blue Spirit placed her hand against my forehead, pinched her fingers together as if she was unravelling string. When she pulled the darkness from my body, I felt my very being crumble. Then I was free from her. Like waking from a long sleep, I could only see distorted blurs of colour, and my eyes hurt so much that I tried to blink away the pain. The dark blur, who I could only presume was Mother, rushed forward. There was screaming and fighting before Mother was able to seal Miira in her grasp. With no Creators helping her, Miira was taken quickly.

But of course, I could only assume all of this because my body was nothing but unattached matter. The Blue Spirit was right. I was not strong enough to survive on my own after being attached to Mother for so long. I never got to say my goodbyes to my family, to Jordon, Gargoyle, or Evan. Would Evan still look at Mother, thinking I am buried deep inside? Was it the right choice to disappear rather than continue on as her?

All these doubts, second guessing and worrying, quickly vanished. I floated between the world of dreams and consciousness, not sure what to expect or what I should do. Then something in the vast darkness pricked me. It hit a nerve, and tingles ran up my spine and throughout my body, sending information into my brain.
How is this possible?

Miraculously, I woke up. I actually felt heavy in my human body; my eyes opened and air rushed into my lungs. Nerves were painfully coming back to life, like my whole body had fallen asleep. There was so much pain that I actually froze mid scream. It was too dark to see anything, but I felt the plastic sheet pressed against my face. My warm breath hit the barrier and blew back onto my face. The sheet covered more than just my head; the sheet encased my entire body.
Was I in a body bag?
 

My throat was too dry to scream. At first, I couldn’t make any noise beyond a wheeze. I kept trying to swallow, trying to wet my throat so I could produce noise. Any sound, anything at all. “W-Wait! St-op! I’m al-ive! I’m alive!” I screamed into the plastic.

I heard voices and shuffling, before the zip near my head was yanked down. Bright light welcomed me and all I could do was cry. Astonished voices clambered beyond the lights, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying.

I kept calling out, I couldn’t stop myself.  “I’m alive… I’m alive!”

Chapter Fifty-Three:

I don’t know how long I was in hospital. I constantly drifted in and out of consciousness. The endless beeping of machines made me feel like I was stuck inside some sort of giant clock. The sound of voices and the shuffle of footsteps entering and leaving my room became a soothing lullaby. A few times, in my dreams, the Blue Spirit came to visit me. She stood off into the distance; and even though I couldn’t see her clearly, I could always feel her smiling at me.

“Blue Spirit? Blue Spirit!” I would try to wave her down, “Thank you! Thank you for saving me!” The Blue Spirit merely lifted her hand and placed it on her heart.

During my conscious hours, I woke to find mum sleeping on the chair next to my bed. I felt like every bone in my body had been shattered. Perhaps it was true. I did plummet from a height that would’ve killed anybody. I looked down at myself; one leg was in a cast, as was my shoulder. There was an uncomfortable swelling in my chest, suggesting I had cracked some ribs, too. The bones all along my spine were uncomfortable and out of place. I wore a neck brace, as well, making it difficult to look around.

“Rachael?” Mum woke at my rustling. She scrambled over and held my unbroken hand. “Rachael! Rachael, you’re awake, you’re awake!” She was crying and kissing my hand. I still felt really drowsy; whatever drugs they were pumping into my body to lessen the pain kept my head spinning.

“Mum…?” mumbled and darkness swept over me, pulling me back into healing slumber. When I woke once more, I thought I was still dreaming, because I could’ve sworn I saw Jordon and Gargoyle by my bedside. Even Chaos and Damage were there, holding flowers in their hands.

When I blinked to clear my eyes, they were gone. I was alone in my room with the humming and beeping machines on my left. It was easier to move and my neck was no longer confined to a brace; while my broken leg and arm were each free of their slings.

I shifted over when a body surprised me. For a moment I tensed, thinking it was Mother coming back to drag me into the Realms; then I recognised Evan’s exhausted form. He was slumped across the bed in the chair next to me. His hand lay gently in mine, though when I moved closer I realised that he was transparent. He slowly lifted his head, his eyes barely open, and it seemed he used all his remaining energy to hold up his head.

“Rachael?”

“Evan?” I leaned forward, breaking into a smile, “Evan, I’m so happy to see you!”

“Promise me…” He struggled to mumble, “Promise me… to never forget.” His voice lifted up and away from me. I knew it was a dream but I didn’t want to awaken. Not yet.

“I promise. Once I’m better we can go back to the way things were, just you and me.”

“You have to… come… and find me again.”

I knit my brows, “Find you again? But, where are you going?” Evan closed his eyes and faded back into smoke. I jolted awake and a chill swept my body.

Chapter Fifty-Four:

A few weeks later, I was fully awake and able to eat on my own. ‘The Miracle Girl’, that’s what they called me. I’d been pronounced dead on the scene; my body broken and my skull fractured, sending bone shards through my brain. I should not have survived. The brain swelling alone caused massive trauma; yet here I am, healing and speaking without any problems. I did have a lifetime of physical therapy ahead of me, though and the doctors said I’d never walk unassisted again. My only guess was that the Blue Spirit had no choice, but to put me back in my own body. I could vaguely remember death, of being that close to leaving this world behind. I was so weak that I couldn’t even hold onto my thoughts. But here I am, months later, having yogurt and pudding with my mum.

We barely speak of that day. She was confused and I was still trying to wrap my head around everything that had happened. From what I saw on the news, things have right settled down. The danger and chaos caused by the Hunters’ and Reapers’ fighting had ended. I didn’t know if Miira remained, or what happened to Gargoyle, Jordon, and Evan. That was what bothered me the most, the not knowing. I withered away, concerned;
Are they okay? What happened in the end? Did Evan survive, did he make it to the third realm?
I felt like I’d never be complete without knowing. That I’d never be able to let them go, to move on with my life, if I never found out what happened. 

***

Still no news, and it was finally the day I was to be released from hospital. I had healed remarkably well considering the damage, but I still had a really bad limp and needed assistance with a wheelchair. I sat on my bed, looking out the bedroom window watching the city being rebuilt. I was a little bit annoyed, I mean,
didn’t I deserve to know the truth? Why haven’t any of them visited me yet? Why haven’t they even attempted to see if I was okay?

“Rachael, are you ready?” Mum was packing my stuff up. I found myself staring out the window. The sun was setting, the powerful red bled through the windows and coated the walls behind us.  I sighed heavily, unsure if I could accept this existence as my new normal.
What does all this mean? Back to school? Back to work and trying to figure out a career? Back to being ordinary Rachael Hastings?

“What’s wrong Rach?” Mum noticed my distraction. She put the bag back down and scooted over towards me on the bed. I hugged her close.

“I don’t know… I’m just upset. I haven’t heard anything…”

Mum pursed her lips, already knowing to whom I was referring, “This is probably for the best. Now, I know that I don’t know everything that happened, but it’s over now. Okay? You can go back to your life, before all this mess happened. They’re doing you a great favour by letting you live a normal life.” She kissed my head and stood up. “Now your Aunt has made us a large dinner in to celebrate your homecoming; all your friends will be there, too. I’ll just go get your discharge papers and we can be on our way.” 

Mum left the room, letting the silence return. I couldn’t move from my spot. Maybe she was right. Maybe by keeping their distance they were allowing me a chance to go back to my life. No, that’s not it. I can’t forget them. I just can’t pretend it never happened. They’d become a part of me; if you took them away I’d never be whole.

I carefully sat up as the nurse walked in with my wheelchair. Once in my chair she wheeled me out and positioned me next to the nurses’ station, where my mum chatted with the staff. Wow…so this is really it, huh? This is how it ends? A strange tingle moved up my arm, as if someone was very lightly stroking the fabric. I looked up and down the hall.

The corridor suddenly quieted. The patients and doctors seemed to vanish behind the encroaching fog. Colours faded and a thin smoky sheen filled the space. Amongst the eeriness, four figures stepped forward. I blinded eyes a couple of times to clear them, but the fog didn’t shift. Was this another dream? I pinched myself to make sure. It couldn’t be, it felt too real.

Jordon, Gargoyle, Chaos, and Damage were smiling at me. I quickly checked over shoulder on my mum, but no one else seemed to notice them.  Hidden well amongst the smoky depth, bright blue spark shimmered on the wall. When I squinted, I could just make out the outline of the Blue Spirit behind them. She held onto her necklace, the sparkling blue gem casting a blue wash over the entire corridor. I turned my chair in their direction and held my hand out.

“Are you really here?”

They all nodded gently. I wheeled up to them and felt the cold smoke press against me. With every breath, my mouth filled with the taste of ice and mint.

“I was scared I was never going to see you again,” I looked between them and noticed someone was missing. “Where’s Evan?”

“They had to take him…” Jordon explained sadly. “We waited as long as we could.”

Gargoyle added in, just as remorseful. “We came here to say goodbye.”

“Take him? What do you mean they had to take him?” I tried to rise from my chair, but the pain kept me seated.

“What Nathan did to him destroyed most of his soul.  He was too weak, even with a host; he couldn’t remain with us.” Jordon walked up to me and knelt down. “I’m sorry, Rachael. You did such an amazing job. We are so proud of you. You saved not only us; you saved an entire cosmos of Reapers and Banished, alike. I want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You’re a true hero.”

I cringed; he can’t be saying what I think he’s saying. “Wait… what do you mean? What happened to Evan?”

This time Gargoyle stepped forward, and it was hard not to notice the radical change in his appearance. Instead of flaming red hair, his hair was dyed to a more natural brown, similar to the colour he had before he had passed away. There was something about him that brightened the room; the power of love and light restored his body’s core.

“Mother took Miira down into the Realms where she’ll be trapped forever. The Sins were returned to their rightful place and I…” Gargoyle looked up, almost like he was bashful. Chaos skipped forward, his gentle voice ringing with good cheer. He bore scars where Damage had struck him, but they seemed to be healing fine.

“With Miira out of the picture, we needed a new Royal. Chō chose Simon to be our next ruler.” 

I felt my head sway, “Gargoyle… you’re a Royal now?”

“It’s not Gargoyle anymore,” Damage corrected, “its Simon, the Royal. Our ruler of balance and justice.” She beamed down at him. I glanced over at Jordon to notice he no longer carried the tattoo brand down his face.

“Your face…”

“Yes, well,” Jordon broke into a grin, touching his cheek as if he couldn’t believe it either, “Thanks to our new management the Reapers’ curse has been lifted. We can come and go into the heavens as we please.”

“Does that mean Betrayal will be okay?”

Jordon nodded gently, “I have my finest men looking for her in the Sin Realm. Don’t worry; we’ll rescue her in no time. Nathan, on the other hand, we’ll let him think about what he’s done for a while longer.”

“Jordon is also the head of security.” Gargoyle added, or should I start calling him now Simon, the Royal.

“Guys, I can’t believe it. I don’t think I could’ve wished for a better ending… except,” I glanced back between them, noticing the obvious gap where Evan should have stood. I chuckled lightly to myself, thinking how he’d probably linger near the back with his head cocked. With just one look, he’d say more than words could ever express. He’d just smile and wink at me with his sharp, green eyes. 

Jordon’s smile dropped, “Evan will be okay.” 

“Where is he now?”

“I’m not sure, but he won’t be waiting for you in the heavens. He was so badly broken that we couldn’t fix him; he was taken apart and rebuilt as a new soul. He will be sent back down to earth to be reborn. We know that he meant a lot to you, we just wanted to give you the chance to say goodbye.” 

“No… No I don’t want…” I swallowed my words. That was so selfish of me.
I don’t want! I don’t want
, I sounded like a child trying to hold onto dead pet. But this is more than that, this is Evan. My Evan. “Will it hurt him?”

“No, no of course not. He won’t remember anything; he’ll start fresh. He’ll be a different soul, a different young boy brought up in a different household. Small parts of him may remain, but he won’t hold onto any memories…”     

I couldn’t breathe properly; every breath caught in my throat. “He’s really gone?”

Jordon swallowed loudly, “Yes.”

I bowed my head. It wasn’t fair! How many times did I have to be dragged through this pain before it stopped? It felt like someone had ripped out my heart. “Thank you…” I whispered as Jordon stepped aside.

“There’s one more person that wants to say goodbye.”

I perked up. He pointed behind him where the blue spirit’s presence lingered. I turned my wheelchair around and rolled towards her faint body. The closer I got, the thicker the smoke became, until she was ablaze in the bright light emanating from her necklace. It was faint, but I could see the outlines of her head and cloak.

She reached out but didn’t touch me, “Little Rachael…This will be our last time speaking. I know what you want, but I cannot give it to you. I cannot bring back a soul that has been lost. But for your bravery and self-sacrifice, as I did for the little banished spirit, I will grant you one wish.”

“A wish?” I repeated.

The light from her jewel twisted the smoke into foggy sculpture. I tilted my head and could see that it was a picture of me. The figure of me rose confidently from her wheelchair and twirled on the spot. My brows furrowed. “Can you make me walk?”

She serenely nodded. “If you wish it?”

Words jumped to my throat, “No.” I looked down, surprised, “I don’t want that.” Raising my head, I managed to whisper, “I want to see him…”

She smiled, knowing who I was referring to. “I can show you his future, just small bits of it.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Yes. Yes, absolutely.” Life without Evan; knowing that my soul mate had been with me, but then disappeared. How could I go on knowing I’d never see him again? And that, when I do eventually die and go into the spiritual world, the Evan I knew and loved wouldn’t be there. At least this gave me some closure, even if it meant I was confined to a wheelchair; seeing him again even for a short moment was worth it.

The fog surrounding her necklace shifted, moulding into the vision of an infant’s first cry as he was handed to his mother. I could even hear each sharp inhale of his first few breaths before he was cradled into his mother’s chest.  The smoke swirled again, showing the boy’s first steps as he fell into his father’s open arms. The hint of green in his eyes sparked with familiarity. It was Evan yet, at the same time, it wasn’t.

He was born to a family on the other side of the country. He had an older sister and a younger brother. His parents were happily married; they even had a pet dog named Doug.  He was so happy. There he was, grade two winning the spelling bee competition. They had his art works pinned to the fridge door, along with the birthday parties he would attend over the weekend. Eight years old, he was playing with the other boys on the street. He was a little taller than most of them and that gave him a running advantage in their game of tag. Now turning fourteen, he’s trying out his first motorcycle with his dad and uncle. He’s naturally good at it and enters into a local competition where he comes in second. There’s even something small about him in the local paper.

He’s sixteen, going to a party where he kisses a girl for the first time. Her name is Michelle; she has soft brown hair with matching brown eyes. The first time he held her hand he had taken her out for a walk along the pier, it was raining and they got drenched.

He’s eighteen, celebrating graduation on top of his class. His friends all crowd him, wanting his signature in their yearbooks and to take photos. I don’t believe it, he’s twenty-two and he gets into University for an architecture scholarship. He’s in his dorm room, photos of family and friends framed and decorating his bench. A key marked 305 sits in his pocket. He’s living his dream, doing everything he ever wanted to do. I could see it all so clearly, I could almost smell the crisp scent of his laundry sitting on his bed.

It was so real. Too real. My breath felt so tight that I had to take a step back. He’s going to be alright. His life is perfect; the Evan I knew, that had starved to death on the attic floor, was long gone. And with it, so were his suffering and misery; and so was I.

“I’ll never forget you Evan… but it is better that you forget me …”

“Funny thing about the soul.” The blue spirit spoke through the smoke, “It can leave behind images and strange feelings inside their new bodies. Some people, if they cling to it hard enough, can remember past lives.”

I blinked back at her numbly. She continued, “Anyone can do it, but you have to hold onto them very tightly.”

I glanced down at Evan once more, back in his dorm room scribbling on a piece of paper. He kept checking the door, his face sadly disappointed. Then he leaned away from his desk, revealing what he had been drawing. At first I wasn’t sure that what I was seeing was true. He had been sketching into the column of his notes, again and again, a pair of blue eyes. My eyes. He had been sketching me. Over and over again, all over his book.