章 17: Part XVII
"So", I decide to continue with my string of questions, "where exactly are we?"
"We're in-between life and death my dear."
"Huh? Like an afterworld?"
"Er, well. We could say that. It's where souls remain when detached from the body. From here, you can decide to go back or go on."
"By go on, you mean really die? Like cease to exist at all?" She nods in response to me and I try to process my current situation. I could choose to go back or go on. I'm not ready to die just yet and the fact that Dylan actually risked his life to save me changes a lot of things.
What if Jake had suspected? We'd both be dead meat by now.
"Crystal," Betty's soft voice brings me from my thoughts, "don't think too hard about it." She takes my hand in hers, holding it firmly and it calms me down.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all these alone" Betty says with moisture in her eyes, obviously fighting back tears from falling. Her affection and kindness towards me is quite unnerving but calming at the same time. I can't bring myself to trust her but I can't push her away either.
She seems to have the calmest soul. It's no wonder Jake seemed to actually really love her. this brings me to a question that's been pricking at my chest for days.
"Betty?", I remove my hand from hers and turn to face her, "you're Jake's wife, right?."
"Huh?" She asks nervously and if I couldn't read people, I'd think she's confused about the question.
"Wh-what do you mean by that?"
"Well," I keep my eyes fixed on her face scanning for an expression or reaction, "since every Connor's wife has to be killed, how come you're still alive?."
Immediately, she gets up and I follow suit, quickly standing in front of her. Its been so long since I stood up it feels so foreign to use my legs. She turns away from me, avoiding my eyes and folding and unfolding her arms. She's obviously hiding something.
"Tell me. What's going on?" I ask again and she turns around to face me with a wide plastic grin on her face.
"I was just messing around. But that's not the important thing now," she says seriously avoiding my eyes. Why is she being so nervous now?.
The fact that she's hiding something puts at risk every form of trust I was trying to form with her.
"No. I want to know why you're not dead"
"You'd know. When the time is right"
"There's no right time for anything Betty. It's either you tell me now or I go back into my body right now."
"That's exactly what I'm saying Crystal. That's the most important thing right now, the rest will follow after that."
"What do you mean by that?".
"Well, I know I told you before that you could leave here once you decide to go back into your body." I nod once and she continues, sitting back down on the bed, "it's not as easy as I said. Just like the spell, it's not completely waterproof. You could either go back to life, or die." My knees get weak from this sudden news and I find my way to the bed, keeping my distance from her a little.
"Explain to me what you mean", I ask with a shaky voice.
"There are a lot of factors to determine if you're going to live or not. The force wanting you to die versus the force wanting you to live and right now, the former seems stronger, I guess.
The only people wanting you to live right now are just you, Dylan and I. Jake and his cohorts want you dead and you of all people know very well how strong they are."
"Yeah, but they don't exactly know I'm alive, that should count for something right?" I ask hopefully.
"Well yes, it does actually", she says lifting my faith but then she looks at me and her eyes suck away my newly found hope, "but, I'm only sure about Jake not knowing. the rest, I'm not so certain."
I hate how I seem to always be doomed lately. It's like the whole universe is against me. All I've ever wanted was a simple life with Dylan and two kids. I never asked for too much. Why do I have to go through all this. Why? I love Dylan so much but I'm starting to regret saying Yes to him. I'm starting to regret ever meeting him and getting entangled in all this.
"Hey." Betty says calmly and uses her thumb to wipe my cheek making me realise I was crying, "I'm sure Dylan's love alone is sufficient enough."
No. I'm not going to rely on his love or the love of anyone else. I'm going to do this alone. It was my drive to live that brought me here, that same drive will take me back.
"What exactly do I have to do." I ask with so much optimism in my heart making her smile proudly at me.
"Here," she twirls her palm around and immediately, a brown sheet of paper appears in her palm and I take it with shaky hands, "on it are words that you have to chant over and over again until you find yourself in another realm. Either on earth or-"
"On earth," i cut her off, "I'm going to make it through. It's not time for me to die yet."
"Good." She smiles again, tears glistening in her eyes. Why does she always get emotional with me. It's almost as if there's more to it than the eyes meet. That's when it dawns on me.
"How about you Betty? How will you leave this place?" Her face falls and she looks away from me.
"Talk to me."
"I have to do the same thing but there's a very slim chance of me making it."
"And why's that? I'm sure you son wants to see again and surprisingly, I also don't want you to die just yet."
"Yes, I know that but the thing is," she sniffs "I took my own life."
"What?"
"Yeah. Well I was trying to test out the spell on myself first before Dylan tries it on you."
"What? Why would you do that Betty. What if it didn't work? You would have died. You-"
"I know," she cuts me off. "But I just had to do it."
Why would she take such a risk for me? Was it guilt? Or pity? It has to be much more than that to put her life on the line for me.
"Why didn't Dylan do it so going back wouldn't be so hard?".
"You can only use that spell once in a lifetime. He had to use it for you Crystal."
This is all just overwhelming. She risked her life for me. And took the harder route by killing herself? Wow. I never knew she cared this much for me. And Dylan, watched his own mother kill herself for my sake. I feel really guilty now for ever regretting marrying Dylan.
He still loves me. Betty still loves me. I'm not all alone after all. I have people to live for.
"We will make it Betty." I hold the paper firmly in my hand, hope and determination flooding through me, "I know we will". Dy-Dylan is waiting for me.
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Blackturtle
Blackturtle Hi hi, im sorry for the late update. I'm sure you didn't regret opening this book. I hope you don't mind to add to your library, leave reviews and also vote with power stones. thanks for reading once again. God bless.
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