I Remember (Remembrance Series) (41 page)

My breath caught as I processed how the year and month of the crash coincided with the time of our disappearance. I began searching the nearby trees for what I knew I would find, Angeline and Daniel’s initials carved inside a heart on a tree, midway between the station and the riverbank.

I stood transfixed, staring at the carving when Gregory walked up behind me, knowing what I had just discovered. He wrapped one arm around me as we both placed our hands on the tree and felt Ray’s presence, instantly.

“I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten this place, entirely,” Ray said with a smile, suddenly appearing before us.

As we turned in his direction, air and leaves began to swirl around us, growing faster and faster, suddenly stopping as we watched day turn into night. The station’s lanterns illuminated the area and we saw Daniel approaching. We had been transported back to that night.

“Angeline, are you here my love?” He called out to her.

A dark cloaked figure came up behind him. “No, but I am!” The voice was female and oddly familiar.

We watched as the figure knocked him out with a small tree limb, before casting some sort of spell that caused his body to levitate.

Within minutes, Angeline’s voice called out. “My darling Daniel, where are you hiding?”

The same dark shape came up behind her, but the voice was more sinister this time. “Why would he come to see someone as pathetic as you?!”

The figure followed the same pattern as Daniel, levitating her in the same direction.

We looked over to Ray, about to ask what was transpiring, when we were suddenly on board a train. We watched as Angeline and Daniel lay helpless on the floor, both their hands and feet tied.

“If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself,” the dark cloak figured announced.

I tried to move from my spot to get a glimpse of the cloaked person, but found myself unable to move.

Suddenly the figure turned, snapping her fingers, which woke Angeline and Daniel with a start. They struggled against some unforeseen force, holding them down, yelling out for someone to help them.

“Scream all you want. No one will ever hear your cries for help. In mere minutes this train will crash over the bridge heading out of town. I have my demon spirits working to destroy the rails, as we speak.”

Her face was cast in shadows, but the glint of an amulet around her neck, caught my eye. It looked old and magical and began to glow as the shape shifted to a new form, one of the little boy delivering a note.

Both Angeline and Daniel looked in horror as they saw the cloaked figure continue to change into various forms.

“You demonic witch,” Daniel screamed, “leave the innocent people on this train alone and deal only with us. Obviously we are your targets.”

The figure was now in its true form, with long willowy fingers, wrinkled old skin, and an eerie voice. “Nothing would give me more pleasure than to kill the two of you. Sadly, if I take your lives by my own hands, my powers will be subdued, maybe even nullified. I cannot take that chance. I need this to look like an accident and for your demise to be at the hands of my dark spirits. They can rot in hell for all I care.”

Daniel continued to talk with the witch, attempting to bargain for her to take his life and spare that of Angeline.

Angeline made the same argument to spare him.

“True love, one’s willingness to give up one’s life to save the one they adore,” the witch said sweetly. “It repulses me!” Her tone became venomous.

The witch cackled, “Long live your deaths!” Before disappearing in a cloud of dark smoke.

Gregory and I held tight to one another, watching our counterparts struggle to free themselves and bracing for the train to crash.

The train whistle blew and the wheels began to lock and suddenly we were on the banks of the shore, some distance away, watching the events of the crash take place. Train cars began sliding off the tracks along the edge of the river, while others dangled atop of the bridge, threatening to go over at any moment.

We watched as two people fell into the river from the car we had just been in. Daniel and Angeline stayed below the waterline for what seemed like an eternity before they bobbed up to the surface.

“Angeline, use your legs to kick hard. Keep your head above water,” Daniel yelled in a panicked voice.

I watched helplessly as Daniel, his arms bound in front of him and his bound legs were kicking hard to reach Angeline. Both looked exhausted from their struggle with the water.

Angeline started to go under but Daniel finally reached her, lifting her bound arms with his. “Stay with me, Angeline. We need to put all of our energy into reaching the shore.”

“I’m too tired, Daniel. I cannot fight anymore.” Her voice was weak and her eyes were barely open, exhausted from trying to stay afloat.

“I cannot and will not live without you, my love,” he shouted.

She looked deeply into his eyes and cried out, “I love you too much to let both of us perish. Please, go on without me and know that no one will ever love you as much as I do.”

His voice screamed, “No! I would rather save your life and give up my own, than to live a day without you. I love you to no end.”

Gregory and I held tight to one another as we watched them, slowly losing their battle.

The witch’s cackle and the cheers of her demon spirits could be heard emanating from the other side of the shore.

Their cries suddenly died as two brilliant white lights surrounded Angeline and Daniel and lifted them out of the water. Their bodies were almost limp, but their hands both reached out to touch the other. When their fingers connected, they took on spirited forms and transcended toward the skies, disappearing into the heavens.

The air and leaves began to swirl around us and in a flash; we were back at the tree, with a white feather at our feet and a note from Ray.

Gregory and I walked back to the car, clinging to one another. I felt numb, as we continued our journey to the airport.

I remember hugging Anderson and thanking him for his driving and the guidance he had given us. I even remember getting onto the jet and Gregory offering me something to eat, which I declined. However, everything after that was a blur.

I know he tried to talk to me, but I had emotionally checked out as I tried to comprehend everything that had happened up to this point.

Our destiny was doomed to a fate of death, only to be saved for another time and place, in the final moments. I knew there was a chance that we could potentially beat our fate, but was I willing to take that risk and gamble my life on a possibility
? Do I want to leave my mother without anyone to look after her? Could the love that Gregory and I share be enough to finally break this cycle?

Halfway through the flight, I managed to lean into his shoulder and fall asleep, crying, as he attempted to soothe my fears.

“It will be alright, Sweetheart. It does not mean our fate will be the same.” Obviously, he was having the same doubts as I.

He shook my shoulders gently as we prepared for landing in Daytona Beach. Before climbing into his car, he pulled me close, lifting my chin with his hand and tried to kiss me. Sadly, my heart was not in it and I pulled away. I ached for him, and the hurt on his face was evident, but I continued to question the various paths our lives could potentially take.

I finally spoke during the drive back. “What if we had never met? Could our lives be different if our paths had never crossed?”

“Don’t do this, Jordan.” His voice was pained.

“Think about it, Gregory. If we severed our ties to one another, maybe our days would return to normal and we could have the chance to actually live-- without fear of a predetermined death.” I argued.

“You don’t know that,” he complained. “Just because Daniel and Angeline’s fate ended does not mean ours will end, too. You’re overwrought with emotion and need time to think. Don’t do this to us, to me. I need you.”

I was relentless with my idea, until he finally allowed me a trial separation to prove whether my theory was correct and that the spirits would leave us alone.

We arrived at Mom’s house a short time later. Gregory walked me to the door, carrying my suitcase in one hand and putting his other arm around my waist. “Are you sure about this?” His voice was full of questioning and defeat.

“Truthfully, I don’t know. I love you more than anything; but if we go our separate ways and life returns back to normal, then maybe we can save ourselves from a painful fate,” I said, solemnly.

“We can’t know whether this will work or not.”

“That’s why we have to try. Please stay away from me. Don’t call, don’t encroach on my dreams, just let me have two or three weeks to myself, as a test—to see if my theory works.” I begged, knowing I didn’t want this. But, if it saved his life, my life and rescued our parents from a world of loss, it would be worth it. I loved him enough to try.

“Here’s your phone and ring back.” I handed him the items.

He dropped the luggage on the ground and yelled out, “No! The only way I will agree to this ‘test’ is if you keep the phone, because you need it. If we separate permanently, I can have the number switched over to your name and an account created for you.

“Plus, you have to keep the ring. Wear the ring for now, no one has to know that we are ‘taking a break’ from each other. But, I will only take it back if you can tell me, with absolute certainty, there is no hope for us and we are better off apart. Until you can do that, I refuse to accept the ring back!” Gregory was extremely insistent on the last part.

“Please don’t do this,” he begged.

“I can’t have my life end with the same fate as Angeline’s. I won’t do that to my mother, she has already lost so much.” I was almost in tears.

“I love you more than life, Jordan. I’ll do this, but only if you promise to accept my terms? I hope you understand the kind of pain you will be putting me through. I promise not to touch your dreams, but I will continue to dream of you.” His face looked defeated.

“Fine, I will agree to your terms. I will tell Mom that we are taking some time to ourselves to think things through.”

He took my face in his hands and stared into my eyes. “I don’t want to accept this; but since we have come to a compromise, I’ll do it for you, only because I love you! However, should you see any chaos come back into your life before the time is up, call me immediately; the experiment is over at that point.”

I felt my heart breaking as he still held my face. “Agreed. I will give you a call, soon.”

He leaned toward me. I thought to kiss my lips one last time, only to feel a peck against my cheek. He released my face and glanced away. “Promise to stay safe?”

“I promise. Will you do the same?”

“Yes. I can’t stand this. I need to go.” Gregory’s face looked tortured as he turned and walked away.

“Bye.”

He would not respond back. He got into his car and drove off, taking my heart with him.

I could feel the tears pour down my face. I tried to pull it together, knowing I would have to give mom an explanation as to why we needed time apart.

My mom was at the door in no time. I tried not to look up so she wouldn’t see the tears, but her arms were already around me. “What’s wrong?”

“We have decided to take some time off from one another, to reexamine our lives and see if this is where we want to be.” The statement seemed plausible.

“Did something go wrong on your trip? Why the sudden change of heart?” I knew the questioning had only begun.

“We had a good time. I got to meet some of Gregory’s cousins and we spent some time sightseeing and checking out some of the local history.

“I don’t know how to explain why we have taken some time off, other than I got spooked a bit and realized how quickly we have rushed into this. I decided that maybe we should take a break for a few weeks.” I couldn’t tell her the real reason; that I feared for mine and Gregory’s lives.

“I can see you don’t want to talk about it, just yet. So I won’t pry. When you feel up to it, just let me know.” Mom gave me another hug.