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I don’t care if this creature might want to eat my face. I spin and make my way towards it. The forsaken doesn’t move and watches me with its long claws dangling in the water. As soon as my toes feel the dampness leaking through my shoes, I let myself collapse into the shallow depths.
I don’t even bother to look at the terrifying creature.
If it wants to hurt me, it can get in line.
The water is cold and feels like absolute heaven on my skin. Still, my insides feel like molten lava. Swallowing, I try to stamp down that fire to no avail. So, instead, I let myself just lay in the water, the smallripples coming from the forsaken lapping against my body. The water isn’t doing much, but it’s helping enough that I can take deep breaths now rather than gasping and retching.
Small wins.
I don’t know how long I lay there, but when I finally feel like my body isn’t about to spontaneously combust, I open my eyes to look at what is supposed to be a murderous creature. It’s barely moved since I entered the water and only stands there, watching me.
Creeper.
I’m not afraid. Instead, we both stay still, considering each other. Through the pain, I feel sorry for the broken soul. I’m quickly becoming familiar with the feeling of being trapped. Looks like this creature and I have more in common than I thought. It seems like both of us have been dealt a shitty hand, to be trapped for all of eternity. I can’t even help this one, considering Leon has cut off my powers.
“I’m so sorry,” I croak at the creature. It’s killing me that I can’t free it.
As empathy floods my mind, the familiar silver light rises from me. It stutters like it’s fighting against something, but still, it comes, extending out from me. I’m shocked to see it, considering Leon said he cut me off.
Still, the light reaches out towards the forsaken. The creature moves forward a step and extends one of its long, clawed fingers towards the light. As they touch, my power grows, and the light further extends to envelop the forsaken.
As soon as my light fades, a young woman stands before me. She holds the same glow and is dressed in light leather-looking armour. She holds a bow with a quiver of arrows slung on her back. I continue to lay in the water, content to feel the cool press of it soothing my skin as I watch the spirit.
The spirit is less inclined to follow my relaxation regime. She waves at me, trying to get my attention.
I don’t think I’ll ever understand why 90% of ghosts want nothing to do with me and the other 10% feel compelled to order me around. Still, despite the blinding pain that pulses through my joints at the effort, I stand up. I’ve learned my lesson about not listening to spirits way before my life got boss-level paranormal.
The spirit beams at me and exhausted, I manage a thumbs-up, waiting for something to happen. The spirit just stands facing me now, giving me an expectant look. I try to figure out what the spirit wants. She’s waiting around and looking at me like she fully expects something to happen. I frown. “What? What am I missing? Why aren’t you leaving?”
The ghost spreads her arms wide as if to indicate something completely obvious.
I grow frustrated. “Look – I don’t know what you want. Okay? I’m sorry. But spirits out here, they don’t have a good afterlife. And at least one of us should be free. It looks like you’ve suffered longer. So, you should go. Go be wherever you need to be now.”
As I speak the words, the spirit beams at me as if she’s finally been given the magic words, and with them, she fades out from existence until I’m once again surrounded by darkness.
Alone with the burning pain of the bond again, my shoulders sag. The forsaken was a nice distraction from the searing heat in my body. I’m happy for the spirit. At least I was able to help someone find their freedom today. It might not be my own, but it gives me hope that my time will also come.
Because it will come, I won’t stop fighting until I’m free again.
Giving in to the call of the cool water, I walk deeper into the ocean. I’ll just let myself float the night away.
I’m in knee-high water when I hear someone walking into the water behind me. I start to turn, expecting to see Leon. However, before I turn even an inch, a large hand clamps down on my mouth. It’s accompanied by a deep voice that doesn’t belong to Leon. “Sorry, mortal – this won’t feel very good.”
And with that, the ground below my feet disappears as I’m wrenched from the realm.
THE END
