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Angelic Voice

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Chapter Twenty Five: Reborn

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I frown as I watch TV in our room. My parents have officially been declared missing. So have my brother and me. I can't help but worry for Eric and wonder where Steven has taken his body to and if I could possibly get there, with Edward of course.

With the memories of two days ago with Amy my heart sunk and clenched up. The frown on my face seems permanent. I look behind me to see Edward still sleeping. He's been doing that a lot lately. I think it's because he's getting weak but he refuses to leave my side until he absolutely has to. Something I strongly disagree with. If staying here is making him ill he should go and regain some of his strength.

But I wonder how long it'll take Josh to get here. Will it take just a few minutes? Or a few days? Time is different to them than it is to me after all. What could be a few hours to them could be a few days to me. For I am mortal and they are not. Time is precious to me. Something that I would never want to just waste, yet they can waste as much time as they like and not have to worry about their life on earth ending.

This brings back all my worries and doubts about my relationship with Edward. I don't want to be separated from him. Even if he did leave me, I would not move on. I wouldn't want to and no one will make me. I'd give up everything for him, just as he did for me without a second thought.

I turn the TV off, not wanting to see my brothers face on there any longer. Leaning down on the bed I lay my head on Edward's chest while still sitting. I breath in his scent and memorize it, almost as if any day together could be our last. Which is exactly true.

Despite what I say, I don't want him to go back to regain strength. I think he should, but I don't want him to. I want him to stay here with me no matter what. Maybe. . . I just want to die together. Because he would die if he stays here to long, and I'll die without him.

Maybe I seek death, maybe I never wanted to be reborn again. No one ever asked me. Shouldn't my wants and desires matter at all? What if I wanted to die and become whatever it is normal dead people become? What if I wanted to die then wait for Edward to die and join me? But then, would he move on? I don't believe he would.

I feel Edward stir from underneath me and pick my head up. My pale blue eyes lock with his jade ones as soon as they flutter open beautifully. Suddenly all I want to do is hear his voice. That beautiful voice that I've become so accustomed to. The voice I would do anything to keep in my world. So I start a conversation, to ask something that I really want.

“I miss my brother Eric,” I say.

“No surprise, most twins have never been away from each other for this long. I'm still waiting for you to break down completely and choke or slap someone.”

I give him an odd look then lay my head back down.

“I want to go look for him.”

“No.”

“Edward. . .! He's still my brother!” I whine.

He sighs. “Why do you want to look for him, when what you'll find won't be your brother. And it's dangerous, he's not the same as the Steven from back then. There's no telling what he'll do. Going to see him would be stupid, you'd be putting yourself in danger.”

I roll my eyes. “I'm not planning on going alone. I was thinking you'd come with me to look for him. The news said he's missing, so he's not home or anything.”

Edward sighs. He's been doing that a lot lately.

“He might be with Amy somewhere. Or maybe Rose has them both in hiding. Since he seems to be involved with her too somehow. Probably a pawn in her plans. She could be the one corrupting his mind and spirit too. Though I've never heard of a demon strong enough to do that.”

Rose is anything but normal. . .

“Your spirit is usually your own. You can sell it but that should be it. Driving people crazy and possessing has nothing to do with your spirit, but rather your mind. I've never heard of an instance where a demon did something to a humans soul. I wasn't even sure it was possible until Rose came in the picture.”

I nod. “Edward, I need Eric in my life. I can't be happy without my brother there.”

Surprising me, Edward chuckles, almost darkly, and scares me a bit. I'm a bit afraid to ask why he's chuckling like he's a villain but don't know why I should be.

“You've said that before. About Steven.”

He almost growled the name, but managed to control himself quite well I'd say.

“Edward. . .?”

“Yes?”

“Remember when Steven said that he was 'wanted' and you said he is but not 'needed'? What did you mean by that? Why is Steven in Eric? Did someone give up their soul for him to be there?” I ask wondering why I didn't ask this before now. I think I might have just been too shocked to say anything. I was still absorbing everything.

“No, no one had to give their soul for him to come back. There is something else keeping him here. From finding peace in death and excepting that. And that's you. Because the old Erin wants him to stay so badly he can't sever that tie from her. You have to sever it.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. Shifting I lay down beside him and rest my head on his shoulder. He has no shirt on and I kiss his burning flesh, he feels really hot right now. I'm almost afraid he'll catch fire soon. I wonder if it's because he's getting weak. Maybe he's getting sick too?

Once he's done explaining he really should go to the Underworld and get better.

“But that tie doesn't exist anymore, not for me anyway. So shouldn't it be already gone? Or do I have to do some kind of weird task to sever it? And how does that even work? I thought you had to sell your soul, and why in Eric? He's not Steven, he was brought back differently than me. But how? I don't get it. . .”

Edward sighs and lazily puts an arm around me. “There are three different ways for one to be reincarnated, Erin.”

I nod and wait for him to continue. Noticing that that's what I want him to do he sighs again and lightly groans, rubbing his temples to fight off a headache. I consider stopping and letting him sleep some more but I'm kicking him out once he explains so he can get better anyway. And I'm kind of anxious to see Josh.

Despite what he says, Josh sounds like a sweet guy. Selling his soul for his brother's sake and just watching from a distance. He must be so lonely. I kind of want to give him a bear hug when I see him.

“What are the three ways?” I urge.

“Well, there's selling your soul for one. And also, if you have unfinished business in this world. Like you died without completing it and it ties you down to earth. Your soul and not your body of course. And you'll continue to be reborn until that task is completed.”

“Do they remember the task and have dreams too?” I ask.

“No, it's just that the feelings remain the same. In time, you want to complete that same task. Some it starts even as they're little. Even if the current them can't remember it, at first, something inside of them won't let it go. That's why they keep coming back. Same thing with ghosts, if they're attached to a certain place and can't let go their spirit stays in that place until they can let go.”

So ghosts are real? I kind of want to ask but don't want to steer him away from the topic at hand so I just nod again, letting him know I get it and that he should continue.

“Okay. . . so Steven has unfinished business?” I ask, unable to stop myself from asking.

“No. It's not that. He came back by the third way.”

“And that's?”

“. . . Because you can't let go.”

I give him a confused look, making sure he knows he needs to continue for me to understand that. I mean, I did let go, right before our wedding didn't I?

“The last way of being reborn is to stay with someone. If one person is reborn with the other two ways and they have a tie with someone they'll get reborn too. Souls can get attached to each other and Steven's soul is attached to you just as you are to his. Because despite you promising me a life without Steven in it, you didn't want to let him go. Those feelings stayed with you even after death. And even if you can't remember them, consciously, something inside of you does and refuses to let him go.”

“But why in Eric?”

“Because you always claimed that your love for him was the same as the love a girl holds for her big brother. You used to call him brother too, when you were little. But things change. After he confessed his love to you it got awkward and you didn't like calling him brother anymore even if that is how you think of him.”

“How I claim?” I scoff. “You think I'm, or I was, in love with him?”

Edward shrugs, “Only you can answer that to yourself. Even if you say it out loud that you don't, how can I be sure it's not a lie?”

“Well how can I be sure you're not lying when you say you love me?” I countered.

“Yes, you're right. How could you know? I mean anyone would sell their soul for someone hey didn't like. Maybe I'm the one who really killed you too. I mean you were getting kind of clingy. And a player needs his time to play. . . or whatever they say.”

I laugh and punch his shoulder.

“You suck at modern sayings!”

“Yeah well, you were acting stupid right there.”

“No need to be an ass about it.”

“I'm a sarcastic person,” he shrugs.

I roll my eyes. “Whatever. You should go back to the underworld now. You're getting so weak you can't even think of good sayings or phrases or. . . er. . .”

“Did you smoke a joint while I was sleeping? Minds all foggy? Getting cramps. . .?” Edward asks and I punch him again. What did cramps have to do with it? He really needs to go and rest in the underworld.

“Is Josh strong?” I ask, catching him a bit off guard with my question.

“Yes he is. Almost as strong as me.”

I roll my eyes. Men and their ego.

“You need to go now. . .” I say.

Edward's face hardens. “I can stay for awhile longer.”

“All you do is sleep though. You're exhausted and making yourself sick. You need to go, it won't take long right?”

“I can be back in a day if you need me to. . .”

I shake my head. “You need to stay down there for as long as you need. Who knows, maybe you'll find Rose down there.”

He grins. “That would be a very good thing. Since I'm stronger down there than here.”

“But so is she,” I counter.

“So? She won't beat me.”

“You should go now, or you'll never go.”

He sighs. “Josh will take a few hours to get here. And that's only if I find him right away. . .” Edward whispers, obviously not liking this small little fact.

“I'll be fine until them,” I assure him, though I'm feeling kind of nauseous right now. I'll be alone for a few hours, that's all. Then Josh will be here with me. But my hearts racing against my chest with alarming fear.

Edward doesn't say anything. His arm that's lazily around me suddenly tightens and he moves me so I'm laying completely on him. I look into his beautiful eyes and feel ensnared in them. He leans forward and kisses me sweetly. He hasn't kissed me like this since before I died. I kiss him back just as gently. This is a kiss that tells me a lot of things.

For one, that he would die if something happened to me. That or, go on a crazy killing spree. Something I hope never happens.

My heart expands in my chest, once again filling itself with him.

“As soon as I can. . .” he whispers when our lips part slightly. I could feel his lips move against mine as he spoke.

Suddenly warm wind gathered underneath me and around him. He begins to fade and I watch with widened eyes. He grins at this and pecks me on the lips one more time before fading completely.

I fall back on the bed, letting out a puff of air that I had apparently been holding in without even realizing it. I look at the clock and sigh, I have nothing to do for a few hours and think I'll sleep. After all, if I stay awake I'll be quivering in fear the whole time and that wouldn't be a good thing. At least if I sleep I can relax before I meet Josh.

Deciding to just sleep I close my eyes and allow my mind to ease and fall asleep. Apparently I'm more tired than I first thought so it really isn't hard to let myself go.

A loud clanking noise wakes me up and I almost jump out of bed, my heart pounding in an unsteady rhythm. It's dark in the room and I can barely see anything. The light from the moon is the only thing that lets me see some things, very few things.

As I calm down my heart I realize that it might be Josh making the noise. I clear my throat which is surprisingly dry and call out his name but there's no answer. My fear intensifies and I wonder if maybe I'm just hearing things.

I start when I suddenly hear footsteps and fear overcomes me. My body starts to tremble and I know it's not Josh. The footsteps sound like the person has high heels on. So unless Josh is a cross dresser, or got a sex change I think it's—

“Well well, look who's all alone and helpless,” comes Roses voice.

I knew it.

She comes to stand by the bed and I find myself unable to move. She leans down next to me and whispers in my ear.

“You really are pathetic you know that? Edward can't take his eyes off you for a second can he? Such a stupid girl. . .”

Roses hand comes out and snatches my jaw, forcing me to look at her and holding my jaw so tightly that it hurts. Her eyes are blood red and she looks happy. I know that she's planning on killing me now, and that it'll be painful and slow. I try not to sob and it works though I can't find my voice.

It reminds me of my dream, she had taken my voice away. Is she doing that now? But how? Why is Rose so much more powerful than the other demons? Is Edward really stronger than her? Will he even be able to protect me from her? Or will he just die trying?

But will Rose even kill him?

She obviously needs him for something.

“I hope you enjoyed you last morning with Edward, consider him mine now. Because you won't be alive much longer,” Rose says and picks me up my my chin, hurting me.

He'll kill you!

I want to scream. He wouldn't be with her if she killed me. He wants to kill her. That's what he says, but he had a point earlier. Can I really believe everything he says? Should I believe everything he says?

“Now, it's time for me to tell you my side of the story, but not here. It's not the right place. And if we stay here too much longer we'll be interrupted by that little one. . .” Rose says.

She knows about Josh?

She tugs on me and I fall against her. I try to pull away but she wraps her arms around me and the surroundings start to fade. She's transporting us somewhere, I realize. I try to gain control over my fear that threatens to crush me but it's not use.

Rose must be able to feel my body shake against her because she lets out a dark chuckle. Soon the ground removes itself from under my feet and we're not in the house anymore.

My whole world turns black as I once again lose consciousness. . .

The beginning of the end. . . hope you liked it!

So I'm thinking about doing a sequel for this. It changed the ending I had originally planned for this but I think I want to do this. And the ending I had originally planned will instead be the epilogue for the sequel. I don't know what to call it though. Maybe Demonic Voice or An Angel's Voice, ha ha! I'll show more of Josh in there if I do it too. He'll be more main. Well, I got time. So this might end up being 29 chapters instead. If I decide to actually do the sequel. What do you guys think?

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