Chapter 34
✾Zak✾
“What’s going on? Where am I?” I said out loud. I’m in darkness. I feel like I’ve been here once before…before I became a ghost maybe? That feeling of nothingness…I didn’t pass on did I? How could I? I don’t even know what my unfinished business is, I shouldn’t have passed on…I can’t move on. I promised myself that I would protect her. I know I’m just a ghost, but I don’t want to leave her. How do I get out of here?
“What’s happening?” That’s Vera’s voice…But when I look around there’s nothing. I can’t see a thing. I can’t even tell if my glasses are on my face or not. I can’t move my body. What the hell? “Dad, Zak and I are in the woods and something happened…” Her voice is drifting away from me. “NO, NO PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME.” Tears well up at the corner of my eyes, I know they are trickling down my face, but I can’t feel it, “I don’t want to be left alone…please…Vera, don’t go…” The energy that I was storing in myself from the electronics in the house it feels like it’s slipping away from me. I was storing it just in case Vera was going to get hurt. That way even if it was just for a moment I could catch her.
I’m just floating here in this darkness. How long have I been floating here? ‘Second chances…’ Something…someone whispered in my ear. I turned quickly, but no one was there.
“Who’s there?” I asked. There’s a long pause of just dead silence.
‘Treehouse…come back…alone…’ With the way this voice is whispering, I can’t tell if it’s a man’s voice or a woman’s voice. Though it sounds closer to a woman’s voice for the octaves that I’m hearing.
“Why do I have to be alone? Why won’t you show yourself? Are you a spirit of the tree house? I’ve been back there a couple of times with Vera, why wouldn’t you show yourself to me? Are you the one that’s done this to me?” I rifled off questions to this voice that I’m hearing, but I’m getting nothing in return.
‘Alone…come…’ It said.
Why am I feeling heat? I mean I’m not complaining; I haven’t felt anything in a long time. So why is it heat of all things that I’m feeling right now? Is this another one of those phantom phenomenon’s that I can’t control? Kind of like the phantom smell that I give off apparently everyone once in a while.
That warm sensation lasted for a long while, but then it eventually faded. The next feeling, I got from whatever the hell is going on with me is…I don’t know how to describe it. It’s almost like someone is touching me. Like physically somehow touching me and not just phasing through me. It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything like that. I see tears welling up in the corner of my eyes again…I’m going to cry; I didn’t know that I could miss such a simple thing so much. Why is all this happening now?
I’m all alone…I don’t like this…I don’t want to be alone anymore. I’ve been alone for years.
“Has he woken up yet?” Wait…that’s Vera’s mom’s voice…How did I get back to the house, Last thing I remember is for some reason I stopped floating and I went falling back down to the ground out of the tree house.
“Not yet. I’m getting a bit worried, he’s been asleep for a few days now.” That’s Vera’s dad…wait…I’m I having one of those out of body experiences and I’m already dead? And because I’m already dead is why I can’t see anything that’s happening? Oh god this is really weird.
“Do you think it was a good job to have Vera going to school while Zak is in this state?” Vera’s mother asked.
What state am I in? I’m dead so why do I feel so heavy? Why can’t I open my eyes? ‘Second chance…’ The voice again. What does it mean by second chance? Wait no…no it can’t mean…am I…am I somehow, someway…alive again?
“She’ll be alright. The Cherry blossoms are starting to bloom.” So I’m in the second room upstairs. I know this room looks out at the backyard and you can see the sakura tree.
I need to keep my promise…dead or alive, I need to open my eyes. I want to sit in that tree with Vera for real and look up at the stars. With some effort, I finally get my eyes to crack open. Everything’s blurry, I don’t have my glasses on…where are my glasses?
“Dear, he’s waking up.” Vera’s mom said and I blinked slowly a few times. So I’m laying down. I forgot that they had a spare bed in here. The blur that is Vera’s mother is a little more defined now that she’s closer to me.
She sat on the bed on my left and Vera’s dad came into view as well. His hand reached towards my face and he brushed some of my bangs out of my eyes. “Heterochromia, that’s rare to see and it’s complete at that.”
“Wha…” My voice cracked really bad. My throat feels dry on top of it. I can hear my heart in my ears…I am alive…I’m alive…but how? Why?
“Do you want to try to drink something, Zak?” Vera’s mom asked me and I nodded a little.
Mr. Smirnov helped me sit up. He was really strong and his hands were really warm against my chest and back. Mrs. Smirnov got a glass of water but I don’t know from where. “Where are my glasses?” My voice, it’s so quiet and raspy right now.
“We set them on the night stand just in case.” He answered and I felt him take his hand off my back. I felt a bit wobbly, but I didn’t think that I was going to fall back down. The light scrap from the sound of my glasses on wood hit my ears. Before I could even try to bring a hand up to grab them Mr. Smirnov put them on for me and I could at least see things clearly now. Well as clear for the rang that my glasses would allow. I was still wearing my t-shirt and my jacket was hanging on the end of the bed. I’m still in my jeans, but I can feel the blanket against my toes so they took my socks and shoes off.
Mrs. Smirnov had put a straw in the cup and put the straw against my lips. I let it slip past my lips and held onto it lightly. It took more effort than I think it’s ever taken just to suck the water up the straw and into my mouth. At least after all these years my body still remembers how to swallow and breath. The was cool as it ran down my throat. I didn’t want to drink too much though. My body is already shaking. It’s probably form sitting up.
“I’m home,” Vera called from the downstairs. So it was the afternoon already.
“We’re upstairs dear.” Her mother called out and set the cup back down somewhere.
I heard her quickly come up the stairs. I looked over at the door and smiled a little when I saw her standing there. We just stared at each other, finally I was able to break the silence between us, “Hi…” I couldn’t get her name out before she dropped her bag and tackled me to the bed with a hug.
Her sweet sent filled my nose. The warmth come off of her, hot tears filled up the brim of my eyes and trickling down my face as I laid there with her on top of me hugging me. She was actually hugging me. She didn’t faze through, me…is this real? My glasses started to fog up from the heat coming off my eyes and me crying. “S-stupid glasses.” I mumbled into her shoulder. I wanted to hug her back but I can’t seem to get them to move right now. I’m still exhausted.
“You’re okay,” Vera’s voice cracked, she was starting to cry.
“Don’t cry Vera,” I sniffled out, “You know I have a hard time handling it when you cry.”
“Then you stop crying, you jerk.” She mumbled into my shoulder. She was crying, I can feel the dampness from her tears soaking into my shirt.
“I know that it’s probably too early to be asking this, but do you remember what happened?” Mr. Smirnov questioned. Once He asked his question Vera released me from the hug and she sat up on the other side of the bed from her father. “And you’re heavier then you look.”
I felt my face heat up slightly at that comment, but I shook my head, “Vera and I were talking, but I can’t remember what we were talking about, then there was a flash of light, I know my feet in the edge of the treehouse for a moment and I fell out of the tree house. I mean, I wasn’t standing in the treehouse to begin with, I was floating above the ledge of the entrance.”
“That is strange…” He said crossing his arms, “I’ve never heard of something like this happening before.”
“Maybe we can look something up and see if there’s anything on it.” Vera suggested.
My eyes feel heavy again. I’m having a hard time keeping them open. Besides, they’re talking to each other and I’m just really tired. Taking a quick nap won’t be so bad. Maybe I’ll actually be able to move on my own if I take a nap.
