A Sirens Call

Chapters 2 - Memories

"If you have a sister and she dies, do you stop saying you have one? Or are you always a sister, even when the other half of the equation is gone?"

"See, as much as you want to hold on to the bitter sore memory that someone has left this world, you are still in it. And the very act of living is a tide: at first it seems to make no difference at all, and then one day you look down and see how much pain has eroded."

"There is a curious thing that happens with the passage of time: a calcification of character... Change isn't always for the worst; the shell that forms around a piece of sand looks to some people like an irritation, and to others, like a pearl."

Sleep didn't end well for Jesper, her mind conjured up her happiest memories she had - all of them involving moments frozen in time with Celesta. She gasped, throwing her body forward and standing abruptly. What the fuck is wrong with me? She thought to herself as she paced, her hands rubbing up and down her arms to bring back some semblance of warmth. Her jade eyes glanced over at Avaela and Alastair before turning her gaze to the crescent moon nestled snug in the night sky. Her heart ached as she watched the moon and stars twinkle. She wondered what Elysium was like - if it was how Thanatos had described to her many years ago, or if it was different for each soul that rested there.

Fields of blooming carnations, so colorful and vibrant, stretched as far as one's eyes could see. Rivers were everlasting, always flowing with clean and clear water and brimming with plenty of different breeds of fish to eat your fill. Jesper sighed softly, hoping that that version that was told to her was the truth. She couldn't bear the thought of her sister dwelling in her final resting place, scared and alone. She had tried many times to go and visit, Nephallum was able to fly through the gates of the Underworld, but Hades refused to let her go any further than that. He worried over her, terrified that she would break once more if she saw the faint silhouette of her deceased sister. It chipped away at him everyday - seeing his niece as nothing more than a spirit that took strolls through the fields of Elysium and spent most of her time sitting at the river watching the fish swim by.

Jesper took up her spot once more in the chair, perching herself on the edge as she let her thoughts wander back to much simpler times. Watching the mortals advance was bittersweet - they had lost themselves to violence and hate, it had become so prevalent she was sure that they would end up killing each other in the next one hundred years. She watched the waves lapping against the shore almost as if they were caressing it. She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin upon her knees.

"Having trouble sleeping again, Jesp?" Alastair murmured from beside her, resting his right hand on the back of her chair while the other was in his pocket. She looked so defeated, her lips were set into a frown, her jade eyes he had come to love dearly were misted over. She sighed heavily, her eyes glancing his way before they turned back to watch the waves. He knew that she had lost so much, he had been there in those moments thereafter, watching as she sat in the arms of her mother Freya, broken. The meeting that she had to suffer through was a mockery to her and her sister. Zeus simply shrugged it off and made it out to be a suicide - pleasuable for most, but not for the handful of them that knew the truth.

"It's hard to sleep. I keep seeing her face... It haunts me. Maybe if Hades allowed me to say a proper goodbye to her while she was in Elysium, I would fare better than what I am now." Jesper's lips trembled, wave after wave of grief laced her heart and squeezed, "I understand that he wishes to protect me further, but it rips me apart to not know how she is doing. Thanatos, Hades, and even my own Mother Freya refuse to enlighten me on how she is resting. What am I to do? She's dead. She's dead and yet I remain alive - why?" Fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks, staining them with their satly tracks. Alastair frowned, moving to kneel before her and reaching out to cup her face as he gently wiped away her tears.