The Soul Catcher (Harry Styles)

41 - Tragedy

"Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot."

- Charlie Chaplin

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"Forty souls?" Elaine and I exclaimed in unison, totally flabbergasted.

We shared an uneasy look. Catching forty souls at once surely didn't happen that often.

Maria tilted her head to the side, silently confirming our worries and doubts. A sad look reflected in her soft eyes and a frown played on her face.

"What happened?" I asked after a minute of complete silence, kind of afraid to disturb the quiet.

"There was a group of dancers and relatives on their way back home after a competition and the bus driver had a heart attack. The bus crashed and there were no survivors," she replied, her voice only loud enough for us to hear.

Elaine put her small hands in front of her mouth in shock. She looked taken aback by this horrendous tragedy that I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her and gently place her head against my chest.

My eyes met Maria's and she gave me a nod, then disappeared, leaving the two of us all alone in this empty and lifeless hall. The seconds ticked by as I waited for Elaine to get over the initial shock, and when she finally did, she pecked my lips.

My fingers trailed through her hair, holding her head in place as I leaned down and reconnected our lips for a few more moments, relishing the cherry lipstick she loved to use.

"Are you all right?" I whispered, forcing her to keep her eyes on me as she tried to look at the ground.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's just horrible. People die every day, some because they're simply old and others because of an accident or some other kind of tragedy. It's just not fair."

I kissed her forehead and kept my lips against her skin as I responded. "I have no idea what will await us once we go back to earth, but it'll probably be forty very disoriented and confused souls, most of them probably not much older than we are. I need you to be strong, do you think you can do that?"

This time, she didn't hesitate. "Yes." Her voice quivered slightly, but I could tell that she tried her hardest to sound strong.

And oh, she was strong. I admired her strength and bravery. After everything that life - and death - has thrown at her, she was still standing tall and facing whatever was yet to come.

The darkness had gotten her before, and even though it might now be gone, I hadn't been able to keep her safe. I couldn't tell what else Shimmerland had up its sleeve, I barely even understood what happened to the souls living here. There was so much unknown to us, and we probably wouldn't ever get all the answers we wanted.

For now, Elaine was safe. I would never leave her side, just the thought of staying away from her hurt me. I had lost her before, and I would try my utmost best to never let the past repeat itself.

Despite not having known her for long, I knew that we truly had a connection. I made a mental note to get back to the Study Hall to figure out more, and although the concept of soulmates was still fearful, I started to believe it.

One simple touch of her set me on fire, making me feel things I had never felt before. This wasn't just some crush I had developed over the past few weeks either - this was raw love, in its purest form.

I had never been convinced of a person being truly destined for another, but looking into her deep chocolate brown eyes, I felt that I wasn't supposed to be with another girl. Elaine was the one for me, and no matter what the future held for us, we would always find our way back to each other.