To Whom Have Lived

Chapter 24 - The Protector

POV ~ Jules

"Have you opened it yet?" Liam asks, looking over Jules's shoulder.

"Yeah, I will." Jules answers, slowly reaching for the box and taking the ribbon off.

"It's not going to kill you."

"If it does, and we both die, I'm going to kill you on the way to the afterlife."

"Open it!" Liam yells, scaring Emma.

Taking the top off, Jules looks into the box pulling out a compass necklace. Which is a little note at the bottom of the box. Jules flips the compass around, and on the back reads the words home.

"Jules, I know that this isn't what you expected but this compass will always point to home. If you get lost along the way, use the compass to find your way home. With this box, comes a way to add another home to the compass. Love you lots. Mary."

"That's so sweet." Emma says, looking at the compass.

"It's the instructions and what the compass comes with." Jules says, holding the lice of paper in their hand.

"Do you think your mom did something to it?" Logan asks, looking at the trio. 

"I'm not sure, but I also don't care," Jules says, putting it on, "It seems so fitting for mom to get me something like this." 

"It's adorable, but why does the card also talk about a protector?" Logan also asks, reading the instructions. 

"A 'protector', in other words, can be like a person. Someone that you hold a deep connection to, like a sibling or best friend. But it can also be like a place, somewhere out there, there is a place that you can officially call home. Or, in other words, call your protector." Jules answers, looking down at the compass. 

Saying those words allowed, the words that their own mother once said to them, really let the reality sink in. The reality that their mother is really gone forever. Yeah she had her moments but she wasn't a terrible person and in the end, Jules was proven correct. 

Their dad was a horrible person, someone that would gladly corrupt the innocent for his own gain. Maybe that's why Jules got the curse. They were being punished for the innocent lives their dad had once taken. 

Most of the family believed in having past lives before their current one and if that was true, their father wasn't this kind hearted person in the past. The only reason why Jules knows this is because when they found out about the curse, they went straight to a psychic. Someone who could truly help. 

The psychic may not have helped with the curse, but they made Jules realize about how this curse came to be. And why only their family has it. 

~~~~

"Jules!!" Kyle yells, waking Jules up from their dream. Although their lives have gone back to normal, Jules still can't shake the feeling that something is horribly wrong. Although, no one agrees with them but they just have a gut feeling that will not go away. 

"Hey Kyle." Jules answers sleepily, "What's up?" 

"What is wrong with you?" 

"Nothing, just a bit sleepy. I think the compass's energy is making me really tired and I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing." 

"Who knows, but we'll figure it out in the morning. At least go to sleep in your own bed so you don't wake up with neck and back pain tomorrow." 

"Fine." Jules answers, getting up and walking to their bed. 

"Are you okay?" Kyle asks, following them. 

"I'm doing better, but I still can't shake the horrible feeling I have in my gut." 

"I understand but-" 

"You clearly don't if you won't listen to me! If you truly understood you would get where I'm coming from! I have lived my whole life in fear of the supernatural and have learned the hard way to trust my gut! You have always trusted me! Why won't you trust me now?!"

"Why won't I trust you?" Kyle chuckles a little, "Why won't I fucking trust you? Guess! You lied to me my whole life! Why should I trust you?" 

"I didn't lie to you your whole life! Anyway, most of it was to fucking protect you!" Jules yells back getting off the bed and standing face to face with Kyle. 

"Sure you did! Are you sure you weren't just protecting yourself?!" 

"Why would I let myself get beat. Every. Single. Night. If I wasn't protecting you! Everything that I have done up until this point is for you! I didn't tell you about my past because I knew how guilty it would make you feel! I didn't take you with me because our parents would hate you everyday after that! I would always take the blame for every bad thing that you always did because I knew what our parents would do to you! And you think you have the right to call me fucking selfish!? Fuck you Kyle!" 

... 

"I- I didn't mean that.. it was just- I. Kyle I-. Fuck." Jules says, looking down at their younger brother. 

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry!" Kyle yells, hugging Jules with all of the strength he has left in his body. Jules, of course, hugs back. Closing their eyes and taking in this moment. 

"Go to bed Kyle. We'll talk about it in the morning." 

~~~~

"Hey guys welcome back to another video!" Jules yells through the camera. It's currently two in the morning and Jules is editing one of their latest videos. The spread has thankfully slowed down a bit and Jules can actually eat a meal without throwing it all up. 

After the little argument with Kyle, he finally went to sleep and stopped apologizing. The video that Jules is editing has to go out in two days and for most of the day tomorrow the group is going to be on the plane to go visit Seth, Mackie, Amanda. 

They can't wait for the day because they won't have to think about anything. Just making ghost videos and site seeing with their friends. 

 "What the fuck is that?" Jules asks, pausing the half way edited video, "Is that mom?" 

~ End of Chapter ~ 

Word Count ~ 1038