Shadow Mutation (Book Seven) [UNDER MAJOR EDITING]

Chapter 39: Saying Their Goodbyes

Song ~ Say Goodbye by Skillet

Casey finds himself standing in a dark place, no windows or doors giving him any indication that there's a way out for him. He looks around slowly, on edge.

There's a sudden glow of light from ahead of him, a feminine shape walking from it as it dies out. The girl is more on the short side, her tanned skin seeming to give off her own aura. Her sleek black hair falls past her shoulders, her cheeks lightly dotted with freckles and her big brown eyes the exact same colour as coffee with cream. She wears a soccer jersey that suits her body nicely, her curvy body obviously strong.

A wave of grief washes over him as the girl walks closer to him. She's aged five years since the pictures he saw, but it's still her.

"Zilla..." he whispers.

She walks right up to him, reaching her hand up caressing his cheek lightly. Her palms are rough, but Casey still shuts his eyes and exhales slowly at the touch, feeling as though he's been waiting for something like that for far too long.

"How...how are you here?" he asks, his eyes reopening.

She smiles weakly as she retracts her hand, holding her hand out, palm facing upwards, in front of her. A tiny light glows on it, floating above it.

"My life force is almost gone. This is the last part of myself that's still here before I'll be gone for good," she explains gently. She nudges the light, causing it to float upwards and cast a tiny pool of light over them. "It's my soul, the deepest part of myself."

His eyes fall back to her as she watches the light, a tiny smile flickering across his face. "Your soul wears a soccer jersey?"

She smirks a little and tugs at the material. "Hey, I used to be pretty good at the sport."

He steps forwards and wraps his arms around her, feeling as though she's really there. He presses his lips against her forehead as she holds him tightly, both of them wanting to hold each other like this for a little while longer. As she pulls back, a small smile graces her face.

"Please don't go...don't tell me goodbye," he pleads, his eyes filling with tears again. "Zilla..."

"You're alive, that's all that matters," she says, tilting his face down towards hers. "I said it before, Casey. I didn't have a life to look forward to. You do. You can go be a bounty hunter or a professional hockey player...you'll make your dad even prouder than he already is."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I wasn't thinking," he says, his voice wavering with each word. "If I had, you'd still be okay and-"

"Casey, remember what I told you? My choice. My blame," she reminds him.

He shakes his head and wraps his arms around her again, hugging her as close as he can. She shuts her eyes, a soft breath passing her lips. He doesn't want to let her go, not yet. There's so much more that he wants to do and experience. It feels wrong for this to be it.

"Can I be really cliché right now?" she whispers.

He nods, resting his head on top of hers as he exhales slowly. "Yeah, Casey Jones can deal...just this once."

She laughs, the sound weak. "I'm always gonna be with you, Hockey Puck. I'm alive in your memories, in your heart." She looks up at him, her face taking on a more stern look. "My life force is now yours, so don't waste it. I mean it."

"What about Eustace and Harry? How can I tell them that their daughter is..." He trails off, grasping her hand and pulling her closer to him. "I can't do it, Shadow."

The ghost of a smirk crosses her face as she rolls her eyes. "Since when does the infamous Casey Jones ever believe that he can't do something?"

He sighs, shutting his eyes. She's right. Casey Jones isn't a coward, and telling the Nezbits about what happened to Zilla is her dying wish. No matter how hard it is, he has to do it for her.

Her hand slips from his own, making his eyes fly open. She's turned away from him, the light above them growing weaker and weaker. Panic floods him and he stumbles forwards.

"I love you, Zilla," he croaks, everything in his voice telling her that he's forcing tears back.

"I love you too, Casey," comes the reply, her hair waving as if, for one moment, she became a shadow again.

"I...I'll see you again, won't I?"

She takes a deep breath, her shoulders lifting and dropping as she turns her body, her sideways profile visible to him. She shakes her head as she looks away. His own head droops as he casts his gaze to the floor, forcing himself not to break down again.

"Casey?" she calls, her tone lilting and soft.

He looks up instantly as a soft breeze blows her sleek black hair across her face.

"Zilla?" he returns.

A sad smile flickers across her face. "Try not to be stupid next time, okay?"

The wind picks up as she turns away, the little light above their heads growing dimmer and dimmer. She walks off towards the pale halo of light in the distance, and Casey tries to run after her. She disappears from view before he can reach her, never to be seen again.

----------

Casey wakes with a loud cry, a burning pain shooting up the right side of his body. He pushes himself up as he looks to his forearm, watching as a black marking slowly curls around it—a winding shadow imprinted on his skin.

The burning fades. He reaches out and touches the new marking, tracing his finger along the swirling shadow as his vision starts to blur again. She wasn't kidding when she said that she'd always be with him.