Life After Death

Chapter 15

Warm hands wrapped tenderly around my shoulders and shook me awake, like I wasn't up anymore due to the loud, agonizing screams.

I sat up straight looking around. Roman looked afraid and Topher looked angry and Kassima had been crying. But Val was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?" I asked, removing my feet from the couch.

Everyone looked at me. Kassima was hovering over me, looking down, with sad eyes. "You're okay," Kassima said, her touch felt like tiny pinpricks all over my body. She sat down next to me and pulled me in for a hug. "You're okay..."

"Of course I am," I laughed, pulling away from her. "Why wouldn't I be?"

And then there was silence. Topher and Roman were talking in hushed tones in the doorway, so I looked at Kassima for answers, which she provided.

"You remember when Topher said that Val drank all that alcohol and she puked that weird powder stuff?" Kassima asked, sniffling, I nodded for her to go on. "Well, celestial beings can't eat or drink anything made from the material realm-I mean, you can but it can kill you if you eat or drink too much. It breaks down what makes you a celestial being."

I frowned. Then why would they give me that alcohol in the hot cocoa? "I'm not following... why would you give me-"

"-I didn't know you've never had alcohol before. I am so sorry..."

"It's okay, Kassima." I told her, stopping her from rambling. "I'm okay."

"We tried waking you for hours, Meredith, it's not okay." Topher intervened, entering the living room with Roman in tow.

"When you mean hours...?" I trailed off.

"He means for twenty three, maybe four hours," Roman informed me, running a hand through his hair.

I bit down on my lip. "Where's Val?"

"She went outside," Kassima said.

"She said she needed some air," Topher added.

"Or she'd rip my head off," said Kassima in a small voice.

"And that's very possible." Topher plopped down on a loveseat. "She's been around for a while and when she gets angry it's like she gets these surges of power."

This alarmed Roman. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"He means she makes lights flicker and it messes with electricity and stuff." Kassima said, twirling a dreadlock in between her thumb and forefinger.

"Or she'll scream and cry," Topher said. "And it can be heard by anyone."

"I'm well aware of that," I grumbled under my breath. I got up from the couch and wandered to the exit. "I'm going to go and talk to her."

I was out the front door before anyone could stop me. The air was cold, as expected. The gnawed trees swayed with the strength of the wind and the snow fell down from the sky. Val was sitting on the porch, with her knees to her chest, and her ugly jersey pulled over her legs.

I sat down next to her, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, Val?" I called out to her. Val looked up and me and smiled.

"You're okay..." she said, letting her head fall into my lap. "I was worried."

"You didn't have to be." I told her, smoothing out her hair. We were in a beautiful silence until I spoke, "Val?"

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I wasn't okay. I feel like I've known you all my life... You know when I told you about me helping out at the Soliel Museum?" I nodded and she continued, "I knew this girl she reminded me so much of you. She kind of looked like you too. Her name was Nanette Coleman... She was about sixteen and she was dating this huge douchebag; he was five years older than her and his dad was the curator of the museum... I told Nanette... I told her but she didn't listen... She was so stubborn..."