The Flames that Engulfed Us

Chapter 43: My Remembery Appears to Work

I felt a million things all rush through my head at once, my whole-body thrumming with an energy of a million feelings combined into one master thing that could only be described as insanity. It was like bright flashes of light or when you've never drunk coffee before and you get yourself a whole big mug of it.
               
Then, it all went quiet. I was sitting under the fluorescent lights of my school. My second-grade teacher, Ms. Furi was standing by her whiteboard, scribbling something down.
               
"Today," she smiled at us, "we're going to work on writing."
               
The whole class groaned.
               
"I want you to pick your favorite memory, write at least five sentences about it, and draw a picture of it. Then, I'll give you another sheet, and you'll do the same thing for a memory you want to have in the future."
               
She passed the papers out, and I looked down at the blank lines with dismay. Nothing exciting had happened to me. I ended up writing something about how my favorite memory was the one time my parents had taken me to the beach the year before. I drew a picture, and a calm that could only belong to a child came over me. I handed in the paper, and the teacher complimented me on my neatness with the whole thing. I grinned. I was the teacher's pet if ever there was one.
               
"Skylar, I'll be interested to see what you pick for this one."
               
I wrote a piece about how I wanted to get married and have lots of kids. I drew a picture of a stick figure wedding. As I looked down at the dress, everything started to shift.
               
I was in fifth grade and I'd somehow gotten my hands on a whole catalog of wedding dresses. I marveled over them, circling the ones I liked.
               
Sixth grade. Talking with my friends and working out a system for who would be who's bride maid.
               
Seventh grade. Essay about the importance of weddings.
               
Then, it was a week before I died, my head on Lincoln's chest.
               
"Lincoln, can you see yourself getting married?"
               
"Probably someday. If it's you coming down the aisle, I don't see how I could mind it."
               
Then, I started to remember random things.
               
Lincoln led me to a picnic, and then he asked something.
               
"Can I kiss you?"
               
"Now you have to."
               
Our first kiss. Then, it was my mom showing me how to weed flowers in the garden. Everything was mixed up, but somehow, I knew exactly where it fit.

I was walking to my mom's room in the dark, looking down at my feet in the dim light provided by a slim window. I knew it was too early, but I was too bored alone in my own bed. Then, I was getting a C on my test, almost wanting to cry.

Caleb made fun of how worried I was about studying.

My parents gave me a sleek phone of my own to take to school.

I got a goldfish from a cheap fair.

I told Lincoln that I loved him, and he barely hesitated before saying it back.

My hands shook as I reached out to take a snake from a zoologist.

"Read this sentence to me."

"The boy ate the apple."

It was too much. Just as I thought my head was spinning and it would never stop, it all settled into its own place and I opened my eyes. Lincoln was looking attentively down at me.

"Sky?"

"That was amazing. I love you so much, Lincoln."

"Sky," the Devil said, "close your eyes again. Those are all the memories from when you were alive. There are more from after you died."

That time wasn't as much. It was fewer scenes and almost all the memories had Lincoln. I opened my eyes again, and Lincoln's arms were around me. The Devil looked down.

"Now for your end of the deal, Skylar. Come back to heaven."

I didn't want to leave Lincoln's warm embrace, but I had promised. I tapped Lincoln's arm like they always do in boxing or wrestling or whatever. He looked down, and I felt that he had to force himself to let me stand up.

"I love you, Sky."

"I love you, Lincoln. I'll come back. I promise I'll come back for you."

He nodded. The Devil had to pull me out because my feet wouldn't go. Lincoln watched me, and I watched him unclamp his hand and look at the picture. I looked back and he caught my eye. "Thank you," he mouthed, and that was the last I saw of him as I was in the elevator.