The Flames that Engulfed Us

Chapter 44: Prison Break

I laid back on my soft bed, holding the half picture of Lincoln above me. I ran my finger over his face, thankful Savanah had taken a walk along the beach, so everything was quiet inside. I'd promised the Devil I'd come back, but I never said I'd stay.

There was a backpack in the back of the closet, and for some reason, clothes that were warm enough for where I planned to escape back to. I neatly rolled jeans and shirts into the bag, wandering into the kitchen to pack food. If I broke Lincoln out, I would need food.

I had my clothes, but I made more room for nonperishable food. I braided my hair, making sure to use bobby pins in case there were any loose locks. I was comfortable. Jeans, a simple black long-sleeved shirt, a hoodie, and combat boots made up my wardrobe. I packed tennis shoes in my bag just in case.

When my backpack was as full as I could manage to get it, I snuck out the back door of my own house. If I ran into Savanah, she wouldn't understand. She'd try to persuade me to stay by listening and being supportive, but she'd still hinder my leaving. Or she'd try to come along. I didn't want that for her.

It occurred to me that I didn't know how to get to hell, but some instinct made me remember the glow I'd walked through before, and I tried my best to recreate that. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in a waiting room.

"Can I help you, dear?" An elderly woman asked me from behind a huge desk.

"Maybe. Do you know where I might find Lincoln Carver?"

"That's not exactly a unique name. Can you give me more information like age, cause of death, level of hell, or maybe any more names they might be filed under?"

"He's eighteen. He died in a school fire and he was level two. His middle name is Oliver. He hates it, but I think it's cute. Lincoln Oliver Carver."

"Let's see. We have him here. Unfortunately, we have a policy that no one can go up without proper identification. If you have clearance, I'll need to see that. Otherwise, you'll have to make an appointment."

"My name's Skylar Flemings. Does that work at all?"

"Let's see. You're mentioned in his file. Keep together, but you went to heaven. You can't go up, but we can bring him presently if you'd like."

"I'd like that."

"Dear, just a warning. Time in heaven moves with a different... consistency than it does here, so it's probably been longer for him. How long was it for you?"

"A couple of hours."

"It's probably been at least a day or two."

"Okay. So, an hour there is a day here?"

"Something like that. If you'll excuse me, I just have to make a call to get everything set up for you."

She was on the phone for a little bit, and then she looked at me. "Follow me."

She went slow and I could hear her bones crack as she moved. I kept pace with her, feeling slightly annoyed at the ginger walk. She led me to a door and prompted me inside. It was like one of those investigation rooms from tv, but the walls were blank. There wasn't a mirror, window, or anything like that. She put me in a chair and walked stiffly away.

Time passed differently. That hadn't occurred to me. How long had I been gone the first time I went to heaven? I did the math, running my fingers along the table to help me think. I'd been gone for three months. For him, I'd at least have to be a year. I had left him for at least a year, come back not remembering anything, and he'd just been cool. I pulled the picture out, setting it on the table. I loved him.

I heard footsteps in the hallway, and I stuffed the image of Lincoln's face in my pocket. I heard the doorknob turn. My heart raced at the idea of seeing him again, even if it'd only been a few hours since I'd last seen him. C.C. was the first one through the door, and Lincoln was right behind him.

"Sky," he grinned, immediately rushing over to me, and wrapping his arms around me.

"Glowstick," C.C. said, his tone confused.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled in Lincoln's ear, "I didn't mean to leave you alone for so long."

"You're here now. That's all I could ask for."

"Glowstick? How are you here? You're not allowed to be down here anymore."

"Screw it," I replied, letting Lincoln pull me out of my chair so he could wrap his arms around me even more.

"That's not an answer. You physically shouldn't be able to cross over without help, and he wouldn't help you."

"I did it on my own. It wasn't worth it to be up there without him."

"I love you," Lincoln interrupted my thought.

"I love you too, baby."

He didn't show any signs of letting me go, and I didn't want him to either. C.C. still seemed confused. I didn't look at him anymore as I buried my head in Lincoln's shirt.

"The picture—I needed that. Thank you."

"It's a good picture. The only thing is, no one ever took it when we were alive. It's our first date, and your phone wasn't even working then. You ran it out of battery. There was no way the picture was taken."

"You remember that?"

"Yeah. I do."

"He really did give you your memories back. I wouldn't have expected that."

"He did. And Lincoln, I didn't know how much I was missing not remembering. I knew I was missing out, sure, but I didn't know how much. You gave me a great life, Lincoln. Thank you for that too."

"I don't know what I would do if I forgot a single thing about you. I need you."

"I went to hell and back for you. I need you too."

C.C. had his piece to say. "It is physically impossible for you to move from heaven to hell without the boss man knowing."

"I never said he didn't know. He probably does."

"In which case, you're not screwing anything. You're screwed. There's a big difference."

"I'm fine with him knowing. I can handle myself."

"You'll put the very fabric of the universe at risk. Glowstick, I don't know whether to be impressed or scared."

"I don't want to put anything at risk. I just want to be with him."

"There might be a way to do both... but I don't know."

"Clam Chowder, out with it."

"You've heard of ghosts?"

"Yes."

"And hauntings?"

"Yes."

"Those are uncommon but real. You could theoretically cross over to the world of the living with him and be a ghost. It's all speculation though."

"But we'd be together?"

"Yes."