A Pocket Full of Posies (Book 3)

Chapter Five

"Why is it just the banished?" I question to no one in particular. "I know--least I think I've managed to gallivant over to The Beginning, but I hear them once in a blue moon. Not like I hear the banished."

Sefu's response is to close his mouth tightly and shake his head. I turn to Kato, Mosi, and the woman whose name is still beyond me, but they look just as unsure. Jury's out on that one, I guess.

"I may be able to help with that," Clara offers from the corner of the room. She'd been so quiet that I'd almost forgotten she was here. "Have you ever entered The Banished Realm as you have The Beginning?"

I shake my head. I guess I haven't. It's only now clicking in my mind that as with pure spirits, there must be a place all these dark spirits go once they're banished.

"The Beginning draws you in with a promise of being in an eternal state of contentment and happiness; it's a place one not having visited before cannot even begin to imagine, a world beyond the realm of the living's imagination," Clara says with such warmth that I instantly know she's experienced it.

She's experienced it, but she's here, on earth. How?

"Did you resist crossing over?" Kato asks, taking the words out of my mouth.

Wish I'd said it now. It could've made me look more reputable, maybe even qualified for this shit. Kato's dark eyes are wide, and even Sefu's eyebrows are raised in intrigue. I've never helped a spirit cross over who didn't follow it through. I didn't think they had a choice in the matter. Annabel must be as perplexed by this as I am because she's sitting on the floor, looking up at Clara as if she's some kind of alien.

I can't fully get my head around the fact everyone here bar Mosi can hear what Clara is saying. Well, not so sure about Ms. No Name. I glance at her. She's looking kind of blank. Maybe she's not a spirit talker.

"Yes, I had children to care for," Clara answers simply. She turns back to me. "Those in The Beginning have no reason to call to earth. The banished do. The banished are desperate, hungry, resentful. They will take any opportunity they can, but your instinct will be to resist it entirely, repel it because it's something so vile. The Beginning will have the opposite effect on you. In your contact with The Beginning, it seems to have occurred in times of need, and from what I can gather from what Kato has told me, your parents have taken huge risks in calling to you. After one has experienced an existence like that, even a half existence, it takes significant will-power, control and mental strength to return to this life." A smile grows on Clara's lips, almost turning into a smirk. "Not that I am one to gloat."

Shit. When I heard Mum's voice the other night, when the banished voices were overwhelming me, and I jumped ship into The Beginning. When I wanted to stay, when I was so sure I'd never leave that place again. Dad sounded angry. He was angry. He wasn't angry at me like I'd thought, though. He was angry at Mum. Wait, did Clara just say I have significant will-power, control and mental strength? I'll take that. Nice one.

"What would happen if I stayed?" I ask.

Clara doesn't answer for a while, then says, "I don't imagine you'd die. Your body would likely function as normal until it came to a natural end. Like a coma." She waves her hand in the air. "Though much of this is speculation. The other seeing spirit talker I had contact with all those years back had nothing close to this ability."

"Wait, what would happen to me?" Annabel asks.

"What?" Sefu responds to Clara. "I thought stories of a seer before Felix were just whispers. There's truth in them?"

Clara nods at Sefu, but doesn't explain. I make a mental note to ask later, preferably to ask Ava because these guys are way too intense for my immature brain.