once we existed☾

gone☾ | 5

^^^How I imagine Octavius to look

I hear a familiar cough. "Elodie?" I open the bathroom door. She's doubled over, coughing into the bath. Bloodstains speckle the room like stars dotting the sky. My heart sinks. Oh my God...

Her skin has that familiar pale, ghostly look to it. "I'm OK-cough-Nova,"

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"There's nothing we can do," says Alya quietly, tucking Elodie into bed. "The Doctor's fallen ill too. We've just got to pray that she recovers." Leo hugs me tight, comforting me. I feel his head in my hair. "I can't lose her too," I choke out, on the verge of sobbing. "I just can't,"

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"Nova," I hear a whisper in my ear, "Wake up," I look up at Leo, only half awake, rubbing my eyes free of sleep. "Elodie wants to see you,"

I slide my gloves onto my fingers and Leo adjusts my mask for me as I take a deep breath. "You ready?" I gulp and nod.

It pains me to see her this way. Lying limp and lifeless, my sister, her eyes already dead and still. "Nova," she whispers and coughs. She gestures to the bed, which I take a seat on. Leo leaves me to be. "I wanted you to have this," she passes me a notebook, "This was Mum's,"

I gasp. "It's full of original songs and poems and I thought you'd like it, I thought one day you could sing them to me, if I don't die beforehand," She gives a chuckle but there is no tone of laughter in her voice. She starts coughing again. I rush to get her a bucket to spit in.

My heart shatters at her words. "No-Elodie-" I try not to believe it. I open the cover of the book. I read the first one aloud. It's beautiful. "Mum wrote that for Dad." she croaks. "Say hi to her when you meet her for me, will you?" Suddenly, I have an idea. I talk with her for a while until she falls asleep then I head into my room and sit down at the piano and start playing.

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"Nova, dinner!"

"Nova?"

Alya smiles as she sees me playing the piano. "Sorry, Alya," I apologise, "I just want to get this done for Elodie," she nods, understanding, placing the plate of food down next to me. "Make sure you get some sleep too, you know," she says. I chuckle.

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Alya wakes me up. I'm still at the piano, my head leaning on the keys. "Nova," she whispers. She's been crying; her eyes are red and swollen, "I'm so sorry, Nova," My thoughts flashback to the events of last night and I realise. "NO!" I scream. Alya wraps me in a hug. I fight to get out of her grip. I'd spent years trying to find her, and once I had her, I lost her. And I hadn't even had enough time to learn the song. I never got to say goodbye.

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Two months later

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A knock at the door startles me. "I'll get it!" exclaims Alya. Who would be knocking at 10 at night, I wondered? I hear the door creak open. I put the side of my head in between the door and the doorway, facing Alya, my ear listening in intently. "Excuse me for knocking so late, but is this the residence of Nova Morshower?" My heart leaps at my name. "Yes, it is. Would you like to chat with her?" There's a silence so I'm guessing the woman's nodding. "Who should I say it is?"

I hear a sob. "Miss, are you alright?" "Tell her," I hear a sniffle, "Tell her it's her Mother."

I race around the corner, tears brimming my eyes. "Mum?" I cannot believe it. She looks exactly as she did in the photographs. She runs to me and wraps me in a tight hug. "Oh my God, Nova. I had no idea-sniff-you were alive. Once-sniff-I heard you were alive on the-sniff-Hologram I rushed to find you." I'm crying. I bury my head in her shoulder. "Mrs Morshower? Would you like a cup of tea?" Alya asks. Her face is pale. She's as shocked as I am. "It's Mrs Nightingale now dear, but you can call me Ophelia, and I'd love one." "Ok, Ophelia. It looks like we've run out of the normal. Do you like peppermint?" "I love it."