To be forgotten…
"You can never be forgotten, you merely forget," Dad said to me after hearing about Heather's death. However, I was stubborn not to listen because I did not like to remember the painful yet joyful memories. Just today, I shouted at Mama because we had to go to Heather's funeral. I did not want to remember anything about my sister. At that moment, a tear fell from my eye despite my efforts to act manly.
The woods seemed quite today as if they were respecting my sister's death. The birds were silent and the only sounds came from my bike wheels splashing against the puddles. As I came near Lake Synza, I spat at it fiercely because that mossy, disgraceful lake drowned my sister. "Why must you leave me before I enter Middle School? I will be the kid they feel sorry for, but not the kid they praise for actually doing something right!" I shouted to kill the silence. Just then, a figure appeared behind the trees. "Who are you?" I asked curiously. It stayed quiet so I reckoned it could be a wolf. As I was wondering about the mysterious figure, it ran away. I cycled as fast as Lance Armstrong so I could catch up with it, but it was moving too quickly. "Wait up! I want to know you!" I shouted.
The figure led me through the twists and turns of the thick woods. I almost lost my balance as I accidentally rode over a tree root. At the last turn, the figure vanished into thin air. "Where are you? You can not hide from me," I gloated to the empty woods. Suddenly, my whole body felt like it has been squashed between two elephants. Then, my legs shrank two-thirds of its size and my ears felt pressed into my brain.
The next thing I know, I was dragged into a vortex, like the ones you see in Star Trek. I closed my eyes so I would not be blinded by flashing lights. I felt like I was floating on a cloud because there was no gravity. "Ouch!" I yelped as I suddenly hit the hard ground. I opened my eyes and, to my surprise, the figure laid motionless on the ground. I panicked for I must have killed it. Uncle Jeremiah told me that if we accidentally killed someone, we should walk away. I ignored Uncle Jeremiah's rule by crawling towards the figure so I could check its pulse. However, the figure stood up and it turned out to be a girl. As she straightened up, I saw that her hair was as dark as a raven and eyes that are dark brown like the color of Cadbury's chocolate bar. Her face radiated a happy glow as she saw me. Right then, my mouth dropped wide open for I knew who it was. "Cover your mouth, Elias. Remember that flies love to breed inside humans," she joked.
"Heather, is that really you?" I asked still in a daze.
"Of course it's me! Who do you think I am, Santa?" she said smirking.
"You drowned, how can you still be alive?"
"Esteban, we are not on Earth!"
"Where are we then - Heaven?"
"Far from it, they wouldn't accept me until I teach you something," she said in her typical bossy attitude. Suddenly, I felt chills running down my spine. The look on Heather's face showed me that she knew.
"You still haven't told me where we are," I whined as we were walking down the foggy, grey road.
"This is the realm of the forgotten!" She boomed with her arms high up.
"The realm of the forgotten, they should have picked a better name," I said sarcastically.
"Let me brief you on the most important rule, which is whatever you wish for will come true. However, you may only wish for inanimate objects," Heather said wagging her finger like Mama.
"That seems easy enough to follow."
"But be warned, not all things you wish for are real. You have to trust your heart or you could be in deep trouble." I can see that Heather's eyes were not the same anymore; they rolled until the pupils were not visible. I backed away from Heather and fell in a pile of thick drool. Heather's eyes returned to normal and she came closer with a towel to wipe it. However, the drool burnt my skin and vanished. Chills ran down my spine again, and I knew that I was bait for something worse.
As we walked, an awkward silence had befallen us as if Heather knew what was happening. "AWOOOOGAHGAH!" Screeched a voice that sounded raspy.
"It's the Narreg!" She shouted in fright. "Actually, you are not supposed to be here because you are not dead yet but I defied the realm's orders," she panicked as she pushed me to run. "Elias, please go before it rips you to shreds! I don't want you hurt," Heather said with a worried look on her face.
I ran quickly, hoping that the Narreg would not catch me. I saw the Narreg as it gained speed. Its face was hairy like a werewolf and fang as sharp as spears. The fur looked red from blood, while its eyes were the color of pus. Heather gave me the strength to run for safety. "Wish for a door," Heather suggested as we arrived at a dead end. I closed my eyes, wishing hard for a door back to the living world. As the Narreg's came closer, I could smell the foul odour from its saliva filled mouth, like rotting rats in sewer pipes. I hesitated to choose the right door but Heather's voice guided me. I can smell the fowl stench of the Narreg. Suddenly, two doors pooped out in front of me. I hesitated to choose the right door but Heather's words guided me. "Choose the door that your heart trusts," Heather whispered in my ear. I visualized Mama and Dad along with the living things on Earth. Nevertheless, my heart tells me to trust door two but my mind told me that door one would be the key out. I tried again and this time door number two made my whole body tingled. Therefore, I opened the door and a gust of summer wind blew at my face.
Before I could set myself free, the Narreg grabbed my left foot. I kicked the Narreg in its face to knock it unconscious. Despite the failure, the Narreg bit my foot with its 3-inch fangs and blood started oozing out. "Yum, human blood!" Screeched the Narreg with delight as it sucked on my wound. Tears trickled down my face as the fangs seeped into my flesh. Heather appeared on the other side of the door, encouraging me to have the strength to get free. With my last pull, I was free but I had unleashed the Narreg into my world too. "You broke the rule, now pay with your bloody heart as I condemned you to Hell," said the Narreg devilishly as it took out its claws.
"Narreg, look above you," Heather said pointing towards the full moon. At that moment, the Narreg changed from a ferocious lion to a timid pussycat.
Moonbeams slashed through the Narreg like arrows and its face melted from the bright stars. With its last breath, the Narreg cackling, "One day, you will perish the revenged from the Narreg clan. Only then, your pitiful life would be vanquished." I gulped. In an instant, the woods were filled with the sounds of chirping crickets. I looked at Heather to see if she had a glimmer of happiness. However, Heather seems to have a black cloud over her head. "Heather, what's the matter?" I asked curiously.
"I have to go back, Elias. The angels have made their decisions and I'm going to Heaven," she said smiling sadly. I wanted her to stay but my heart told me to let her go.
"Heather, go and pursue your dreams as an angel in Heaven. I will always be smiling at the sky for you," I proudly said. Tears filled her eyes, while her smile warmed my heart.
"You can never be a sissy for missing me," she told me as the moonbeam gracefully lifts her. As the wind swept her hair, a halo brightly formed on top of her straight, silky hair. She curled up in a ball, while her back formed a pair of light blue wings. My sister has become an official angel and her last words were, "Don't ever forget me."
17 years later, I cycled in the woods with my kids, Heather and Kijiana. As we rode the same path I rode at 13, I thought about my sister. "I wish you could see them now; they would be running to your feet and calling you aunty," I softly said to myself, hoping Heather would hear. Just then, Heather appeared behind the thick oak trees, glowing brightly at me. I smiled at her, showing my pride in my two little angels.
"Daddy, Kijiana cheated in the bike race! She went too fast and passed me!" Heather whined.
"I was merely trying to win but she is such a big baby. I won so there," snubbed Kijiana.
"You two, Aunty Heather would be ashamed to see you fight," I insured them.
"We're sorry, we want to grow up brave like Aunty Heather," they both said with admiration towards Heather.
"C'mon girls, let's have a race to see who reaches mommy first," I said with gusto. As we started to pedal, a great wind pushed us forward and it seems as though we were flying into the sunset.
You can never be forgotten, you merely forget.