Genres: Romance, Supernatural, Mystery, Comedy
Summary: Lloyd is a twenty six year old man who cannot let go of his girlfriend's death, being that she died in strange circumstances; he is left with unanswered questions and odd things happening around him. He decides to seek help from a girl, Angelique, who hates her gift and calls it a curse. When Angelique tells him she hates being in contact with spirits and in no means will she help him. Lloyd decides that they have to help each other mutually. Between friendly and hostile spirits will they find the answer both are looking for?
X.x.x.X
SLEEPING AWAKE
Prologue
She accelerated as much as she could, but no matter how fast she was going, there was no way of losing him. Exasperated she looks back at the rearview only to see that he is right behind her.
"Leave me alone!" She screams as loud as she can all in desperation. Trying to zig-zag her way out she decides to drive in between lanes, but so does her torment. He was mimicking her every move, at one point he stands side by side with his car. He makes a sign telling her to pull back, but this only adds to her anxiety.
"You bastard…" she grits her teeth, without any other possible way of shaking him and the rearview mirror showing him closer and closer. She drives in the opposite lane, after all it was a solitary road…or so she thought. Giving a sigh of relief when she sees her persecutor stop abruptly she then turns to look forward. Her heart sank quickly at the sight in front of her; a truck that couldn't stop even though the driver was trying his best to break, it was still going for her. She hit the brakes as fast as she could, but it couldn't be helped. In that brief moment she closed her eyes and embraced the darkness.
Karen opens her eyes little by little, afraid that if she would open them right away some kind of light might blind her. Her eyes were soon accommodated; she now realized there wasn't all that much light as she thought there would be. It wasn't the hospital she thought, the place itself didn't look real at all. Panic ran through her, where was she?
She decided not to look around so much until she knew where she was exactly, just to be safe. Memories suddenly came like a storming tsunami; she knelt down while grabbing her head in pain.
"An accident, I had an accident, so where am I?" The honey eyed girl whispers. Strange colors adorned what seemed like a cave. In front of her a golden gate unexpectedly appears. "Where does this gate lead to?" She asks to no one in particular.
A voice however decides to answer, "You will choose."
She jolts at the sound of the stranger's voice; there was no one there before. Turning to look at whoever was behind her, she realized that the man had exuberant long black hair and had unrealistic beauty.
"I'm dreaming aren't I?" It was more of a statement then a question, but either way he answers back, "You are not dreaming…"
"So where am I?" She insists and follows him to the golden gate.
"You are dead…" the man replies nonchalantly. "Before you have an emotional breakdown I will explain the rules."
"Rules? What rules? I'm dead aren't I? Why do I need rules?" It was obvious she wasn't going to have any emotional breakdown.
He cocks an eyebrow surprised by the fact that she seemed alright, it was rare for a human soul to be in one piece emotionally after finding out they're dead. Ignoring that fact he decides to continue, "My name is Aurion, I am the Gatekeeper of Souls which have died in a brutal murder or a tragic accident."
Karen never loses sight of him and was trying to understand, "So… it's judgment?"
"Of course not, I will give you two options, whatever you should decide will guide you to your new destination. One. You forgive the person who caused your death and your soul will wait for judgment day, that day it will be decided if you go to hell or heaven. Two. You will have revenge; however in doing so you are condemning yourself to an eternity in the pits of hell." His voice was casual as if he were explaining what to order in a restaurant.
However, it finally hit Karen that this was serious business. Surprised and speechless the young woman falls down on her knees, hiding her face in her hands and trying to prevent the watery substance to stream down her face. She fails miserably at it; the tears were running down like they would never end, at that time she remembers everything that had occurred that caused her tragic accident. "Elias," she whispers softly, while new set of tears rushed down even faster. To think she would never be with Elias ever again awoke her hate and rage.
"The sin I carry with me, even I cannot forgive myself for it… even though I was also responsible for my death… I did deserve a second chance…" in between sobs, she looks up, wipes away her remaining tears and gives Aurion a malicious glare, "I want revenge!"
"So be it." Aurion grins and nods. Thinking how easy and weak humans were when given a choice to make.
To what may seem real to some, to others it might appear as a simple fantasy or absurd ideas. But it only takes to see with the eyes within your heart to accept someone else's reality and so it takes you to be in a similar situation to truly understand. Nevertheless it's that ability that we all humans have to understand other's absurd ideas or fantasies in time of need and anguish. Sadly, is only in times like those in which our conscience is awake and alert to accept certain things that seemed impossible, that we do accept them. In other words seeing is believing…
When is it however, that we learn to believe without seeing? (And not just talking about faith.) But about other ideas we ignore and refuse to believe, in which only few do. All that is needed is a little bit of credibility and a discipline to understand just a bit. Because, not everything in this world is understandable or is meant to be understood, as life itself seems like an enigma. Just like we can't see love, faith or even air itself, we can feel them and we know they exist.
X.o.x.o.X
Chapter 1: My concern… Your nuisance
Two years later...
"Elias, are you seriously reading this?" Kevin asks while he looks at the article that was exposed on Elias's desk. Kevin is two years younger than his best friend Elias, he is the youngest at the company also. His admiration for his best friend had come a long way and he looked up at him as if Elias was his older brother, the brother he never had and was usually the one to worry about him, but now the roles had changed and it was Kevin who was worrying about his best friend's emotional state… and quite frankly his mental state as well.
Elias looks up at him with his light blue eyes, they looked tired and foggy and didn't have the spark that they used to have. Instead they were embraced by the sight of melancholy which did not diminish even if time passed by. Although he had a good job, a desired place by all as Vice President in Advertising Company at the short age of twenty six, family and friends who loved him so, he still wasn't happy and his life was nothing more than a burden.
"It's been two years…" before Kevin even get's to finish his statement a loud smack made by Elias hand in contact with his desk, makes him jerk. The young man with black hair surprised and still a bit jumpy gives him an apologetic look.
"I know Kevin! You don't have to remind me, I do that myself every damn morning…" He placed his hands over his unruly brown hair. He was trying to hide the sadness for at least a few seconds that had been evident throughout these two years. "Tomorrow is her anniversary."
Kevin had completely forgotten all about it, the anniversary of Karen's death, the only woman his best friend ever loved. It was right then and there that he realized the reason his friend had been a little more irritable than usual. Not knowing what to say, since words wouldn't be enough to console his friend not at a moment like this and also he wasn't one to be comforted so easily. So he decided to maintain in silence and that silence was becoming more and more irritating by the minute.
Until without any previous notice a rugged tall man with blond locks and dark yet intriguing eyes busted through the door.
"Didn't anyone teach you to knock, Leo?" Kevin questions in a joking manner, "Besides how is it that the secretary didn't announce you?"
Leo cocks an eyebrow in a malicious manner as a response to his friend's interrogation. The blond was a perfect playboy in every way and could even charm the most dangerous animal, just to get away with whatever he wanted.
"Why the long faces people?" He asks in his usual carefree manner. It was his nature, not just his regular charms, but his love for life and what he called 'privileges of a liberal life'.
Kevin tries to make signs so that he doesn't keep talking and ends up saying something imprudent, like he normally did. But as always Leo wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to sign language so he decided to continue, "Seriously guys, it's like a funeral in here, I'm even getting all depressed… geez."
Elias stares up from his long brown bangs, "What do you want?" He asks coldly.
"Hey! I just came to cheer you guys up a bit and of course an invite for dinner at the 'Big House' tomorrow. What do ya think? You're coming right?"
A dinner hosted by Leo, meant way more than just dinner. It preordained a significant amount of liquor and a few of Leo foreign hot girl friends. 'The Big House' was nothing but a humble name for his parent's mansion, who were obviously never there. It was probably from there his carefree character originated, his life was practically secured in every way since he was the only heir to the company Elias and Kevin worked at and every property his father owned. And even if Leo didn't work there he still liked to swing by just to learn a few things here and there.
With his deep cobalt blue eyes, Kevin watches for any kind of reaction from Elias. When he hears no response whatsoever he decides to answer for both of them, "We won't be able to go Leo, I'm sorry."
"I'm not going," Elias finally answers, "But Kevin is free…" His eyes said it all, he didn't want Kevin to go down with him, there was no way he could bare if any of his friends were chained to the sadness he had already accepted.
"Tomorrow its Karen's anniversary isn't it?" it was more of a statement then a question in the way Leo said it. "Here's the plan, we'll go flower her tomb and then we go back to my place."
"I don't want to go. Nothing of that nature interests me at this moment, you should all go without me and enjoy yourselves."
Leo looks at him straight in the eyes, a frown embeds his façade, rarely do you get to see the serious side of Leo, but when he does show it, he means it. "You've been blowing us off all this time! Look, they might not want to say anything, because they're too scared to hurt your feelings, but you know me and I talk whatever it is I have on my mind!" His voice increases every so often.
Elias defied him with a glare and dared him to keep on talking. A challenge Leo gladly took.
"I'm worried about you, we all are. It's been two years already and you're getting worst; it's true you loved her very much. But you have to move on, you can't let your life end here too… your young, you have so much going for you… and you're excluding everyone around you it's ridiculous. We can remember the dead, but we still have to move on, that's life!"
"If you appreciate our friendship in any way, I advise you to not say anything else…" It was a solid threat.
Seeing that it was getting way to serious, Kevin tries to intervene, "You guys you shouldn't be fighting, we have to support each other…"
"That's all we've been doing Kevin! But this idiot doesn't let us help him," he cuts Kevin's plead short but ends up being cut himself.
"Who are you calling an IDIOT?!" Elias was angry, fuming in fact. He confronts Leo, but he shows no sign of being intimidated and was the only one who had the fortitude to confront Elias as always.
"You're the idiot! I'm sick of your stupid childish attitude and if neither Tristan nor Kevin says anything, I will."
"Oh, really? Tell me then…" Elias was not backing down instead he pushes Leo with his hands trying to drive him over the edge with his bitter words. Kevin intimidated by both of not only by age but by character, decides it's best for him to not get in the way, but either way he was ready just in case.
"Do you know what it's like to lose the only woman you know you will ever love? How it feels to lose someone who had her life ahead of her?"
"You talk about her as if you were married; she was your girlfriend, nothing more." Leo hits back with a stingy tone.
At hearing 'nothing more' Elias grabs Leo by his collar and presses him against the wall. A small wince could be seen on the blond's man expression. Nevertheless he smiles back with spite only achieving more pressure by his holder. "What would you know about love anyway? You, who only sees women as mere objects; Toys! That when they bore you, you throw them out and get a new one…" Elias tone was as stingy and bitter as Leo's last remark.
Still waiting for Leo to resist, he glares at him, but instead he receives an unexpected reply. "And how do you how I really feel?" Leo barely whispers trying at the same time to breath.
Now Kevin was afraid for his friend's position and seeing that he wasn't putting up a fight. He tries to remove Elias grip from Leo's neck and collar.
"Don't interfere," he warns with his icy blue eyes, fueled with anger and despair. But softly and little by little he loosens his grip, realizing that he would feel guilty afterwards.
Everything that Leo had said was true, all of them were worried about him, about his life changing the way it did. The low self esteem and depression he now possessed were enough of a sign for them, but neither dared to say anything about it, until today.
Elias finally after freeing his friend turns and leaves his own office. Leo who was trying his best to regain the air he had lost, was comforted by Kevin, they were both surprised on how Elias had snapped.
After letting him catch his breath, Kevin frowns and questions him, "Why did you have to tell him all that?" He was disappointed in Leo but at the same time worried he had gotten hurt, "What the hell were you thinking?"
Leo smiles ironically and was still rubbing his neck area, "Heh, and to think Tristan and you were raised with Elias… if you were truly his friends, you wouldn't be pitying him like you do."
Kevin looked hurt at his remark and decides to respond back sarcastically, "Oh, and taking him to your playboy house… helps him how exactly?"
"There wasn't going to be any girls. I wanted it to be just us and to help Elias get through tomorrow, instead of it being like last year when he decided to lock himself up in his house all by himself."
Kevin was astonished and speechless, he couldn't believe that Leo actually did remember Karen's anniversary. He felt a knot in his heart, a pinch of guilt, so he let his cobalt blue eyes stare at the
floor. As soon as he stares back up he only sees Leo's back and how his pony tail rocks from side to side while he walks out of the office, leaving Kevin to deal with the silence.
Alone and confused Kevin sighs, his attention then caught by the magazine that was resting on Elias's desk, yet again. He walks over and picks it up and begins to read the article that had stolen his best friend's interest. The title read: "CONTACTING THE BEYOND, ANGELIQUE AND HER GIFT."
In the corner of the article a picture stood out. An image of who Kevin theorized was Angelique, whose eyes were grey, yet held emptiness and sadness. Around her, beautiful flowers of all kinds making her seem like she was in a flower paradise, but not a single smile adorned her face. Her hair was long and black put up into pig tails which almost gave her a hint of innocence behind her dark and mysterious pose. Everything about her made the girl stand out as if she held a dark and occult expression; Kevin however shakes those thoughts out of his head and laughs to himself thinking on how ridiculous it was to believe in those types of ideas.
But the fact that Elias was interested in them let alone reading those kinds of things; was enough to make him feel concerned.
X.x.x.X
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it so far or are at least interested in seeing what happens next. If that's the case please don't hesitate to review that way I know if it's worth writing or if I should maybe stop. Even if few are interested it will give me fuel to keep on writing. Thanks for reading.
Blessings to all readers, writers and reviewers!!