CHAPTER 19 - Cyrus on the Move
Mallory paced back and forth like a mad woman, her siblings watching her in silence. "What's taking them so long? You don't think something happened, do you? I know we should have taken the long way here! I wish this never happened!" She barked out questions one after another, more to herself than to her brothers or sisters.
"I don't." Broadway said simply.
"What do you mean you don't?" Mallory questioned.
"I mean just that. I'm sorta glad this all came about. Mind you, I'm not too happy about the fact that someone wants to murder me, but this whole experience has changed the way I look at everything. I mean, who here believed in ghosts until a few days ago? My life has changed, I don't know if it's for the better or worse, but deep inside, I'm glad it happened."
Seth grinned slightly. "I bet that's not the only reason you're glad this came about."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Come on Broadway, you've never been the one to act dumb!" Seth replied. "So tell us, why him? You could have your pick of any guy back in Bellville and you go and fall for a dead guy."
Broadway blushed and felt anger rise in her. She stood up quickly and balled her fists. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"Yes I do! We've all seen it! You act differently around him, you care about him, don't you?" Luke added.
"So what if I do?"
"Broadway, he's dead? D-E-A-D!" Zeke protested. "You can't fall for a dead guy!"
Broadway suddenly felt very outnumbered and ashamed. She began to second guess her feelings. Maybe it was just a twisted infatuation that was never destined to last. Royce was dead and had been for a long time.
"He's killed people, sweetheart." Arthur said quietly, breaking her train of thought. "He almost killed Dennis when we first encountered the house and he almost killed me." His words burned deeply into her soul and Broadway felt more anger than before.
"But that was before! I've talked to him; I got Royce to open up to me! None of you know what it's like to be earth bound for so long and not know where you're supposed to go! I know why ALL of them acted the way they did! I know that he, or Susan, or Dana or any of them wouldn't ever hurt anyone like they did before."
"You don't really know that, Broadway." Bianca said soothingly.
"Then tell me why we're still here? Why are we still alive - why are we even helping them in the first place? They're out there right now, protecting us! US!!" Mallory took a step towards her sister.
"Broadway, we're helping them out because it's the right thing to do. I understand how you feel, more than you think, but you can't become attached to a ghost. He's not going to be on earth forever - don't fall in love with someone immortal." The look I her eyes was so pleading that Broadway began to understand.
"You feel it too don't you Mallory? You fell for one didn't you?" Mallory turned away from Broadway's questions and looked out the window once more. After a pause she sighed deeply.
"Dennis is an extraordinary man. He's also dead, which is why I can't allow myself to love him." She turned to face her sister. "Even as much as I want to."
"You idiot! Love is one of the most powerful energies in the world - you remember what Jean told us! Why would you deny something like that?" Broadway demanded. Seth shook his head.
"Because it's the wrong kind of love!"
"And how the hell would you know?!"
"Because I'm human too!" He snapped.
"Calm down!!" Arthur held up his hands and raised his voice over the shouts of the arguing siblings. "Love is the strongest power, that's why the Ocularis needs a sacrifice of life in the name of love to work. That's why I was taken to that house in the first place. I love my wife and I will always love her - she is my life; her and our children. I know what it's like to love a ghost more than any of you ever will! Do you know how hard it is?" He turned to Broadway. "Royce is going to remain seventeen forever and always while you will grow older and eventually die. If he does love you as much as you think you love him, how do you think it's going to affect him when he watches you wither away while he's trapped in eternal youth? Do you understand why I'm telling you that this is wrong? It's only going to result in the heartbreak of you both. You too, Mallory, and you Seth! Break off this affection before it kills you all. I had to let go of my wife not once, but twice and after all this it will be the third time. To have to experience that over and over.." Arthur's voice broke and he dropped his hands limply at his sides. "Save yourselves the torment of having to bury the ones you love, I beg of you." With that, he walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
"I can't take this anymore!" Bianca said softly after a few moments had passed. "I can't take seeing you all like this. I know what Arthur is saying and I know it's right.' She paused "But I also know that love is hard to come by, especially true love which is why I say go for it." She stood and took Broadway by the hand. "I know you love him, Broadway. And I know that you've probably going through this inner struggle trying to figure out if you do or not, or if it's what you really feel. You've always been like that. Never willing to admit to your feelings until you're absolutely sure that's the way things are." Bianca smiled gently and winked. "I wish I was as lucky as you three. Even if it may just be for a moment, I wish I could find somebody to love."
Seth placed a hand on his sisters' head. "You will Bianca." He opened his mouth to say something more when the space behind he shifted and Dana shimmered into existence followed shortly by Susan, Dennis, Jean, and Royce. It was as though they cut the fabric of time and stepped through, really an odd sight. "Hey! How'd it go?" Dana frowned.
"Well, it's hard to say. The place was empty, there was no one there. We couldn't feel anything, or find anything of use for that matter. Though Dennis did pick up on some disturbing vibes.."
"Cyrus is moving west of here. He has to return to the house sooner or later because that's his source of power, but for now I picked up on him moving west for some reason." The psychic chimed in. Seth and Mallory exchanged horrified glances.
"Bellville is west of here! He's heading towards out home!"
"Then it looks as thought you're going to have to cut your vacation short." Mallory chuckled slightly.
"Dennis, we never had a vacation to begin with."
Mallory paced back and forth like a mad woman, her siblings watching her in silence. "What's taking them so long? You don't think something happened, do you? I know we should have taken the long way here! I wish this never happened!" She barked out questions one after another, more to herself than to her brothers or sisters.
"I don't." Broadway said simply.
"What do you mean you don't?" Mallory questioned.
"I mean just that. I'm sorta glad this all came about. Mind you, I'm not too happy about the fact that someone wants to murder me, but this whole experience has changed the way I look at everything. I mean, who here believed in ghosts until a few days ago? My life has changed, I don't know if it's for the better or worse, but deep inside, I'm glad it happened."
Seth grinned slightly. "I bet that's not the only reason you're glad this came about."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Come on Broadway, you've never been the one to act dumb!" Seth replied. "So tell us, why him? You could have your pick of any guy back in Bellville and you go and fall for a dead guy."
Broadway blushed and felt anger rise in her. She stood up quickly and balled her fists. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"Yes I do! We've all seen it! You act differently around him, you care about him, don't you?" Luke added.
"So what if I do?"
"Broadway, he's dead? D-E-A-D!" Zeke protested. "You can't fall for a dead guy!"
Broadway suddenly felt very outnumbered and ashamed. She began to second guess her feelings. Maybe it was just a twisted infatuation that was never destined to last. Royce was dead and had been for a long time.
"He's killed people, sweetheart." Arthur said quietly, breaking her train of thought. "He almost killed Dennis when we first encountered the house and he almost killed me." His words burned deeply into her soul and Broadway felt more anger than before.
"But that was before! I've talked to him; I got Royce to open up to me! None of you know what it's like to be earth bound for so long and not know where you're supposed to go! I know why ALL of them acted the way they did! I know that he, or Susan, or Dana or any of them wouldn't ever hurt anyone like they did before."
"You don't really know that, Broadway." Bianca said soothingly.
"Then tell me why we're still here? Why are we still alive - why are we even helping them in the first place? They're out there right now, protecting us! US!!" Mallory took a step towards her sister.
"Broadway, we're helping them out because it's the right thing to do. I understand how you feel, more than you think, but you can't become attached to a ghost. He's not going to be on earth forever - don't fall in love with someone immortal." The look I her eyes was so pleading that Broadway began to understand.
"You feel it too don't you Mallory? You fell for one didn't you?" Mallory turned away from Broadway's questions and looked out the window once more. After a pause she sighed deeply.
"Dennis is an extraordinary man. He's also dead, which is why I can't allow myself to love him." She turned to face her sister. "Even as much as I want to."
"You idiot! Love is one of the most powerful energies in the world - you remember what Jean told us! Why would you deny something like that?" Broadway demanded. Seth shook his head.
"Because it's the wrong kind of love!"
"And how the hell would you know?!"
"Because I'm human too!" He snapped.
"Calm down!!" Arthur held up his hands and raised his voice over the shouts of the arguing siblings. "Love is the strongest power, that's why the Ocularis needs a sacrifice of life in the name of love to work. That's why I was taken to that house in the first place. I love my wife and I will always love her - she is my life; her and our children. I know what it's like to love a ghost more than any of you ever will! Do you know how hard it is?" He turned to Broadway. "Royce is going to remain seventeen forever and always while you will grow older and eventually die. If he does love you as much as you think you love him, how do you think it's going to affect him when he watches you wither away while he's trapped in eternal youth? Do you understand why I'm telling you that this is wrong? It's only going to result in the heartbreak of you both. You too, Mallory, and you Seth! Break off this affection before it kills you all. I had to let go of my wife not once, but twice and after all this it will be the third time. To have to experience that over and over.." Arthur's voice broke and he dropped his hands limply at his sides. "Save yourselves the torment of having to bury the ones you love, I beg of you." With that, he walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
"I can't take this anymore!" Bianca said softly after a few moments had passed. "I can't take seeing you all like this. I know what Arthur is saying and I know it's right.' She paused "But I also know that love is hard to come by, especially true love which is why I say go for it." She stood and took Broadway by the hand. "I know you love him, Broadway. And I know that you've probably going through this inner struggle trying to figure out if you do or not, or if it's what you really feel. You've always been like that. Never willing to admit to your feelings until you're absolutely sure that's the way things are." Bianca smiled gently and winked. "I wish I was as lucky as you three. Even if it may just be for a moment, I wish I could find somebody to love."
Seth placed a hand on his sisters' head. "You will Bianca." He opened his mouth to say something more when the space behind he shifted and Dana shimmered into existence followed shortly by Susan, Dennis, Jean, and Royce. It was as though they cut the fabric of time and stepped through, really an odd sight. "Hey! How'd it go?" Dana frowned.
"Well, it's hard to say. The place was empty, there was no one there. We couldn't feel anything, or find anything of use for that matter. Though Dennis did pick up on some disturbing vibes.."
"Cyrus is moving west of here. He has to return to the house sooner or later because that's his source of power, but for now I picked up on him moving west for some reason." The psychic chimed in. Seth and Mallory exchanged horrified glances.
"Bellville is west of here! He's heading towards out home!"
"Then it looks as thought you're going to have to cut your vacation short." Mallory chuckled slightly.
"Dennis, we never had a vacation to begin with."