"Welcome back kids," Lauren, said
when he saw Angel, Cordelia and Ashling entered the bar. "Can I get you
anything?"
"We
actually came here to get a reading," Angel said.
"I don't
think you need one,"
"Why not?"
He motioned
Angel to the side. "I can read that girl from here."
"And?"
"She's
heart broken,"
"Obviously,
we just had to tell her, her brother died a year ago. She hasn't stopped
crying."
"Try and
help her. Bring her brother back,"
"We tried
already… the oracles said they-"
"Get your
witch friend to do it," Lauren took a sip from his drink.
"Its been
over a year is it even possible?"
"I don't
know,"
Ashling stared
at the polished bar. Her tears were dried on her cheeks.
"Do you
want anything?" Cordelia asked.
"No,"
Ashling murmured.
"Scotch on
the rocks I believe," Lauren placed a glass in front of Ashling.
"Thanks,"
she forced a smile and took a sip. It didn't taste the same as it did twenty
minutes ago. Nothing was the same as it was twenty minutes ago. The world was a
constant blur. No music, no happy, no life, no color. Nothing. Ashling rubbed
her finger on the glass. There was a slight squeaking sound as her fingers went
along with the water that had collected.
"Ashling…"
Cordelia pulled her out of her gaze.
"Hmm?"
"Do you
wanna stay at my place tonight?"
"Yeah,
sure," Ashling left the drink and left.
Cordelia's
Apartment
"I'll
take the couch, you can have my bed," Cordelia said as the entered her apartment.
"Before you freak out, I have a ghost here. His name is Dennis. Dennis this is
Ashling."
Ashling
walked in and looked at the living room. She felt a rush of images come towards
her. It was like voices. They inched their way to her head. She felt them
coming.
FLASH~
"Have
you ever seen anything more beautiful?" Cordelia said to Doyle as she gushed
over the apartment he had found her.
"No,
never," Doyle replied looking at Cordelia's beauty and not paying any attention
at all to the apartment.~
Ashling
exhaled deeply as the image faded away.
"Are you
okay?" Cordelia asked, noticing something wasn't right with Ashling.
"He loved
you," she said.
"What?"
"Allen.
When he found you this apartment. He was looking so much for your approval. He
loved you so much,"
"How did
you know that?" Cordelia was shocked and almost crying at the lost memory.
"I…I had a
vision or and image or something,"
"Come on
Ashling, how about you go to bed now,"
1:30 AM
Cordelia
was at her kitchen table crying over a box of tissues. "I knew he loved me…why
was I so mean to him?" a tissue floated over to her. "Thanks Dennis. You know I
have no right to be crying." She said to him. "He's been gone for almost two
years and I cried when he died, I cried at the funeral, I cried for six
months…why am I crying now? Ashling just found out the reason her brother
hasn't written to her in a year in a half is because he died. She just found
out he's dead and here I am crying over it."
There was
no answer from Dennis because Dennis was a silent ghost. He handed her another
tissue. She broke down crying again.
Ashling
looked at the ceiling. She could hear Cordelia talking to Dennis and her
sobs. She tapped her fingers on the
blanket. There was so much of Allen's life she didn't know about. Letters
became scarce after Harry left him and he found out about his demon side. She
didn't know the demon had anything to do with it though. He quit his teaching
job. Ashling and their mom were totally shocked. They knew how much he loved
teaching and he loved kids. Ashling remembered in one letter Allen said he and
Harry were thinking about having kids. Ashling was so happy. She wanted a
little niece or nephew.
Ashling
wondered how hard it was for Allen to sacrifice his life for all those demons.
For people like him. Cordelia was almost crying when she told her the news. She
got of the bed and walked to the closet. She peered at the clothes and one
caught her eye. She reached in and pulled out an old beaten brown leather
jacket. "Oh my God." She said. This was Allen's old jacket that their mother
gave to him when he turned fifteen. She told them it was their father's.
Ashling slipped her arms in the jacket and put it on. When she pulled the front
to her chest she felt something in the inside pocket. She pulled it out. It was
a letter that was crippled and looked like it had been read every day. She
walked to the bed and sat down, turning the light on. She unfolded the page.
Princess-
I don't
know why, but I think somethin' is gonna happen to me soon. Just this feeling I
have. So I'm writing you this letter to tell you everything in case something
happens. My biggest secret is that I'm half demon. I didn't know until I was
twenty-one. My mum finally told me. That's when Harry left me because I changed.
I became hateful towards the world and we fought all the time. Anyway. I have a
little sister. Ashling, she's six years younger than me. Don't tell her about
the demon in me, it's not in her she doesn't need to know. I want to leave you
my ring because I love you Cordelia. Never had the courage to tell you. But I
do. So keep it to remember me. Goodbye Princess.
Love,
Allen
Ashling
folded the letter back up. She wiped the tears from her face. "He knew…" she
put the letter in the pocket and turned the light off. She crawled under the
covers with the jacket still on. She inhaled deeply and could smell the cheep
cologne on it. Still there after a year and a half. She rolled into a ball and
cried herself to sleep.