Monsters & Fairytales (50 page)

My eyes searched the bottom corners to find the reply function, and that’s when I saw what time he had sent it. It was from earlier today when he had first programmed his number in. He must have done it with a text message and I’d just canceled out of it when I’d used my phone to call the police officer. I felt my heart drop. I knew it was stupid, but I was devastated.

Sebastian put his hand on my shoulder. I turned around and hugged him. He hugged me back this time. He was even in his natural form for me. I felt a million times more comfortable. His soft skin was familiar. No part of me was threatened anymore by this so-called stranger, I was happy.

My body started feeling warm. It was moving from the center of me out towards my limbs. I tried to ask Sebastian what was happening, but no words were escaping. My eyes felt like they were going to explode. It was excruciating. I was digging my nails into Sebastian’s back.

“AH!” My lost scream finally came out. I fell to the ground.

“Mira!”
Sebastian knelt down beside me.

I opened my eyes but everything was too bright. It hurt. Sebastian moved his head to block the glare. The whole world was shooting colors at me I had never seen before. What was going on?

“Sebastian?”

He held out his hand for me. I took it and stood up into his chest.

“Uh, what happened?” I asked with a shake to my voice.

“The exodus.
I guess you were meant to come back here.” He smiled.

“This is...your world?”

I looked around at everything. My eyes couldn’t take it in enough. It felt familiar. I had been here before.
A giant, yellow ant lady walked by.
She nodded her head to me. I wasn’t afraid, I had met her before. I nodded my head back to return the hello.

“Nancy?” I said out loud. I swore that was her name. She looked back at me with a weird smile.

“What did you say?” Sebastian whispered.

“Nancy. Her name is Nancy.”
             

“You remember?!” He screamed.

He pushed me back to look in my eyes and then he picked me up in his arms. When I was completely engulfed by him, I felt this funny feeling. It was nothing like the burning warmth from before, it was soft and sweet. Butterflies danced in my stomach. I was remembering everything. Slowly but surely, the memories flooded my head causing my body to spasm uncontrollably. I saw everything he had told me; him in my closet, on the ledge. I saw us at the arcade, I saw being here in this world.
             

And I saw every kiss he and I had ever had. Those were the images that seemed to keep replaying themselves in my mind. He wasn’t lying. We shared something that was beyond anything on earth; well, beyond anything in this universe. I had been in love with this creature. I was in love with this creature. How could I have ever forgotten him?
             

Just as quickly as it were sweet, my memory showed the pain. I saw the storm that had been chasing me. I felt the evil and the destruction that wanted to claim me. The Zahn was doing everything to get past Sebastian, but he was defending me. He was my hero.

“I knew you’d remember. I knew it.” Sebastian mumbled over my shoulder.

He seemed like he was crying. I wasn’t sure how to feel. I was still in his arms though, and that was okay.

“Why was it after me? Why wouldn’t you let it take me?” I said.

“You were afraid. You weren’t ready. Fear is no way to enter the Zahn. You would have never made it out of there.”

“But why was I supposed to go in there at all?”

“That is something the Minakai will have to explain to you.”

“Why can’t you? You know the truth, Sebastian!”

“Why are you
ruining
this moment?” He cried.

“Because now I remember it all.
And I never got to ask you what happened. You didn’t even prepare me!” I yelled.

“Mirabelle, I couldn’t. If I had told you a being was going to claim your soul if you gave it up for the betterment of the humankind, would you have second guessed wanting to stay?”

“I...I...what?”

“Exactly.”
He smirked.

“The Zahn claims souls?”

“Yes. That is its purpose. I told you, you were ready to give everything up on Earth and stay here. In order for that to happen you must pass through it. It’s the only way. We have all done it.”

“Like a rite of passage?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“How would that better humankind? Am I really that awful?” I asked.

“This is why we need the Minakai.”

I started shaking my head. I plopped down and crossed my arms.

“Mirabelle, we have to!” Sebastian pleaded.

I couldn’t. I didn’t want to leave, yet. He couldn’t force me. It wasn’t fair. I had just remembered everything and now I was supposed to willingly go back and potentially forget it all again? It didn’t make sense. The Minakai would send me back again. He didn’t want me here. That day was just a test and I’d failed them. I knew it. I could feel it.

“You started to tell me things. You could finish your story. It’s not influencing.”

“He’ll explain it better. It’s the way it’s meant to be. Besides, if I say it now, I could ruin everything.”

“If you say nothing, I’m still staying here.”

“That could be an option.” He comforted.

“What?”

Slowly, I loosened my grip on my elbows. I could stay here? What about the Zahn?

“Yes. I don’t know all the facts. I don’t want to scare you.”

“But you know he’s upset with me. He’s never going to help, now.”
             

“What?” He was shocked.

“Yes. In case I never get the chance again, I want to meet your family. I want to see your father. I want to see Carlyle again.” I said.

“Fine.
That’s fair enough. But we go directly after.” He said sternly.

“Fine.”
I mocked him.

He held his hand out for me and I reluctantly took it. I stood up and he kissed me. I forgot what I had even been upset over.
Everything just made sense.
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             

S
o it seems.

((
when
you can’t find your way, you’re where you belong
))

We were walking down a path that I had never seen before. Somehow, everything was familiar. I wanted to take it in, but he kept rushing me. Maybe that’s what was so familiar. The first time I was here all he did was rush me down the path to the Minakai’s fortress. Like before, I dug my feet in.

“Please.” He begged.

“Why can’t we ever just take it slow? Why are you always in a rush? Do I honestly not have any time here?”

“I don’t know. I have no idea if it’ll come now or tomorrow or in a year. But it came quickly last time. It’s all on you.”

“Okay, so let me stop and smell the flowers.”

“But Mirabelle,”

“Sebastian.”

I touched the side of his face and looked into his eyes. He put his hand on mine and sighed. He knew I was right. Rushing was only going to make it worse. I needed to be free and enjoy myself. I had to de-stress.
             

I stopped walking and leaned against a tree. Staring down the paths around us, I was amazed.

“I...I can’t believe it was all real. All of this has happened before.”

He stepped up next to me and put his hand in mine.

“Yes, it is all real. Even our love was real.” He whispered.

“It
is
real.” I corrected him.

I turned to him and kissed him. Gentle hands pulled me up and helped my legs wrap around his waist. I wanted to assume it was so neither of us were straining our necks, but I didn’t mind the thought of being more passionate with him. Only a few days of repeat had gone by, but I felt we had a lifetime of emotions dying to be set free.

His cheeks were moist from his tears. I wanted to take all the pain away from him. I loved him so much. Together, we were something unstoppable. Every time I was supposed to forget him, I couldn’t. He had my heart, and thus my soul. I never saw the Zahn taking it from him. Maybe that was the only way to avoid it?

“I love you just the same as the day we met, but somehow it is more. The human emotions you give me are quite confusing, but I do know you and understand your feelings.”

He looked into my eyes and I looked into his. Did he understand them? Could those beautiful maroon eyes see inside of my happiness and know he was the key to it? I could see the happiness reigning in his. I made him happy. I did that to him. And he did that to me. It was beautiful.

“You can feel it, can’t you?” I asked him.

“What I feel is different, but similar in a sense. To me, you are the reason I exist. There is nothing else that compares to it. But for you, I am the reason you want to exist.”

“How do you mean?”

I was slightly offended. I taught him what love was and what it stood for, how could he possibly think he loved me more?

“You are only human, after all. This was programmed into you, to find love. Love is not something we were designed to understand or even have the capacity to hold. But you taught me that. And for that, it is greater.”

“Stop reading my mind and telling me what I already know.
Besides, that’s not right, anyway. To deny my love for you solely because you didn’t know it before me is… well it’s completely insulting. I didn’t know love like this until you came around, either.”

“Oh yeah?
Not even for that Joe fellow?”

He smiled. I caught myself getting flustered. I forgot that he had that human quality of jealousy. It made sense, now, why he had spoken like that. It was almost adorable if it weren’t so degrading. But Joe was certainly no threat to him. I would always and will always choose Sebastian over him. I didn’t even know Sebastian existed and I could still feel my heart pulling away from Joe.

“He ditched me, you know?” I said.

I figured that if he didn’t already know, those words might ease his jealousy.

“I know. He doesn’t understand what you are going through.”

“He does to some extent.” I corrected him.

I thought of his mother. That was mine and Joe’s ultimate connection. Just as that thought hit me, I remembered Sebastian’s mother, too.

“I don’t understand loneliness and abandonment?” Sebastian said, cutting off my thoughts at the perfect time.

“Spike!”
I blurted out.

I slid off of Sebastian finally and put my hands in my hair. I kept leaving him. I was the worst mother ever. Of course it wasn’t ever planned and it wasn’t my fault, but he didn’t know that.

“Do not worry. He is taken care of.” Sebastian smiled.

“He’s what? Is that like a Wilson thing?” I said.

I had a feeling now that Sebastian had something to do with that. My memory was back and I still couldn’t place that one part.

“No, that’s different. Spike will be returned to you. Wilson has his new home. He understands.”

“Oh, does he?” I smirked.

“Yes.
Trust.”

He took my hand and pulled me back up in his arms. I gladly wrapped back up in him. I did trust him. He was a fool to think I didn’t. 

“I’m sorry about your mom.” I said.

“I’m sorry about yours, too. You know everything is okay, right? In the end, it all works out.” He said.

“I guess it does.”

I knew he was referring to us. He was right. Terrible things happen so even greater things have room. It was a cliché of life, but necessary. Humans couldn’t handle themselves without something to keep them grounded. I touched my necklace and smiled. He lifted my chin and kissed me again. She had brought me to him. He was my purpose and she knew it before I was even aware of her. Everything in life was planned.