Nothing Can Separate Us

Chapter 2: Continuation

"Z.... Zarnaive!" He yelled. "That's right. Zarnaive! Zarnaive Phoenix I remember now, and you're French too,right? That's mega cool."

"How do you know that?" I questioned hesitantly. Though he wasn't entirely correct, the fact that he knew even half the truth made my head spin. I was beginning to doubt he was real, perhaps merely a

hallucination from my PTSD. I wasn't sure which option I preferred, though.

＂You go to a lot of parties, Zarnaive . I notice things," he shrugged. Then, a smirk slowly made its way to his full lips.

" Those little dresses are pretty

noticeable for starters." I had decided then that I didn't like those smirks.

A smirk usually hinted at smugness but Easton boys were always smug, this one was different. An Easton smirk meant trouble. I couldn't afford trouble.

＂Okay, posh boy," I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. "That's enough."

＂Posh?" He raised an eyebrow.

＂Your name is Zacheus ," I deadpanned.

＂People just call me Zachy," he clicked his fingers again with an uneasy smile.

"You know, not to get me confused between my dad and grandad since we all have the same name."

＂Exactly," I retorted and resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

There was a pregnant pause where all I could do was heave out a shaky sigh. I had been sitting cross-legged on my bed for far too long waiting for Devonshire to come around and my whole body seemed to buzz in protest.

I wondered for a moment if I could have been dreaming but after glancing at my wrist to see my name written in messy cursive, I knew it wasn't true. Every letter sat where I'd written it earlier to prove that I wasn't in a horrible dream.l hadn't made this up, it was real.

＂You found me, didn't you?" His voice came out in a faint whisper. It was as though the thought had been worming its way through his mind ever since he saw me and now it had finally slipped from his tongue.

I nodded,"yes."

＂So I actually am...dead?"

＂Yes."

＂But...you're not?"

＂No."

＂So, I'm a ghost?"

＂Probably."

His lips tugged into a small smile. "You're excellent at the whole conversation thing, Zarnaih," he teased.

Did he just called me Zarnaih? What the hell wrong with this guy?

"Sorry," he muttered. I knew he wasn't apologising for his comment out instead for the fact that I had found his body.

Anyone could've seen it in the way my eyes hooded when met with the topic that it bothered me greatly. I appreciated that he noticed but shrugged way the sympathy. I wasn't the one dead in this situation.

Zacheus looked down at his feet that were dressed expensive shoes, before hesitantly rising out of the desk chair. He wobbled at first,making the floor under him creak with the pressure. One foot stepped in front of the other as he jutted his tongue out in concentration.He looked like a toddler who'd found their feet for the first time and my heart raced.

He turned his body slowly before his legs worked quicker than I could. He tumbled to my bed and I scuttered off quickly, my cheeks ablaze. The hair on my arms stood as electricity coursed through my body.

I captured my bottom lip in between my teeth and pressed the back of my cool hands against my cheek.

"S-stay there," I ordered him from my place

on the floor. Confusion flashed through Zachy's brown eyes as he stared at me from my own bed that he clung to. His eyes shouldn't have flashed with anything,

his eyes shouldn't have even been open

His eyes should have been closed and locked in a casket six feet under along with the rest of his body. He should have been dead. With a deep breath,I stood. Never once leaving my back to him, I bit the inside of my cheek silently.

＂I'm going for a walk." My voice was scratchy.

＂You'll stay here, okay? I'll be right back, I just need to get some air."

Zachy nodded wordlessly, a smile of pity passed his lips. Then, I left. I raced out of my bedroom, down the stairs and out

the front door within one breath. The cold air hit me full force as I stepped outside. It breezed past my hair and tickled my face. My heart, though still beating abnormally fast, felt as though it had time to relax finally.

The clouds above me were a murky

grey and threatened a downpour. I wasn't bothered though,I'd welcome the rain at this moment. I hobbled down to my front gate and noticed my neighbour, Mrs Cole, as she walked out of her front door at the same time as me.I gave her a tight-lipped smile but as she neared, l noticed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath.

Mrs Cole was an old lady with frail bones,grey hair and normally kind, blue eyes. Today, however, they were both an eerie black. Like two pools of oblivion, I felt myself falling into the horror.

＂I've been made aware of the spirit that you hold in your possession, Miss Phoenix ," she barked. Her voice definitely was not the typical gentle voice of Mrs Cole. It was authoritative and demanding. Deep and intimidating. Not Mrs Cole.

＂If you do not return the soul, the balance will break," the same sinister voice that echoed from Mrs. Cole inhabited the driver too.

I ran ahead of the car and turned a corner as it zoomed past me, the person inside didn't spare a second glance at my cowering figure. The corner shop with it's faded banner and flashing open sign stood not that far away, it was the place I visited the most often in the village. At this moment, it felt like a safe haven.

I followed the pavement to the end of the street when the doors of five or so white terraced houses snapped open. A person stood stiffly in each doorway, a blank expression painted onto each of their faces.

＂Zarnaive," they stated in unison."You're

messing with things you don't and won't ever understand. Something as intricate as time cannot be cheated and if the boy is not passed over soon, the consequences will be dire."

They sounded like ghostly robots as they spoke together. Their voices weren't loud but they echoed around my mind and distracted the sane part of myself. The wind picked up and it began to whip my hair around my face ferociously. All at once, each door of the terraced houses slammed shut in my face.