LOOKING TROUGH YOUR EYES

CHAPTER 13

At school, Sheryl acted strangely, she was very quiet and hardly approached her classmates. During the break, Jair was looking for her, but couldn't find her anywhere. when the bell rang, they met on their way to the classroom.

-          where were you? I looked for you everywhere ...

-          Ah, excuse me ... well ... I felt bad and I was in the infirmary

-          But I also looked for you there ...

-          Mmm ... maybe I was already in the playground when you went. Well ... see you later – she said goodbye and rushed into her classroom

Jair was worried, but he understood her, he knew how difficult it was to lose a father, he wanted to help her, but he decided that he’d give her some time alone, perhaps it was what she needed the most.

At dismissal time, Sheryl ran out and waited for her mother at the school gate. As soon as Lindsey arrived, she got in the car and asked:

-          Do you have the ring?

-          Good afternoon my girl. No, Mike says you better don’t be near it again

-          but dad gave it to me! - she complained - you can't take it away from me, it's unfair

-          I'm sorry, but we have to protect ourselves as much as we can. Keep in mind that we don’t know what we’re facing, if Melany ...

-          Melany has nothing to do with it! - she interrupted angrily - that ring was the last gift from dad

-          I'm sorry. But we can't give you the ring

Sheryl dropped sharply onto the seat and said nothing more. When they got home, just like the day before, she locked herself in her bedroom, finished her homework, and fell asleep. The days became monotonous, everyone felt her annoying or distant; Jair and Lindsey were very worried about her, they understood that she missed her dad, but they worried that they wouldn’t see her smiling and cheerful again.

-          Sheryl, this weekend Emma invited us to a picnic with Jair, do you want to go? we could also invite Mike - Lindsey finally told her one afternoon, she had asked Emma for help.

-          okay. Will we make something? - She answered with a neutral tone

-          Well ... what do you think about fruit salad?

The girl nodded and continued with her homework. That Sunday, Lindsey got up very early to have everything ready at 7, which was the time agreed with Mike. She made the salad and began to prepare the silverware and clothes they’d wear in the park. She went into Sheryl's room to get her bathing suit ready and when she was going through her drawer, she found the necklace, it looked lackluster and sad. She was surprised not to see it on her daughter's neck, she used to sleep with it. She went to her bed and realized that she didn't even have the Moon that Jair had given her by her side; however, she was hugging something, she lifted the sheet a little to get a better look, but Sheryl woke up.

-          What's going on? - She asked annoyed

-          ow! Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up ...

-          But what are you doing in my room? What are you looking for? - She said trying to calm down.

-          I wanted to help you get ready what we’ll wear for the picnic. We’ll also go to the pool, so I was looking for your swimwear, but I found the necklace in your drawer, why don't you have it around your neck? And ... what is that you have in your hands?

-          I'll get my things ready, thanks. I no longer sleep with the necklace because it bothers me, it doesn’t let me sleep well ... and this is the diary that Mike gave me - she took out the diary making sure it was tightly closed

-          Ah, ok ... were you talking to Ethan?

-          No, I was just using it to write a couple of things - she said somewhat uncomfortable due to her mother's curiosity

-          Well, but you know that you can tell me whatever you want

-          Yes, thanks - she said coldly - something else?

-          No, that’s it. I'll be waiting for you downstairs. Mike will come any minute, hurry up please

Lindsey went out of her daughter's bedroom, she was somewhat taken aback, she didn't usually behave like that. "Well, we'll talk in the park," she told herself. Suddenly, Mike knocked on the door, he was very worried. He quickly entered asking:

-          Where's Sheryl?

-          Good Morning. In her room, why?

But Mike didn't answer her, he ran upstairs in a hurry. He knocked on the door and entered impatiently.

-          Sheryl, where is the necklace? - He said in a tone of claim

-          On the drawer, what’s the problem? - She answered, annoyed by his irruption

-          You need to put it on immediately

Lindsey had also come into the room and went to the bedside table, tried to put the necklace on her, but Sheryl didn't accept it, she moved to the side and said:

-          I'll put it on in a moment, I'm just going to change my clothes first

-          Don’t you understand? Put the necklace on right away and I’ll explain…

Sheryl put on the necklace with a disdainful gesture and asked:

-          what is it that I don’t understand?

-          That necklace is the only thing that allows Ethan to be connected, in a way, with you. He specified more than once that you need to keep it close to your heart, because if you don't, that connection will be lost forever.

-          But tell me what is Ethan? Why can't I see it? Why does Melany haunt me since I was little? - Without giving him time to answer, she began to reflect - Everyone knows that Ethan died when he was one, that’d lead us to think that he’s simply a ghost; however, we can see Melany in the flesh any day, but she also appears as a terrifying creature when she wants. They are both supposed to want something from me, Ethan seeks to protect me and Melany to eliminate me. why? What made them choose me? And how is it that they can both communicate with me despite one being dead and the other alive? And one more thing, if the necklace loses connection because it’s not close to my heart for a little while, then I assume the same thing happens with the ring, and it’s already been a long time away from me, can you give it back to me?

-          No, I can’t. I'm sorry. It’s not the same mechanism. I’ll answer all your questions, but it’ll be in the park, now we must leave immediately - Mike said looking at his watch -  Emma must be waiting for us - ah, by the way. Don’t forget to bring the diary and the bracelet, we also have to talk about that - he said conclusively

She nodded and they hurried out. On the way, Mike was worried, he was too tense and uneasy. Sheryl was deep in thought, she seemed to be staring at the horizon. As soon as they arrived, Sheryl greeted the Walkers and went to sit under a tree. Jair was surprised, he noticed that Sheryl's clothes made her look more distant and somewhat enclosed in her own world, it was as if she wanted to say “don't get close”. She was wearing a black jean, a red blouse with gray stripes and red sneakers, the curls of her hair covered most of her face and she had a somewhat disturbing expression, it wasn’t possible to say for sure whether she was upset or just reflecting. Despite everything, she still looked beautiful. Jair was glad to see her, but worried that she’d continue like this for so long.

Mike and Lindsey greeted the Walkers as well and began to unload things from the car.

-          Is everything fine? - Lindsey asked - all the way I saw you worried ...

-          Yes, everything is fine. It's just… I'm worried that Sheryl is behaving like this, isn't that strange? Don’t you feel like you already know this behavior?

Lindsey thought for a moment, and after a few seconds her expression totally changed.

-          Paul! - She said anguished - that's how he behaved before leaving with Melany

-          Exactly, I'm worried that Sheryl is talking to the wrong person. According to what Ethan told me, each time the bond becomes weaker, and not only because she hardly wears the necklace anymore ... they’re two opposing forces, so one is always the one that predominates ...

-          What do you mean? - She said intrigued - what forces are you talking about?

-          I'm sorry. I'll explain it to all of you in a moment. Let's have breakfast first.

They put the tablecloth on the grass and ate. There were quite a few uncomfortable moments, since nobody wanted to speak, they didn't know what to say; when someone asked Sheryl something, she coldly answered with a curt phrase and there was silence again. As soon as they finished breakfast, Mike started:

-          Well Sheryl, now I’ll answer your questions. Both Melany and Ethan are creatures that come from another dimension, but not from the same one. Melany comes from the "forest of souls"; Ethan, on the other hand, lives in the "crystal moor." It’s complicated to explain, but what you should know is that the necklace should always remain close to your heart. Thanks to the necklace, Ethan can feel your presence, it helps him to know where you are, he can feel what you feel, breathe the fragrances around you and even see through your eyes; without the necklace, he couldn’t find you, he can only know whether you’re in danger thanks to the necklace, when it’s on your neck; every time you put it away from your heart, the essence of your being becomes ... cloudy, blurred, it’s as if the signal was lost, and this makes it impossible to locate you, he doesn’t know what’s happening around you and he cannot feel danger around you. Now, it’s not the same with the ring because, unlike the necklace, which was bathed in the "fountain of light"; the ring is constantly fed with the tears of all the men and creatures whose souls are in the "forest of souls", Melany is in charge of always reinforcing this connection, but ... Ethan cannot do the same with the necklace because, when using the fountain waters, you are subject to the acceptance of the person, it means, you have to accept that Ethan can feel everything you feel, and the only way that is considered as consent is by keeping it close to your heart . - He stopped for a moment, as he saw the surprised face that everyone had, especially the children. He knew they wouldn't understand it, they were still too young to understand something like that - I know you're still young to understand it ... Just keep the necklace close to your heart, please. There’s one more point that I’d like to clarify, regarding the diary... I gave it to you so that you could talk to Ethan or simply write what you think, what you feel; however, Ethan told me that he can no longer communicate with you through the diary and that can only mean that ...

-          Well, it’s not fair that he’s controlling my life every second - she said annoyed

-          I agree, it’s not okay to me that Ethan spends so much time with her, it's very unfair… invasive, she should have some privacy, don't you think? - Jair asked, uncomfortable with Mike's explanation.

He just laughed and said:

-          The 3 of you are still too young to have malice. When you grow a little more I imagine that Ethan will stop being so close - he paused a little and changed his facial expression to a more serious one - now, Sheryl, it’s important that we talk about the diary. You cannot…

-          Yes, it was already clear to me that I cannot use it for what I want, only for what Ethan gives me permission - she said sarcastically - as if he was my dad - she rolled her eyes. She got up and went to the tree under which she’d been sitting before breakfast

-          No, it's not that - said Mike trying to make her stay - what happens is that ...

-          Yes. Whatever - Sheryl said and kept walking

They were all surprised by her behavior, by how much her father's death had changed her. She’d gone from being a very cute girl to a cold and rude teenager. Lindsey stood up to talk to her, but Mike stopped her.

-          I think it is better to leave her alone for a while - he said – she’s with the necklace on, she’ll be fine for a while. You have to wait for her to calm down a bit before going to talk to her

Lindsey nodded and started to collect the dishes they’d used for breakfast. The others helped her and then they started playing volleyball, they asked Sheryl if she wanted to join, she shook her head and fell asleep with the diary over her eyes. After almost 15 minutes, Jair realized that Sheryl was no longer under the tree.

-          where did she go? - he exclaimed worried

They all turned to see the tree and were also alarmed. They started calling her, but no one answered. They put the ball aside and broke away to look for her. The first to find her was Jair. She was next to a small pond, crouched down, she seemed to be looking for something.

-          Did you drop something? – he asked

Sheryl got scared and fell into the small stream. Jair rushed to help her out. He shook his hand, and when he pulled her to her feet, he pulled hard and Sheryl fell on him. They were both on the grass, their lips almost touching, their cheeks flushed. They looked into each other's eyes, they remembered the beautiful moments they spent together when they met, their first hug, their first smile ... Sheryl hugged him immediately, he was surprised, it was a long time since he felt her so affectionate, he hugged her too and they stayed on the grass for a while. After a few minutes, they got up and tried to dry off. Sheryl noticed that the diary had gotten wet, Jair thought she’d be upset, but instead she started crying. Jair didn't know what to do.

-          I'm sorry, it really wasn’t my intention - he said very sorry

She didn't answer, she was trying to shake the pages of the diary with haste. Seeing that it was useless, she squatted down to cry.

-          Excuse me, I really didn’t mean it happen - Jair said very sorry.

Sheryl looked at him with tears in her eyes, this broke his heart, the last thing he wanted was to see her cry because of him. She saw the pain in his gaze.

-          I know, I understand - she said, wiping her tears - it's just… you don't understand what this diary means to me….

-          Tell me please. You know that you can count on me for anything

-          But you must promise me that you won’t tell anyone - she warned him

-          sure! I promise

-          I stopped talking to Ethan because Dad started talking to me. After he died, someone started writing on the diary. I knew it wasn't Ethan because he always uses the gold ink when we're alone; Dad, on the other hand, uses black ink, sometimes gray ... this diary is the only thing that allows me to continue talking to him - her little eyes filled with crystalline tears again

-          But ... how are you sure it's your dad?

-          I know it. I’d know how to recognize it anywhere! - Said somewhat altered

-          Okay, excuse me ... but I don't understand, what does your dad have to do with the fact that you stopped talking to Ethan? Don’t get me wrong, I'm really glad you’re not so close anymore, but… I don't understand why you’d have to stop talking to him to talk to your dad

-          Well... when dad started talking to me, Ethan interrupted. He wouldn't let him finish and when he realized that Daddy was also writing, he told me not talk to anyone else because "supposedly" we don't know who or what it was ... but I know it's Dad!

-          I see ... but ... can I ask you something else?

-          Tell me

-          Why have you been so distant these last days?

-          Well ... dad told me that no one should know ... no one would understand. You do believe me, right?

-          Yes, I do believe you. But…

-          but? - She said impatiently - you promised me that you wouldn’t tell anyone

-          Yes, don't worry about that… it's just, I wish… it’d be nice if we could spend time together again, like before… I miss seeing you smiling all day. Your cheeks flushed, your hugs….

Sheryl's face filled with tenderness and she threw herself into Jair's arms.

-          I’ve also missed all the beautiful moments that we used to spend together - she whispered to his ear - I promise that everything will be like it used to.

They hugged for a long time. Until an icy breeze made them shiver with cold. They parted ways and Jair asked:

-          What were you looking for when I arrived?

-          Oh right ... help me look for it, please. My necklace fell off - she said as she bent down to look for it in the lake

-          It's really necessary? - Jair said, taking her by the waist and bringing her closer to him

Sheryl blushed, smiled, and kissed him on the cheek.

-          Yes, it’s necessary for the tranquility of mom - said a tender tone

Jair put his hand to his cheek, stroking it like a treasure. He took both of Sheryl's hands, kissed them tenderly, and they began to search for the necklace. They soon found it and dried it. Just as Jair was about to help Sheryl put it on, Mike and the two mothers arrived.

-          Sheryl! - Lindsey exclaimed - where have you been? We’ve been looking for you everywhere! Why are you wet? What happened guys?

-          Easy mom - Sheryl said, trying to calm her down - we're fine ...

-          Jair! You are also wet, what happened? How long ago did you find her? Why didn't you call us? What were you doing? - Emma said impatient for answers

The two kids looked at each other and laughed.

-          Sorry - Jair replied - I found her a while ago, but the water looked so tempting that we started to play…. Sorry

-          Why were you just putting the necklace on? - Mike asked, turning to Sheryl. She was silent with her gaze on the grass.

-          It's just ... as Ethan doesn't like us to be together, I told her that it’d be better if she took it off while we were playing - Jair said

-          Mmmm .... I see ... you shouldn’t do that. It’s true that Ethan doesn’t enjoy seeing you two so close, but you should NEVER take your necklace off, Sheryl. It's very dangerous, do you understand? Now put it on right away

She nodded and Jair helped her put the necklace on.

-          Well ... as you already got wet, I imagine you won't want to go to the pool. How about we play basketball? - said Lindsey

-          yes! - Jair said excitedly - I mean ... Sheryl, do you agree?

She laughed a little and nodded with a smile on her lips. They all went to the place where they had left their things, Sheryl picked up her diary, closed it and ran to catch up with them. She hugged Jair from behind and whispered to his ear, "Thank you." He kissed her hands and nodded.

They played basketball until noon.

-          Well ... I think it's time for lunch. Are we going home to cook something or do you prefer to go to a restaurant? - Emma asked

-          restaurant! - they all said in chorus

-          even you? - She asked Lindsey and Mike while laughing

-          yes! - They answered with a laugh - I think we’re kind of tired - Lindsey concluded

They put everything they had brought in the car, each one went home to take a bath, and arranged to meet in an hour at Deyner's restaurant.

On the way home, Lindsey noticed that her daughter was looking sadly at the diary.

-          What's the matter? – she asked

-          The thing is ... when we were playing, it fell into the lake and it's all wet ... do you think it can be fixed?

-          Mmm ... well, I think we can try ... I'll try to dry it with the iron when we get home

-          No, don’t worry. I will, thanks

-          Well, first you get ready to go to the restaurant

Sheryl nodded and they both remained silent the rest of the way. After taking a bath and getting ready, Sheryl rushed to iron each sheet of the diary, she did most of it, then left it under all her school books. At the appointed time, they met with the Walkers and Mike, had lunch, and then went to Lindsey's house to play monopoly. In the afternoon, they began to watch a movie. Jair hugged Sheryl and the mothers looked on fondly from their back. By the end of the movie, Sheryl had fallen asleep, hugging Jair. He carefully got up and kissed her forehead. Both the Walkers and Mike said goodbye to Lindsey and left.

As she saw that her daughter was sleeping and was also curious to know what had happened to the diary, she tiptoed to the pile of books that Sheryl had left behind. She tried to carefully remove the diary, she barely made a noise, she was scared, but her daughter was still sound asleep. Since the diary was open in the middle, she began to go through the first pages, she first found the conversation Sheryl had had with Ethan when Jair fainted, then there were blank pages, and almost halfway through the diary, there was something written in black ink. It’d been left like a stain because of the water, she couldn’t read what it said, she continued turning pages and found unintelligible signs that were written like a calligram, forming a spiral. At that moment, she felt Sheryl calling her, tried to leave the diary as it was and went downstairs.

-          Where’s everybody? - She asked, still sleepy

-          They already left, honey. The movie ended a while ago ...

-          Wow ... I can't believe I fell asleep, what a shame ... what would Jair think- she said uneasily

-          Don't worry, today was a pretty tiring day, I think we all wanted to rest ...

-          Mmm sure. You know ... when I was still half awake, I felt so comfortable that I thought I was already in my bed

-          Sheryl - Lindsey said laughing - you fell asleep hugging Jair

Sheryl blushed.

-          Well ... do you want to eat something? We should go to sleep now. I am sleepy too

-          No, I’m not hungry. Thank you.

Each one went to their room to rest. Sheryl realized that the diary wasn’t as she had left it. She was upset, but preferred to keep quiet. “I've never had complete privacy anyway”, she thought. She lay down on her bed hugging the diary, closed it and began to think about everything that had happened during the day. It’d been a long time since she felt so good, she’d forgotten how beautiful it was to spend time with Jair. She put the diary on the bedside table and hugged her teddy, she began to daydream about the things she wanted to happen, she’d always wanted to live in one of those romantic movies that she loved so much, and every time she was with Jair, she felt like being inside one. Soon she fell asleep remembering the first time they met, in that water park, she remembered how nervous she got when he came to her for the first time; she remembered the warmth she felt when giving him the first hug, she could hear his heartbeat, as she smaller than him, she could hear Jair's heartbeat, it felt so good to know that those magical moments also made him so happy ... she began to remember every detail that he’d had, every look, every smile ... that night she slept very well, she felt that she was resting on the clouds.