Disinter

1. Tragedy

Twisted and tangled in a web of bodies, I stood stark still as I knew then that death had become me.

It was a strange feeling, though. Knowing that you were damned. Having an overwhelming sense that you will never feel the drum of your own heart beat beating under your flesh ever again.

The light that shone in the far distance must have been for me, or the other girl that was standing over her corpse ogling it with fascination.

I watched in slow motion as red and blue lights flashed in the horizon; The ambulance rushed to the scene. Medics scattered all around and started pulling out people from the burning wreckage, the bus accident looked bloody horrific.It was then that I felt a small pull in my chest and shot my head up.

The air had become mystified, it was as if an ice capsule had erupted inside this twilight realm I had found myself in because a few feet away I watched as they pulled my now soulless body out the back exit of the turned over bus. I felt myself floating towards the shell I had called my home for the last seventeen years.

Relentlessly, a female paramedic pushed down on my chest to no avail. I knew, though, that no matter what they did - my pulse would be flatlined.

''She's gone Kate, we need to go help the others.'' A man touched the shoulder of a female medic, Her face was contorted into compressed grimacing lines.

She looked down at my corpse, a sense of overwhelming sadness then crossed her features.

''She must have been about seventeen years old.'' Kate brushed a strand of my hair away from my clammy pale face.

''Poor girl, she didn't even get to experience life.'' The woman carried on and I looked away, the sound of a familiar voice made me turn around, and then I saw him. My cousin laying on the floor with an oxygen mask over his face.

''Danny,'' I whispered to myself and drifted as fast as my soul would let me over to where he lay.

''Have you seen my cousin?'' Danny pulled off the oxygen mask and asked ''She is about five foot six, she has blonde hair with blue highlights.'' He carried on. I looked down at him.

''Just lay back, we will find your cousin.'' A man dressed in black with a red cross on his shirt pocket said. I then stepped a foot closer to Danny, kneeling down beside him I tried to grasp his hand but it went right through.

''Danny, I'm right here, I'm sorry this has happened but I need you to know that I love you.'' It was no use he couldn't hear or see me, I was just about to put my hand out to touch him when he started to scream in pain, I watched as he held his stomach and another paramedic rushed to his side.

''What's wrong?'' She asked.

''My side.''Danny gripped his abdominal, the women lifted up his top and what I saw was horrifying. Danny's entire stomach was turning blue!

''You've broken a few ribs, it's causing internal bleeding. We have to get you to the hospital immediately.'' She said and Danny started shaking his head.

''No, not without Avery.'' I cringed at my name and the medic shook her head

''You will die if we don't get you to the hospital, I'm sure you cousin is fine.''

Without realizing it I put my hand over Danny's stomach, almost trying to take some of his pain away. My palms started to itch and felt as if they were on fire. I watched as a white light escaped from them.

With awe, I sat there staring at what I was doing. Danny's stomach started to turn back to normal, the medic stood there in shock. I didn't know what she could see, but I knew there was no way she could see me. It took mere seconds and Danny's abdominal went back to normal.

I looked down at my palms once the light dispersed, maybe this was some kind of after death gift you get for dying?

I was just about to stand up and see if I could help others when two lights appeared out of nowhere.

Was this my time to go? Was I really going to walk through something I had no clue what awaited the other side? I didn't know, but my thoughts rapidly fled my mind when I saw two men enter from the portal if I could breathe I would have inhaled sharply.

They wore black, the one man looked as if he was in his forties, the other...well let's just say he couldn't be more than twenty-three, handsome was an understatement, his hair was cut ear length, it curled around the sides, his eyes were an intense dark grey, he stood about a head taller than me. I wondered if they were the real men in black.

They walked over to the girl that had been standing staring at her body earlier , without saying a word they pulled out some sort of device and scanned it over her soul, she stood there in shock and gawked at them.

''You can see me? Does that mean I am not dead?'' The girl started ranting on and on until the younger male touched her shoulder, I couldn't tell what he said but he pointed to a light that was still hovering behind her, the girl looked away quickly and the guy took her hand and walked over to the light with her, and just like that she disappeared into nothingness. The light was now gone and the two men were still standing there, and then they saw me and I turned away quickly.

I looked down at Danny that was now being picked up on a stretcher.

''Danny, I love you, I will always be watching over you, look after your mom and dad.'' I didn't know what else to say, he couldn't hear me and as they put him in the ambulance I knew somewhere deep inside I would never see him again.

As the ambulance sped away everything at that moment became very surreal, I was dead. I would never be able to see my family again. I would never see my friends, watch a movie or go to the mall, but I never had time to think of the rest as the two men approached.

''Who are you?'' I asked and they said nothing, they just took out that device again and scanned it over me.

''It's her.'' The older man said and I took a step back.

''It's me what?'' I folded my arms over my chest.

''Did you use magic?'' the older man asked and I looked down at the spot where Danny had laid only two minutes ago.

''Magic?'' I repeated and looked down at my hands.

''I don't know, my cousin... he was hurt really badly, my instinct was to automatically try to help him, I don't know what happened my hands just lit up and then he was fine.'' I carried on, I felt as if I was in a trance almost hoping I would wake up from a really disastrous dream.

''Who are you, people? Are you here to take me to the other side?'' I held my head up higher, I could not show fear to anyone, I needed to be strong even if it meant me putting on a charade in front of these----people-----or whatever they were.

''Yes, we are here to take you to the other side, but not the side you are thinking of.'' The man said and I was more interested in what the younger one was thinking. He was staring at something in the distance. I directed my gaze to where his own lay, he was staring at my corpse that was sprawled out on the ground. Lifeless and pale.

''What is your name?'' The younger man finally spoke and asked, he had a vague accent that sounded almost British, he stood in a warrior stance and surveyed the area. When his eyes finally rested on me and not the dead me lying on the ground I felt a shudder surge through my core.

''Avery...Avery Ferox.''I said and examined his eyes. His face showed no emotion except for those eyes, I saw into the depths of them and for a split second I could almost see past the hard exterior, he looked in pain and showed remorse.

''Well, I am Guardian Canby and this is Guardian Ryker.'' The older man said and I stood there waiting for him to carry on, why were they calling themselves Guardians.

''We come from the place in-between, there's a lot to explain and not enough time, we can't stay in this realm for very long, it makes us fatigued.'' The Canby man sounded rushed and I was still trying to wrap my mind around the word 'Realm.'

''Where is this place in-between?'' I asked and then Guardian Ryker spoke.

''We need to go, come, we will show you.'' Guardian Ryker put out his hand towards me and I stepped two feet away from them.

''Sorry, but I don't know you, I don't go with strangers.'' even though that sounded so ridiculous coming from me. I mean I was dead, where the hell else was I going to go?

Guardian Ryker crossed his forearms over his chest and sent me a testing look. He didn't say anything but I knew what his eyes were telling me .

I hesitated, I had no other option but to go with these men.

''Fine, but I want to know everything.'' I pushed past them, The followed in toe behind me. I jumped when I felt a large hand caress my shoulder. Looking up to see Ryker standing next to me, his face was emotionless, and then I looked straight into the depths of a white abyss where bright light corroded before my eyes.

I stood rooted to the spot, my legs refused to carry on; if it wasn't for those strong hands against the small of my back bringing me closer to the light I would have run in the opposite direction, and then in a blink of an eye I felt myself falling, falling into the world of unknown.

I let out a deep breath of air as I stood at the top of as skyscraper with these unknown men, the sun shone down golden, I looked up towards the blue azure and felt as the wind swept my hair back in tangles.

Swiveling around to stare at my two companions.

''I thought as a ghost you can't breathe, you can't feel anything. Where are we?'' I said in awe, I watched as vehicles roamed the air beneath us, how the reflection of the sun sent a ray of light on the glass buildings below and cast a shimmer over the city.

''You're not a Ghost Miss Forex, You are as real as anything. Welcome To Synchronous. It's where all of the gifted go, where the supernatural world begins.'' Guardian Ryker said and I let out a gasp.