Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(3)
Willow sat in a small chair in the corner and Izzy stood against the single window. The sun shone through the glass to create a warm blanket, but it also shielded part of Izzy’s form. She looked like a person who was missing essential body parts.
Willow shrugged. “I’ve been here all day, but that’s just because I wanted silence while I thought.”
“I just got here.” Izzy stuck her tongue out at Willow. “She told me to leave her be,” Izzy snorted. “It’s not like I have many places I can go. I’m a ghost! Am I supposed to go haunt my dad? I’m sure that would go over well. I think we’ve had enough death in the family already. I don’t need to give my dad a heart attack.” She sniffled and I knew Willow's words had hurt her.
“Sorry, Izzy. I just needed a breather.” Willow’s voice was thin, like a wisp of smoke sailing through the air, and I barely managed to catch the path it left.
“So…” I was reluctant to start, but neither of them seemed ready to. “What are we doing about Death?”
“You aren’t doing anything. This is my choice. He gave me the ultimatum and I have to answer it.” Willow crossed her arms and looked me straight in the eyes.
“Okay. What are you going to do about Death?” I tried to curtail the anger that laced my voice, but it was useless.
Willow opened her mouth to answer, but Izzy interrupted. “Ha! What is she going to do? I’ll tell you.” She pointed at Willow. “She is agreeing to his demands! She is actually going to agree to a deal with Death! Ugh!” Izzy plopped down on the ground, the way a small child does when they don’t get their way after a tantrum.
Sensing Izzy’s anguish, Kit left the confinement of my form to curl around Izzy. They had become friends over the past few months. After a few moments of Kit licking her exposed arm, she brightened. The ghostly panther rolled over and Izzy gave a slight laugh, as she scratched his belly.
I turned to Willow, knowing that Izzy spoke the truth. Willow didn’t need to say the words when I could see them clearly in her eyes. “You’re really going to do it? Couldn’t we try to stall him some more?”
She shook her head as tears fell. “No. I can’t keep stalling. Knowing I will eventually leave is killing me. I just want to get it over with.” Willow’s voice shook, as she pulled back on the emotional current that was dragging her towards rocky waters.
Leaning over the arm of the chair, I pulled her into a tight hug.
We all had to face the truth. Death held control over all living beings. There was no way to fix this problem. Unless we wanted Ash to die, Willow would need to become a Hellhound. While I knew she would still be alive, it felt like she was sacrificing herself. I could sense her will leaving and death seeping through her skin to skewer her soul.
WILLOW
My stomach twisted into tightly coiled tangle as the clock continued to tick. Time was running out. Soon I would leave everything behind, even things I had taken for granted. Leaving my friends and family was the worst part, but knowing I would never read beneath my favorite tree, or stand in the hallway of my school, made everything that much harder. How do you say goodbye to your life and hello to Death?
Ever since Death had given me the ultimatum, I had intentionally distanced myself from my friends and family. I hoped that if I drew away over an extended time, it would hurt less when I left. I knew they would still have one another, but I hated that I couldn't soothe their pain.
The meeting with Izzy and Savannah was weighing on me. They wanted me to stall Death, but I had accepted the inevitable. Unfortunately, they remained in denial. I was used to being the supportive friend who remained in the wings and never caused conflict. However, I had to remain strong. If I let them talk me out of my decision, I wouldn’t be able to survive.
After our meeting, I came home to an empty house. The silence was deafening, but only because there was nothing to distract me from my own thoughts. I attempted the usual activities, but continued to be sucked into an insubstantial hole. I hadn't realized how exhausting pacing my home could be. The anxiety alone made me feel comatose, but I couldn't still my thoughts long enough to drift to sleep. I tried to read before bed, but the words blurred together. What would happen to me? Would there be books where I was going?
I decided to focus on the shady future ahead of me, which allowed me to carry only a miniscule portion of my current life into it. I settled on packing a small suitcase and filled it with versatile clothing – a necklace Izzy had made for me, the scrapbook Savannah had given me last Christmas, and some other small mementos, pictures, and the like. I looked through drawers, on shelves, and under the bed. I needed to fit my life in this small suitcase, and yet, I felt like I was missing something.
Sitting on the edge of my bed, I looked around at my room. Sighing, I moved towards my prized possession, my bookcase, designated for my favorite novels. I knew I couldn’t take them all, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t take a few. I settled on Pride and Prejudice and Great Expectations. They were old copies that my grandmother had given me before she died. I tucked them in my suitcase between my pajama pants and a tank top. A residual tear slid down my cheek and landed on the leather binding of Great Expectations.
“I can see why you would cry. All the books in the world and you choose those to bring with you? It’s a shame. You couldn’t have picked something a little more action oriented?”