Spirit Journey [in need of a better title] *finished*

Maturity: If I tell you it'll totally ruin the whole ending. But fine, there's a little romance but only in like the last line. And it's not at all inappropriate.
Fantasy: What happens when you die.

Prologue
My flashlight flickered and went out. I shook it in frustration.
“No, don’t go out!” I complained. “Not now!”
It didn’t listen.
I muttered a curse and stuck it in my jacket pocket. Of course it had to go out while I was in a part of the city that didn’t have streetlights!
I stepped forward and fell off the curb.
“Stupid sidewalk,” I muttered, scrambling out of the way as a car shot past. I tried to feel my way back onto the sidewalk, but of course I tripped over the curb, again.
“I hate inanimate objects,” I moaned quietly to myself, climbing to my feet.
I glanced both ways to make sure there weren’t any cars coming and started across the narrow street.
But about halfway across, my leg hit a bump in the asphalt. I felt it twist beneath me, and then a horrible crack! rent the air.
I cried out as I fell to the ground. The pain was intense. My leg was definitely broken; I didn’t know how badly.
Suddenly my eyes were blinded by a sudden light. Headlights!
I screamed. There was no way I could drag myself out of the way in time.
It was then I realized: I was going to die.

Chapter 1
Pain lanced through my leg. I moaned.
I couldn’t be dead, could I? Pain was supposed to go away when you died, right?
It shot through my muscles like fire, making me scream.
Maybe death would have been better.
Then, suddenly, somehow, I was aware of someone next to me. My eyes snapped open.
It was dark, but I could see. Better than I ever had before, even in light.
But it took a few seconds to fully register what I was seeing.
I was in the middle of a meadow, with wildflowers in full bloom. That couldn’t be right. It was the middle of autumn.
A somber-faced woman was sitting in front of me. Her hair was the same unusual shade of red as mine, her eyes the same bright green.
“Mom?” I whispered.
She smiled sadly. “More or less.”
Pain throbbed through my leg again and I bit back a scream.
“Mom, it hurts,” I moaned.
“I know, honey, I know.” She reached forwards as if to lay her hands on my leg.
“No!” I yelled, pulling away. “No, don’t touch it!”
“I’m trying to help you, Lynn,” she said softly. “You just have to trust me. You do trust me, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I sighed, giving in. She stretched out her arms again and I braced myself for the pain, but the instant her hands came in contact with my injured leg, a comforting numbness spread through it. Well, not numb, exactly; I could still feel my leg, and even the pain, a little, it just didn’t hurt.
I stared at her. “H - how did you-”
“It doesn’t matter how I did it,” she interrupted, her eyes blazing. I recoiled. This wasn’t like my mother. At least... not like she used to be.
Suddenly the angry flame in her eyes went out and she seemed to shrink. “You’ll have to go without me,” she whispered, so low that I almost didn’t catch it.
“What?”
“You have to go, Lynn. And I... I cannot.”
“I - I don’t-”
“Look at yourself, Lynn. See what you are now.”
I tore my eyes away from her and looked down at myself.
My transparent self.
“I’m dead, aren’t?” Oh, no, I’m dead, I died, the car did hit me-
My mom looked at me sadly. “Yes. You’re dead.”
I looked around at the peaceful meadow in confusion. “But... why are we here - just us; no one else?”
She pointed at the sky, and for the first time I noticed noises drifting down. Music and laughter. God, it had been a long time since I’d heard those noises. I nearly didn’t recognize them.
“It... it sounds like someone’s having a party.” The old, nearly forgotten word felt strange on my tongue. “Why don’t we join them?”
“I can’t,” she said flatly.
“Why not? They’re right up there...”
“I can’t,” she repeated. Suddenly she gasped. “Oh, no! They know where I am! I’m not supposed to be up here!”
“No, don’t leave!” I begged. “I’ve only just found you again.”
“I must,” she whispered. “But promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Find your way up to the party. You have seven days. If you don’t... you’ll return to earth. You’ll just be a lost soul, wandering in eternal agony. Just like... just like me.” She closed her eyes. “Good bye, Lynn. I’ll always love you. And remember, you have seven days. Just seven days...” Her voice trailed off as she faded away and disappeared, taking the mubness in my leg with her.

Chapter 2
Finding and losing my mother again had reopened all the old wounds from the fire. I sat there and cried, not even caring about my seven-day deadline. Then...
“Hey, kid.”
I glanced up. “Me?” I mumbled.
“Yeah. Where are we?” A boy about my age, maybe a little older, was standing over me. “How come one minute I’m on a bus, about to crash, and the next I’m here?”
I stared at him, tears starting to come up again.
“Oh, my God,” he whispered, staggering back. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”
I still didn’t answer, just stared.
“Are you dead too?”
At this, I turned away, trying to hide the tears that I couldn’t stop from starting anew.
“Hey, um... I’m sorry,” the boy said awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to make you cry. How about we start over? I’m Logan.”
“I’m Lynn,” I sniffled quietly.
“Do you know why we’re here? What we’re supposed to be doing?”
“We’ve got to get out of here, but...” My voice trailed off.
“Do, we, though?” he asked, a thoughtful look on his face.
“What?”
“Do we have to leave? I mean, look at this place. It wouldn’t be the worst place to spend forever.”
“No, we have to go!” I yelled, frustrated.
His face fell and he stared at the ground.
I instantly felt bad. I quietly told him what my mother had said.
“Like I said, we have to go,” I finished. “But I don’t know which way.”
He looked startled. “You don’t feel that?”
“Feel... what?”
“That little tugging, inside. It’s telling me which way to go.”
Now that he mentioned it, I realized I actually could feel it.
“Yeah, I do,” I murmured. With some difficulty, I pushed myself to my feet. My injured leg burned and I fought the urge to scream. Again.
Logan cautiously analyzed the look on my face. “You okay?”
I swayed. “Yeah,” I lied. I had to make it to the party, or whatever it was. I just... had to.
But maybe having to wasn’t enough, because my knee suddenly buckled beneath me. Logan caught me before I fell and set me gently on the ground.
“Thanks,” I gasped through a fresh wave of pain.
He frowned. “No problem.”
I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes tight, trying not to make any sound, but it didn’t work. A small whimper escaped through my lips.
Logan surprised me by saying, “I’ll be right back.” I didn’t have enough energy to ask him where he was going.
After a few minutes, I felt gentle hands grab my injured leg. My eyes fluttered open. “What are you doing?” I moaned.
“Making a splint,” he muttered, tearing a few strips of cloth from the hem of his jeans.
I couldn’t find a reason to object to that, but it hurt.

Chapter 3
I yelled hoarsely as Logan’s hands finally lined up the bone on my broken leg.
“I think I got it,” he muttered.
“That’s what you said last time,” I groaned.
He quickly lined up some twigs he had collected on either side of my leg and wrapped the strips of cloth around it.
I slumped back, exhausted. “Was that really necessary?”
“If you want your leg to get better it is,” he snapped. “And in case you’re wondering, it wasn’t exactly fun for me either!” He turned and stomped away a bit, just enough that my voice, hoarse from screaming as he set the bone, couldn’t reach him.
I sighed. I mean, I knew it wasn’t the nicest thing I could have said to him, and I knew it was hard for him, too, but wasn’t I entitled to a little grumpiness?
And then, suddenly, I was asleep.

I sat up slowly, trying not to jolt my injured leg. I noticed movement of the corner of my eye and turned to see Logan emerging from the woods with a branch in his hands. I shrank back. Was he still mad at me? But instead, he offered me one end of the stick.
“I thought you might want a crutch,” he said, avoiding my eyes.
“Thanks,” I replied, not expecting that at all. I took the branch and used it to pull myself up. I took a few experimental steps using the crutch. “It works.”
“You don’t have to sound so surprised,” he muttered, turning away. Then he turned back abruptly. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I’m not usually like this. It’s just weird, y’know? I mean...” His voice trailed off.
I nodded. “Yeah. I know.”
He smiled slightly and looked at the forest. He walked quickly towards the trees, leaving me to try to limp after.

Chapter 4
“We should try to find a place to spend the night,” I puffed, out of breath.
He nodded and pointed at a spot with a think layer of leaves. There was a ring of stones around some ashes. “It looks like someone’s already camped there.”
I immediately slumped down onto a nearby log, tired out.
Logan looked slightly awkward. “I’ll, um... I’ll just go get some firewood,” he muttered, slouching away.

A while later, we had a nice blaze going. Luckily, Logan had a package of matches in his pocket, so we didn’t have to start it the old-fashioned way.
I sat on the carpet of leaves, reminiscing. Logan was on the other side of the fire, prodding the embers moodily with a stick. I stared at the flickering flames, then turned away when they turned into a memory. The screams still echoing in my ears, I turned away to stare at the darkness in between the trees, too far away for the fire’s glow to reach.
Then, suddenly, an old memory.
I reached for the light switch. It was so... high. When was it? Oh, yes, I remembered. I was in kindergarten, and a first grader and I had somehow gotten locked into the school overnight.
“I can’t reach it,” I complained. The first grader, much taller than me, reached over my head and flipped the switch. The light made me feel a little better, but not much.
I looked up at the boy’s intelligent blue eyes. “Logan, what are we going to do?”
The memory faded away, but the echo of my voice still lingered.
Logan, what are we going to...
Logan, what are we...
Logan, what...
Logan...
Logan?
I nearly leapt to my feet, injured or not. “Logan!” I yelled.
A pair of puzzled blue eyes stared at me from across the fire. Older, more experienced, maybe, but still the same blue eyes. “Yes?” Logan asked.

Chapter 5
“Yes?” Logan repeated, his tone of voice clearly saying, She’s completely nuts.
“I - I... that was you? That night I got locked in school?”
He gave a guilty half-smile. “Well... yeah.”
My eyes bugged out. “You knew?”
He turned his face slightly so his features were in shadow. “Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I demanded.
“Would it have made a difference?” he asked, his teeth reflecting the firelight as he grinned.
“Yes!” I yelled.
He shrugged, and I could see it was hard for him to not laugh out loud. “Sorry. That line always works in the movies and books and stuff.”
I snorted. “In case you hadn’t noticed, this isn’t a movie or a book.”
“It was worth a shot.”
“Ugh,” I groaned softly to myself. “I’m going to sleep,” I added out loud, lying down on the ground.
But it took a long time for me to fall asleep. My mind kept drifting back to the memory of the night at school. What had happened afterwards? I couldn’t remember, although that wasn’t too unusual. What was really weird was that I had remembered the things I did so clearly.
These thoughts drifted through my head again and again, until, finally, I fell asleep.

Chapter 6
The going was a little easier for me once we got out of the forest. Surprisingly, we didn’t need food, not that we could have found anything anyway. The trees and bushes were strangely empty of fruit, and of course there were no animals.
I gazed out at the seemingly endless fields in front of us. “I sure hope this is the right way,” I muttered.
“It has to be,” Logan tried to reassure me, although his voice was shaky and uncertain.
I blushed. That comment had been meant just for me. He wasn’t supposed to hear it.
As we walked (or limped, in my case), he asked me, “Why didn’t you recognize me when you first saw me. I mean... I recognized you right away. I haven’t changed that much, have I?”
I stared at the ground. This was not a comfortable subject for me. “Well... I guess not. I’m not really sure.”
I could tell he wanted to hear more. “And?” he prompted when I didn’t continue.
“And... what?” I pretended to be bewildered, trying to stall.
“Why aren’t you sure?”
I turned my face to the side so he couldn’t see it and didn’t respond.
“Oh,” he said quietly. “I understand. You... you don’t have to tell me.”
“No, I want to tell you.” As soon as I said the words, I realized they were true. “It’ll feel good to tell someone. Someone who actually cares, y’know? Not just someone who will feel a flash of pity, think, I’m so glad I’m not her, and move on. I...” I paused, trying to find the right words. “At my tenth birthday party... Well, I’ll spare you the details, but the house caught fire. I woke up in the hospital five days later with most of my memories gone. I was the only one to get out alive.” I felt the tears that I had been struggling to hold back finally escape and roll down my face.
Logan stopped walking and awkwardly put an arm around my shoulders. “It’ll be okay,” he said.
I cried quietly for a few minutes, with Logan’s arm draped loosely over my shoulders. When I had shed the tears I had needed to, I glanced sadly up at him. “I’m sorry. You didn’t need to see that.”
He looked back at me solemnly for a moment, then seemed to shake his head slightly, as if to clear it. “It’s okay. Let’s keep moving,” he said briskly. He took his arm back and walked forward quickly, seeming to forget about my injured leg.
I fiddled with my crutch as I stared after him for a few moments, slightly hurt that he would just walk away. But then again, he did try to comfort me.
I gave up trying to understand what he was thinking and limped after him as quickly as I could.

Chapter 7
We had two days left to find the way up. The tugging sensation was constantly growing as we progressed through the strange, empty world.
We were walking along side-by-side in an enormous field that we had been trying to get through for the past three days. The tall grass provided barely any shade against the hot sun, and also blocked our view of what lay ahead.
Suddenly, Logan stopped. “Do you hear that?”
I listened for a second. I could just make out the sounds of running water not far ahead.
“Sounds like a stream,” I observed.
He glanced at me and opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.
“What?” I asked.
“Um... nothing,” he answered awkwardly. “Let’s keep going.”
I shrugged and started limping forward again.
The stream was close, and we got there within a few minutes of walking. The clear water flowed smoothly in its bed, but it was wider and deeper than we had expected.
“Let’s rest here for a bit,” Logan suggested quietly. I stared at him. He didn’t look the slightest bit tired. Then I noticed a hint of hidden concern in his eyes and understood. He was trying to go slowly for my sake, even though it could mean going over the time limit.
“But we don’t know how far we still have to go,” I protested. “We only have a few days left.”
“A few minutes won’t hurt us,” he said firmly, sitting down on the bank. I sighed and sat down beside him.
I glanced at the stream and noticed my reflection. My red hair was tangled beyond belief, all over the place, and filled with leaves and twigs. I brushed aside of few stray locks to reveal my green eyes, dull from pain and exhaustion. My whole face was stamped with grief.
I turned away.
“Let’s keep going,” I murmured. I looked up to see Logan staring at me. He quickly looked away.
“Sure,” he said. “If you’re ready.”
“You were the one who wanted to stop,” I pointed out as I used my crutch to push myself to my feet.
He took a swift peek at me from the corner of his eye and I sighed. “Honestly, I don’t need you to be watching over me all the time.”
He smiled guiltily. “You noticed that, huh?”
“How could anyone not notice? You’re not being very subtle.”
He shrugged. “I’m trying.”
“But not succeeding,” I teased.
“You’ve made that very clear, thank you. Anyway, let’s go. You’re the one that didn’t want to stop.”
I nodded. “Fine.”

Chapter 8
We didn’t make it far before night fell. We could still see, probably even better than we could in light, but Logan pretended he was exhausted, obviously trying (and failing) to be subtle about my broken leg. This time I didn’t try to argue, because I really was tired. I curled up on my side with my bad leg on top while he tried to start the fire with the last of the matches.
“Okay, last one,” he muttered, pulling out the final match and starting to put the empty box back in his pocket.
“No, don’t bother,” I said wearily, my eyes still closed.
He started to protest. “But-”
“Please.” If the fire lit I knew it would just make it harder for me to sleep, with all the bad memories it brought.
He didn’t argue again, and pretty soon I was asleep.

I was lost in blackness.
Was I dreaming, or had we somehow made a mistake and missed the deadline?
Then, suddenly...
I screamed as the flames hungrily whipped at my skin, heard the echoing screams of my family and friends as they faced the same fate, only worse...
A cruel voice whirled through the blaze, heard by me alone as it entered my ear and circled my brain, repeating its terrible message over and over.
All your fault, all your fault...
“No!” I screamed. “No, no!”
All your fault, all your fault...
“It’s not my fault!” I sobbed.
ALL YOUR FAULT! ALL YOUR FAULT!
“I’m sorry!” I whispered brokenly. “So sorry...”
And then the merciful swirling darkness came to take me away.

Chapter 9
I thrashed in place, trying to run away from the fire that still raged through my mind, but something held me down, pinning my arms to my sides and my good leg to the ground.
“It’s just a dream,” someone whispered to me. “You’ve got to calm down, Lynn, it was just a dream.”
My eyes snapped open. Logan’s wide, blue eyes stared down at me. I stopped struggling.
“My fault,” I moaned, still half delirious.
“Lynn, you’ve got to listen to me! You were having a nightmare, everything’s fine.”
“My fault. I did it. Everyone screaming, everyone dying... my fault. Mine.”
“Lynn, snap out of it!” the voice said sharply.
My eyes snapped open, staring into Logan’s as he leaned over me.
“Let me go,” I moaned feebly.
He slowly released the pressure on my arms. When I didn’t struggle again, he let my leg go, too.
I sat up slowly and shivered, staring at the stream as if it could quench the fire in my brain. I closed my eyes, hoping to block it out, but it only made the picture clearer.
I opened my eyes and turned around to look at Logan. “All my fault,” I whispered hoarsely.
And then I broke down and cried.

I wiped away the last of my tears and felt Logan’s hands lift from my shoulders. “Sorry,” I rasped. “I think I’m okay now.”
He stared at me, the concern in his eyes now unmasked completely. “Are you sure?”
“No,” I admitted. I happened to glance at the face of my ratty old watch. “Oh, my God, we’ve only got twelve hours left!”
His eyes widened and he quickly got to his feet, bending over and extending a hand to help me up.
“Thanks,” I gasped, wincing when my injured leg hit the ground.
“No problem,” he muttered. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 10
We walked until the sun was just dipping below the horizon. “Should we stop?” Logan asked me.
“No,” I said instantly. “We have to get there by tonight. No breaks.”
“If you’re sure...” he said doubtfully.
“I’m sure,” I said sharply.
He nodded curtly and stared straight ahead as he walked, moving slightly faster. I felt slightly guilty, but it vanished as soon as I noticed something gleaming far off. My free hand, the one not holding the crutch, shot out to point at it.
“What’s that?”
Logan squinted, trying to make it out. “I’m not sure, but I think the tugging is coming from it.”
He was right, because as we walked, still following the streambank, the pulling sensation grew stronger and stronger until it was nearly irresistable. We walked forward in a trance-like state, hardly noticing the time passing.
We stopped in front of it, a gleaming white marble bridge that led over the water and ended halfway across with a shining door.
Logan quietly read the inscription at the foot of the bridge. “Greetings, stranger, the end is near. You’ll have time to rest once you cross here.”
He stepped over the inscription. I started to follow, but then I stumbled. The wind suddenly grew stronger and stronger, tearing at my hair and clothes and whipping them out behind me as I struggled to reach the bridge.
“What’s happening?” Logan shouted over the noise. The wind didn’t seem to be reaching him on the bridge.
“I think I crossed the time limit!” I yelled back. “It’s trying to take me back to Earth!”
He stretched out a hand, trying to reach me and pull me onto the bridge. I stretched out as far as I could and managed to just barely grasp his hand. As soon as our fingers touched, the wind died down as quickly as it had come, and I scrambled onto the bridge as fast as I could.
Suddenly, I felt the sharp pain in my leg diminish to nothingness. I looked down and saw the last of the splint melt away. My hair unknotted itself and the debris in it vanished into thin air. My exhaustion and grief vanished to be replaced by energy and happiness. I felt better than ever.
I looked at Logan and saw my joy echoed in his eyes. I noticed another line of curly script engraved on the stone in front of the door.
“All who enter through this door shall live happily forevermore,” I murmured, reaching forward to push it open.
Logan’s hand touched my arm, gently pulling it away from the handle. I looked up in confusion to see him staring at me, uncertainty and something else warring in his eyes.
“Logan, what-”
He held up a finger to silence me and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as if preparing for something. He opened them again, and now they were filled with steely determination.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against mine.

Oh, yay! I remember this one! And I still like it.

Thanks.

I remember it too. Still enjoyed it a lot.

It's pretty simple, but good!

Thanks, Night.

Thanks, iGri (dunno if that's what I should call you ). It really wasn't that simple to write. I had to get all the days right and it was really confusing. XD

rattyjol wrote:Thanks, Night.

Thanks, iGri (dunno if that's what I should call you ). It really wasn't that simple to write. I had to get all the days right and it was really confusing. XD

Yah, I've had to do stuff like that before. Just call me that, 'Cause everyone else does.

rattyjol wrote:Thanks, Night.

Thanks, iGri (dunno if that's what I should call you ). It really wasn't that simple to write. I had to get all the days right and it was really confusing. XD

Oh, that's the worst part! XD Lol, it got to be so annoying sometimes to where if I write a story in which the date even matters, I'll be writing down what date every chapter is.

It was same with Vixen. I had to get all the timing right because there kept being flashbacks and skip forwards and random mentions of the time... Oh, and this other story that I really don't like much called the Attic was the worst. Oh my God that took forever to figure out. XD

Geez.

This is good Ratty!!!

Thanks, Dream.