The Curse of Thelonious [✓]

thirty six

Atlas was dreaming.

It had started of normal enough, his mind whirring with the events of the last few days as he laid in hospital. But slowly the atmosphere began to change, vividly and fast, like he was in some sort of vacuum. The wind seemed to be howling although he couldn't quite hear it clearly, instead feeling as though his ears were covered. The floor began to grow darker, sharper until it formed rocks beneath his feet.

It took a few minutes of realisation but the memory soon crashed into him. He was back at the same cliffside he had dreamt about months ago. The same day he realised his dreams weren't just a figment of his imagination but rather, as real as he was.

He was expecting his feet to be stuck to the ground again but was pleasantly surprised to find he was able to move. He shuffled around a little, peering down at the sea below, his stomach churning when he realised how much of a drop it was.

"It's over," he heard as he spun around, a dimpled smile creeping of his face when he saw his mothers spirit.

She was beaming at him, her cerulean eyes bright and her hair wafting with the wind. Although she was still wearing the blood stained night dress she had been murdered in, this time she looked neater, brighter and most importantly, prouder.

"Is it all really over?" he asked, hands shoved deep inside his pockets, relief rushing through him as she nodded.

She beckoned him closer and sat down on a large rock, gesturing for him to copy.

"You'll never feel the jinn again. You'll never see me again," she murmered, her expression a mix between joy and sadness.

"What?" he spluttered, having not expected that. He had gotten used to her in his dreams, her presence soft and warm so unlike his life had always been.

She turned to look at the sea, watching the waves rushing below them. "I've been stuck in between life and death for so long, floating in the middle for you. I can't explain how amazing it's been, knowing that you're okay, seeing you grow. But the evil has been defeated and now you're free. And so am I."

Atlas frowned, dark eyes growing dim. Whilst he understood that Colette was dead and she couldn't hang around forever, he almost wished she could. "You've been able to see me? Normally, I mean, all these years?"

She pursed her lips, her pale skin glistening against the air. "Sometimes. It's hazy and it uses almost all of my energy so it's difficult. But I've been keeping an eye on you."

Atlas grinned. "So... What do you think?"

She turned to look at her son, her skin pale and faded, as though she wasn't quite there. "About what?"

"About my life. It's pretty shit."

Colette laughed, her smile bright and dimpled, just like his own. She nodded but then her expression hardened, her eyes distant like she was remembering something from long ago. "I'm sorry," she whispered, barely audible. "So sorry for leaving you alone with Manning. So sorry for every moment he hurt you. I couldn't bear to see it, I tried not to see you when you were in his house. Which is probably why you only felt like you were being watched when Lera invited you to stay with her. When you grew happier, it was easier for me to be close."

Atlas sighed, his shoulders dropping as he deflated. "It's not your fault that he's a dick."

Colette shook her head, the long tendrils of auburn hair bobbing around her shoulders. "No, but it is my fault that you were even there in the first place. My fault that you thought you were related to him in any way."

Atlas stood up, watching the waves crash against the cliffs. He turned towards his mother, sunlight illuminating around his face. "I'm so glad I'm not, really I am."

Colette stood too, the edges of her body blurred as her movements were slow and graceful.

"So..." Atlas continued, his eyebrows furrowed. "Does that mean you could see me when Kelvin's around? Does that mean you could see him too? That must be weird for you."

"It's... nice I guess, I'm glad he's happy," Colette murmured, although her powder-blue eyes dimmed. "I think about him a lot, about us, about you."

"You're not jealous?"

Colette smiled as she looked up at her son, a carbon copy of the man she had loved. "When you love someone, you only want them to be happy, whether that's with you or not. And also, there is the fact that I'm dead. Don't forget that. And that I'm still twenty, I've been twenty for eighteen years."

Atlas opened his mouth to comment but his mother cut him off. "I need to go soon, darling. But before I do, I'd like for you to meet someone."

The air hummed slightly and Atlas spun around, almost jumping when the man appeared from behind.

He was tall, his skin pale and his hair long and mahogany coloured. His eyes were small and sharp,  his expression neutral. But as Atlas gasped, the man began to smile slightly.

He was younger, much much younger but there was no doubt who he was.

"Kevon?" Atlas spluttered, his eyes widening.

Kevon glided closer, his grey robe-like clothing raising in the wind. "Yes, my child," he said, his voice exactly the same as Atlas had heard it in The Golden Amulet store. "I can not stress how thankful I am that you figured it out before it was too late, you and the girl. Well done, my boy, well done!"

Atlas looked between the no-longer-old man and his mother, confusion painted across his face.

"Kevon was there at the very beginning of the story, he was the catalyst."

Eyebrows furrowed, Atlas thought back to what he and Lera had been talking about in the hospital. It was only when his sight focused on the strip of dark fur wrapped around the mans wrist that it all added up.

"When Thelonious cursed the ring? You were that man, Auriela's lover, weren't you? You were the wolf!"

Colette stood closer to her son, nodding as he stared at them in shock. No doubt he was remembering the times he had visited the mysterious shop, Kevon appearing decades older than he was now.

"Correct. I hope this all isn't too much for you, it was difficult to help when I could only guide you and hint at things. There's rules for us to follow and it's been too long, far too long."

Atlas wanted to ask questions, he wanted to know how and why it was possible that he had seen Kevon in real life. But it didn't really matter, he soon realised. All that mattered was that Colette, Kevon and Anya had all helped them figure it out.

They had all saved Clearford, they had saved him.