Hope Everlasting. [COMPLETED.]

Chapter Thirty Four-The Beginning of the End.

Chapter Thirty Four-The Beginning of the End.

Ashlynn’s P.OV.

As far as birthdays went, I was pretty sure this was going to be the worst yet. Worse even, than when I turned six, just a few months after she died. My Mom had been so depressed, that she wouldn’t have even remembered were it not for my Father. He tried to make it special, but it just wasn’t right. Mom spent the whole day crying and yet again, my dead twin sister was put before me. Always had, and probably always will.

But then, I think an exorcism beats that hands down.

“Ready to get your persuading side out?” asked a voice, snapping me out of my daydream. I looked up, and couldn’t help but smile somewhat weakly as I saw who it was. Even now, in the darkest of times, the sight still gave me butterflies in my stomach.

“I’ll see what I can do,” I replied, sounding tired, in more ways than one. I was tired due to lack of sleep, but I was tired in another way. Tired of all of this. Tired of not knowing what was going on, of constantly living on the edge. But at least I knew that tonight, either way, it’d all be over. “I’m sure you can help. Dylan might be able to, as well. Mrs. Johnston loves him, and he’s gotten pretty close to Rebeckah.”

“Who loves me?” called a voice, as the pitter patter of footsteps on the stairs reached my ears. Dylan appeared before me, and I studied him carefully, noting his tired face and shopping bags under his dark eyes. For the last two days since Rebeckah had got worse, and warned us about the spirits’--for that’s what we call them, now--plan, he’d hardly left her side. He may not admit it, but I had an inkling that he may have some buried deep feelings for her. There was no doubt in my mind that Beckah had developed a crush, and in any other times I think they’d admit it to one another and get together.

They’d make a good couple, in my opinion. And, even if he never admitted it, I knew Dylan had/did have feelings for me. If he got Rebeckah, those feelings might go away.

In another life, everything would be perfect.

But, I didn’t live another life. I lived this life, and we had work to do.

“Mrs. Johnston,” Cory replied. “We were just trying to work out how best to convince her to let Beckah come.”

Yes, that’s right. We were trying to get Rebeckah out of the house, telling her Mother it was my ‘party’. Of course, she could never find out the truth. The knowledge that she could lose her daughter to her deceased eldest, would pretty much destroy her.

“Well, Beckah has been stable these past few days, when you think about it. She might let her go--we can play the ‘but she might never get the chance to go out with friends again’ card.” I nodded at Dylan’s words. It was true--over the past few days, Rebeckah had stabilized a lot. She was a lot more...with it, and seemed to be blocking out Tallulah pretty well. Then again, I’m pretty sure I smelt alcohol on her breath a few times, but didn’t mention it; although medically it would make her worse, I knew it wouldn’t make any difference on this illness. If that was her way of coping, then fine. Who am I to take something away from a dying girl?

“We should get going soon,” Cory announced, making me snap out of my daydream. I nodded, standing up from the sofa I had been curled up on, getting in a bit of reading before we left. Of course, it was Harry Potter, but for good reason. As sad as it sounded, that had and always would be my way of coping with things.

“Let’s get this over with.”

~*~

Hours later, and everything was prepared. We’d just been able to convince Mrs. Johnston, with the help of Rebeckah, on the condition that she is to go in a wheelchair borrowed from the hospital, and comes back if she gets tired.