Translucent

Chapter 48: A Family Reunited

LISA

The last few minutes ran like a dream. The blurred images of the old lady exchanging conversations with 'me' before Perthshire Highlands flashed by, as if Cornelius tucked the three of us into another, private realm. But every second the conversation ran felt hundred-kilo boulder pinning me down, as Cornelius was feeding off my energy.

The second after Cornelius exited me, my body became light like a feather, throwing me off the gravity into a long stretch of void as the loch faded before my eyes. A strong, unseen force nudged me out into the air before I fell, except the gravity had been conspired, holding me up in space. I descended slowly back to the closed walls of my room, yet the floor beneath me was as soft as cotton against my skin.

I was myself, lighter than air yet fitter and stronger than ever.

"Elisabeth!" Cornelius yelled in frustration. The 'kick' I experienced had seemingly thrown me to the further side of the room. "No, no, no!"

Cornelius gathered at my body in the middle of the room. His body had stopped flickering, although he still maintained his ghostly attributes with him. Sophie, Father Wallace, Fiona, and Ellen followed suit.

"Wake up, please!" Cornelius cradled my body and cupped my face. "Don't do this!"

My face reflected a blatant expression of lifelessness and my skin had drained of colour. Yet here I was–in a spirit form–scrutinising at my lifeless physique.

Cornelius shook my body, looking so distressed and anguished. I should expect a ghost rejoicing over a death of another human, instead of being devastated over it. At one point, Cornelius pressed my chest many times and tried to pull a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but alas, what could he do? He didn't even have oxygen himself. Those attempts were in vain. Sophie pressed her fingers onto my wrist. Worries plastered across her face underneath the dark bangs that had gone unruly now.

"She's not breathing!" Sophie shrieked.

"No, no, no." Cornelius voice cracked. He–of course–had rendered himself invisible from the non-mediums of course. He buried his face my chest, his hands clasping mine.

"No, wait. Give me her hand." Ellen said to Sophie who gave her my hand, the one that was free of Cornelius' grip. The former then pressed her fingers to my wrist and later brought it to her ears. "There are pulses. But they are weak."

"Please, just do anything!" Cornelius shouted at Ellen who was oblivious to him. "Please...help..."

"Alright, Sophie, hold her hand again now. I'll be performing more CPR." Ellen laid the back of her hand on top of her other on my chest, then began pressing. "We can save her. Trust me, I used to intern as a homecare nurse."

"She has to survive–she has to. It's all my fault." Cornelius writhed.

"We're trying our best, lad." Father Wallace put her hand on Cornelius' shoulders.

But the ghost trembled under Father Wallace's touch and everything in the room began to rattle, sending everyone in terror. Among the mild chaos, I opened my mouth and found my voice. My throat was dry and heavy as if I had abstained from drinking for days.

"Cornelius." I called. Cornelius lifted his head at my voice. Our eyes met across the room and all at once, the earthquake came to a stop, drowning the chaos in the room. The sounds around me became muffled. His face turned into an expression I feared, plastering a look of concern, fear, worry. Mostly fear. As I drank it the sight of his face that I started making sense of things.

That was when the panic set in.

"What's happening to me?" I croaked, lifting my pale arms and throwing the question either to myself or to him. But the answer couldn't be obvious.