Element Rebirth

24. The Final Farewell

It was as if a massive burden upon my shoulders had been lifted. Following that, the evil presence of Venator and his Hunters had vanished – though Kate had a hand in making sure that what was left of the Hunters truly did disappear into ashes before Zane and grandpa had swept it away into the wind, never to be seen again.

When the sun was fully up and shining, it was then that I noticed that grandma’s hand was starting to shimmer, flashing from translucent to opaque.

“Gran, what’s happening?” I asked in confusion as the flashing started in her feet as well. “Gran!”

“Terra, you know that I can’t stay for long. I’m not supposed to be here.” She got to her feet and helped me up as I felt the dread, the longing and the panic rise within me.

“What? No, you can’t possibly –”

“Nellie!” Kate started shrieking, drawing some attention from the lounging slaves as they started to recollect themselves. Kate was gripping on her sister’s shoulder as she too started fading in and out of existence. “What’s going on?”

“Kate, please don’t cry,” Nellie pleaded, embracing her older sister tightly as Kate started to sob.

I turned back to Gran, feeling my heart feel heavy and my own tears well up in my eyes. “Gran, please don’t go.”

She smiled sadly, caressing my cheek softly. “You know that my time here was limited for so long.

“But I can’t lose you again!” I cried, feeling hot tears roll down my cheeks. I grabbed her hands but they started fading and when they did, my own fingers slipped through hers as though they weren’t really there at all. “Gran, please!”

“Terra, calm down. You know it was going to happen.”

“But I –”

“Terra.” Grandpa captured my attention as I turned to face him. He too was fading in and out, causing the tears to roll down faster in waves.  “Don’t cry.”

“No,” I whispered, clutching at my aching chest at the sudden realisation. They were leaving – there was nothing left for them here. They couldn’t leave me!

“Oh Terra.” Both my grandparents enveloped me into a hug that may probably be my last with them. I clung onto them tightly, refusing to let go and cried into their shoulder. “Come on Terra, be sensible.”

“No,” I choked out as I heard Kate wailing to Nellie, begging her not to leave. “It’s not time. You can’t leave me!”

“It’s been our time long ago, darling.” Grandma kissed my cheek softly before pulling away, dragging grandpa with me as well. “Go say bye to Nellie.”

“But –”

“She’s leaving as much as we are. She’s coming with us.” She smiled at me sadly, tears glistening in her own eyes as she wrapped one arm around grandpa tightly, knuckles white. “Go on.”

Reluctantly, I wiped the tears away from my eyes and sprinted towards my best friend, pulling both she and her sister into a hug. “Nellie don’t go!”

“Terra, don’t do this too!” Her voice was wobbly but her eyes remained devoid of tears, the purple hue of them glistening slightly. “I’m already dead. There’s nothing left for me to return to here.”

“A life – with us!” Kate cried out, gripping Nellie tightly as she started fading out for longer rather than fading back in properly. “Nellie you can’t leave me here. You’re not finished!”

“Kate, this was supposed to happen to me since the beginning of time,” she said softly, pulling the two of us into a hug with her small, spindly arms. “You have to accept the fact that it’s time to let go, to start bringing Earth back to what it once was.”