Sebastian's Daughter REVISED VERSION (COMPLETE)

Chapter 18

I was flying. No, not quite flying. I was floating. Was I in water? I couldn't tell for sure. I couldn't see anything, and all I could feel was the emptiness around me.

Was this what dying felt like? No, I couldn't die. I didn't come all this way in search of my father just to find him and then die. If I was dreaming, I had to wake up.

"Selena," said a familiar voice. I couldn't quite place it. I hadn't heard it in a long time.

"Selena," it said again, this time clearly female.

"Please, Honey, listen to me. Open your eyes."

Realizing that must have been why I couldn't see, I carefully opened my eyes. There was a soft gray glow in the distance, but what caught my attention wasn't the soft light. It was my mother standing before me.

"Mom?" I asked, confused. She was dead, wasn't she? Did that mean...?

She nodded, and I tried to walk toward her, but simply floated in that direction instead. "Mom, what's going on?"

"Stop right there."

I froze, suddenly terrified I had done something wrong.

"Do not be angry with me, darling, but you cannot come to me yet. Your father still needs you."

"What are you talking about?" I wasn't dead? "What's going on?!"

Mom answered me calmly, despite my outburst. "Right now, you are in a world with me, somewhere between life and death." She looked around, and I followed her gaze. "Approaching me will trap you here, going into the dim light will send you to the other side, and focusing on opening your real eyes will bring you back to your father."

"So, wait. Are you trapped in this world? You're not actually dead?"

She sighed, then nodded. "Sadly, I cannot find a way out. My body was taken by the scientists, remember? I cannot go back to that."

"But you've been trapped here for ten years. Does your body even still exist anymore?"

She smiled. "Yes, the scientists have preserved my body well. It remains in tact, but I would much rather remain here than go back to that lab.

I thought for a moment, then got a brilliant idea.

"Mom, if I find your body and remove it from the scientist's lab, then could you come back to us?"

She lost her smile. "Sweetheart, you can't-"

"Just answer the question. Please."

She sighed. "In theory, yes, I could return to you. But you must also remember that I have been here for ten years. I may have been away for too long. And leaving is probably not the best option right now."

"Why not?"

"Because that would require you to leave and retrieve my body, putting you in more danger than you are now. I forbid you from doing such a thing." She held her head high, as if daring me to defy her.

I dared. "But Mom, if I could save you, we could be a family again. I've missed you so much, and-" my voice broke, and tears began to pool in my eyes. I tried to wipe them away, but new ones immediately replaced them.

My mother saw my crying and lost her authoritative demeanor. She took a step toward me, but froze when she remembered where we were, and what it would do to me.

"Angel, I only want to keep you safe. Going to find my body would only put you in danger. Wait until you are well, then we may discuss this further.

"H-how can we?" I asked, confused.

"Let me worry about that. You will be hearing from me soon enough, I promise."

"Selena?" a voice called. I glanced around, but we were alone.

"What was that?"

"Goodness, dearest, if you have forgotten your father's voice, then you have been here too long."

"That was Dad?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yes, Angel, it was your father. It is quite unusual for him to have so much concern in his voice, is it not?"

I looked above me, then to the light behind my mother, and then back to her. The choice I had to make seemed almost nonexistent, because the answer lay before us; my father needed me to return to him, and that was exactly what I was going to do.

I took a step away from my mother. She smiled, knowing my choice before I could get the words out. I wanted to tell her anyway. I didn't know when I would see her next, but she had promised it would be soon. I looked into her eyes and forced a smile.

"I guess I should get back to Dad now," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I didn't want to leave her, but I really didn't see much choice. I couldn't die. Not yet.

"I suppose you should," she replied, her eyes glistening.

I wanted to run to her and hug her, but I stayed put. I couldn't come close enough to her without getting trapped, and I had to get back. I had to let Dad know that we could save her.

My eyes started watering again, and this time, I didn't bother trying to wipe the tears away. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Angel," she replied softly.

I then closed my eyes, and focused on waking up.