The Remains

XLIII - Lionel

Someone eased into the water, and began descending towards me. The last of the sun's rays filtered around the man.

He paused, and squeezed his nose. Then continued downwards. He was holding a long straight object is his left hand.

I watched the diver get closer. So, how did you tell someone I'm down here?

Aunt Rosia paused. It's a little difficult to explain, Dear.

Another voice started. Don't even recognise your own brother?

I felt myself drift slightly in the current. Sanders? How did you find me down here?

Sanders chuckled, and pinched his nose again. Aunt Rosia can sense Remnants.

I guess that made as much sense as anything. And the girl you left back at the dock? What does she have to do with all this? There was a distant whisper niggling at the back of my mind. Not quite loud enough to hear.

Sanders paused. I- I don't really know myself. Aunt Rosia has some sort of plan. I just got pulled out of a police precinct last night. I don't really know what's going on?

Wait, what were you doing at a police station? Are you in some sort of trouble?

Sanders sighed. I was evidence. Lionel, I'm dead. I'm dead, and I'm trapped in the spike that was pinning me to a tree. I took over this man's body when he touched the spike. The man was so close now. I could see a small protrusion from the man's hip. It glinted in the sunlight.

I felt sick. So, is this man still in his body? Will he be able to come back once you get out of his head?

I think so. Don't really care, to tell the truth. Lionel, this is the body of the man who killed us. You, me, Jess, Samuel. He hunted us down. He tortured us to death. I can see it in his memories. So forgive me, but I'm struggling to spare any sympathy for him.

The other whisper was getting louder. It was searching for something. Or someone.

The man dropped down next to my body, and grabbed the chain connecting me to the cinderblock. I could see that the object in his left hand was a pair of bolt cutters.

He pointed at one of the chain links. Higher?

Aunt Rosia hummed. Two links. Then cut.

He moved the bolt cutters, and cut a link in half. I watched with curiosity.

He swam around to the other side, and placed the cutters next to my hip. How many down?

Aunt Rosia tisked. Down three. Sanders moved the bolt cutters down the chain, and stopped over a link.

Stop. Go down one more. I made a mistake.

Sanders eased the bolt cutters down another link. Good?

Aunt Rosia hummed. Sanders cut the chain. I felt my body begin to float upwards. Sanders reached out, and grabbed the chain connected to my hip. My body jerked to a halt. Then he tore the chain loose.

I could make out the whisper now. They're close. I know it.

I was yanked out of my body. Little pieces of bone scattered through the water.

I watched my body float upwards. What is going-

Aunt Rosia cleared her throat. We're trapped in anything metal that is embedded in us when we die. This chain is your body now.

But, I could see out of my eyes. I was still in that body.

Aunt Rosia sighed. You were just possessing your old, dead body. Sanders began to rise back towards the surface.

The girl back at the dock gasped. No no no no no no no.

I concentrated on her voice. What's wrong? What's going on?

He's here.

Who? Are you in danger?

The unknown whisper giggled. Define danger....