Delilah: Forsaken Book Two

chapter one: Together We Will Float into the Mystic

"One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying."

- Joan of Arc

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3:33 a.m. Tuesday, February 24

In a daze, Jonathan walked through the darkness. It was though he walked into a room and couldn't remember why or what he was doing there. His brain kept circling in an empty loop as he tried to recall the details. Just as he was about to focus in on a thought it slipped away into his unconscious. He remembered from one his classes that the conscious mind only takes up 12 percent of overall brain activity, the rest, the 88 percent is the unconscious mind. All he knew for certain was that his unconscious mind was running the show.

This is one crazy messed up dream.

I must be dreaming.

It wasn't until he stumbled upon a bronze statue, he realized where he was.

Lincoln Park.

He knew this statue well. It was called "The Dream Lady." His little brother Joey loved the statue of a fairy sprinkling fairy dust with a lily on two sleeping children.

He read the inscription out loud, "Have you ever heard of the sugar plum tree? Tis a marvel of great renown. It blooms on the shore of the lollipop sea. In the garden of shut eye town. Wynken, Blinken and Nod one night. Sailed off in a wooden shoe. Sailed on a river of crystal light. Into a sea of dew."

At the thought of Joey, Jonathan smiled. 

He missed him. 

He missed the times when their mom would take them to Lincoln Park with a picnic. After they'd eat their sandwiches, she'd pull out her book and let them run around the park. The sound of a barking dog broke the spell of this childhood memory Jonathan hadn't thought about in years. The drugs had erased the pain, and swept away the good stuff too.

How many memories have I forgotten?

Too many.

He turned to the sound of the barking dog. It was Watson, his childhood dog running at him at full speed. The mighty white lab hurled his body at Jonathan knocking him off his feet and onto the ground. As Watson pinned him to the ground and covered his face in slobbery wet kisses, Jonathan took a deep breath inhaling his musky sent. His heart swelled as he remembered how much he loved that dog.

When Jonathan looked up he saw his little brother Joey looking down at him. Joey smiled down at him "What's up JB?"

Jonathan jumped to his feet in one quick movement, "Nothing much JB."

Jonathan pulled Joey into his arms, he was holding onto him with all his might. He felt as if he was going to disappear if he let go. Eventually, Joey squirmed away from his embrace and chocked out, "Let me go. Can't breathe."

Finally, Jonathan released him. His heart swelled again as he took him in. 

It was Joey. 

His little brother wearing his favorite Bears t-shirt over his favorite grey sweatshirt with a hood. His dark brown hair hanging over his right eye at just the right angle to make their mom go crazy and tell him he needed to get a haircut.

As Jonathan pulled him into a head lock and rustled Joey's hair, he realized that his tattoos had disappeared. Jonathan released Joey. In disbelief, he studied his blank arm.

He pulled up his shirt, "My tattoos."

Joey placed his hands-on Jonathan's arms, "I'm here to take you to Summerland."

Jonathan took a large step back away from him. The warm peaceful loving feeling was replaced with sheer terror. Cortisol pumped through his veins it was as though each nerve was on fire.

Watson's playful bark turned into a relentless shrill machine gun of a bark that cut through Jonathan.

Jonathan snapped shouting, "Shut up Watson!"

Watson whined and walked around in circles until he finally settled in and sat down at Joey's feet. Jonathan put his hands over his ears and began to pace around in circles. His heart was drumming against his chest. He looked at Joey and shook his head repeating one word over and over, "No."

"Dude you're dead," Joey explained.

Jonathan looked up at the night sky. It was full of stars, even with the city lights; he could still see the stars. He looked at Joey and blinked hoping that is was just some weird dream and that he'd soon wake up from.

I am not dead.

I need to finish training Delilah.

She needs me.

My work is not finished.

I have so much more to do.

So much more life to live.

Jonathan backed away from Joey. He blurted out, "This is just a dream."

Joey grabbed Jonathan's arms shaking him, "No dude, you're like so dead. That Samuel guy snapped your neck like a twig. Dude it was so bad ass! He jumped on your back, got you into a head lock and you went down."

Jonathan pushed him away and turned his back on Joey.

Joey put his arms around Jonathan, placing his head on his back he whispered, "They sent me here to come get you because they thought you'd like just keep wandering around haunting people going all Casper the ghost and generally freak the humans out."

Jonathan pulled away from Joey's embrace. Even though he had been reincarnated many times, death never came easy. Even if the life was full of pain, it was still so hard to let go. That was always the one constant in death, it made you appreciate the miracle of life. 

Jonathan leaned up against the statue using it to steady him as he sat down. Watson got up, moseyed over to him and put his head in Jonathan's lap nudging his hand to pet him. Then, Joey sat down next to Jonathan and put his head on his shoulder.

"Am I really dead?" Jonathan asked.

"Yep," replied Joey as he took Jonathan's hand in his.

They sat huddled together with the dog and watched as dawn broke over the lake. In silence, they saw the dark night sky transition into a hazy light blue. As the sun rose, streaks of yellow and orange shattered across the sky.

Carefully Joey released Jonathan's hand. He stood up and announced, "It's time."

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How are you feeling right now? The action picks up right where book one ends.