Girls See Ghosts

Chapter 16: The Girls Penultimate

     "The day was finally here after all" Daphne thought to herself as she ran her hand through her platinum blond hair. She stood by the mirror and put on her earrings and space needle necklace as usual. She picked out a blue flannel from her closet, matched it with a Black Avatar the last airbender shirt and picked out some black distressed jeans to match. She laced her ASICS and left them by the door. She hadn't ate yet and she didn't think she would be able to hold anything down. The snow outside wasn't as bad as last year but going where she has headed that shouldn't concern her a bit. Daphne stood by her window and let her gaze rest on the desk across the room. She had been up the past few weeks reading Juliette's journal and going over the diagram on the scale of spirits. She understood it now and because of that she left the journal where it was. The sun had barely made its arrival into the sky as Daphne sat with silence being her only company. Jean had been patrolling the house warding off spirits and that gave Daphne a bit more time to think. She could barely get through that process before the situation dawned on her. Whether she liked it or not today was the day everything changed. She had always known it would come but knowing and experiencing are night and day. Daphne took one more look at the notebook before closing it for what was surely  the last time.

     Daphne sat by her bed as Jean plopped down onto the floor and stood by the door. The air was still silent and it stayed that way until Daphne put her arms around her friend. The both of them shared a look that said everything it needed too. Jean knew what the occasion was and her outfit made captured the gloom around them. A black t shirt and jeans, black boots half laced up and a grey jacket was " all she needed". The two of them would usually play a game to pass the time but no game would be slower than the clock. Daphne waited by the window again as if she expected someone to pop in but no one appeared. She walked back and forth about 20 or so times before a raven flew by the window. It caught her attention for some odd reason and she couldn't keep her eyes off of it as flew away. She stood by the window a while longer until Juliette appeared. Normally the three of them would've hugged or argued or even acted like they could blow off the assignments. They would see each other around Zoe and Jared, in supermarkets, or even at church. Now they stood in the same room she first made the scale appear, the room where Juliette first made a joke that didn't work , the place where Jean took her first real steps. And now it was the last time the three girls would be together and as Juliette whisked them to the Celestium they left behind the room that only one of them could return to.

Daphne walked through the Celestium like it was the back of her hand, not missing a direction or a turn in sight. The city still reminded her of one of those Fire Red towns with the department store in the middle. She saw the buildings go up in scope and size, the spirits flutter in the wind and walk the streets peacefully. As much as she wanted to call this place beautiful it no longer held the same luster to her. Behind the beauty of the city were a cast of secrets. Secrets that she had come to know very well over the past year. At least as well as one would know their employers. The girls made their way towards the central building and Daphne felt the dread dripping down her spine with every step. The first time she walked this brick road she had wanted nothing more than to lose the sight she had and return home. To never see the ghosts that haunted her from a young age, burned her home, and helped her back up after. Now she walked the road eager to do whatever it took to do the right thing, no matter the cost.

   Daphne was used to the elevators in the Celestium at this point and Juliette growing up here had no issue whatsoever. Jean wasn't so used to them and had to grab both of their hands to not fall over. Daphne exited and couldn't hold her laugh in any longer with Jeans face being red in embarrassment. Daphne started down the path she had taken after she met Dawn and Dave. She passed the receptionist and said her usual hello and made her way past the familiar paintings and murals that adorned the hallway. She paused for a second as she took in the newest picture on the wall, a portrait of herself the first day she was here. It was her calling to a floating Jean above her, with Juliette in her purple robes standing on the road above her. The girls stood beside her as they took the entire assortment of pictures in. Daphne's eyes scanned the walls until she realized the one thing that creeped through her mind, Lance had no painting. Daphne stormed off at the realization, walking towards the main room in the building for Sotomanto. Juliette put her hand on Daphne's shoulder and stopped her from barging into the empty room and making a statement out of thin air. Juliette turned her to the stairs beside them, saying " this is it".