Aubrey's POV-
"Marabella, if you don't mind me asking. How did you die?" I asked hesitantly as I carried a sack full of fruits to the market with her following behind me with the same.
We were selling fruit again.
I had been in heaven for what seemed like forever but in reality it had only been three days since I had wandered out the gates.
Everyday since than, with nothing to do I helped Marabella with selling fruits, which she got from a field behind her house, a different field from the one with the Aspen tree.
Everyday I felt a pull to go to the tree again, but I ignored it by busing myself with picking fruits.
"Well..." she starts while setting her sack on the usual table.
I copied her as I dumped the fruits on the table and began to sort them into piles.
"Me and Dave along with Abby were in our home at the time of the Nazi war, eating supper." She darted her eye around as if remembering the memories.
"Suddenly there was a commotion outside and men came into our home..." her hands slightly shook as she sorted the fruit.
Concerned I reached over a held her hand, silently telling her I was there for her.
She sighed. "They hurt Dave, a lot. They found it amusing when they hurt all of us but after hours they got tired and decided to—you know..." she struggled to finish her short story.
I frowned before I pulled her into a hug, reassuring her that she was safe.
At that time me and Marabella had become close friends. Closer than me and Layla had ever been even thought I knew Layla for years and Marabella for only a few days.
Me and Marabella just got along better. Sure we didn't have much to talk about but in silence we worked good together.
She felt like family.
"I'm sorry I brought it up" I apologized into her ear as we pulled away. She gave me a tearful smile before we got back to work.
All we ever did was work. That's all we could really do.
Kids ran around, adults walked around and some worked. Sometimes even people came up to our stand to grab some fruit with a quick 'thank you' and 'have a good day'.
I quickly discovered there was no money in heaven. Everything was with trade.
If you wanted fruit you had to trade another type of food or a blanket. But Marabella already had everything she wanted here so she gave people things for free and everyone loved her.
I loved heaven, I really did. But unlike everyone else it just wasn't home. My heart belonged somewhere else where I didn't know just yet.
It had something to do with that damn tree though. I felt it in my gut.
After a days work me and Marabella drank some lemonade at my house. Chatting and laughing for hours.
Soon after though when it got dark she had to go, and we said our goodbyes.
It got dark, and I got lonely again.
Even though I was in heaven, with all the food, water and things I needed I was still missing something. I had a freind, I had love. But just like when I was alive I wanted more.
I rested in my bed, in a silk nightgown and just stared at the ceiling.
I could hear wind shifting outside and somehow it got even lonelier.
Than a feeling tugged at my chest again. So hard and manipulative it made my skin burn.
I sat up and immediately knew what I had to do.
This is a bad idea. I shouldn't go. Marabella warned Abby not to go either.
But I did it anyways.
I got dressed in a slightly more warmer outfit which consisted of an off the shoulder sweater and skinny jeans. It felt wrong wearing ripped jeans in heaven since the Bible is so against it, atleast that's what Marabella had told me.
The outfit:
After I got dressed I made it outside where the town was completely deserted, everyone already gone to sleep.
I felt bad doing this, like a teen sneaking out of their house to get drunk.
Time passed quickly as I made it through the town, across the field and to the huge Aspen tree which still stood tall.
I admired the tree, looked up to it both physically and mentally.
Once I had admired it for a few minutes I gently picked a flower from its base. A columbine I had picked.
I knew so much about flowers, trees and nature in general because my mother had been a florist. Even though we lived in California where people didn't buy much flowers she still somehow got enough money to feed us. Along with dad's payment from his work I never found out what he did simply because I did not care enough.
I wish I could had said goodbye. Just a simple 'I love you' would have sufficed, but that's in the past because I'm here and they aren't.
Tears trailed down my cheeks as I touched the petals of the soft flower, feeling as if it was to innocent for this cruel world. It's in heaven now though, it's safe.
Finally I gathered myself and my feet carried me to the gate, flower still in hand as if I could shield myself from anything on the other side.
Still in a daze I crossed the gate and immediately felt an intense sensation burning my finger tips.
I never found out what the feeling was but I learned to love it.
As if I had already memorized the path I made my way to the dead tree with the flower gently grasped in my palm.
Once I made it to the dead tree I stood up to it, looking at it with curiosity.
Something about the trees in this world felt as if they held secrets. Secrets which should not be found out. But it still intrigued me.
"Didn't I tell you before you should not wander here?" I flinched at the new sound, feeling it brush my shoulder but when I turned around the man was again many feet away from me.
How can his voice touch my skin even when he's so far away?
"I had to" I replied ominously, feeling as if I couldn't explain my reasons. I didn't even understand myself anyways.
He mumbles something to himself as he stalks to me. I never flinched away this time. I never felt fear this time. All I felt was curiosity.
He came to a stop infront of me, watching me through hooded eyes. He glances over my body and paused at the flower in my hand.
"Normally it's the guys with the flowers and chocolates right?" He asked, referring to the flower.
I felt the need to crack a smile and I did. "It's not for you" I finalized.
A small pout made its way on his face, which baffled me since he had such a dark brooding aura that always surrounded him.
Then did I notice how he looked in the moment.
Again he wore a suit but this time with a dark red dress shirt and a black jacket with black pants to match.
I felt my stomach tingle.
"What are you doing here—again?" I ask him as his eyes trail behind me to the tree.
"I am supposed to be here, unlike you, darling" His last word held a note of teasing. He knew I never liked the nickname.
I scowl as he chuckled.
"If you came here to make fun of me you can leave" I dismissed as I turn my back to him without a care.
But that seemed to anger him because the next thing I knew my back was against the tree and his hand was around my neck, his other arm resting above my head.
His eyes held anger as his face turned frozen like stone.
"Don't turn your back on me, angelus" He threatened in a dark tone which made my spin straighten and my throat go dry.
Translation: angel
"Let go" I whispered out.
He glared darkly at me, before stepping back out of my personal space.
I let out a shuttered breath from the intensity of the situation.
The sudden silence was loud and ear ringing so to pass the seconds I looked down at the flower in my hand, only for my heart to crack.
The flower, which I held to my chest like I was protecting it, was smooshed likely from him pressing again me.
I lifted the flower up to my face with a frown.
I liked that flower. It had reminded me of my mom and now it was gone.
I sighed and gently tuned around to put the smoothed dead flower at the base of the tree, handing the tree a little bit of color even though the flower was dead like itself.
I sagged at the sight before turning around, minding to go back to the gates but stopped when I saw him staring at me with guilt in his eyes.
When he saw me looking at him he quickly covered up his guilty look with a blank face but it was to late, I saw it.
His gaze felt as if it touched every inch of my body, but all his eyes touched by as my own.
It clicked.
"Why do you watch me?" I asked as if I had asked for the weather. He stared back at me for a moment.
"To make sure you don't come back" He replied defensively and I knew he was lying.
He turned around to our right, which was in the other direction of the gate and walked off deeper into the field.
"Don't come back, Aubrey" His warning again touched my skin but I saw him yards away with his back to me.
"How do you do that?" I whispered to him, knowing her could never hear my words but felt as if he might be able to.
"I know everything in my land" He replied tauntingly, his words just barely above a whisper in my ear before he disappeared from my sight.
Feeling alone again I left as well, the remnants of our conversation floating behind me in the air.
I lingered on my thoughts, wondering how he always knew I was there or how his voice so cold yet so soft caused shivers down my spine.
I'd never felt such a thing before.
I wanted to tell someone, but I knew Marabella would be mad if I told her about the interaction.
So I told no one of me and Ivan's encounters.
I hate this book but I gotta write it💀