As Violet followed Tabs, she saw what the cat was leading her towards. When she saw Elijah lying on the ground, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth. "No…" She breathed. The worst thing was, she couldn't do anything to help him. If he wasn't dead yet, she couldn't save his spirit. And even though she could save his spirit, she wouldn't dare for fear of it turning on her. She felt helpless.
Elijah closed his eyes the rest of the way and his chest stopped moving as air no longer flowed through his lungs. He could only hear screaming and panicked voices around him. What was everyone doing? Why were they panicking and crying? He opened his eyes one more time for the last time. He closed his eyes and went to sleep. Sleep….right?
He opened his eyes and looked around. It felt like he was standing up, but with no weight. Flying?
This was a dream right? He looked around at the teachers. Isuel crying? Wait…was that?
He stepped back away from….himself. Blood pooling from his head as the body lay down on the ground. "Wait….no. This is a dream right?" He stepped back even more covering his mouth.
Violet saw Elijah's spirit rise from his body and that he looked confused. It seemed that Tabs saw it too, as the cat ran up to Elijah's spirit and nuzzled against him. No one else would be able to see either Elijah or Tabs, so Violet was the only one able to see the interaction. She had to admit that it was pretty sweet.
Elijah looked around as tears started to swell up in his eyes. A cat came up and nuzzled him. He wiped his eye and knelt down, petting it. He saw his hand. It was the same as usual except for a little more transparent than usual. He looked around, trying to find anyone else that was around that he knew.
Just then his eyes locked with a girl. That girl…..who was she again?
Right, the one who could-
Wait he wasn't a…..was he?
Violet stared at Elijah's spirit. She could tell that he was figuring out that he had died, and that he was slowly starting to realise that she could see him. She motioned at him to come towards her, but didn't know if he actually would.
He looked around, at his dead body, then the cat, up at everyone around him and stepped toward the girl cautiously.
"H-Hey Uhm, what the hell just happened," He asks her extremely confused. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to figure out what to do.
"I don't know, I didn't see." She bent down to pick Tabs up, as the cat had run up to up again. "But there's one thing for certain. You're dead. And you ain't gonna be alive again. But since I can see you, it must mean that you have 'unfinished business'. God I hate that saying."
"Unfinished busines-wait…..im dead?! I didn't think that was a real thing! Not death, i mean like…spirits and stuff. Huh, okay." He says looking at the cat, then back at her.
"Yes. You're very much dead," She replied simply. "And yes, spirits are real things. Look. It's hard to explain. But you're dead, and you can't cross over until you figure out what's keeping you here."
"okay. This is… kind of cool." He says looking down at himself then back at his body.
"well…….not for them." He says with a sigh. It was fine, nobody really actually cared about him much. His parents werent alive and the only reason he wasnt in social services was that he had a job.
But he guessed that didnt matter now did it….
He had gotten lost in thought rather quickly.
"Listen," Violet said, placing her hand on Elijah's shoulder. "I understand that this is hard for you. You can go and visit your parents, but they won't be able to see, hear or touch you. The only people other than myself that would be able to do those things are my mum and grandma."
"my parents are dead" He says looking away from her, avoiding eye contact.
"i cant visit them" he says taking in a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know that. I'm trying to help you, Elijah. You need to figure out what's keeping you here before you can move on. There's no other option."
"how do you know me anyway?" He turned to her with a slightly shaky breath.
"We go to the same school. I'm always in the background. I see the things that no one else sees, just because I'm as invisible as them."
"well ive seen you around so youre obviously not invisible." He says with a smile, trying to lighten the mood a little.
She stared at him. "Please don't try and make this situation better on yourself. Especially since you're dead."
"What do you mean? I'm not trying to make this better on myself. I'm just trying to process everything. I'm sorry i dont handle things as well as you."
"I'm not saying that I handle things well. Do you know how much depression and anxiety I've had since I was 5? I get depressed from sad spirits who I either can't help or their life was really bad. I have anxiety for my family dying and having nothing stopping them from moving on. Just like my sister."
Great… A pity party. Just what I need at a time like this
He thought to himself as he turned around.
"fine. If you won't help I'm leaving and finding someone who can." he says walking away stubbornly