“This is stupid”, Lucas muttered, only half serious. “We don’t have time for this.”
“Ramsey and Corlisse can manage a little longer”, Ransley assured. “I’m not letting you do this alone, Lucas.”
And Lucas was grateful for that. He squeezed Ransley’s hand one last time and then he focused his gaze on his parents, who were sitting by the kitchen table. Mrs. Boyd was reading a book, drinking tea and Mr. Boyd was reading a newspaper, drinking coffee, in complete silence.
Lucas took a step forward and wiggled his fingers, thinking about where he should start.
“Hi, Mum, Dad”, he said. “I… I want to tell you a few things. I need to tell you a few things. Firstly I want you both to know that you need to stop fighting all the time. Get a divorce if you’re not happy together. Literally anything will hurt less than seeing you two fighting every day.” Lucas shrugged. “Think about Emily. She needs you two to be there for her. She can’t make it on her own.”
Lucas stopped talking, looked at Ransley and sniffled a little. Ransley nodded at him and Lucas took a deep breath and turned back to his parents.
“I also wanted to tell you, that I love someone”, Lucas said, smiling. “His name is Ransley and he made me very happy. Then very sad. Then very happy again. Just like love is supposed to.” Lucas’ smile faded away slowly. “I’m so sorry, that I didn’t tell you this earlier. I lied to you many times, and I’m sorry. But I wanted to say it out loud now, because it’s better to say it late than never.”
“Tell them your feelings”, Ransley encouraged.
Lucas nodded, looked at his parents, who were still reading their books and newspapers, drinking tea and coffee.
“I love you, Mum and Dad”, Lucas said. “Sorry that I didn’t say it when I was still alive. But I do. I love you so much. And I hope you’ll be happy.”
Lucas turned his back to them, took a step closer to Ransley and took a hold of his hand. Tears were running slowly down on his cheeks and Ransley used his free hand to wipe them away.
“Come”, Lucas said. “Emily is in her bedroom.”
They moved to Emily’s bedroom, where she was scrolling through her phone. Lucas was glad that she had got her phone back. Emily was smiling at the screen and when Lucas peeked over her shoulder, he saw that she was sending memes back and forth with Charlotte. It made Lucas smile. He looked at his little sister fondly and sighed.
“I don’t know what to say to you, Ems”, Lucas confessed. “I know you’ll be okay. You’re a smart kid, and you know it too. I’m sure you’ll achieve great things in your life.” Lucas wiped the tears from his eyes. “I’m sorry I can’t be there to see it.”
Lucas turned around, stopped, changed his mind and turned around again, looking at Emily. “I love you, Ems. And I’m going to miss you every second until the day when I’ll see you again. Goodbye.”
By then Lucas was sobbing uncontrollably and he ran to Ransley’s arms. He hugged Ransley tightly, letting everything out and when he finally pulled away, they were in the cave.
The situation was worse in the cave. Ramsey and Corlisse were barely conscious, Ronald and Farrah had came closer, looking nervous, but also too afraid to say anything. Lucas spun around, facing Ransley.
He saw it right away from Ransley’s face.
“You need to go, don’t you?” Lucas said.
Ransley nodded. “I don’t want to go.” He came closer to Lucas, leaning in.
“You have to”, Lucas whispered against Ransley’s lips.
“So, this is a goodbye?”
“Yes. This is a goodbye.”
Then Lucas closed the gap between their lips, pulling Ransley into one last kiss and then – then suddenly he was all alone. He spun around just in time to see how Ransley, who was lying on the ground under Ramsey and Corlisse’s fires, opened his eyes, gasped for air and pushed the two warlocks away from him.
Everyone in the cave sighed in relief, including Ronald and Farrah. Lucas smiled sadly at them, with teary eyes. Corlisse ja Ransley were holding their hands on top of their hearts, trying to breathe. Then Ramsey did something that no one expected: he pulled Ransley in a hug and Lucas nodded.
“Ramsey, you softie”, Lucas said, letting out a laugh even though his eyes were full of tears.
“Did it work?” Ronald asked. “Did you see Lucas?”
Ransley, who was still breathing heavily, pushed Ramsey off of him and stood up with shaky legs. He had tears in his eyes as he looked at Ronald.
“It worked”, he said.
Lucas watched how Ronald sighed in relief.
“And?” Ronald asked. “Did you figure out why he was stuck? How can we help him?”
Ransley looked down, touched gently his lips and then looked up again. Lucas smiled at him, knowing what he would say.
“I do’t think we can do anything else”, Ransley said. “It’s all up to Lucas.”
There was a silence for a moment and then Ronald started babbling.
“No, it can’t be– What if he doesn’t– What if– How can he move on on his own suddenly? He needed me and–“
“Ronald! Hey, shhh.” Farrah hugged Ronald and shushed him gently. “He is going to be okay, Ron. Everything is going to be okay, Ransley did all he could to help Lucas.”
Ronald started sobbing, pulled himself away from Farrah and tottered out of the cave. Farrah attempted to follow him, but Corlisse stopped her. Lucas saw that it annoyed Farrah.
“Let him be alone for a moment”, Corlisse said silently. “It is hard for him.”
“But–“
“He was finally moving on when he found out that his best friend was stuck in the Spirit world”, Corlisse pointed out. “That alone must have been a huge emotional wave that crushed him under it. Imagine all that and then in addition he has to try everything in order to help but it does not work.”
Farrah nodded.
“And then he hears that there’s nothing he can do anymore to help him”, Farrah said.
“No wonder he needs a moment for himself”, Corlisse said, and then smiled at Farrah. “I do not think we have been formerly introduced.” She offered her hand to Farrah. “I am Corlisse Stoykova.”
“I know” Farrah’s eyebrows rose up. “You’re from the C–“
“Yes”, Corlisse said. “I did not know you knew me.”
“I haven’t lived under a rock.”
Lucas didn’t care whether a really old Farrah knew someone a really old warlock, so he let them continue their talk and went outside, searching for Ronald.
He found him, sitting on top of that cliff. He was hiding his face in his hands and breathing slowly in and out. Lucas sat down next to him and looked at the sunset in the distance.
“Lucas”, Ronald said suddenly and made Lucas jolt in surprise. “I don’t know if you can hear me anymore, but I just wanted to say that everything I said in your funeral was true. I was the luckiest boy in the world for getting you as my best friend. And I’m sorry I couldn’t done more to help you. But I do hope you find peace. You have deserved it.” Ronald wiped a tear from his eye and stood up. “I love you, brother.”
Lucas smiled and sniffled, staring at the sunset in front of him. “I love you too, brother.” When he turned to glance behind him, Ronald was already gone.
“Ramsey and Corlisse can manage a little longer”, Ransley assured. “I’m not letting you do this alone, Lucas.”
And Lucas was grateful for that. He squeezed Ransley’s hand one last time and then he focused his gaze on his parents, who were sitting by the kitchen table. Mrs. Boyd was reading a book, drinking tea and Mr. Boyd was reading a newspaper, drinking coffee, in complete silence.
Lucas took a step forward and wiggled his fingers, thinking about where he should start.
“Hi, Mum, Dad”, he said. “I… I want to tell you a few things. I need to tell you a few things. Firstly I want you both to know that you need to stop fighting all the time. Get a divorce if you’re not happy together. Literally anything will hurt less than seeing you two fighting every day.” Lucas shrugged. “Think about Emily. She needs you two to be there for her. She can’t make it on her own.”
Lucas stopped talking, looked at Ransley and sniffled a little. Ransley nodded at him and Lucas took a deep breath and turned back to his parents.
“I also wanted to tell you, that I love someone”, Lucas said, smiling. “His name is Ransley and he made me very happy. Then very sad. Then very happy again. Just like love is supposed to.” Lucas’ smile faded away slowly. “I’m so sorry, that I didn’t tell you this earlier. I lied to you many times, and I’m sorry. But I wanted to say it out loud now, because it’s better to say it late than never.”
“Tell them your feelings”, Ransley encouraged.
Lucas nodded, looked at his parents, who were still reading their books and newspapers, drinking tea and coffee.
“I love you, Mum and Dad”, Lucas said. “Sorry that I didn’t say it when I was still alive. But I do. I love you so much. And I hope you’ll be happy.”
Lucas turned his back to them, took a step closer to Ransley and took a hold of his hand. Tears were running slowly down on his cheeks and Ransley used his free hand to wipe them away.
“Come”, Lucas said. “Emily is in her bedroom.”
They moved to Emily’s bedroom, where she was scrolling through her phone. Lucas was glad that she had got her phone back. Emily was smiling at the screen and when Lucas peeked over her shoulder, he saw that she was sending memes back and forth with Charlotte. It made Lucas smile. He looked at his little sister fondly and sighed.
“I don’t know what to say to you, Ems”, Lucas confessed. “I know you’ll be okay. You’re a smart kid, and you know it too. I’m sure you’ll achieve great things in your life.” Lucas wiped the tears from his eyes. “I’m sorry I can’t be there to see it.”
Lucas turned around, stopped, changed his mind and turned around again, looking at Emily. “I love you, Ems. And I’m going to miss you every second until the day when I’ll see you again. Goodbye.”
By then Lucas was sobbing uncontrollably and he ran to Ransley’s arms. He hugged Ransley tightly, letting everything out and when he finally pulled away, they were in the cave.
The situation was worse in the cave. Ramsey and Corlisse were barely conscious, Ronald and Farrah had came closer, looking nervous, but also too afraid to say anything. Lucas spun around, facing Ransley.
He saw it right away from Ransley’s face.
“You need to go, don’t you?” Lucas said.
Ransley nodded. “I don’t want to go.” He came closer to Lucas, leaning in.
“You have to”, Lucas whispered against Ransley’s lips.
“So, this is a goodbye?”
“Yes. This is a goodbye.”
Then Lucas closed the gap between their lips, pulling Ransley into one last kiss and then – then suddenly he was all alone. He spun around just in time to see how Ransley, who was lying on the ground under Ramsey and Corlisse’s fires, opened his eyes, gasped for air and pushed the two warlocks away from him.
Everyone in the cave sighed in relief, including Ronald and Farrah. Lucas smiled sadly at them, with teary eyes. Corlisse ja Ransley were holding their hands on top of their hearts, trying to breathe. Then Ramsey did something that no one expected: he pulled Ransley in a hug and Lucas nodded.
“Ramsey, you softie”, Lucas said, letting out a laugh even though his eyes were full of tears.
“Did it work?” Ronald asked. “Did you see Lucas?”
Ransley, who was still breathing heavily, pushed Ramsey off of him and stood up with shaky legs. He had tears in his eyes as he looked at Ronald.
“It worked”, he said.
Lucas watched how Ronald sighed in relief.
“And?” Ronald asked. “Did you figure out why he was stuck? How can we help him?”
Ransley looked down, touched gently his lips and then looked up again. Lucas smiled at him, knowing what he would say.
“I do’t think we can do anything else”, Ransley said. “It’s all up to Lucas.”
There was a silence for a moment and then Ronald started babbling.
“No, it can’t be– What if he doesn’t– What if– How can he move on on his own suddenly? He needed me and–“
“Ronald! Hey, shhh.” Farrah hugged Ronald and shushed him gently. “He is going to be okay, Ron. Everything is going to be okay, Ransley did all he could to help Lucas.”
Ronald started sobbing, pulled himself away from Farrah and tottered out of the cave. Farrah attempted to follow him, but Corlisse stopped her. Lucas saw that it annoyed Farrah.
“Let him be alone for a moment”, Corlisse said silently. “It is hard for him.”
“But–“
“He was finally moving on when he found out that his best friend was stuck in the Spirit world”, Corlisse pointed out. “That alone must have been a huge emotional wave that crushed him under it. Imagine all that and then in addition he has to try everything in order to help but it does not work.”
Farrah nodded.
“And then he hears that there’s nothing he can do anymore to help him”, Farrah said.
“No wonder he needs a moment for himself”, Corlisse said, and then smiled at Farrah. “I do not think we have been formerly introduced.” She offered her hand to Farrah. “I am Corlisse Stoykova.”
“I know” Farrah’s eyebrows rose up. “You’re from the C–“
“Yes”, Corlisse said. “I did not know you knew me.”
“I haven’t lived under a rock.”
Lucas didn’t care whether a really old Farrah knew someone a really old warlock, so he let them continue their talk and went outside, searching for Ronald.
He found him, sitting on top of that cliff. He was hiding his face in his hands and breathing slowly in and out. Lucas sat down next to him and looked at the sunset in the distance.
“Lucas”, Ronald said suddenly and made Lucas jolt in surprise. “I don’t know if you can hear me anymore, but I just wanted to say that everything I said in your funeral was true. I was the luckiest boy in the world for getting you as my best friend. And I’m sorry I couldn’t done more to help you. But I do hope you find peace. You have deserved it.” Ronald wiped a tear from his eye and stood up. “I love you, brother.”
Lucas smiled and sniffled, staring at the sunset in front of him. “I love you too, brother.” When he turned to glance behind him, Ronald was already gone.