CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN: FALLING

There was nothing but darkness. Everything was utterly silent, it felt like she was sinking into nothing. Lotus reached out, wishing she'd hit something. It felt like she was the only one here, wherever here was.

"I thought your favourite ice cream was chocolate?"

Lotus blinked, circling in her spot. "Hello?"

"I changed my mind."

She knew that voice, Lotus took a step forward into the darkness that surrounded her. "Mom?"

"I didn't think you'd like cotton candy."

Lotus shook her head, "Chocolate is boring. I don't want to be boring."

Her mother smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "Happy birthday, Flower."

She grinned, digging her spoon back into her cup of ice cream. It was almost melted, a mix of blue and pinks swirled with every poke of her spoon.

Lotus froze, why was she seeing this? This was her sixth birthday, a few weeks before they stopped seeing her grandparents, when they were kicked out.

"Next year can we go see a movie?" Lotus questioned, a goofy smile on her face. "I like the superhero ones."

"Me too."

She closed her eyes, "What the hell is happening?"

"Stop asking that question!"

"I just want to know who my dad is—"

Her mother glared down at her, "I'm not discussing this with you."

"But you said we might be evicted! Mom, this place is a shithole, we can't live like this!"

"I can't do any better!" The woman yelled, "You will not be going anywhere."

"But if I can meet him, maybe he'll help us out? Maybe I can stay with him for a bit so you can—"

A vase zipped by her head, smashing against the far wall. Lotus jumped, staring wide eyed at her mother.

"Make it stop." Lotus whispered, "This isn't—"

"Can you please spare a few dollars?" Lotus questioned, staring up at a wealthy looking woman. She stared down, a look of disgust on her face. Lotus looked like a mess, hair in knots and ripped clothes, "I just want to eat."

"That's why you get a job." The woman retorted, but dug out a dollar bill and dropped it into her hand.

Lotus watched the woman waltz away, clutching her expensive handbag with newly manicured nails. She pocketed the bill and dashed down the street, "Why couldn't I be rich?" She muttered, shoving through the crowds of people wanting to get home from work. "Why couldn't I be someone else?"

The thought carried through her, she reached the end of the sidewalk as she brushed by the woman who flashed her that look of disgust, her shoulder skimmed the woman's arm as they went separate ways.

Pain tore through her, starting at her head and going down to her feet. A shiver took over where the pain left, and Lotus stopped in the middle of the sidewalk in shock as she caught her reflection in a store window. No longer did her mother's green eyes stare back at her, no, she had short blonde hair and wore an expensive white dress. Lotus was taller, especially in matching white heels. She blinked, looking down at herself in wonder. She looked exactly like the woman with the dollar bill. How was this possible?

Lotus had forgotten that day, when she discovered what she could do. Everything before almost getting stuck was a blur, she could only ever remember the fear as she tried over and over again to look like herself. The fear of it not working, of being stuck—

"Could I just get a chocolate milk, please?"

Agnes, the woman's name tag read, nodded and scribbled down her order. She watched the woman walk behind the counter, sliding a cup of coffee towards a boy who sat next to an older man.

Within a blink everything changed— the man left as a group of suited men stormed in and attacked the boy. Lotus dashed up and to the counter, throwing out her original plan. She tugged at the cash register, then a gun was pointing at her, and she changed. The man was so shocked he froze, she grabbed the weapon and foolish pulled the trigger. She jumped when it worked, and he landed at her feet with a thud.

That had been the first time she killed someone, the first time a gun had ever been pointed at her. Lotus shook her head, looking around once again, as if the darkness would lift and let her go. "Hello!"

"Do you ever wonder about your parents?" Five questioned, eyes glued to the popcorn ceiling.

Lotus looked over at him, buried under a mountain of blankets. Her eyes still burned from the memory of the riots, of leaving Allison alone with Klaus in her home. Of watching her husband be powerless as officers kicked and punched—

"Sometimes I wonder what my mom looked like." Five continued, "If we look alike."

She watched as he blinked slowly, laying atop of the covers. She thought he'd fallen asleep, yet here he was, wanting to talk about something she never thought he would.

"My grandma used to tell me I looked nothing like my mom, I always thought I did. She'd tell me just because we had the same hair colour didn't make us look the same." Lotus mumbled, "I know we looked alike, because every time I look in a mirror I see her. It's our eyes."

"I never knew my mom."

Lotus shifted, turning so she faced him. "Maybe it's good you never got to know her."

His brows furrowed, "Even though she gave me away, she's still out there. I wonder if she thinks about me."

This was so unlike him, she had no idea how to respond. He seemed so vulnerable, as if he was safe within these four dark walls. But monsters usually came out at night, she had no idea how he was so calm at two a.m.

"Where do you think you came from? The states?"

He sighed, "I don't know. Probably."

"I've never actually thought about that." Lotus said, "I just assumed I did. I mean, I can't really remember anything from before I was like... four, but that's normal."

"I don't think you're from here." He told her, "I don't know where, but not in this shit hole."

She snorted, "You love your country."

"No, really." He said, "Sometimes when you talk you have a weird accent, I can't place it. I never really noticed it before but it's all I can hear now when you say certain words."

Lotus rolled her eyes, "This is the most you talked without sounding insane. It's weird."

He took a deep breath, falling silent for a minute. "No one ever wants to hear what I'm actually thinking—"

"You need go back!"

Lotus jumped, blinking rapidly at the darkness. Hands stretched out and grabbed her shoulders, "It's time for you to go back."

A woman appeared, dark hair cut to her chin and emerald eyes that shone. Lotus' matching eyes widened, scrambling away. "Mom?"

"They need you."

"What?"

Isabella shook her head, she looked so much older then when she died. Did people still age in the afterlife?

"That boy. His family." She said, "They're waiting for you."

"She's right." Another figure appeared, "They're okay."

Lotus turned to see Ben, looking nothing like a ghost, but a solid form in front of her.

"What are you talking about?"

"He went back in time, by seconds, and everything's back to normal." Ben told her, "Expect for you. You didn't go back like the rest of them did, because you're still here, with us. Five doesn't understand it. It's never happened before."

Lotus shook her head, "What the hell is going on?"

"You need to go." Her mother spoke up, walking up and grabbing her hands. "You don't belong here."

"Here? What even is here? What is going on—"

"Look at me." Isabella said fiercely, meeting the gaze of her daughter. "I am so sorry for everything. For how I treated you towards the end, for leaving you the way I did. You deserved so much better."

Lotus held back a sob, was this even real?

"She's running out of time." Ben chimed in.

Her mother nodded, letting go of her hands. "I'm so proud of you."

Ben walked over and pulled her aside, Isabella turned and without looking back, disappeared back into the darkness. Lotus called out to her, but Ben kept pulling her away.

"You're dying, Lotus."

"I thought I was already dead."

He shook his head, the farther they walked the more noise seemed to seep into the air. She could hear muffled voices, even some sobs.

"Five went back. Like how he saved you last time, expect this time you didn't go back with the rest of them. You should have, but for some reason you keep breaking the laws of our powers." He sighed, "You were the only one who showed up here and the only one who's still dying."

Lotus' eyes widened, "They're all okay?"

He nodded, "You need to leave right now."

"How would I even begin to do that?" She questioned, "I don't even know where the hell I am!"

Ben shifted, "Close your eyes and follow the noise."

"What?"

"You heard me." He told her, nudging her forward. "And tell them all I said Hello, alright?"

Lotus nodded slowly, watching as he backed up and vanished into the dark as her mother had. She took a hesitate step forward, the noise grew.

She broke out into a run, hearing Klaus' voice and Allison's pleas for someone to stop trying. She could hear Five yelling, cursing and even sobbing. Her name was being called, voice full of anger and sorrow, from someone who never showed such emotions.

Suddenly the noises grew to loud and she froze, the ground disappeared from underneath her and she was falling, falling, falling.