Chapter Nine: Soul Castle

      So far, Soul Castle has been pretty great. Well, most of it. Sometimes I wish I was still alive, and still on Earth. I wish I could live as if nothing happened. I wish I could just remember what happened.

            Today, Aly and I are going to the “movies.” She wants to surprise me with someone I knew from when I was alive. She said that she thinks it’ll help me move on. Oh, and I have my first therapy session today.

            It was towards the end of my second week in Soul Castle, and I still could not sleep. As I was lying in bed I was thinking about someone I don’t usually think about, my mother. I kept on wondering if she really did love me. Was Peter right? Did my mom love me? I wonder if this is what people think about after they die.

            “Aly,” I said her name quietly to know if she was awake.

            “Yeah,” She said in response.

            “Sorry to wake you, but can I ask you something?”

            “Of course, what’s up?”

            “When you died, and came here, what did you think about the most?”

            “I thought a lot about my family, my mother mostly. Why,” Aly asked.

            “I’ve been thinking a lot about my mother, which is weird because we never got along. She hated me. So I was just wondering if it was normal to think about her.”

            “Yes, it’s perfectly normal to think of her. Why do you think she hated you?”

            “Because she told me so herself. Anyways, where am I going first? Therapy or “movies?”

            “Your mother didn’t mean it, and you’re going to therapy first,” said Aly.

            “Okay, so do I just meet you at the “movies” when I’m done with therapy?”

            “Yes, you better get ready so you’re not late.”

            I laughed. “So I’m not late? Since when does that matter here? There’s no such thing as time here!”

            Aly giggled. “I’m sorry, I forgot about that for a second.”

            “Anyways, I don’t get to know who the family member is until later.”

            “That’s right.”

            Before I left I brushed my hair, brushed my teeth, and changed my clothes. I put on a pair of shorts, and I was almost going to put on a tank top. I didn’t though, because right before I did, I looked into the mirror. You know what I saw in the mirror? A girl who had been immensely hurt. A girl who had an X shaped scar right over heart, and dried blood all over abdomen. A girl whose arms black and blue, covered with bruises. What else is wrong with this girl? She cannot even tell you a single thing that happened to her.

            I put on a long sleeve shirt, and start with the stairs. I am a little nervous to see the therapist; I have no clue what they are going to do. I just wish they can help me remember what happened.

    As I walked into the room there was a woman sitting in a chair, and sitting in front of her was an empty couch. She looks like she is in her mid thirties. She has long, curly, sandy blonde hair. Very pale woman. She had a few freckles on her nose, and big blue blue. Under her eyes she had dark circles.

    "Hello Leah," said the woman.

    "Hi, er.," She had me at a disadvantage with names.

    "I'm Savannah Taylor."

    "You look quite familiar. Have we met before," I swear I have seen this woman before.

    "No, you have not. Please, sit down."

    For some reason I find that hard to believe. Savannah will not stop looking at me; it's making me uncomfortable. I'm still trying to figure out why she looks so familiar though. "Leah. First, how did you die?"

    "Honestly, I don't remember. I'm guessing I was stabbed in the heart."

    "Why's that?"

    "Well there is a stab mark over my heart, and dry blood all over my stomach. But there's bruises on my arm that I have no clue what they could be from," I explained.

    "Hmm. Well, maybe you were hit, or someone grabbed your arms. Do you remember what day it was when you died?"

    "My birthday." I said.

    "How do you know this?"

    "When I came here after I died, I had a red ribbon in my hair. Every year on my birthday I put a red ribbon in my hair."

    "Okay, do you remember anything from that day," asked Savannah.

    "I'm sorry, but no. I don't remember," I felt terrible.

    "Okay, that's all the time we have for today. So, I will see you the day after tomorrow."

    "Bye," I said to Savannah.

    "Good bye, Leah."

    Savannah seemed really nice. I waved to her as I walked out of the door. Now, off to the "Movies." I climbed the stairs to level twenty four. Aly still has not told me who we're going to watch. As I was walking up the stairs I couldn’t stop thinking about who we were going to watch. Watching my dad last week didn’t turn out well. Hopefully, today I’ll do better.

            As I got to the “movies,” I saw Aly outside, waiting for me. “Hey,” I said.”

            “Hey, Leah. How was therapy,” Aly asked.

            “Good, do I get to know who we’re going to watch?”

            “Yes, you do. However, we must go inside first. I need to tell you some things about the person, okay?”

            “Okay,” I said confused.

            “I know you think that she hates you, doesn’t love you, and totally regrets having you. However, last week I saw something that I think you should see,” said Aly.

            “So we’re here to watch my mother. That is just great,” I said.

            “You’re going to be happy when you see this. Are you ready to go in?”

            I nodded. As we walked in Aly already had the “movie” starting for us. We sat down, and watched the people on the screen. There were two people on the screen. One of then I did not recognize, the other one was my mother. She was sitting in a chair, crying. I think she was in therapy. “I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about, Leah, yet,” said my mother.

            “Okay, well then tell me about your son. You do have a son, right,” The therapist asked.

            “Yes, I do. I haven’t heard from Blake since he moved out. I had him by rape. I don’t know who his father is, and neither does he.”

            “How old were you when you had, Blake?”

            “I was thirteen,” said my mother.

            “Why haven’t you heard from him?”

            “He didn’t tell me where he was going.”

            “Why not?”

            “He hated me…”

            My mother was right. Blake did hate her. Only because of the way she treated him. The day he moved out he told me that he would come back for me when I was eighteen, so I would not have to live with her, and whatever boyfriend she will have at the time.

            “Why did he hate you?”

            “He hated me, because of the way I treated him. I treated him as if I absolutely despised him. I did the same to Leah. However, I actually told her that I hated her.”

            “Well,” said the therapist. “Do you hate her?”

            “Absolutely not. She is, was my one and only daughter.”

            “Then why did you tell her that you hated her?”

            “The boyfriend I had at the time was quite abusive, but nobody knew. I told him that I would do anything he wanted me to, if he would stop hurting me. To get him to stop I had to tell Leah that I hated her,” said mom.

            My mother never told me that. However, I don’t think that her boyfriend told her what he took from me. My mother’s ex-boyfriend took my virginity when I was only fourteen years old. I’ve never told anybody, and I never will. Especially my mother, she would have just called me a slut.

            “Why didn’t you just go tell the police?”

            “I thought that if he did, he would hurt Leah.”

            “So, you really did care about, Leah?”

            My mom had a look of shock on her face. “Of course I did.”

            “What about Tyler? Did he care about, Leah?”

            “He supported Leah and I after I left my ex-boyfriend.”

            “That wasn’t my question,” said the therapist. “Did Tyler care about Leah?”

            “No, he did not care about, Leah.”

            “Why did you stay with this man for so long, if you he did not care about your daughter?”

            “Because I love him,” said mom.

            “How long has it been since Leah passed?”

            “It’s been about a month.” said mom.

            “Okay, do you still love her?”

            “Yes, of course I do. She was my one and only daughter. I love her very much. I love her more than anything in the world, and if I could, I would go back to the night she was murdered and tell her this.”

            “I am sorry, Isabella, but that is all of the time we have for today,” said the therapist.

            “Okay. Good bye. Thank you for your time,” mom said through her tears.

            After the film ended, Aly turned to me, “So?”

            “Holy hell,” I said.

            That was all I could muster up to say. “How do you feel about this,” asked Aly.

            “I feel surprised. I feel happy. I feel relieved. However, I just wish that she would have told me before I died.”

            Okay. Seeing that film of my mother at therapy has changed my thoughts. I am relieved to know that she actually does love me. I am surprised to hear what she said. Lastly, I am happy to finally know that my mother really does love me.

            After about two minutes of sitting in silence with Aly, a man walked in. He was wearing a suit with a tie, and was holding two envelopes. “Aly Brown? Leah Night,” asked the man.

            “Yes,” said Aly.

            “Here you go,” said the man as he handed us envelops, and quickly walked away.

            ‘Dear Ms. Leah Night,

                   Would you please come down to the information desk? You are advised to  move down two levels. We will give you your room number, and the name of your roommate.

                                                                                      Sincerely,

                                                                                      The Elders’

            “I’m moving to level thirteen. What’s your letter say,” I asked.

            “I’m moving to level twelve,” answered Aly.

            “Do you think I’ll be fine without you?”

            Aly looked at me, and smiled. “You will do perfectly fine without me. Come on, let’s go.”

            Aly and I walked down to the information desk together. I was kind of scared to go down thirteen. I hoped my new roommate was a nice as Aly.

            “Okay, Aly. You’re all set,” said Olivia.

            “So where are you going,” I asked.

            “Level twelve, and my roommate’s name is Fantasia,” said Aly.

            “Hi, Olivia,” I said.

            “Hi, sweetie.”

            I handed her the slip of paper, the one the man had given me. “Okay. Here you go, Leah. I’m sure you’ll be fine,” said Olivia.

            “Thank you,” I said.

            “Where are you going,” asked Aly.

            “Level thirteen, room 120, and my roommate’s name is Molly May.”

            When I saw that name, I was shocked. I had not seen that name in a long time. “Olivia, was Molly May from Oregon?”

            “Sorry Leah. I am not allowed to tell you that.”

            “Okay. Well, Aly do you want to walk with me till we get to your level?”

            “Sure, let’s go.”

            As Aly and I were walking, I kept thinking if my roommate is the person I think she is. The Molly May I’m thinking about was my best friend back in Oregon. Before I knew it, Aly and I were already at level twelve.

            “Bye, Leah. Good luck with everything,” said Aly.

            “Bye. Thank you, very much. Good luck to you as well.”

            After I said good bye to Aly, I walked fast up to my new room. I was really hoping that the she was the Molly May from back home. If it is, then I actually know someone besides Aly. That also means she died. Oh my… What happened to Molly?

            I finally reached level thirteen. The long hallway was a shiny purple. I looked at the room numbers, and ran all the way down to room 120. I found the room! On the door it said, ‘May and Night.’ I knocked on the door three times. Then, I heard a voice say, “Enter at your own risk.” Then, I knew it was her

            I walked into my new room to find a girl on her bed, witting. This girl was my best friend when I lived in Oregon. She looked the exact same as she did when left. She was about 5’4, medium length blonde hair, and green eyes that reminded me of cats. She didn’t look up when I came in, so I decided to say, “Hey, Arizona sister,” Molly always loved Arizona.

            After I spoke she looked right up to me, and said, “California sister,” and ran right into my arms, and gave me a huge hug.

            “Leah, what are you doing here,” Molly asked.

            “I was murdered,” and there I went explaining everything again. I was glad that Molly was my new roommate. Let’s hope the time with her will be great.