The thought of him alone made her hands tremble; she'd been weak with him but weaker without him.
A mistake was made- one that threatened to last a lifetime. For months she struggled to rise with the mornings like she knew she should; most days she stayed stuck in a dreamworld where he was still there holding her at night and playfully nibbling her awake. There were no cute little tooth impressions on her arms and earlobes anymore, just the fresh scars from her attempts of ending it all. The bloodstained lines ran down the lengths of her arms like puppet strings that snapped trying to hold up her up to the light of the stage.
It was actually one of those times where she lie in bed examining the ruins she'd done to herself when she noticed it. A small round indent at the backside of her pointer-finger. She knew it was from wearing the ring he'd found in his old childhood bedroom. He said he didn't even remember where he'd gotten it from, nor did he recall ever actually wearing it. But it was his. He'd given it to her. So, it was special. So special she locked it away in her jewelry box after he died- promising to keep it out of the sun and away from the cancerous rays that eventually took him away from her. She wouldn't let that evil fireball of burning gasses take anything more from her... another reason she tried her darndest to stay indoors whenever she could.
Not another breath escaped her before she jumped up from her sagging and stained mattress to find the culprit that so lovingly left that minute divot. She rummaged silently, holding her breath until she found it. A back, coiled, spring-looking thing of a ring. She slid it on instantaneously. She'd forgotten how cool the cheap metal was and how sharp the unsoldered ends were as they dug their way back underneath her layers like they had been lonely and waiting to get back inside her. Near the surface, they promised to stay. There wasn't any other option than to believe them, since she knew she'd never take it off again.
Closing her jewelry box door, she turned to bellyflop back onto the cooling bed springs but a thought interrupted her path, sending her crashing to the floor. She'd clearly missed any part of the landing. The thought had been a voice- she was sure of it. And she was sure it belonged to him.
Was it coming from inside her brain or was it outside- audible to anyone?
Sometimes she despised her lack of attention to detail; after all, it was always the details that really counted for something. Most things, Ok, everything.
There it was again. This time she froze in place, focusing on direction and clarity. It seemed to grow in volume and mood as she continued to bend her ears to listen. It was definitely audible. That didn't mean she wasn't going crazy, but she accepted the fact that the voice was coming from outside her head. Making out the words was getting closer. Squinting her eyes, she strived to understand the mumbled message. It was clearly repetitive leading her to believe that whatever was being said must be very important if worthy of putting it on replay over and over and over again.
"I'm here. I have been and I will be."
Holy shit: he was speaking directly to her, and she could understand what he was saying.
Daniel, is that you?
"Yes lover, it's me. It's always been me. And it always will be me."
Seemingly speaking in riddles and rhymes, her head and heart danced to the rhythm of joy her soul felt for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. To be honest, she'd been foolish like so many of us here and had taken her sweet love, Daniel, for granted when he stood upright. It wasn't until they buried him six feet under that her appreciation for him planted itself inside. How had she missed so much? Why was she so vapid about life's most elegant factors?
"Open your eyes and walk to the mirror so I can see you."
Though confused, she did what she was told. It was the least she could do for him, regardless of her angst against the fact that she couldn't see him and probably would never again.
Standing in front of the antiqued gold oval mirror her grandmother used to have, she raised her arm to move the pieces of hair that had fallen in front of her face and almost swallowed wholly by her lips. They were still wet. They hadn't glued themselves to the tips of her wrinkled, dry mouth yet.
"Ah, yes, there you are, my angel. I've missed you so much- words could never express." Her eyes watched in horror as those dry, cracking lips moved and his deep voice left her own airways. He was speaking through her- physically through her.
Daniel, how is this happening?
She was asking him, but her mouth was no longer moving. She heard herself in her mind, but there was nothing exiting out into the airwaves. Her mouth curved into a devious smile.
"Thanks for the second chance- you truly are a dear. I will be in charge now, but I can promise you we'll be together forever. Soulmates sharing a body. Well, I really have most of your body now and you get the little mind you have left. Two became one when you put that ring back on your finger. Eternally wed."
He couldn't have been happier. She couldn't have been more horrified…