Margaret - Chapter 12

“Am I dead…like, really dead?”

“Not yet, but you’re closer than you’d think.”

Motion was felt in the water, before noticing the small light had sat on my shoulder, while the voice continued to speak as if it were still far from where I sat. The warm feeling continued to move with small motions. Before the light beneath my feet began to glow a bright white light before revealing a fish. The fish's size was comparable to a larger horse, with its scales shimmering beautifully with different colors of the night sky like before. Its golden eyes fixated on me from below.

“I am the Keeper of the Pond,” it said. “I’ve called you here because your soul cried the loudest tonight. More so than ever before.”. Its words continued to weigh down on my body. It was as if each one reverberated within the water. I swallowed hard before returning another question.

“Why? Why me…why now?”

“Well it’s simple really. You stood at the edge of despair, yet you still wished to be acknowledged throughout the feeling.”

“Acknowledged…?”

“Why of course my dear. You wanted to be acknowledged after everything you’ve done. I saw this feeling in your memories, but felt this feeling in your cries.”

Feeling the anger come about once more as memories of the incident flashed in my mind again, my fists clenched before suddenly dropping to my sides. “I gave everything…all that I have to that company. I just wanted to be appreciated…to be noticed…to feel like I did something worthy of praise.” The giant fish swam about before suddenly shifting its scales, appearing in front of me in an instant. It’s golden eyes staring into what felt like my soul.

“Would you fight for that chance again?” it said, blinking slowly and watching over my reaction carefully. I hesitated, finding the lump in my throat again before answering. “What do you mean?” The fish slowly turned, swimming and shimmering its scales once more to me, taking a slow pace to its every move. “What if I told you that you could begin anew? A life, far from this place you call home. A place where your talents could not only shape your legacy…but the world around you? Where you could not only be remembered as someone amazing, but someone who’d be worth remembering?” its voice was heavy, yet calm within the room. The sways of its tail pushed the water continuously, as the questions sank into my mind more and more. Begin anew? Be remembered? What was this fish talking about? I couldn’t wrap my mind around it, until the idea pressed in my mind. I’d heard of things like this from old newspaper ads and novels I used to read when I was a kid.

“You mean…like a redo? A reincarnation rather…?”

The fish nodded in approval of my question, seemingly happy with the result I’d come to. “Yes,” the Keeper said. “But this is no gift without weight, you can’t give without something being taken I suppose.” The voice said, showing the same lenience as it did before. Frustratingly so. “What do you mean by that? What will be taken?” I said, trying to pry more information from the creature.

“Well, to put it in lighter terms.” It began. “You’ll be reincarnated into a more fantastical world than one such as this. Yet you will be born again as a child. To a family with lesser power and small amounts of comfort…You will know of things such as hunger, struggle, and potentially failure. Fighting for your dreams will be an understatement; fighting to survive is the true statement. If you want to be recognized truly, and fight for whatever goal you hold close…will you take this chance and forge yourself a new path?”

I felt my heart begin to pound heavily, “I don’t want to just forget everything that happened…I want to prove—not only to myself, but to everyone else…that I can still matter. My work won’t be replaceable…it can’t be stolen…because everyone knows that it was me who created it! I’ll see through the lies of others and protect myself from their petty schemes. I will never be deceived or lied to again…!” I felt the rush of emotion burst out of me with my proclamation, seeing below me that the pond grew brighter than before. The small light on my shoulder had grown into a more physical shape than before.

“Then I will grant you this, my dear.”

A warm pulse rippled throughout my body in an instant. The warmth felt familiar, yet so peculiar.

“When you are reborn, you will possess the ability to see not only the truth of things, but the ability to discern the value of what others may overlook with blind eyes. Use it wisely, and it will guide you to the goals you seek to conquer.” In the swirl of events, the water slowly began to spin as if a whirlpool had begun to take place, and the rush of water began to pick up as it continued.

“You are to be born anew! As you’ve steeled your will and chosen this path to be long forgotten! Your journey ahead is long and treacherous, but with the right mindset and action, all of your goals can be completed! Think deeply on your wishes, keep them close to your heart in this new world!” the voice yelled out, causing the waves to grow stronger. I could do nothing but hold myself as I closed my eyes, allowing myself to be swept away with the waves. This is what I’d been looking for, a second chance not only to prove myself. But a second chance to truly feel that my parents didn’t waste their ambition on me…I’ll miss Mrs. Pettigrew's nags, and my grandparents' worries…but this is a chance to start anew. I won’t let this chance go to waste, not for anything or anyone!

Tears filled my eyes once more, feeling as if my prayers for a new chance had finally been answered. This was the first time all day that something like hope filled my spirit. My breathing slowed as my consciousness began to fade again.

“Yes…” I whispered softly to myself, “This is what I wanted…”.

“Then sleep, my dear,” the Keeper whispered back. “It’s time for you to awaken as Chloe Mallory.” As the voice said its final words, the void of the typhoon I’d been whisked away in swallowed me and the light completely, and the world finally went dark.

“This feels more like death.”