Shadow kissed

Chapter 12

A/N: As I mentioned in the last chapter/part, I'm going to do a time jump. I feel like It'll be too depressing and that it won't necessarily help towards the climax. So without further ado

1919 November 11th, It's been exactly one year since the war has ended. About nine months after Charles left I received a telegram stating that Charles was KIA on the battlefield. You might be thinking why would I be to receive the news and not anyone in his family. Well Charles was an only child and both of his parents had already passed away. What I didn't know was that days after meeting me Charles had put me down as an emergency contact, his next of kin. 

When a letter carrier from Zimmerman told me that I was his emergency contact I was shocked but still happy. But still nevertheless shocked, I mean wouldn't Thierry be his emergency contact instead of me. But when I realized that this was the first letter I've gotten from Charles even though I had been sending a letter everyday... I knew that it was bad news because the gentleman handing me the letter looked distraught and I just knew that my whole world would come crumbling down.

When I got the news I fell down onto my knees and I cried. My heart had broken and I felt nothing but angst in the pit of my stomach. I cried for days, weeks on end. I didn't eat, I didn't sleep, I just stayed in my room and I played every memory in my head. Every memory I had with him over and over again. Even the bad ones. I think I kept telling myself that it was all a big dream, that he would walk in any minute and we would be reunited. Then we would get married. Live happily ever after. But that would be far from the case. 

2 years later.....

1921 September 3rd. I've finally decided that I'm going to meet up with someone who can help me with my life. To help me with my grief, my pain, the anguish of all my loss. I met this woman in the cemetery when I was laying down flowers at my parents' grave. Both my parents died within days from each other. I had just gotten back into my groove from grieving the loss of my beloved Charles. But of course life likes to be cruel towards me.

Both mother and father had contracted influenza. They were both being taken care of in the west wing of the hospital. I wasn't allowed to go see them. Even when I was working, the security guards wouldn't let me see either one of them. I was told that I could carry it to others if I was exposed. I hated the fact that I wasn't allowed to see them before they died. I made personal tombstones for them both in the cemetery. I placed them in the designated graves. 

The woman that I met in the cemetery was very beautiful. She was around five feet nine inches tall, with short black hair. Green almond shaped eyes and had a blue kind of tint with gray around the iris. Her face shape was an oblong type with strong cheekbones, and a semi prominent jaw line. She was very nice and even offered condolences. She introduced herself to me with a smile.

" Hello, my name is Colette, Colette Tremé. And you are?" 

She seemed so nice and sweet, it was definitely refreshing seeing someone other than Dela and her parents trying to cheer me up. Or more like check up on me to make sure I don't go off myself or something. 

" Oh.. Um, Jane-anne. My name is Jane-anne." Colette smiled and gave me a funny grin. Then she said,

" Just Jane-anne? No last name?"

I let out a nervous laugh and then told her my last name too.

" Romero , Jane-anne Romero." Colette then replied with, " wow, what a beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

I smiled; blushed. We ended up talking while walking around the cemetery. She gave me some advice about what I was going through. The different ways that I could cope with it all. We both decided to go get a drink and just hang out. During our conversation I learned a few things about Colette. I learned that not only was she a witch but that she was a New Orleans born witch. 

That her family has been around for centuries. Once I learned that little fact about her I made a decision to ask her about possibly being able to talk to my loved ones. Maybe talk to Charles or my parents. I invited Dela over to tell her all about it. But... of course she hated the idea. She was completely against it.

" Dela it's a good idea! She can help me see Charles' again!" " I can talk to him again and tell him everything that I wish I could have told him before he left. Before he died." "I can be with him again!" 

Dela sent me a glare and didn't say a word. Just this face of disappointment. I sat down and let out a sigh. I didn't want to give up, I didn't want to accept the fact that I'll never be able to hear his voice again. Dela sat next to me and put her arm around me and said,

" Look I know that you're grieving babe, and that you miss him. That you miss your parents but this isn't healthy Jane-anne." "You're not living, you're just.. You're stuck in this world where you think you can see him again but you can't. He's dead, okay you're born you grow up then you die there is no door number three. You need to grieve him and move on, You need to get over it."

Get over it. Get over it! How could she say that to me? How dare she! She's being fucking infuriating! I got up and said, 

" Grieve him? Move on? Is.. Is that what you all want me to do with my life just move on?" 

Dela got up and tried to say, " Alright that's not exactly what I meant you know what I-"

I interrupted her and yelled back at her,

" NO ! That's exactly what you mean, you want me to stop moping around like what? Like I have a choice! He's dead Dela! We didn't break up okay.. He didn't leave me okay! He went to fight for his country! And then he died! " 

Dela just looked at me and then said, 

" Jane-anne you know what I meant okay but can't you see?! You're just letting everything pass you by! I care about you! Okay you're like a sister to me! Family! I don't like seeing my family hurt!"

Tears were dripping down my face, and I just blurted out...

" THEN HELP ME! Okay help me Dela! Just ... Just listen to what Colette has to say. " Dela then shouts back at me,

" DON'T YOU SEE THIS WOMAN IS A FRAUD, A FAKE A PHONY. SHE'S A DAMN CHARLATAN THAT JUST WANTS YOUR MONEY JANE-ANNE!" 

I yell back, " I DON'T CARE WHAT SHE WANTS, ALL I CARE ABOUT IS WHAT I WANT!"

Dela runs her hands through her hair and lets out a big sigh,

" okay let's just- let's just find a different way for you to heal okay.. not like this, not when you could get hurt. "

I rub my face and give her a stern look letting her know that I'm not going to budge about this. Letting her know that I was dead serious about this. That nothing was going to change my mind.

" Look dela it's like you said we're family and I would never want you to get hurt either but I'm not dropping this. Okay. If you just listen to what Colette has to say.." " I'm sure that if you actually hear what she has to say you'll see that it's going to be okay."

Dela just lets out another frustrated sigh and gets up and walks over to the front door. She turns to look at me one last time. She says one last thing before she walks out.

" If you want to pursue this ridiculous fantasy of yours then go right ahead. Go ahead Jane-anne, just don't expect me to sit around and watch. Call me when the old Jane-anne comes back." 

A/N: For any of those that don't know or understand what "KIA" means. It's an acronym for "Killed In Action" while on the battlefield.