I didn't realize how long I sat there staring at him until a large raindrop landed on top of my head.

Owen. I don't know where to begin. Seeing him after missing him for so long was shocking. Exciting, even. I was afraid to look away; I didn't want to blink and have him disappear.

He didn't tear his eyes away from my mystified gaze. His own deep, brown irises searched my expression while his mouth turned up into a smile once again.

Subconsciously, I was asking all the questions, like usual. I wanted to know how and why and what he was doing here, but I couldn't find the words to voice my concern. All I could do was stare at him, as cheesy and creepy as it sounds.

The only thing that bothered me was this: his eyes were so... concerned. Beyond concerned, I'd even go far enough to say they were troubled. Worried. Preoccupied. Of course, this could have to do with the fact that I wasn't focusing on anything he had just said. It was probably important, but I didn't know how to process "mortality" and "immortality".

I convinced myself that I was all he was worried about. That logic seemed reasonable enough.

When it did start to rain, I snapped out of my stupor. I glanced up into the trees, breaking our trance and frowning at the gray clouds peering through the leaves. Thunder cracked across the sky, causing me to jump. My mind did a double take, sending me back to when the rain slammed against the windows as the bus hit the breaks. For a brief moment, I was in the bus again, being thrown against the pavement, into darkness.

"Adaliah."

Owen's hand gripped my shoulder. He held the shoebox with the other hand while towering over me, even if he was just on his knees next to me.

"Let's get out of the rain," he said as another large drop smacked me in the forehead.

I nodded numbly, slightly taken aback by how real the accident felt within those short moments and the fact that he was moving.

That's when I realized that since he was actually alive; he wasn't obligated to be trapped in the places where my mind remembered him best. He was free from this life now. I think.

Finally, as we were dodging raindrops and running for shelter, I understood what was happening in full. Yes, Owen was alive. Yes, he was talking to me. Yes, his parents existed and the letters were proof of another lifetime. Did that mean I believed all of that? I wasn't sure.

They could be just as crazy as me.

As we approached the sidewalk, I started to see that Owen may be crazy, too.

"Owen, what are you doing?" I said suddenly, bringing our jog to a halt.

My hair was soaked and sticking to my neck and face. He spun around, his curls weighed down by the water.

"We're going to my house," he stated simply.

"But you... You're supposed to be dead!" I exclaimed, my heart nearly stopping with the words.

There was something seriously wrong. He was supposed to be dead.

Why wasn't he? What was going on? He wasn't my imagination... What was he? A ghost? A doppelgänger?

A shiver fled down my spine from the cold as my thoughts drifted away from him in front of the pond. The interaction was too reasonable to be a hoax, but too absurd to be real. Once again, I stared at him for a long moment before either of us said anything.

"People won't notice if I'm just walking to my house. Plus, it's a little dark out because of the clouds." He shrugged, not seeming concerned.

"Owen, they will think they're going insane if they see you. Most people here know you, or know of you-- especially after your funeral," I protested. Following that explanation was the thought, What a strange thing to say.

The interesting fact about our town was that it was small-- not so small we only had one of everything, but small enough to only have a one-story mall. There wasn't a whole lot to do besides go to the beach when it was nice, or go to the movies. It wasn't so small that everyone knew each other, but small enough that if I happened to run into someone I didn't know, they would be friends with someone I knew.

It wasn't exactly cute and homey, either. Not in the age of paranoia we lived in-- everyone shut their doors and never made a lot of eye contact. In fact, most of our neighbors were pretty rude. Attending the public school automatically put one in the know.

If someone saw Owen with me, they would probably talk about us. Then word would get out, and eventually his identity would be revealed. I could already hear the rumors and questions.

Of course, Owen then knew unease as I voiced a small part of my train of thought.

He sighed and we began trekking through backyards and bushes. We didn't say anything until we reached the steps leading up to his backdoor. I tried to hide my surprise that it was unlocked, just like the front door. I guess I hadn't expected Grant to be so forgetful about keeping his house safe.

We stood in the kitchen, dripping wet. Thunder rolled across the sky, seeming to shake the foundations of the house. The house felt darker and more silent compared to my previous visits, even if there were two of us.

There were two of us.

Shock then took over.

My hand flew to my mouth and I spun to him. He was here.

I backed up until my back touched the counter. He was here.

Air caught in my throat as I processed the whole situation.

He was here.

Owen's eyes went wide with anticipation to my sudden change in mood.

"Adaliah, it's okay," he said, sounding as if he was pleading with me. He took a step toward me, and I shook my head.

"This doesn't make sense," I whispered. "Why are you here? H-how?" My voice shook as my doubts came to the surface.

He took another tentative step to me and reached for my arm. His touch was gentle, assuring. I felt myself relax, then brought my guard up again.

"I'll explain everything," he promised, guiding me to the living room.

"This shouldn't be possible. And all this stuff about mortality and immortality and your parents-- what does it mean?" I blurted.

We sat on the couch, facing each other. Our knees were only a few inches apart as we gave our full attention to the other person. The questions kept coming.

"Why would you save me that night? Why haven't you seen me since then? Where is Grant, what about him?" Owen had began to smile at all my curiosities until I proclaimed the question, "How could you let me believe you were dead and watch me nearly drown in grief?"

He froze. I thought he stopped breathing, since he was holding so still. I witnessed tears begin to gather in the corner of his eyes. They quickly dissipated, leading me to the conclusion they were never there at all. My heart pounded fast and loud in my chest. That was the question I had been so desperate to release, but too afraid to say. When I thought I saw Owen, that was the one question I mulled over in my mind.

How could he abandon me? Did he not trust me to keep his little secret about immortality?

"Adaliah I... Let me explain," he whispered, voice tight.

I nodded and clasped my hands in my lap.

"I was born in another world, immortality. The people there are considered "The Elect", otherwise known as people hand-picked to start this community. Since my parents are both immortal, I am allowed to have a choice between this life and their life. Immortality isn't inheritable, just like thoughts aren't inheritable. You have to decide whether you believe in the immortal society to become one.

"Anyway. My parents were required to give me up. Grant, who's my uncle, came here with me to raise me here, but also to be the mediator between my parents and me--"

"Does this mean Grant's immortal, too?" I interrupted.

"Yeah," Owen replied, grinning.

I raised my eyebrows.

"How could I not know?"

"It's easy. He looks older than me but young enough to not be my father, I guess. It makes sense though. What did I tell you, Grant's only ten years older than me? And I was supposedly abandoned at birth, right? A ten-year-old can't raise a child, especially not Grant as a ten-year-old. Honestly, I'm a little surprised you never caught that," he teased.

I laughed. I never really thought about it that way. The laughter released some of the tension in my chest, making me feel less guilty about accusing Owen earlier.

"So. My parents were allowed to send me letters. When I was ten, Grant began introducing the idea to me. He gradually led me into the full idea of immortality. It was weird knowing I wouldn't be able to see my parents for so long, but now... It's different."

"Why?"

"I'm allowed to make the choice. When I turned seventeen, I had a year to decide whether or not I wanted to be part of the Elects. I chose to be part of that."

"Why are you back here, then? Shouldn't you be enjoying life on a cloud or something?"

"Your imagination," he groaned, laughing. His lightheartedness about the whole situation made me feel better. "No, we don't sit on clouds. And I'm here because I need you."

My smile slowly fell from my face with the weight of his words.

"Why would you need me?" I said, choking out the words as thunder rumbled through the atmosphere.

"In order to get into the Elect, I have to take three tests. They call them Trials, but I think that's rather fancy so I don't call them that."

"You still don't like proper names? Not even with your fancy Elect and stuff?" I joked, trying to push the nervousness and the doubts away.

"It depends on the subject."

"You don't like calling the President "President" because it's a mouth-full to say and it sounds too uptight," I pointed out.

"You get so off topic so fast," he said back.

"Well, I'm friends with you, so..."

My voice trailed off as I began to think of his absence in the past year. I tore my gaze away from him. Rain slapped the roof as I waited for words to come to me or for Owen to say something.

"I need you to take the tests with me, Ad," he said quietly, causing me to turn to him. "I can't do this by myself, and, technically, I'm not supposed to. Everyone is required to bring someone. Everyone I need and love are already part of the Elect. All that's left is you."

"Why didn't you come for me sooner?" I whispered.

"I had to see it and believe it for myself," he replied, setting a hand on my knee.

Another pause.

"I'm allowed to come with you?" I clarified. "To see your parents and live forever... With you?"

"Yeah," he answered.

The simple word held so much emotion, so much hope. I couldn't help but want to go with him. He caught my eye and held my gaze.

"Would you like to see it? Will you come with me?" he asked.

I lost myself in his contagious joy. His eyes were already dancing with my answer. I knew before he even asked what I would say. Before we even had this conversation, before he died. Whatever he asked, I would agree with, as long as it wasn't totally stupid. I longed to be with Owen, and my restless soul was prepared to need his friendship again. It was something I had lived without for such a long time-- it felt like decades since I had seen him, but it was only just over a year.

I didn't want to lose him again. I couldn't disappoint him. He had come back, but not just for fun. For me.

I smiled.

"Yes," I breathed.

<<<<<<<<<<

{August 5, 2017}

(PC: matt.ferr || Instagram)