11th November 2019

RENEE

Spirituality was never really my thing.

I know that I've ascended through the various dimensions, reached the White Realm and even won the approval of the Enlightened, but when it came to birth charts, planets and crystals, I was still as clueless as ever.

And this evening, sitting in Clover's cosy living room, while hearing Clover and her Grandma Phyllis's conversation, it couldn't have been more cryptic to someone like me.

"It's exactly like she'd predicted, her Mars is terrible," Phyllis told Clover, as she peered into my birth chart she'd constructed a while ago.

Phyllis had met her friend Highest Spirit Dorothea Green over the weekend. Apart from other things, Mrs Green had told Phyllis why I couldn't reach the Before Realm.

"But Grandma Phyllis, what about her Venus?" Cloves questioned worriedly. "That doesn't match, does it?"

I sipped the tea they'd brewed for me, wondering why in the world could planets affect your life. Weren't they just balls of rocks and gas?

I pulled out a little notepad, jotting down the question so that I could ask Noah once I met him. It made me feel like Noah was closeby, and not some ethereal Pit of Darkness where he was tortured daily.

It gave me the hope that I would see him again.

"Venus doesn't play a role here. Besides, every other aspect seems to match," Phyllis pointed to the chart. Clover's eyes widened before she threw a concerned look in my way.

"What is it?" I asked quickly.

"Renee dear, have you been experiencing any blockages recently? A reduction in your energy?" Phyllis looked up, her gaze thoughtful as she watched me.

"Are you sleeping a lot these days? Do you feel more tired than usual?" Clover translated, sensing my confusion.

"No, I still feel the same," I shrugged.

Clover opened her mouth, but Phyllis shook her head, her pearly white gaze filled with sadness. An instant fear rose in the pit of my stomach, and I looked away, dreading whatever she wanted to say.

"It seems, the reason you haven't been able to reach the Realms is that you are..." Phyllis took a deep breath, "Severed."

Her words rang through the silence, Clover's mouth hung open, while I could only stare at Phyllis in shock, my mind unable to process what she'd just said.

"Grandma Phyllis, Renee can't be severed," Clover reminded immediately. "She's reached the White Realm."

"Renee isn't a member of the Enlightened," Phyllis replied, her voice wrinkly with worry. "And hence, my friend Dorothea Green thinks that Renee can be severed."

I don't normally cry.

But something about Phyllis's words sent the tears gushing down my cheeks, throwing the cosy room into a blur of brown and yellow. Suddenly the calming aroma of the incense sticks only suffocated me, and hope sank through me like an orange sunset at sea.

I was severed.

Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

"There has to be a way around this, right?" Cloves seemed to be asking. "Like, we just need to find a way to unsever her and..."

"Clover dear, I don't think there's a solution. Besides, Renee should refrain from using her device... It's simply useless at this point." Phyllis frowned as if she didn't really agree with what she'd just said.

"But, Renee's device is amazing-" Clover began angrily before I motioned her to stop.

I didn't want Clover and Phyllis to fight, especially over me.

"Cloves, don't," I shook my head, trying to pretend as if Phyllis's words didn't hurt me. "Thank you so much for the information, Phyllis."

"Renee dear," Phyllis began awkwardly, looking apologetic.

At this point, I didn't know if anything she said would make me feel better.

"I get it, Phyllis," My voice sounded broken. "It makes sense."

Clover shook her head silently, her face glazed with tears. I blinked at her, gave her a reassuring smile, before muttering something about wanting to be alone.

And before either of them could respond, I bolted out of the door, running straight into the arms of solitude that I craved so much.

I was severed.

I wasn't going to see Noah again.

*****

11th November 2019

Forty-five minutes later, I found myself sitting in the workroom of Gadgets Galore, the tiny store where Sam worked part-time and often stole spare parts from. While he was busy soldering something, I gave him a watered-down version of what had happened with Phyllis, since he didn't know the complete details about my eccentric world.

"Useless?" Sam gaped at me, as he withdrew his soldering gun. "How can your device be useless, it's one of the best things I've ever seen!"

"Thanks, Sam," I gave him a small smile. "But, she's right. My device hasn't worked properly in the past few months. It is useless."

"Look, no offence, but Phyllis is an old lady who knows nothing about technology. I don't think you should be taking her words seriously," Sam sounded furious.

"It's not just her. Even her 'all-knowing' friend said that I'm hopeless at this point," I explained, thinking about Dorothea Green.

"Ren, don't say that. For what it's worth, you could still display it at the science fair this year," He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe you'll even win a free subscription to a science journal!"

I smiled. Despite having no clue about how devastated I was, Sam did his best to cheer me up.

"Hey Sam," It was Toby, Sam's co-worker who was standing at the doorway, carrying a package in his hand. "I gotta go deliver this, so you're in charge of the counter."

"Not again," Sam muttered. Being an introvert like me, he preferred to stay in the workroom than talk to the customers.

However, Toby's stern glare made Sam walk out, grumbling as he grabbed his employee's cap and pulled it over his head. I followed him, gazing at the latest mobiles on the display, decorated with little golden lights that looked like Phyllis's candles.

That's when I felt Sam's fingers on my forehead, placing another employee cap on my head, and admiring the look.

"There. You're my helper now," He beamed, splotches of pink glistening upon his cheeks.

"Aww thanks," I grinned, before facing the counter, and pretending to be an enthusiastic salesperson. "Welcome to Gadgets Galore, how may I help you?"

"Good job, Ren. You're hired," He laughed, before adjusting the cap again.

It was a simple action, but I noticed that he was standing closer than before, his hazel eyes scrunched in concentration as he tucked away my slight fringes. I didn't know why, but it felt slightly strange, especially since his proximity wasn't something I was used to.

Sam withdrew his fingers, and yet he continued to stare at me as if he couldn't look away. His mouth was slightly parted, his breath hitched, and he ran his thumb over my cheek, a bit too tenderly for someone he saw as a friend.

I swallowed. It was getting really awkward at this point, and thankfully his phone buzzed at that exact moment, causing him to look away.

"Oh, my boss is coming over now," He said, sounding dazed.

I remembered his mean old boss, who had yelled at me the last time I was here, saying something about how I always distracted Sam from his work. I nodded to Sam, before heading back into the workroom, and peering through the one-way glass window. People on the outside couldn't see me, but I could see them, making it a perfect place for spying.

Sam sat at the counter, chewing nervously on the inside of his cheek, his face still bright red from what had happened a few moments ago. His behaviour made me wonder if Cloves had been seeing the signs way before I did.

What if Sam had a crush on me?

So, did that mean... Was I leading him on? Should I tell him that I already had a boyfriend?

But I was severed now. Would I even see my boyfriend again?

I frowned. This day was getting worse with every hour.

As if the Universe had finally realised that I'd suffered too much, came in my silver lining as two customers looking for a smartphone.

A father-son duo to be more specific.

I watched them curiously. The father wore a leaf green coat and brown pants, looking very much like a walking-talking Christmas tree. His goatee was streaked with grey, and he eyed the shop suspiciously with his dark little eyes as if he expected to be ambushed any second.

The teenage son, on the other hand, was quite tall and lean, wearing a grey hoodie and dark blue jeans. His hood was up, but I could see his messy black hair peeking through, which he brushed away carelessly with his long fingers.

"We would like to purchase two mobile phones," The father barked at Sam, who remained unaffected.

"Do you have a specific model in mind?" He questioned.

"Yes, it should have the internet!" The father exclaimed, moving his hands unnecessarily. "Where one tap gives you access to the whole world!"

"Dad," The son cut him off, sounding tired, "All phones have the internet these days."

His hood fell off at the moment, giving me a glimpse of his chiselled face. His cheekbones were perfection, just like his jaw, his nose long and thin, and his lips slightly pink from the cold, adding to his good looks.

I found myself staring at the guy, glad that he couldn't see me through the glass window. Feeling like a creepy stalker, I tried to avert my gaze, but I found my eyes flitting back to him, trying to memorise the slight details about his appearance.

Sam proceeded to show them a few models, trying to explain the features. While the son listened patiently, the father kept cutting him off, asking unnecessary questions.

"But, can I call my friend with this?" He asked, turning the phone between his hands.

"Sir, a phone is meant for calling," Sam told him in a deadpan voice, but I could see that he was struggling to hold back his laughter.

"Who do you want to call so desperately?" The son raised an eyebrow.

"That's none of your business," The father snapped.

"It is if you're an evil bat," He argued back. "Don't you dare do anything terrible -"

"My son Oliver is still traumatised over his mother's death. No wonder he says rubbish about me," The father spoke loudly, giving Sam a sickly sweet smile, and sending Oliver a glare.

So that's what his name was.

Oliver.

Not Noah.

I didn't know why, but something about Oliver reminded me of the Noah Stark I'd repeatedly described in my PDF. Maybe it was the dark hair, or the height, or the way he spoke, his smile unwavering no matter what.

I shook my head, laughing at myself. My Noah was probably writhing in pain in the Pit of Darkness while listening to Johannes's evil taunts.

He wasn't here, shopping for a mobile phone with his weird father.

"That's too expensive!" The father exclaimed, scowling at Sam once he'd announced the price. "What, salesboy, do you really think you can trick me into buying a slab of metal such as this?"

"Please don't take him seriously," Oliver apologised, sounding embarrassed. "He's just a raving lunatic-"

"I heard that boy!" The father turned sharply. "How dare you insult me like that!"

"If my father is a heartless jerk who doesn't let his son see his girlfriend, then, of course, I don't mind insulting him-"

I gasped. I'd never seen anyone speaking back to their parents like that. Probably because their family was much more messed up than I'd assumed.

"You will pay!" The father shouted dramatically.

In response, Oliver smirked at his dad, before handing the exact amount of money to Sam for the phones.

"That's not what I meant!" The dad yelled, looking confused, and even more annoyed.

"You should've been more clear, dad," Oliver replied cockily, looking slightly proud of himself, as he took the phones from Sam and thanked him.

They left the shop soon after that, still fighting non-stop and insulting each other like they were sworn enemies rather than family.

"Please tell me you saw that Ren," Sam stood at the doorway to the workroom, looking like he was dying with laughter. "That was the funniest shit I've ever seen."

I laughed along, glad that we had something else to distract us from the awkward moment a while ago.

I don't think I was ready to confront Sam about his feelings just yet.

*****

(A/N: That's Renee's POV for you! Hope you guys liked it!)