by Laura Burton
“She did leave you a letter.” He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Amelia who took it with shaking hands. She stared down at her name on the front. The penmanship was weak and wonky. Surprisingly, the ink was still a vibrant blue.
“May I read this now?” she asked. The solicitor nodded and turned back to his computer monitor and started to type on his keyboard. Amelia flipped the envelope over and tore it open. She pulled out a thin lined piece of paper and unfolded it.
My Dearest Amelia,
How do I find the words to convey my love for you? I am not a scholar, nor did I ever have a good way with words, yet somehow, I must note down some sentiments to help you when you’re hurting. Don’t cry any tears for me, humbug. I lived a good life. A long life. Growing old is a privilege, and I was abundantly blessed to enjoy my senior years raising my beautiful granddaughter. I only regret that I will not see you enjoy raising a family of your own. I want you to try and embrace the adventure. You worry so deeply on the judgments of others and doubt your abilities. I am proud of the woman you have become, a writer! For the paper, no less! Your parents would be in such awe of your accomplishments. A university degree, setting up a life in Bristol, then coming back to take care of your dying grandma while working for the newspaper. You have gone above and beyond what I could ever hope to expect. I hope that you will sell the apartment and that ridiculous old peacock painting, and make a wonderful life for yourself. Find someone to have adventures with, make mistakes, enjoy all that this life has to offer. Our time is short. Too short. Do not waste another moment. It is my only wish that you find happiness, the happiness that you gave me.
All my love and till we meet again,
Grandma.
Amelia looked up at the solicitor with tears in her eyes and cleared her throat. He turned to look at her and offered a sympathetic smile.
“When did she write this?” Her voice was hollow as she spoke.
“It was not long before she passed,” he replied simply. Amelia looked down.
“Well, the final thing to be done is to transport the painting to Birmingham and deliver it to the Auctioneer House.”
“I’ll do it,” Amelia said quickly. “I mean, if that’s all right. I would appreciate the opportunity to drive there. I’ve never been to Birmingham before.” The solicitor considered the idea for a moment, then he nodded.
“Are you able to deliver it today?” he asked. Amelia sat up straight and shifted her weight in the hard chair as she nodded.
“Yes, of course. I’ll leave this afternoon,” she said anxiously. The solicitor smiled and held out his hand for her to shake.
“Well, that works out marvellously. Thank you for coming in. Here is your paperwork and once again, I am very sorry for your loss.”
“I had to bring you here, before we go.” Toby’s voice pulled Amelia out of her head and she opened her eyes to look at him standing next to her. He looked out at the sea, watching a group of young teenagers trying to stand up on surfboards and failing as the waves moved in.
“Being out on the water is the best feeling in the world,” he said absent-mindedly.
“Do you surf very often?” Amelia asked as she surreptitiously wiped tears from her eyes, still reeling from her memories. Toby raised his eyebrows at her.
“Do I?” He spread his arms out and bent his legs to imitate being on a board. “Every day. I’ve won championships, you know,” he replied proudly.
“Oh? There are surfing championships?” Amelia asked. Toby laughed.
“Aren’t there surfing championships where you’re from?”
Amelia shrugged. She had not heard of any. But then Weston-Super-Mare was not the type of beach that people tried to surf on.
“Maybe, I don’t know. I’m not really in the surf crowd.” She said.
“Did you hear? They’re having a big meeting in the conference room right now to discuss whether to stop intervention.” A woman’s voice entered Amelia’s mind. She craned her neck to see a young couple setting up beach towels on the sand behind them.
“Which way do you think it will go?” the male asked. The woman pulled her long red hair into a knot on the back of her head and shrugged.
“I don’t know, but the family wants to keep it private. No reporters allowed.”
“Still? But people want to know….”
“I know, it’s crazy.”
“When are they going to reach a decision?”
“Soon, and if they decide to pull the plug, it’ll be fast.”
Amelia turned to Toby who looked back at her like he’d seen a ghost.
“Toby, are they talking about your mum?” Amelia said quietly. Toby blinked furiously and held his stomach and bent over as if he was in pain, or perhaps nauseous; Amelia couldn’t tell.
“Toby? Are you feeling okay?” she asked, worried. Toby straightened his back and stared past her with a look of panic.
“We have to go,” he said urgently, and he ran back to the car. Amelia grabbed her shoes and raced after him, her head spinning with unanswered questions. Once in the car, the engine growled as Toby sped off down the road, which was now busy with traffic and weaved in and out of lanes to make progress.
“Is it them? Are they back?” Amelia said quickly as she tried to look in the mirrors and catch a glimpse of what had Toby so freaked out. Toby’s brow furrowed as he stared intently at the road ahead and made no attempt to respond. Amelia could only see normal cars following behind. No men on dirt bikes, no one standing in the road.
“I think it’s okay. There’s no one following—”
Boom.
There was a violent collision and Toby’s hands left the steering wheel as he flung himself over Amelia protectively. The car crushed inwards from Toby’s side. The passenger door flew open and Amelia and Toby tumbled out of the vehicle and rolled onto the sand. Amelia’s ears were ringing loudly as she squinted in the sunlight to see a plume of sand in the air, obscuring her vision. As the air settled, she looked at the wreck and a hand flew instinctively to her mouth with a gasp. She looked down to see she was laying on top of Toby who had his hands clamped around her wrists and his head was facing the wreck.
“Are you okay?” Amelia asked as she moved off him and sat on the white sand. Toby turned swiftly to face her and in one quick motion, his hands were wrapped around her body as his lips joined hers. She held his back weakly and collapsed into his protective embrace. Her head was dizzy as it worked on overdrive to process the events of the last few minutes. Her senses were overwhelmed with the numbness of shock and the euphoria of being in Toby’s arms.
“I love you, Amelia,” Toby’s eyes were dark, and tears ran down his cheekbones as he stared at her imploringly.
“We don’t have much time. I need you to make a choice,” he said quickly. Amelia glanced at the crushed Audi on the road and the crowd of people gathering around them.
“How are we not dead, right now?” Amelia asked, but Toby took a hand and moved her chin to face him again.
“We don’t have time,” he pressed. A flurry of movement caught Amelia’s eye and she became distinctly aware that the moment of danger had not yet passed. Someone collided with their car on purpose. It was only a matter of time before they would have to run again, but how? They were completely encircled by spectators now. Toby pressed his forehead against Amelia’s, and she closed her eyes and took a breath.
“I can’t live without you,” he whispered. Amelia’s eyes became wet and she swallowed. “But we’re not allowed to be together, not here. There’s so much to explain. I should have told you from the beginning, but I didn’t know how. And now there’s no time.” Toby’s words entered Amelia’s mind, clear as a summer’s day. Amelia nodded.
“You can choose to go home, this will all go away, and you’ll never see me again.” Amelia shook her head furiously against his words.
“No, no I can’t—” She stuttered, tears flowing freely now. Toby cupped her face in his hands.
/> “Look at me.”
Amelia opened her eyes and blinked the tears from her vision. As she looked back at him, it appeared that the world around them faded away and the two lovers were surrounded by purple mist. No sounds reached her ears but for their breaths, which were in sync.
“What do you want to do?”
“Is there any way we can make this work? Won’t they always keep trying to break us apart?” Amelia asked softly. She studied Toby’s face, trying to memorise every part of it. Small worry lines had formed between his brows and on the sides of his blue eyes. His thick blonde eyebrows were slightly scruffy; she brushed them with her fingers and dragged her hands down his face, following the curvature of his jawline and touched his plump bottom lip tenderly.
“There is a way, but you will need to trust me.” He kissed her gently and his fingers crept behind her neck and pulled her in close.
“I can do that. If there is a way we can do this, I’m up for it.” Toby looked at her with uncertainty, but Amelia was no longer the girl he’d first met. She took his hands from her neck and squeezed them tight. “Toby, I love you.”
As soon as the words escaped her lips, the world around them came crashing back into view. The crowd around them were shouting and fighting. A flume of smoke filled the air and Amelia’s nostrils were overwhelmed with the smell of burning rubber. Toby’s face was serious, and he gave her a quick nod before standing. Amelia joined him and clung onto his hand with every fibre of her being. She had no idea how they would get anywhere. The car was destroyed, the guardians would be with them at any moment and they had no way of getting away. What was Toby’s plan? Amelia had no idea. But all she knew was that now she had found him, she couldn’t imagine going back to her mundane, empty life alone. Toby waved a hand with authority and shouted at the people around them to back away. A gap opened in the circle of people and Toby and Amelia darted through, hand in hand. The world blurred around them as they moved, and Toby appeared to know exactly where they were going. The sand beneath their feet softened and turned fluffy, almost like they were running effortlessly on clouds. Amelia looked behind them to see three of the guardians, wearing matching black suits, staring at them. Amelia wondered why they made no effort to move, then one of them raised a hand holding a gun, and pulled the trigger. Amelia screamed as Toby fell to the ground.
“Toby, Toby!” Amelia cried as she collapsed to her knees and pulled Toby onto his back to look at his face. He was pale, and he looked shocked for a moment, then a flash of realisation crossed his face and he muttered, “This is not real,” and promptly got to his feet again. Amelia’s mouth dropped as she stared at him. There appeared to be no gunshot wound on him and he yanked her hand, urging her to run. They continued to move, the world flashing around them like they were caught up in a thunderstorm in the sky. Amelia’s arms and legs tingled, all the particles of her being were vibrating. It were as if she was evolving somehow. The sky dissolved into wisps of smoke and the two of them ran so fast that Amelia wondered how Toby wasn’t losing his breath.
“What… is… happening?” Amelia huffed out the words as they moved faster and faster. Toby glanced over at her, with a grin on his face and eyes lit up.
“I don’t know if this is going to work, but it’s our best shot,” Amelia heard him say, but she noticed his lips didn’t move, he just smiled at her.
“Did we just die in the car accident?” Amelia asked, suddenly aware of the unearthly rate of their travel. Toby stopped moving and stood firmly, holding Amelia’s hands in his gently.
“This is it; this is where I was going to take you,” Toby said softly. Amelia stopped moving and looked around. They were standing on a rock surrounded by grass and puddles of water. Huge trees surrounded them, and the sky was pink and blue, in great swirls around them. The air was fragrant and humid. She closed her eyes and listened to the songbirds singing in the trees. She also heard the thunderous vibrations of rushing water from below. She looked out and saw a huge valley of redwood trees, taller than the Eiffel Tower. The blue glassy appearance of the water below was like a giant mirror on the ground, reflecting the colourful patterns in the sky.
“This is beautiful.”
Toby held her cheek with his right hand. “I promise you, whatever it takes, I will find you,” he said deeply.
Amelia tilted her head and frowned. “What do you mean?” Then a sudden movement in the corner of her eye made her look away. Three of the guardians stood behind them.
“This is forbidden,” one of them warned. Toby scowled at them and turned back to Amelia.
“Amelia, do you understand? We have to jump,” he said quickly. Amelia peered over the edge of the rock to see a 130-foot drop to the water below. They were standing on the top of a tremendous waterfall. Amelia looked around them and noticed five more guardians had appeared, all standing with their hands clasped in front of them and their legs spaced out. The stillness of their stance was unnerving.
“Toby, if we jump down there, we’ll die!” More guardians came into view. Toby and Amelia were completely surrounded.
“No, Amelia! Don’t you see? If we let them take us, we’ll die. If we jump, we can live!”
“But can’t we just run away again? Can’t we find somewhere to exist on our own?”
“But none of this is real. Amelia, don’t you see it now? Why you can’t remember stuff? Why you fall asleep and have weird nightmares? Haven’t you figured it out yet?”
“Toby, you’re freaking me out. I don’t understand.” Tears rolled down Amelia’s cheeks as she stared at him in panic. Had he gone mad? Or was she hallucinating? Perhaps she was lying unconscious in the car and this was all a weird dream.
“I don’t want to exist with you, Amelia. I want to make a life with you,” Toby begged.
“But, I’m scared,” Amelia whimpered.
He placed his hands on her cheeks and pulled her in close to him.
“I am too. I promise you, whatever happens, I’ll find you.”
The guardians were walking slowly towards them now. A low hissing sound came from their mouths and panic crept up Amelia’s arms and her chest grew tight.
“Is this the only way?” she asked weakly. Toby nodded and looked at her imploringly. She took a final glance at the guardians who were less than a few feet away, their icy breaths practically on the back of her neck. She turned to Toby and swallowed against the lump in her throat.
“We won’t die?” she asked. Toby shook his head and gripped her hands tightly.
“No, Amelia, we will wake up. I’m sure of it. We just have to jump. We’ll do it together, come on,” he said as they edged closer to the drop. Amelia’s heart was in her mouth and her stomach lurched as vertigo set in. All of her senses told her to run away. But there was no escape. The guardians had them; they were coming in even closer now. Any moment and one of them would be able to grab hold of her. She gave Toby one final nod and he kissed her forehead.
“Three, two, one…. jump!” Toby shouted and Amelia’s feet left the rock as she jumped. For a split moment, she thought she might defy gravity and fly off into the sunset with her love. Perhaps, just this once, she wouldn’t fall. Then her stomach dropped, and Amelia tightened her grip on Toby’s hands as the two of them fell like rocks down the huge waterfall. Toby smiled at Amelia surely, as if he knew something she didn’t. A warmth spread across her chest as she stared into his face and for a moment, she forgot that they were falling—until their bodies plummeted into the water below and the backdrop quickly changed. Amelia looked wildly around at the masses of bubbles floating to the surface, as she and Toby continued to sink, deeper and deeper into the watery depths. Light sparkled in the bubbles. Toby pulled Amelia in close and they kissed deeply. She held him tightly, filled with a strange sense of peace. The two of them continued to sink, was there no end? Will we continue to sink for eternity? Amelia wondered. She watched as Toby’s eyes slowly closed and he bowed his head. As they sank lower, the light faded from ab
ove them and a heavy weight pressed on her chest, urging her to close her eyes and fall into a sleep. She took one last look at Toby, who appeared to be having a pleasant dream, the look of serenity awash his face. It reminded her of their day in the Roman baths. She smiled and then closed her eyes and succumbed to her fate.
Chapter Fourteen
A Painful Wake Up Call
“Page Dr Conner.”
“Doing it now. Is she waking up?”
“I think she might be; in fact, page the whole team.”
Amelia coughed and her body convulsed as she gagged on something in her throat.
“Okay, love, we’ll get this out for you. Just a minute… there you go.” A tube slid awkwardly out of Amelia’s windpipe and she coughed and spluttered. Sprays of saliva and mucous covered her lap. She blinked furiously against the brilliant white light around her. She couldn’t make out any detail but could see two figures moving around her bed.
“Welcome back!” a woman’s voice said brightly. Amelia turned to look at the person standing closest to her.
“Where am I?” Amelia asked in a raspy voice. She licked her dry lips; they were cracked and sore, though not as sore as her throat, which was raw.
A rush of movement came from the other side of the bright room and a flurry of people hurried over to the bed. Amelia’s vision was still blurry, and she squinted against the light, her eyes struggling to adjust.
“Hello there, it’s very nice to see you awake,” a friendly male’s voice said by Amelia’s head. The voice was familiar, but she couldn’t place it. A rough hand took Amelia’s, then she felt another placed on top.
“I can’t see,” Amelia cried out, now starting to panic. She could hear whispers and murmurs from all around the bed. It sounded like the room was uncomfortably full of people.
“All right, it’s okay. Can you look ahead for me?” the male voice said softly. Another light briefly shone over one of Amelia’s eyes and then flashed onto the other one.
