Chapter 59 Lucky
Lucky
Locket of Love
Ophelia reached for me, grabbing my arms as I groaned and rolled to my feet. “Lucky! Are you alright?” She examined me as I stood, with her caring eyes. So deep and filled with concern.
You always were so tentative.
“Lucky?”
My eyes met hers as my heart nearly skipped a beat. “Ophelia,” I breathed with a smile. “I-I remember.”
I remember everything, my little raven.
Her face tilted in confusion. “Remember? Remember what?”
I touched the locket around my neck. “Us. This locket…You gave it to me the last night we were together. The night we vowed that nothing could keep our souls apart.” She gasped and covered her mouth.
“I remember. I remember everything, Ophelia.” I reached out to her, but she shied away from my touch.
“Ophelia, I know this sounds insane, but it’s me. It’s Penny.”
She shook her head. “I-I don’t understand, Lucky.” She looked me up and down. “Is it true? Is it really you?” She stepped closer. “Penny?” I nodded as my own eyes swelled. “How?”
“Let me show you.” I touched her face as the memory of our love overcame us both. Flashes of our life together played like a melody. Our laughter, secret kisses, and runaway nights out in the woods drifted like music in our ears. I felt every ounce of my love for her as I did when I was Penny.
“How can this be?” Ophelia sobbed as she touched my hand and opened her eyes. “After all this time, how are you here?”
I smiled and pulled her close, tucking her raven hair behind her ear.
“My body may be different, but my soul is still the same. And it aches for you, Ophelia. I have lived many lives since, and none compare to the one I shared with you.” I tilted her chin back.
“I’ve dreamt of glimpses of our life together, and all I have ever wanted is to find you. And now I have.”
Ophelia gasped as I leaned closer. “But what do I even call you?”
I smiled. “What you have always called me, little raven. Call me your lucky little rainbow.” My mouth pressed against hers, and I felt as though the world had collided in on itself.
All this time, the lives I’ve lived, feeling out of place…it all made sense now. I wasn’t made for this world or the next, but the one I left behind when I was separated from her. My Ophelia. And now, I had found her. And nothing would keep me from spending the rest of this life with her.
The lights in the bedroom flickered again as we both reluctantly pulled apart. “No,” she breathed.
My eyes met hers, and I could tell she was scared. “What is it?” I asked.
“You need to leave. It’s happening. You need to leave!”
Ophelia ripped away from my arms, and I felt my heart sink. “Leave? Why? What’s happening? Ophelia?” She scuttled about the room and muttered to herself. “What’s going on? Why must I leave? I’ve only just found you!”
“Please!” she screamed, as a glimpse of her shadow self peeked through. “There isn’t time.” Her eyes widened as she searched around. “Where is it? Where did I see it?”
“What is happening? Ophelia, my love, please. Just tell me.”
She stopped next to the bed and stared down at the box. “Here.” She grabbed it and rushed back over to me with my coat. “Take this.” Ophelia pressed it against my chest, her hand placing mine atop it. “You need to leave. Now!”
I stared into her eyes. “I can’t…Not after waiting lifetimes to find you.” A tear fell down my face.
Ophelia wiped it, crying herself. “This will be but a blink in time. My soul will find you again, my lucky little rainbow. Now, take good care of it, my love.” She tapped the small box.
I tried to protest, but she shook her head.
“There’s no time. Spare me the goodbye and promise you will never forget me. ”
My heart felt as though it was breaking, a reflection of our last night together long ago.
“I could never forget you, my little raven.” Ophelia kissed me, over a century of longing and love crashing into us both as we embraced one last time.
I would have remained there, frozen in her arms for the rest of this life if it was a possibility, but fate had other plans.
“Go!” Ophelia shoved me towards the bedroom door as it swung open. “Escape while you can!”
She raised a hand as I turned away and ran from the room.
I raced down the hall and made my way to the stairs as the heavy feeling of dread and horror hung heavily in the air.
Something bad was stirring deep within the estate.
I could feel it. Taste it in my mouth. And whatever it was, it was coming.
She knew. She knew there was danger here, and she told me to leave, to protect me.
I hurried down the stairs and made my way to the hallway where her portrait hung. The image of her face stopped me in my tracks. “Ophelia,” I gasped, pushing back tears. “I remember that day…” I reached for the painting as her voice hit my ears.
“Hurry, my love.”
My hand recoiled as I held the small box close. “I will find you again, little raven. I swear.” I whipped around and bolted for the front door.
As I hurried through the threshold, my foot tripped over the trim. My body flew forward as the box hit the ground and burst open. The contents of the box spilled out onto the snow and I sat in horror, realizing what it was.
Ophelia’s ashes. No!
I rose to my knees and tried to scoop the grayscale powder back into the box, but it was no use. The box was completely broken apart, and the ashes were seeping into the snow. “No. No!” I cried as I carefully gathered what I could. “What do I do now, Ophelia? I can’t lose you!”
“Lucky!” My head snapped up to see my brother rushing to my aid. “You made it!” His smile faded as he noticed the state of me. “What’s wrong? What happened?” My eyes fell as he saw the ashes.
“I-I can’t save her!” I sobbed. “I tripped and now she’s spilled all over the snow! Finn, what do I do?” I cried out to him. “I have to save her!”
My brother took one look, and without hesitation, he gathered what I had, and opened my locket, revealing Ophelia’s picture.
He then carefully placed the ashes inside and shut it.
“Does that work?” he asked. I nodded. “Good.” He then helped me to my feet.
“Come on, let’s get you inside and you can explain what the hell you’re doing out here later.
” Finn tried to pull me towards the estate, but I didn’t budge. “Lucky—”
“We have to leave, Finn.” His eyes looked at me in confusion. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but I need you to trust me. This place—the estate—isn't safe. And if we step back inside, we may never make it back out.” His face hardened, and I reached for his hand. “Trust me.”
Finn nodded and gripped my hand tight. “Alright.”
Together, we walked away from the Venom Estate, stopping a ways off in the distance. I turned to look back one last time and saw Ophelia looking out her stained glass window. My Ophelia.
I touched the locket around my neck as a single black tear fell down my cheek.
Until we meet again, my little raven.