Sarah!

"Sarah....wha...what are you...I don't....I don't understand....what's..." I murmured as only thing that was coming in my mind was so horrible to accept. This seemed so impossible. Sarah stood there as confused as I was.

"Iris would ya just wake up Derek I....I  need to meet him before I'll....I'll vanish into lights or what..." She said annoyingly.

"But why...Sarah....tell me what's going on" my voice turned into complete crying and squeaky. She will vanish!!! What the literal hell was going on?

"Iris don't you understand. I'm dead dammit!" She yelled and I gasped. I gasped so hard that the thing I was dreading, happened now. The cries and confusion I was holding inside me till now, just bursted out.

"Noooo...."I said while coming out of the bed and moving outside the room. She resisted at first but followed me later.

"Iris...don't make a scene, I'm dead...now let me please meet Derek one goddamn last time....please.. " she started sobbing herself. We both were in our own pools of salty tears.

"You....you can't...oh honey.....how could ya....it should......it should have been mee........no...." I said in between my sobs holding my face in my palms.
No amount of extraordinary words even could explain how terrific and remorseful I was feeling at the moment. Sarah was a child.....a young innocent child who just became the bait instead of me.

"Why....you can see me....why can't he...?" And before I could answer or practically lie to her about it....the phone rang loudly making us all shudder.
I immediately ran inside the room to pick it up before Derek would wake up but I was too late. Derek already picked it up the moment I reached inside.

"Hello" he said in his sleepy voice.

"Derekkkk........Sarah........our little Sarah...." Alex on the other line said crying-ly.

"Alex...what happened....Alex....stop crying....what happened tell me.." he freaked and yelled. Sarah was on the door.

"Derek....I'm here for you.....Derek.....look at me....." She kept saying and even went near to him but he was not paying attention, probably because...he couldn't see her! Grief!

"Sarah.......is no......no more......" Alex said and I could even hear the back voices of Mr. And Mrs. Woods yelping insanely.
Derek got shunned and froze there. Sarah tried to touch his arms but all in vain. She frowned and tears started trickling down to her throat.

"Iris.....why can't he see me.....Derek....listen to me......derekkkk.....Derekkk.......please........look at me....." She started screaming and i couldn't do anything. I had to hold both of them.

"Derek....Sarah.....our little Sarah is gone....." I heard Mrs.Woods saying on the phone probably after snatching it from Alex. It was such a painful moment that although I had the power of being the mediator and see on both sides, I was hoping for it to end because this way....I was just unable to hold any one of them. I reached to Derek and tried to touch him when he completely jerked my hands away.

"Nooooooooooooo" he screamed. I got so scared that I jumped three steps away from him.

"Derek please...." Meanwhile Sarah was sobbing her hard times in her palm trying to hold him and get his attention but couldn't. I saw Derek completely lost, I wiped my tears and took the advantage of it. I just went closer to Sarah and took her by arms and now that I knew I didn't have his attention I just took her outside the room to the other end of the corridor.

"Sarah....listen to me..." I said to her but she was just crying and crying bowing her head down.

"Noo....how can he not see me but you can....I need to hug him...he is broken....Iris...please... " She sobbed and begged to me.

"Sarah....Sarah listen to me....what I'm going to tell you now is really really important....Sarah....listen to me baby..." I tried to hold her still and make her ready for it because there was no other way she was ever going to find peace, even after her death, always wondering why Derek couldn't see her but I could.

"Sarah I'm dead myself...." I said and she just stopped crying and looked up at me with her dry mouth and wet cheeks.

"No.." she said.

"I can explain it to you but right now....just understand....I need you to be with me and I can't.......oh god I don't even know what to say but please ...I beg you please have a leap of faith in me and I'll do everything.... everything for you or for your family....but please....do you trust me..?" And asking so I looked in her eyes.

"Iris I don't .....I don't get it .......what's going on dammit....?" She asked jerking herself away from me. I had taken the risk of a lifetime now totally based on faith. Faith in her and myself that I would get her understand me and my conditions. Honestly, I was shit scared that what if she will just freak out and tell her whole ghost world about it or if the truth comes out. But i had to stand up for myself...for this family....for Derek. I sounded like Mother Teresa.!

"Iris...we are leaving...." Derek came outside with his car keys. He was still undressed from upper half. His face was devoid of any expression, be it anger or grief or anything. His eyes were dry, he didn't even cry.

"Derek....shirt...?" I tried to say it with high level risk again...

"Iris...WE NEED TO LEAVE.....MY SISTER IS DEAD I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK TO MY CLOTHES" he yelled coming hurrly to me and I just shivered in fear. This was so not good side of him.

I just followed him downstairs. He walked like he would break the earth with his steps. He was furious in his actions but vacuumed in his face.

I sat inside the car thanking God for he waited patiently at least for me as I walk slowly. He ignited the car immediately and without looking anywhere anyway...he just headed towards the hospital in all the speed he could get. I was scared again but was trying my best to hold on to faith and trust in him. I knew he was in immense amount of pain inside, but I knew I was still there in his head. Somewhere!

Meanwhile, all my mind was wandering on Sarah left alone in the home. I was so much hoping and kept recalling Lucifer and Angela to please do something but not let Sarah meet Cathy or Nathan or any other ghost till I was back to her so I could actually tell her everything. Poor little girl had to go through so much, be it alive or dead. Im so going to hell if I'm re-dying.

The sudden halt immediately pulled me back to reality. The car screeched and I just automatically bent forward forcefully which caused quite a pain in my belly although I held my bump to prevent it. I looked back and wiped the sweat from my upper lips.

"Sorry.." he muttered looking at me and I hoped to see guilt in his eyes even for a second but he turned his face away.
I put all the bangs in my hair out on my face and covered my nose and mouth with a Hankey. It was a smart move because that would hide my face along with justifying that I do hate hospital smell. Derek was gone already inside, I tried to follow him from like hundred steps back. Till the time I reached at Sarah's hospital room, Derek was already there sitting beside the bed where Sarah was laid  lifelessly. Suddenly, it reminded me of myself....my lifeless laid body in the COMA section.

"We are very sorry sir, there's no way we could lessen your pain and agony but please believe me, there was just 1% only, but present chance and risk of what happened now. Her brain started swelling which caused the herniation inside and became the cause of her death. We are really very sorry for your loss sir and mam" said the doctor who came to our home with the ambulance. Mrs.woods was wailing like a caged beast there who was held by Jeremy, had she been left alone...she would have probably killed the doctor there. Obvious!

It was enough for me to cry seeing the way  Derek was watching Sarah. It was like he was still scorching to find some life in his dead sister. It was like the moment he will find even an ounce of hope, he would jump with it. He was mute, focussed and hopeless for sure.
I couldn't just coax him with any of this. Couldn't just bring him back to hope when he clearly has none. Couldn't just hold him together and say that everything will be fine because without Sarah....it won't be fine...at least won't be the same. I just couldn't!

Naomi and Alex we're in each other's arms too when I went to her. She threw herself at me and I rubbed her back and stayed there for a second.
Alex wiped his tears once I reached to them. Perhaps he wasn't willing to shred down in front of me, of course I'm more of a stranger to them.
Then I went to hug Mrs.Woods who hugged me a little and backed away. There was no way I could lessen any of them's pain. I hugged Jeremy who cried even more and I felt like at least I came of some use. I couldn't dare to touch Derek.

The night passed after Alex convinced everyone to sign the forms of organ donation. Derek didn't say a word. Alex tried to go to him or talk to him but he would just jerk everyone away. He kept staring at her and it was so painful for me to see him searching endlessly for something which is gone....just gone.
We decided to get back and prepare for funeral. Alex decided to drive one car while I decided to drive Derek's one. He didn't resist he didn't say anything, he just went and sat there. I buckled the seat belt on him trying my best to not touch him and break his focus.

It was dawn by now when we reached at the mansion. Entering the house the first thing I was searching for was Sarah. Where was she! Everybody just sat on the couch silently shedding tears. There were pictures of her all around the hall. They kept looking at her while Derek, he left for his room and locked the door. I tried to stop him but he was faster than me and so he just locked me out. I tried to even call him or just remind him that I'm outside but before I could do that, Naomi called me from downstairs and asked me to rest in her room as everyone else in the family will stick together for sometime. I nodded at her and then turned to the corridor and it's corners to find Sarah.

My mind was stuck with few names only, Sarah, Cathy, Angela, Lucifer and Derek. There was no space for anyone else and I thought it would be good to leave the family alone and not intrude as they were suffering from one of the biggest griefs of all time. They lost their person. I don't know how that feels.

I went outside the room which kept locked always, never thought whom would that be but then I figured it might be of Cathy's. The thought of Sarah being inside talking to Cathy shuddered me even more. Cathy once tried to harm Sarah and we all can see the repercussions now. I just closed my eyes and hoped and prayed badly for Sarah to just not be there.

"Iris...you are here..." I heard and opened my eyes Immediately and found Sarah standing on my right.

"Oh you are here..." I said and hugged her. It was such a relief to finally find her.

"Iris...I'm very confused and very much freaking out...what's happening, you have to tell me all...now..." She said. What a poor innocent soul. She is believing in me so much. I decided not to break her trust anyhow.

I asked her to follow me to Naomi's room. Everyone were still sitting there with Sarah's pictures in their hands and crying. When I passed them tearing my nail, Mrs.Woods looked at me and just frowned with her eyes in disgust. I could understand she was hating me for indulging in myself only at such hurting hours instead of being with the family, but sadly I had no option. I just tried to ignore her and walk past them.

I heard sobs from my behind and turned to find Sarah sobbing looking at all of them.

"Can't you all see me.......please.....I miss you all....." She screamed again and I just squeezed my eyes shut. No one else was affected. She looked at me and cried even more. I just eyed her to follow me.

Once we reached Naomi's room, I silently locked the room and hugged Sarah.

"Honey....I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry for all of this.. " she hugged me back and cried more.

"Iris....I'm scared......I'm scared so much.......I didn't want to die.......why this all happened......" she said sobbingly.

"I don't know....I don't know baby..." I said while stroking her hair and head in the crook of my neck.

After like a few more seconds we parted away and sat on the bed.

"Now listen to me Sarah. You will now see various other ghosts and people because you are there....in the afterlife. I don't know about your emancipation and freedom from this but until that all happen....you are living here with all of us except the fact that you are not  living anymore." I said holding her hand. She nodded in understanding still crying a little. Of course, I'm telling her the afterlife rules and norms...who would be happy to hear that.

"Earlier you said....." And she stopped hinting me what she was asking, I got her cue.

"That was true. Now Sarah.....I'm playing the card here which either leads to the good or just ends everything so as I told you before...you believe me and I'll do everything for your family and you. Are you ready?" I asked her, she took a deep breath and nodded desperately.

"Alright then yes I'm dead....I killed myself one and half months ago but was saved. Sarah...the universe...tries to save you indeed...if there's still some things you are supposed to do on the earth. If it doesn't, that means you have done your part...and people like you....you are a sacrificer...you are a great sacrificer who lost her life for someone else...and that won't go in vain...trust me on that. "
She looked at me as I was some University professor lecturing her on prehistoric men and their body. Very weirdly.......!

"I know it all sounds stupid and hypothetical and blah blah blah....and if anything it doesn't sound is REAL but damn it is. It is real. I need you to stay calm and understand and believe it as soon as possible. I'm here with you until anything happens with you Sarah. You are not alone. Besides, the most important thing I have to tell you is....stay away from Cathy and Nathan...if you find them anyway....anywhere....stay away from them....." I was doing my best to my accord.

"Yeah....now that you have killed her already....you are teaching her to get away from her people and join you....in your occult or whatever wrong with you isn't it Iris.....amazing plan...." And this was not Sarah, duh.
I turned my face around while Sarah just shifted her's from mine to the door only to get transfixed on Cathy's.

She was standing there leant on the door holding hands around her chest smirking at her best. I was sure she wasn't the bitch person she was being with me which was helping me to not hate her but help her. Boy do I need to be appointed alongside Angela and Lucifer!

"Cathy.....you are here....you can see Iris too......man I'm so dead...." Sarah jumped off her feet from the bed and rammed on Cathy sobbingly. Of course, who was I kidding, they grew up together since years and here I was....known them for two three days only and already asking her to stay away from her, why would she ever believe me, especially with my occult powers.
Dear lord it wasn't going to be easy at all! Like at all!

*****************************

So... Sarah is dead!
What do you think will happen now?

Don't forget to vote, comment and share the story to your friends who read.

Lots and lots of Cathy to you all...XD!

Signing off
Shruti!