The doorbell rang as I stood outside the beautifully crafted house, the brown door of the red-brick building silently mocking my existence as I stared at its one peephole of an eye, the circular glass staring back into my soul. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I heard footsteps shuffle towards the entrance. I stopped staring at the door and looked down at the kitten covered welcome mat. The lock clicked, door knob turned, and the door opened, thankfully revealing a familiar face.

"Hey," Tyler said.

He was dressed up in a white button-down shirt and black pants.

"Hey," I replied.

"Come on in," he said, stepping aside.

Like the outside, his house was full of flowers such as roses, sunflowers, and daisies. The walls were a mint green covered with pictures of family, friends, and paintings. The sweet aroma of cookies and vanilla invaded my sense of smell.

"Bienvenue dans ma maison," he said.

Smiling, I looked at him. "Merci, ami aimable."

We laughed as he closed the door behind me.

"So, just to warn you, my mom got a little too excited and invited the whole family..."

"Chere bonte...Oh boy...."

"Yeah," he continued. "So, if I were you, I would brace myself before entering the insanity."

"Tyler, is she—" a woman, I'm assuming Tyler's mom, said, walking out of the kitchen and into the main entryway. "Oh, my! Well, aren't you gorgeous! You must be September."

I blushed and laughed a little. "I'm really not, but thank you."

"And modest, too!"

"She doesn't like to admit to her beauty. I don't know why because she is as beautiful as a starry night —" Tyler started.

"I am not," I said, laughing.

"Well, don't stand there all day, come on. I want you to meet the family."

Tyler's mom grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the front hallway. I laughed as I looked at Tyler. He looked at me, grabbed my hand, and smiled back.

Once we entered the living room, I was greeted in an enthusiastic manner. About ten people stood in the room—a few by the TV, sitting on the couch, and by the entrance to the kitchen.

"September, these are my sons Abraham and John, and their fiances Bethany and Hope," Tyler's mom said.

The four of them waved, grinning from ear to ear. I could feel the heat creep into my cheeks as I waved back. Quickly, I glanced back at Tyler, who nodded as a way to say "It's okay." I nodded back and looked at the rest of the group.

"This is my grandmother," Tyler said, "my grandfather, cousins Abigail, Brooke, and Matthew, and my dad."

His dad got up from his chair and walked to me. Knots began to form in my stomach.

"Get out of my house," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Richard," his wife scolded him.

"Dad."

"I don't want no Jesus freak in my house. Out."

Before anyone could say anything, I ran past Tyler and his mom. Tyler tried to stop me, but I barely escaped his grasp. I ran out the door, my eyes burning from the invasion of the tears, got in my car, and drove away.

—————————

"September..." a sweet little voice said. "September...September, wake up...September..."

"Mom?" I bolt upright, my heart pounding.

I looked at my surroundings, confused and conflicted. The sun that was shining down on me made my skin warm, only making my confusion grow. Where am I? What happened? Then I remembered: I died yesterday.

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach and tears prickled my eyes. As I tried to get up, the mud from the mushy grass beneath me covered my hands, making me cringe.

"September..." the voice said again. "September..."

"Hello?"

Once I was completely standing, I turned in a giant circle, trying to find the source of the syrupy sweet voice. Unfortunately, I came up dry, as there was nothing there.

"I'm over here, September..." it said again. The voice grew raspy once the anonymous figure said my name, then turned into a terribly frightening deep voice. "I'm over here."

Out of panic, I grabbed a broken tree branch and held it up. The sound of my heart pumping flooded my ears, the fear growing stronger by the second.

"Who is there? Show yourself!"

Softly, I walked towards the once bright but now dark forest. I swallowed my fear, feeling it snake down my throat and hit the pit of my stomach, taking on a life of its own and making my nerves go haywire.

As I peered into the forest, the unrelenting emotion grew stronger and stronger with every second. A pair of blood-red eyes stared at me, following my every move, sending chills down my spine. I gripped the tree branch harder as I tried to take control of my uneasiness.

"Hello," it growled.

Dropping the branch, I turned around and bolted for the meadow. The sky turned from a pretty blue to a dark black within seconds: the wind howled as the trees tried to grab me. As the evil creature immersed itself from the woods, it ran after me. I heard it's awful footsteps behind me, deafening me. It grabbed the skirt of my white dress, its long, crooked claws tearing the silky fabric. Screaming, I fell to the ground, the mud splattering all over me. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at it, fear running through my veins. The creature crawled forward, the ends of its bony wings dragging behind it.

"Hello, September," it growled.

"What do you want?"

"You're precious. A lonely soul such as you. You're perfect for our collection."

It stretched out it's black, charcoal arm. I backed away, a cry of horror escaping my lips.

"Leave me alone."

As the monster stepped forward, I closed my eyes, shaking. I awaited my captivation. The rancid breath of the demonic creature invaded my nostrils. I let out another cry and opened my eyes. Then, out of nowhere, a bright light erupted from the sky, breaking the clouds in half. I heard the creature scream and fly away.

"September, you can open your eyes. Don't worry, the demon is gone."

I opened my eyes to find Caleb and Amelia standing before me, a sword in Caleb's hand. Crying, I got up and hugged them.

"Shh...it's okay," Amelia cooed. "It's okay."

—————————

"So," I began, "those were demons?"

I had stopped crying, however, my fear never subsided. The image of the demon could not escape my mind; the creature's sticky skin, long, jagged nails, and bony figure was sketched in my brain.

"Yes," Amelia said. "That was a demon."

"You must be careful, September. Every demon knows of your existence beyond the grave. They want you."

"It said I would be perfect for their collection. What does that mean?"

"These demons collect lost souls. To them, you are the perfect prize because God has selected you to take a journey no one has ever experienced before. You are now on their radar," Amelia answered.

"Not to mention, they know full well of your relationship with Tyler and his past. His—" Caleb began.

"Caleb," Amelia whispered. "She knows nothing of that yet. That information isn't due until later."

"What information?" I asked.

"Nothing," Caleb said.

My head began to spin. How could this be happening? Why am I so special?

"Okay, well, I don't understand. Why me? Why am I so special?"

"I know this is hard to grasp, but this is real. You are now in this spiritual war. This is not meant to scare you, but now your journey will be much harder. You have to be super careful."

"Is there any way I can stop this? Can I avoid this somehow?"

Caleb and Amelia looked at each other, concerned looks plastered to their faces. I sat down on the grass, my stomach tied into a thousand knots. My breathing quickened and my chest hurt. I couldn't think straight.

"Sadly, there is no way. Unless we were to hide you in your deepest memories. However, it may not be the safest place," Amelia said.

"How come?"

Caleb grabbed my arm, trying to calm me down. He could tell my emotions were going haywire and could sense my confusion.

"We have reason to believe demons can squeeze their way into your precious memories," he said.

"I can't be here anymore. I can't do this anymore. Why couldn't I die in peace?"

"Remember," Amelia started, "you could have, but we heard your cry for help. We weren't the ones to find you — you found us."

"You're wrong. I didn't find you. I did not cry for help. I cried due to the fact that I was being attacked by a shark! I cried because I was dying! I didn't ask for you guys and I certainly did not ask to figure out why I died."

"September, you have no faith—" Caleb began.

"Fine, I have no faith. I never did. Not since my dad walked out on us. Not since I saw how people were."

"You used to be so good. What happened?" Amelia asked.

"I woke up."

"You're smarter than you think, September," Caleb said. "I thought you knew that."

"Well then if I was smarter, don't you think I would already know why I died?"

Caleb and Amelia looked down. My veins began to boil as I looked at the two people I was supposed to trust.

"I'm obviously not that smart. But if you've known that, then you would have actually helped me in stead of just sitting around and doing nothing at all." I looked over at the woods then turned back to look at them, revealing tears. "I thought after all this time, 'Maybe something will come of this.' But obviously nothing will. I want nothing to do with you. Either of you."

"September—" Caleb began.

"No."

I wished to be gone, to be somewhere I was welcome. Before I could leave, I heard what seemed to be feathers in flight. I turned around to find them gone, leaving me in the meadow I once tried to escape to, against the darkness I tried to defeat.

Closing my eyes, I tried to be as calm as possible. There was no point in getting angry at two figures I was never going to see again. My mind began to wander, as I thought of them and the anger and my supposed mission. How could have harbored such an egregious feeling such as hatred, something I never had before when I was alive? Could it have been my death? Amelia? Caleb? The demons? What made me so upset to the point where I wanted to wish away the existence of my two guardian angels, the beings who said they were here to help?

I put my fingers to my temples and rubbed them in a slow circular motions. Several deep breaths later and I felt no different. Nothing seemed to delete itself, but nothing seemed to make itself known, either. Out of pure anger, I opened my eyes and kicked a rock, watching it as the solid object flew through the air and landing in a nearby pond where it created ripples.

I walked up to the pond. Tiny fish swam in the clear blue water. They feared the reflections of the flowers as they avoided swimming towards them altogether. I smiled as I saw the unity between them as a group. If I only I could have that again.

Out of nowhere, lights began to bounce off the surface of the water and cheers were heard around me. I turned around to find the day turn to night and lights flashing.

"You ready for this?" someone asked.

I looked to my right to find Tyler standing beside me as he held my hand. Happiness ran through me as I looked up at him and nodded. He smiled and kissed my cheek.

Drums began to play, followed by a guitar and keyboard. It took me a minute to realize we were at a concert. Joy blossomed in my stomach, running through my nerves as the roots and stems tangled around them until they reached my heart.

I closed my eyes as I listened to the rhythm of the music. The sound of the melodies joining together to create one giant melody made me feel calm and at home. Then I opened my eyes and realized it was gone, realized I was gone.

—————————

I decided to go on a walk. Everything was too much now. I died earlier today, witnessed my church mourning, and was even faced with a demon. Shivers ran down my spine as I thought about the horrid creature. Its deep, red eyes could not escape my mind. And the whisper of its raspy voice haunted my thoughts. There was no escape.

"September..."

I jumped. No. This can't be happening. Not again!

"September..."

I turned around, trying to look for the demon, but it was nowhere in sight. The evil being laughed a deep, chilling laugh. My stomach formed several knots, followed by a rock falling to the pit.

"I'm not here, September. I'm in your mind."

My breathing quickened. Can demons even do that? I began to spin around in tiny circles, looking at the empty meadow and woods before me. This can't be happening. This can't be happening!

"September, you're angry. No one loved you. No one tried to save you."

"That's not true," I whispered. "It's not true!"

"Oh, but it is. Precious flower, precious September. If Tyler cared about you, he would have tried to save you."

"But he did try to save me."

My mind was spinning. What he's saying can't be true...can it? No, Tyler loved me. He would never try to hurt me...would he?

I tried to get all the negative thoughts out of my mind, but I couldn't seem to succeed. The thoughts wouldn't go away and I stood there thinking Tyler was a horrible person and I hated it. That's not who he is! He would never hurt me!

"Let me enlighten you," the voice growled.

A surge of wind ran around me, my hair flying up in the air. Chills ran down my spine and arms and legs. Whoever this demon was, he was determined.

We stood at the beach. I found my family and friends. Everything seemed the way I remembered it to be, except some things were different. Did I not remember them?

I saw the shark come up from behind me then dive under the water. My heartbeat quickened. No, I can't see this again. I tried to look away, but the monstrous creature embedded in my mind would not allow me to. I was forced to watch, forced to see my death for now the second time.

"Come, pet. We can't see from back here."

Without any recognition of doing so, I walked to the water. Once the water hit my ankles, my chest tightened. Why can't I stop myself from walking? Why can't I move my body? Fear ran through my veins. The demon laughed at my worry. It began to feed off of it as if the being hadn't had a good meal in days, weeks, months, years.

We were waist deep in the water and I couldn't see myself. It took me a minute to realize my past self was underwater. My eyes were directed towards Tyler who stood there, looking down at the waves. I heard my scream from beneath the waves.

"Tyler! Do something!" I yelled. "Tyler!"

The demon laughed.

"Tyler!"

I watched as I erupted from beneath the water, screaming from the pain I had just endured. Tyler began to walk away as the lifeguards ran to my aid. I turned around, watching Tyler as he left me to die.

"No, this can't be right. This can't be right!"

"He never loved you," the demonic creature whispered.

I turned to find it standing beside me, its bony wings submerged in the brackish water. It moved the hair away from my ear and whispered once again.

"He left you to die."

Before I could say anything or fight off the being, I was pulled under the water. I looked up at the watery surface and screamed.

"This is where you belong, September. This is where you were left to die."

The water began to fill my lungs as I tried to swim to the surface, but something was holding me down. I couldn't move and I couldn't breathe. When I looked up at the surface, I saw Tyler look down on me. His face was expressionless, eyes emotionless. The water began to choke me, making me feel heavier than I had only moments before. My vision grew hazy as the sea water began to burn my eyes. I looked up for the last time and screamed once more before he disappeared and everything around me went black.

—————————

I woke up on the ground, drenched. My heartbeat quickened. Where am I? What happened? Then I remembered.

"Tyler," I whispered.

I began to cry, as I could not hold in the emotions any longer. The pain of it all seemed to crumble above me, leaving me caved in.

I set my head on my knees and sobbed. There was nothing more I could do. I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to my old life. I knew I wouldn't be able to go to heaven. I knew I failed at life, at love, at faith—at everything.

Once my final tear fell, I looked up. It felt as if a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, like a huge rock I had been carrying on my back for so long had finally been let go.

September, I am here for you. I will never let you go.

I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, but found nothing.

Sighing, I sat with my legs crossed like a pretzel. I was completely drained and unhappy. How could it get to this.

"Do you want to see him?"

"Huh?"

I turned around to find Caleb standing behind me. His white clothing slightly blew with the wind, his gold eyes brighter than ever.

"Do you want to see him?"

"I—" I began. "I don't know."

Caleb sat down beside me. Wouldn't his clothes get dirty like mine?

"I know you are hurting right now. We have heard your silent prayers."

"How do I know if the demon was lying or not?"

He looked at me, then down at the ground. Grabbing a stick, he started to draw in the wet dirt.

"You have to trust in your heart that Tyler would never hurt you."

"But how?"

Caleb looked up at me.

"Do you remember the first day you met? Your first kiss? Your first date? Your last day with him? Your last moment together? Think of those times."

Think of those times.

I nodded and looked at the meadow. A sense of peace overcame me as I looked at the butterflies. They had no hurt, no hate, however, no hope. A small smile escaped.

"I think...I think I want to see him."

Caleb smiled. "Okay, but he might not be the same way you remember him."

"How so?" I asked.

He got up and looked down at me.

"He's hurting, he's hating, he's hopeless."

My heart hurt when he said hopeless. Was he really that bad, that hurt? I nodded and got up. As I managed to stand up, I looked down at the ground where Caleb was drawing. Engraved in the wet dirt was an infinity sign, but no ordinary infinity sign. Within it was an anchor. Chills ran up and down my spine. Where have I seen that before? I know this isn't the first time I've seen it.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Huh?"

I looked at Caleb, unsure of what happened. Once I realized he asked if I was ready, I nodded. Caleb nodded back and grabbed my arm. Without his needing to tell me, I closed my eyes. The wind began to pick up around us.

The wind stopped only seconds later. The aroma of chocolate chip cookies filled the air and silence was heard throughout the area. Where are we? I opened my eyes.

I stood in my room. Everything was left in the same spot before we left. My breathing hitched, the breath caught in my throat. Tears filled my eyes. I walked over to my "photo-album" wall. Pictures of me as a child hung on the green wall. Photos of Mackenzie, Ariel, and me were hung up in a scattered pattern. Photos of Tyler and me either holding hands, Tyler holding me, or the two of us playing a random game were plastered to the wall. Finally, photos of Megan, Mom, and me sat in the empty spaces. We all looked so happy.

"Why are we here?" I croaked.

I turned around to look at Caleb, but to my surprise, he was gone. Instead, in his place was Tyler. I gasped and stood against the wall.

"September," he said, walking over to my desk, "I wish you were here. I wish you were here with me."

He sat down on my red swivel chair and looked down, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands folded together.

"Tyler! I'm here! I'm right here!"

I walked up to him and sat down before him.

"I'm right here."

Tyler looked up, looking right at me. My pulse raced, adrenaline rushing through me. Can he see me? Then, without any recollection of my presence, he got up and left my room, closing the door behind him. Without thinking, I got up and followed him.

Due to my confusion mixed with my excitement of seeing him, I forgot to open the door. One minute I was in my room and the next I was in the hall.

"Woah," I said.

I turned around to look at the door. Harry from One Direction stared at me.

"Wasn't I...? Did I...?"

Before I could figure out what had just happened, I heard a squeal come from the kitchen. I ran down the hall, my feet making no sound whatsoever as they hit the wood floor, and slid into the tiny room. Everyone stood there: Mackenzie, Ariel, Tyler, Mom, Megan, and oddly enough, Tyler's parents. What are they doing here?

I didn't have the best record with his parents. The first time I met Tyler's father, he told me to leave their house. Then, not soon after, Tyler snapped at him and a war broke out. We haven't seen each other or spoken since. As for Tyler's mom, she is the sweetest person I have ever met. Unfortunately, with the unintended war came the loss of seeing his mom, the loss of a friendship.

"What are you doing here?" Tyler asked.

His eyebrows furrowed together and blue eyes became dark. Tyler hasn't been the same with his father since the outbreak. That hurt me more than his father's words.

"Son, we're sorry about your girlfriend. We know how hard it—"

"No you don't," Tyler interrupted. "You don't understand a thing about it. And you're not even close to sorry."

"Girls," Mom chimed in, "why don't we leave them to talk. Get your coats."

Reluctantly, Ariel and Mackenzie grabbed their jackets. They didn't want to leave him, and I understand why: he's their friend and they don't want him to be in any more pain than he already is. Unfortunately, they had to leave.

"Tyler," his dad started again. "We do know how it feels. You have lost Jessica and now you have lost September. But remember, we lost Jessica, too."

Jessica?

Tyler hit the table; the sound resonated through the room. His parents stepped back and I'm almost positive I jumped. I have never seen Tyler this upset or hurt before.

"Jessica was different."

"Sweetie," his mom started, "Jessica was not different. We loved her too."

"Oh, really? Where were you when I called you for help?" He turned to his dad. "You were too busy sitting in your chair to care that your daughter drowned!"

The room got silent. His sister drowned? How come I didn't know about this?

"She was only eight...she was only eight."

Tyler sat down at the table, completely drained. His parents stood there, looking down at the white-tiled floor. Don't they care his son is hurt? Didn't they care about their daughter?

"So no, you don't know what it feels like to watch your sister die then your girlfriend in a matter of two years."

Tyler's dad opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Tyler spoke.

"I think you should leave," he said.

"Tyler—" his mom began.

"No. Both of you. Leave. And don't come back until you understand what it's like to lose someone."

Without putting up a fight, they did. The door closed with a soft click as they left my house. Tyler continued to sit on the chair, his elbows on his knees, and began to cry. I walked over to him and sat beside him. My heart ached and I didn't know what to do. He never shared this part of his life with me. Maybe it was because he didn't want to feel the pain of the past, or maybe it was something else. I don't know what, but if it left him in this much pain, I don't think I want to know.

—————————

Mom, Mackenzie, and Ariel ended up coming back in after Tyler's parents left. They saw his distraught state and rushed to his aid. It comforted me to see them comfort him. I knew he was in good hands.

"Are you okay?" Ariel asked.

He looked at her, his eyes a cloudy mess of sadness and hatred.

"No, I'm really not. I haven't heard her name since it happened."

"Who's, September's?" Mackenzie asked.

"No," he sighed, "Jessica's."

Mom sat beside him. Did she know about Jessica? Did Megan? Did my friends?

"Who was Jessica?" Mom asked.

"She was my little sister. When we lived in Oregon, she was diagnosed with Leukemia. I thought, how could a seven-year-old girl be diagnosed with such an unforgiving disease? Not too soon after her eighth birthday, I took her to the pool. With Leukemia comes lightheadedness and little to no energy. She got tired quickly and before I knew it, she was calling for help. I tried to help, I even called for help, but it was too late. She was gone."

"Oh, Tyler, I am so sorry," Mackenzie said.

My heart broke into a million pieces. He lost his sister to drowning and Leukemia. But why did he still not tell me?

"Before she died, they said she only had two weeks left. I thought that she would enjoy the pool, but I didn't know it would end negatively," he sighed and stood up. "The day my dad told September to leave, we went back. He said September reminded him so much of Jessica. He couldn't stand the pain. When I called him for help, he didn't come. He had the night shift the day before and slept that day. He ended up answering and when I told him, he told me to figure it out myself then hung up. I don't think he understood what was happening. He's taken it out on himself ever since."

I reminded him of his dead daughter...no wonder he hated me so much.

"Did you ever tell September?" Mom asked.

"No. I didn't want her to feel awful about the situation. You know her. She has a big heart. I couldn't let her feel that pain."

"And that's why you moved here...to get away from everything," Ariel realized.

"Yeah."

Everything started to fall into place. The fight, the pain, the death. It's all for a specific purpose. What, however, I don't know. I intended to find out.

As for the demon from earlier, I realized he lied. How could someone as sweet as Tyler leave me to die when he watched his own sister die? He even tried to save her? Why put himself through the same pain again? It wasn't true, none of it was. They all lied. He never left me to die, he would never think of doing that. However, he lied, too. He lied about his sister, but only for my protection. A person like that is not a killer. A person like that was a fighter. That, I see now, is who I am supposed to become.