2 Days Later...

We’re only gettin’ older, baby
And I’ve been thinkin’ about it lately
Does it ever drive you crazy?
Just how fast the night changes?
Everything that you’ve ever dreamed of
Disappearing when you wake up
But there’s nothing to be afraid of
Even when the night changes
It will never change me and you...

Damon was in his car listening to his favorite song, ‘Night Changes’ by One Direction. It was a red Porsche 911 Turbo 11 and he and his girlfriend, Phoebe Charles. A 20-year-old college student studying Financial economics while Damon was in the final year of the business school. They’d been in the relationship in a couple of months now and they just hanged out with some of his college friends. Phoebe was a fair lady with honey-blonde hair.

As it is, Damon love girls with blonde hair. They look especially attractive and very appealing. Soon, Damon got to the hotel at Shangri-la Hotel, where he lives. Although his vision was almost a blur, Damon pulled out of his seats while he helped his girlfriend to stand erectly. She had a white off-shoulder shirt and ripped Jean shorts with black-ankle, leathered boots, which made her look even sexier as she rested her dizzy head on his shoulder, snoring. Phoebe was tall enough to reach his shoulders.

“Aww! You sure had a lot of champagne.” He muttered, noticing how cute she looked.

As another soft snore poured out of her lips, Damon blushed and wrapped his arm around her. They dragged their lazy legs into Shangri-la Hotel, at The Shard, London SE1 where he’s been living for a couple of years back.

Getting out of the elevator, Damon placed his magnetic key card at the door card reader and the door swiped open. Phoebe find her way to the bathroom while Damon walked to the fridge to grab a bottle of water to drink. He still felt thirsty after drinking a lot.

Just then, he realized the television was still on. He must have left it on while rushing to meet up with his friend in ATIK night club. After gulping in an amount of water, he reached for the remote control by the side of the bed stand. Phoebe, who was half asleep, took off her clothes, leaving only her strapless bra and g-string pant on. She rolled into bed, already sleeping, while Damon took off his black leathered jacket and threw it on the sofa before joining his girlfriend.

Damon was light-head as well. He was about to turn off the noisy television when his blur vision saw the face of his parent. He wiped off his sight with the reels of his eyes and widened his eyes to see clearly.

Just then, the reporter called their names, and Mr. Jeremy Davis and Mrs. Elvira Young Davis were also involved in the plane crash on Friday, 29th.

Damon shook up his giddy head and moved closer. Then, he read the headlines and realized that must have been the plane they took off with. He grabbed his phone and called Aunt Diane, who was now married to a renowned actor in Paris. He called to ask if she had heard the news, but she was dumbfounded as well. Damon took off his dark shades and brogue, pissed off by the devastating news.

“No... No! This can’t be happening. It must be a dream.” Damon cried into reality.

“Dammy.... What is it?” Phoebe's hand crawled into Damon's half-bottomed shirt. His sudden cry must have woken her up.

“Aren’t you sleepy? It’s 1:00 a.m already.” Her baby-like voice murmured, worriedly.

“My parents... I just lost my parents in a plane crash.” His voice cracked up at the words. A small lump of hurt feelings settled in Damon’s throat, but he swallowed it resolutely. Just now, he realized what he feels to be an orphan. What it feels to lose one’s parents, the both of them.

“Aww! That’s terrible. Take heart, my love.” She scratched her neck tiredly and a tight yawn escaped her small, red lips. Her arms stretched out like a rubber band and compressed on his shoulders. “So sorry about that, Dammy. Come here.” Phoebe pulled him closer, placing his head on her chest, and wrapped her hand around him to sleep in her arms.

Damon’s uncontrollable tears split over and flowed down his face like a river escaping dam. He wiped out the tears, trying not to cry, but the more he held it back, the more the memories poured through his head.

A soft sob escaped his lips and another series of tears poured down his eyes. A great tremor overtook him. He held his lips tight not to cry out loud. While Phoebe slept and snorted, Damon couldn’t sleep a wink. It disturbed his mind that he just pulled out from her embrace, climbed down from the master-sized bed and turned off the television.

“Was that a goodbye?” He thought, remembering the video call they had two days ago. “Oh my God, I’m such a terrible person.” He placed his hands over his mouth, and the thought of how their conversation ended played in his mind. Elvira wanted them to meet up before his birthday, which was to take place in five days’ time.

As tears welled up in his blur hazel eyes, his vision turned clear by the instant. He walked to the freezer somewhere in the room and grabbed a chilled bottle of alcohol.

Damon took out a clean wine glass and poured an amount.

He tapped on the gallery on his phone, scrolling through their pictures. He never had so much time to spend with the family. And he never loved Jeremy like how a son should, but Elvira was always there for him, worried and concerned. Damon never imagined that he’d lose her in to the chilly hands of death. She had managed the company so well and now, when he needed her the most... She’s gone.

A message popped up on his phone screen and Damon grasped that he must have scrolled through the plane-crash news without knowing they were involved.

After drinking a bottle, he staggered to the cabinet on top of the refrigerator to pick more bottles of distilled spirits. Damon didn’t mind whatever it was or how many bottles he had. All he thought of was that it was the end. Nothing would feel the same again. Now that Elvira had gone.

With hunched shoulders, Damon drank till the bottles went empty. His hands could no longer hold the bottle properly and his eyes, instead of blur, saw only blank light. Tears raced down his checks till his eyes got sore and swollen, unable to shed a single tear. Then his head dropped on the table where he fell asleep.

Lost in the clouds of darkness, Damon lifted his eyes and there came light again. The background was noisy, as if someone was calling his name. Listening to the ghost silence, the waves crashed against where he was.
Damon’s vision blurred for a while, then it suddenly went clear. He noticed I was the one staring and calling at him.

“Damon!”

I called again, and he pulled up from where he was laying. Instead of the field of flowers where we usually meet, this was different. My spirit vanished, and his eyes widened in amazement. The floor felt woody, and he turned around, more confused. The sky was gloomy, like the sun sinking in an ocean of dark clouds, unlike how bright and sunny the atmosphere used to be. Damon stiffen, dismayed by what was happening. He felt the slow movement and just then; he realized we were riding on a big, rowing boat. I made the boat move by itself, so there was no need to row.

“Where am I?” He mumbled incoherently. As if he was lost in the turn of worlds.

I vanished from his back to his front while he turned to me.

“Shush, brother! You can’t die, not now!” I snapped at him while he glared at me with narrow eyes.

“I guess you already know.” He breathed. “I’m sad right now. I don’t want to live anymore.” Damon convinced me and more tears welled up in his eyes. He sniffed and let the tears flow freely, like a child.

“I’m sorry I raised my voice at you. But really, those we love never truly leave us. There are things that death can not touch.”

“Really? What is it?” His eyes pulled up, searching mine for answers.

“Memories, Damon. Their love and memories would never die... Just like our actual parents. They’re still alive within us. We are the living symbol they left behind.”

“You don’t understand, Adelaide. My heart is heavy and I feel lonely. I wish there is another way to escape these. I feel death is my freedom and at the sane time, I want to live. A joyful life, soul mate. A peaceful life like you.”

“I can feel it.” I placed my hand on my chest and the look in my eyes could make the happiest man alive, forever go sad.

“Really?”

“Yes.” A smirk formed on my lips as I stared into his teary eyes. “It’s been 22 years now, but it seems you don’t know me yet. Whenever you’re sad, we are sad together... Your smile is mine, so is your happiness and worries. We are one, Damon.”

“You’re impossible, you’re all of my imaginations... Even if I spend a lifetime with you, I don’t think I can really understand you, Adelaide.” His eyes fixated on mine while he smiled. “Only you make me happy.”

I blushed at his words, knowing he knows only little of me. “So you have me and you still have a sister to ease your worries.”

“A sister?” his thick brows raised to the word.

“Yes, Ava Dior.” I reminded him. I wonder why he forgets every time. “Elvira and Jeremy’s only child. You have to take care of her. She’s your only true sibling alive.”

“Whatever. Stop saying it like that.”

“Like how?” I frowned.

“As if we’re blood related or something. I know I’m like her brother, but I don’t have any responsibility towards Ava Dior!”

“I hope when the time comes, you will accept Ava as your sister.” I pressed, and he turned away.

“Please, let’s talk about something else. You said you feel my pains. Can you take my worries away? Like you usually do. Can you wipe off my pains away?” Sadness plastered his face as he requested.

“Yes, of course. I’m a witch... I can make you happy with just the wade of my finger, but no.”

“What?” His smile dropped as he stepped closer.

“Even though I’m dying to make you smile, for a while longer, I won’t wipe off your sorrows.” I explained to Damon, hoping he would understand. He held my hand in his and I faded from his sight.

“But why?” He gazed around, confused.

“Where are you? Adelaide! Why do you leave when I need you most? Why are you hiding from me?!” He thundered in the silence and only his voice echoed back to him.

Damon was breaking down. I could feel it. I hate to make him go through so much, but sometimes he leaves me no choice. Damon dropped to his knees and cried out aloud. Seeing him in this state was heartbreaking,

I showed myself to him. But this time, I was facing the dark sea while I backed him.

“Why, Adelaide?! Don’t you want to be happy as well? “ The tears made his eyes glassy as he begged. His breath shivered and an awkward silence reigned between us.

“Please, Adelaide. Do this for me. It’s my wish. Help me, take these worries and thoughts off my head. Make me happy. Don't I deserve happiness too? You can easily do it, then do it!” He pulled himself up and walked to where I was. Damon held my face, and I watched a solemn tear dropped his sad eyes.

I placed my forehead on his with my eyes closed. A heavy sigh heaved out of my lips and I felt tears forming in my eyes, but I held back. Since I came to the spirit world, it’s the first time of me shedding a tear, for Damon’s sake.

“Never forget, a long as there’s love and memory, there’s no true loss. And I would always be here with you. I will always wait for you.” I pointed out, making it clear that he would be fine.

Next, I felt his lips on mine. Damon’s lower lips held mine firmly in a grip and our lips moved in unison. Damon and I  had kissed a hundred times but this was unexpected.

I placed my hand on his and pulled his hand down from chin while he deepened the kiss. While kissing, I tasted his tears and my heart burnt from his passion and intensity. I gently pulled away, breathing heavily while my eyes opened to his well-sculpted face. A soft moan escaped his lips through the suppressed sound of hiccups. His face was only an inch away from mine, and I felt his hot breath against my lips. I nibbled on it softly while my teary eyes met his.

“I am a spirit, Damon. You can’t bribe me with a kiss.” I whispered in a husky voice. “My love for you is more than you can ever imagine, so stop it!” I swallowed down my tears and controlled my breath and racing heart. My body looked calm compared to how tangled my mind was. I hate the situation right now.

“Then why do you break our kiss? Would you love me less because I'm.. Weak?” He sounded guilty, controlling his breath from the kiss we just had.

“I want you to heal yourself, Damon. We are adults now, not kids. I don’t want you to depend on me for your joy and happiness. For your success and failures in life. Be happy, Damon Smith. Even though your joy is mine, fight for once in your life. You are the son of Damon Smith and Adelaide Cooper. Never forget that.”

“I love you, Adelaide. Please don't leave me... Take my worries away if you truly love me.” He stared at me intensely. I placed my hand on his jawline and wiped away the tear-stains on his face.

I gazed at him as we intently shared an eye contact. “Be strong for our parents, and for the both of us.”

“Damon.... Damon!” his girlfriend called from the real world and I faked a smile, hoping that he would smile too. I bade him goodbye, but he looked so withdrawn, unlike our usual goodbyes. Damon’s sad face watched my eyes till his soul disappeared.