Page 47 - The Muse 2019-20 Issue

As she looked into his sleeping eyelids, she questioned putting the river water on his lips, and instead, stared at him for some moments.
“I dunno, Chance,” she started, “it seems... wrong?” Chance looked confused about why the usual plan had been stopped and cocked his head as a sign of confusion. After a moment passed, she lifted the boy, held him up and shook him. His eyes began to open. Lucy still held onto him.
“Wuh, uh, where am I?” the strange boy began. “Thanks for the help. I’m Axel, I didn’t think I’d need saving.”
“Oh, saving? No, no, I-,” she stopped to think. “Yes, saving, of course. I’m Lucy.” She brought him back to her Well.
“Nice place you’ve got here. Where are your parents? Do they know you’re here?”
“I’ve been an orphan for, forever, I guess. It’s always been just me and Chance in this here Well.” And the girl led him down to the Well, showed him around and watched as he walked through the cave. The boy was beautiful, Lucy thought. He was unusually peculiar in the sense that he listened to all that Lucy had to say.
Axel offered for her to stay with him and his own family, but Lucy knew that wouldn’t work out due to her daily possessions. So, instead, he promised every day after school to stop by and play with her. And every day he kept that same promise. Lucy instructed her forever playmates not to disturb her during Axel’s visiting time, due to her fear of him leaving her.
“Chance, my head ignores the rest. And my soul is drawn by Axel.” But Chance didn’t listen. He didn’t seem to like Axel. The ghost of the girl was torn in this feeling that only grew stronger every time Lucy and Axel would meet. However, Chance seemed to upset every time Axel was near.
Once, after Lucy and Axel had hung out that afternoon, Chance led Axel to the path along the sleeping river. The two walked oddly close to the river, Chance on the farthest side, pushing Axel ever so closely to the Riverside. Lucy far behind, watching the two up front. She observed as Chance continued to slowly lead Axel closer to the river. Her suspicions were low, though she kept watching.
In an instant, Chance hurled up from the side of Axel and pushed him into the stream. The slumbering river awoke and swallowed him whole.
Lucy reacted in a flash, “Chance! What did you do? Why did you do that, Chance?” Chance didn’t seem to mind, however, and ran back to the Well.
“Oh, oh, what do I do?” Lucy questioned and questioned again. Finally, she jumped into the possessed river herself, grabbing his hand and coming out quickly. The river water had possessed them both, and seeing Lucy in the water, Chance ran back and into the water with them. The three emerged from out of the water and sat very still in the grass. A moment passed, but no movement. Lucy still held Axel’s hand, while Chance’s head lay on her lap. After a while, Lucy awoke with slobbery lickings on the face from Chance and shook Axel in an attempt to wake him as well.
“Chance, what happened?” Lucy asked. But Chance was still. She tried asking Axel questions, but he just sat there, eyes shut.
“Oh, what have I done? Chance, Axel, wake up!” Lucy shouted as loud as she could, giving it all she had in her. But it was no use. They wouldn’t budge. No eyelid moved, no breath released. Silence blew over the river. Silence swirled over the Well. Silence abducted every breath.
The river water hadn’t affected the ghost of a girl because she was indeed a ghost. She’d already been possessed years ago, which was why her duty was to possess the rest. Lucy kneeled down beside her dog and whispered in his ear, “Chance, I love you.”
Lucy knew what love was; she had known it all along. She whispered the same for Axel, and as if a miracle, they both awoke. In the end, all three ghosts decided to release Lucy’s forever playmates and return them to the breathing, real life. A simple lick from Chance would deactivate the possessed river water and let the captives on their way.
Lucy explained all that had happened to Axel, and he forgave her. Chance pushing Axel into the water, Lucy discovered, was the result of his jealousy because Lucy was spending too much time with Axel. The three ghosts could now be seen every day as floating souls from one Well, to another, collecting broken hearts and making them one, solid, beating heart.
And so, Lucy began her new chapter- the chapter of forgiveness. And she did this with the help of a little love, and of a little Well where it all began...
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