CHAPTER TWO

For what felt like both an eternity and two seconds, all I could see was this blinding white light. Everything else melted away, and for one crystal clear moment, I was at peace, knowing my soul was travelling to where it was meant to be. The light wrapped around me, enveloping me in a warm embrace that sent tingles of happiness down my spine. This was where I was meant to be.
I blinked, and we were standing in a glorious, echoing hall. The walls were lined with giant marble pillars that soared up to the ceiling - that reached such heights it was partially hidden by light wispy clouds. I gawped at the magnificence of this chamber, like an over sized empty cathedral. Soft sunlight poured in through large glass windows that lined the walls, pooling in brilliantly lit puddles, highlighting the centre strip of floor.
Electricity ripped through my veins. It jolted me back, reminded me of what had just happened. Alex. He was still gripping my hand. I'd almost forgotten him, in the pure bliss of nothingness I'd experienced in the light. The electricity I felt when he touched me wasn't painful or uncomfortable. It actually felt extremely nice, warming me from the inside out, energizing me. It was only when Alex tilted my chin to look at him, that I could focus, as his second touch intensified the first. He was staring at me strangely, the look on his face similar to one that I might wear while trying to work out a particularly tough math problem. He didn't look as noticeably glowing as before, standing in this room. Probably because everything else had an other-worldly inner light too.
When our eyes met, and even though he had my full attention, he kept his gentle grasp on my chin. His eyes were huge and the purest blue I'd seen. I all at once knew what people meant, when they said you could drown in someones eyes. His were like twin aqua pools, that seemed so deep they could hold the universe in them. They seemed troubled, and a look of urgency passed over his face.
"Aurora, concentrate," He murmured. Our heads were close enough for me to hear his clearly, though I didn't understand why he'd lowered his voice. We were the only people in the room. I could have sworn I still heard a feint echo off his words. Just how high was that ceiling? "Do you have any idea what just happened?"
I tried to speak, but my mouth was dry. I cleared my throat, then tried again, "Um, not exactly." I kept my voice as hushed as his. "Where are we?" I waved my free arm, encompassing the enormous room in the gesture.
"Never mind that now. What did you do?" He dropped his hand from my chin to my shoulder. I didn't miss these intimate actions. Gestures people who knew each other very well and for a long time might use them. I recalled him saying very vaguely about feeling as if he knew me or something along those lines.
"What? I didn't bring us here, if that's what you think."
"No, I know you didn't - I did." He glanced around him. I sensed he was on edge, and anticipating something to happen. "I mean back in the basement."
"Oh. Well I don't know then." I shrugged.
Alex stopped flicking his gaze around the room and settled it back on me. In a flat voice he replied, "That's it. That's your explanation?" It sounded more like a statement than a question.
"Sorry! All I did was try to move some stuff and nothing would happen and the girl couldn't see me. Then that guy came, so I tried to stop him from getting the little girl. Then those two bigger guys stormed the place and sorted him out. Then she saw me and seemed to know who I was - I look exactly like that body, did you see that?" I shuddered. "Creepy. So then I was talking to her and she said I was glowing, and then all of a sudden she couldn't see me anymore, so I came over to you and now here we are." I concluded with a sigh.
"Here we are indeed," He breathed, looking as if he'd been slapped. He started to say something else, paused, then turned and stepped away. Unconsciously he kept a hold of my hand, preserving the contact.
"Weirdest dream I've ever had. And the longest." I muttered, running my free hand through my hair. At that, Alex whipped round, staring at me aghast. He shook the fist holding my hand vigorously.
"This isn't a dream!" He almost hissed. His voice had risen, and feint echos bounced from it. I just looked at him. Of course he would say that. He was part of the dream. "Oh my Gods', is that what you truly believe? No wonder you aren't reacting the way others do."
"Others? Whats that supposed to mean?"
"You're dead, Aurora. That was you body back there. Want to know why no one could see you and you couldn't move stuff? It's because you're a ghost!" A muscle in his cheek was ticking. He looked incredulous. Then he dropped his eyes and his beautiful face grew troubled again. "Or at least you're meant to be.."
"Meant to be... what?"
"A ghost!"
"Oh." I stared dumbfounded at him. He seemed utterly convinced about this, and was getting quite emotional for someone I'd made up in my sleep. I couldn't think of any more to say. A gust of wind blew past my ear, making me jump. Alex dropped my hand and spun me round by my shoulders to face the other way.
Out of nowhere a platform had appeared, hovering a foot above the ground. A woman lay back on a velvet recliner, a bowl of pomegranates at her feet. She was phenomally pretty, with creamy skin and rich chesnut hair tied and coiled up at the back, with the odd loose curl framing her regal face. I couldn't see her eyes as she appeared to be concentrating on wrapping a long curl, that hung from the back of her head over her shoulder, around her finger. She had an aqualine nose, and a full pouting mouth. She was draped in material that was faastened in place with gold rope, that looped under her bust and around her neck, and a gold and saphire broach at the shoulder.
"Alexander I do love your visits," She spoke softly, but the sound traveled well in this room. "I see you brought a friend this time." Her eyes suddenly flashed up to me, fastened on my face. They were dark and endless pits of nothing, like tunnels. I found myself being drawn into them, with a similar sensation to falling. "Hello my dear," I dimly heard her murmmur, "My name's Persephone."