His breath escaped as he gazed upon her… It had been so long since he had seen her form… A year to be exact… A year since he last touched her, held her or kissed her. But now he knew he had little time for the candle was growing dull and the night would soon be gone… His chance was now… He had not a moment to waste.
Arising to his feet from his knees his arms embraced the spectral figured that lingered before him. His eyes closed as he felt her firmly within its grips, he knew he was about to make the right choice… Then he became cold, oh so cold… His heart stooped beating for a moment as the chill of the grave filled his veins. His breath exhaled filling the room with mist… It was painful yet worth it… He knew he no longer wanted to be away from her. He could not bear another day.
Stepping back his eyes rested upon the figure he had loved for so long… Then with a tear, he watched her eyes lock onto his… He knew he could never hear her beautiful voice again, not if he remained here. He could never truly touch her. He could never truly be with her… At least not in this life… For she had long since gone. But on this eve, this sacred and humble evening, this Halloween he could for just a moment see her once more… But that was not enough… Never enough…
Again he reached out touching her fingertips as she gently smiled towards him. Her lips moved yet no words could be heard… Her eyes plead for him to come closer, but all he could do was stand here and now in this circle… For to break it would permanently separate them from each other, here and after he to perished… He could not just simply walk to her. He could not step beyond that line…
With an exhale he reached out his hand towards her allowing her fingers to touch his, then as the hour struck closer to twelve he tugged her from the outside of his magic glowing circle within. Before him, her ghostly white figure filled with color as warmth filled her flesh…
“ No..” she finally whispered stepping back… “You can’t” She cried, yet again he tugged her further into the circle overpowering her… For he was of the living and this was his domain his will was absolute, the dead had to obey. She but a ghost an echo of what she had been. A reflection of what she was in life could not fight his will…
Her eyes swelled with tears as she tried to pull back to the other side of the circle for she knew what was to happen. She knew the harm that would befall him if she entered it fully. Yet even though he had grown old and grey, even though his skin had wrinkled his power was too strong for her to fight.
With a shine akin to a spark her flesh turned solid as she passed the line from the land of the dead unto that of the living. In moments she could feel the wind on her skin again, she could feel his touch as his fingers firmly wrapped around hers. She could feel his blood coursing through his fingertips. This was as much a gift to her as it was for him. Then the reality of what was transpiring kicked in.
“ Let me go!” She begged and pleaded as he stepped towards her wrapping his arms firmly around her small frame and placing her head upon his chest… “ I promised I would never let you go..” He whispered. “ Not even in death..” His voice escaped once more. She could feel him buckling around him as agonizing pain filled his body…
She trembled as he stood there, she could feel his life force fading, feeding them both. Each moment that she was here, he would grow weaker. Already this spell was too much for the Old Magus to bear, it was strong for him to cast any-more… But pulling her into his world completely would kill him. She knew he knew. Yet no matter how much she pushed he would never let go… The hard she pushed he began to stroke her back telling her it was ok. She sobbed feeling his pain.
His body began to shake to tremble as his life force wrapped around them spiralling in a brilliant white light… His skin paled as it began to wither… At this moment her fist began to slam into his chest. " No I beg you!" she sobbed.
“I was with you on the day you passed, I held you in my arms..” His voice shook as he weakened. “ The day I made my vow to you .. I said for all time..” He moaned nearly unable to move… His muscles were buckling, struggling to keep him upright. “ I meant it..” His voice cracked. " I meant it when I lost you, I meant it on the day we met. I meant it on the day we married. Forever and always…" He gasped losing strength.
Hearing his words she stopped struggling… Her eyes now teared not out of worry, nor out of fear for him, but out of love… She had never considered how old he had become… Nor had she considered how much he had missed her. She always presumed that he would move on and that she would watch him from the beyond… Yet every Halloween he brought her to the veil. Now he intended to cross it with her. He intended not to be left behind…
Slowly his breath grew weaker as he grasped her with all his might. His lips fell upon her forehead as she stroked the back of his head… “ Are you sure?” She questioned with a shaken voice… He could barely muster a word. He was too weak… “ It is time… I should have done this long ago.” His last words broke from his lips barely audible..
With each passing moment, she was able to overpower him as he weakened to the point of collapse. Yet she would be here for him, he had given to much to turn back. Here she would remain.. Here she would commit… For if she left his side it could be hundreds of years before he ever found her in the beyond… This pain, this suffering, this torment was to ensure he would pass from this life into the next, to immediately be with her…
From her arms he crumbled onto the floor.. There was no noise, no crying, no moans. Rather he looked up at the woman he had always loved, the woman he had married, the woman he vowed to spend eternity with and smiled….
Time ceased and stood still as she gazed down upon him and he up towards here. She stroked his cheek as the last force of his life faded, she held his head between her hands as it went limp. Then with a step back from that circle, she smiled at the old room, knowing she would never see it again… Knowing this was the last time she would be able to visit their home…
Between her fingers, ghostly tips emerged and immediately squeezed. She closed her eyes almost excited, yet did not want to spoil. She exhaled and then inhaled again… He had kept his vow… For even now, he stood beside her. Even now they would cross into the world of the dead as one.
Stepping back across the circle they watched upon the room as it began to fade… They watched as the world of the living ceased … Everything turned blue and forever, together they would be…
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