Lizzie’s eyes fluttered gently. Wherever she was, it was warm and dark and she never wanted to leave. Her eyelashes kept lightly moving against her cheeks, and her mother watched contentedly. It was a long while but when they finally opened, Jo smiled warmly.
“Hey. You’re awake.”
Lizzie sat up, the sleepiness wearing off. “You -”
“Me.” Jo’s smile grew wider as her heart swelled. She'd been watching her daughter for a very long time, but now that she was right in her front of her, it was overwhelming. “I didn’t expect it quite so soon, but I’m glad to see you.”
“What?” Lizzie’s breaths became shallow. “Am I -?”
“Dead? Yeah.”
“I’m really dead?” Her hand reached up to her neck, as if it were remembering what happened before she did.
“For now.”
“What do you mean ‘for now’?”
"Well," Jo folded her hands in her lap, "people with your gifts don't really stay dead for long."
"Magic?" Lizzie crinkled her nose. She knew plenty of dead witches. None of them ever came back, and not for lack of trying.
"No." The brunette shook her head gently. "I'm sure by now you've noticed your unusual connection with death. You can see those who have passed to the Other Side. They see you too, and they will help you back across when the time comes."
"When the time comes?"
"Wherever you're ready."
She said it so serenely that Lizzie felt like she may never leave. The afterlife, she thought, felt very much like a warm bed in the early morning. She'd do anything to stay.
"I wouldn't wait too long, though," Jo said as if she were reading her mind. "Your dad and your mom and your sister are really hurting."
"I don't … I mean, do you think I have enough time for you to tell me about my powers?" Lizzie asked softly.
"Absolutely." Jo's face exploded into another smile. "Everything I know."
YOU ARE READING
Into Thin Air
FanfictionAfter witnessing an old friend vanish, Hope Mikaelson becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her, even when no one else at the Salvatore School seems to remember her ever existing. With the help of an unlikely ally or two, Hope will unco...
