80 Years Later

Trick

I stood there with the other Guardians staring at the two occupied hospital beds. A brother and sister, the beds moved closer to one another so they could hold one another's hands. The little old woman's hand lay limp in her brothers after passing only minutes ago.

She looked as if she were merely sleeping. Her head was turned to the left so she could see the Guardian of Hope that had not left her side since we had arrived. After almost ninety years the two still believed in us and they had shared their belief into their children and grandchildren. The three adults stood in the back of the room near North, Sandy and Tooth. The six grandchildren stood closer to the edge of the bed along with Jack and I. Tears ran down my face as I stared at her peaceful face. The last thing to leave her small shriveled lips touched us all to our very core.

"Hop, hop Bunny..." Was the last thing spoken as the light receded from her eyes. Bunny had held her free hand and looked into her green eyes the entire time. Once she was gone he had quietly closed her eyes before erupting into sobs of sorrow. He shook quietly as he hung his head so we would not see his tears. Tooth flew over to him and placed a tiny hand on his shoulder.

Their children and grandchildren held one another or onto a Guardian for comfort. They had already talked with them and said their goodbyes by the time the six of us got there, now it was our turn... and I was not ready.

"Lexi..." I heard the faint raspy voice of the old man say my name as he clung to his sister's hand. He was afraid, I could feel his fear. I moved my way around to the other side of his bed and held his free hand.

Through out all these years his eyes were still bright and full of life. I looked into those chocolate-brown eyes and saw the young boy smiling and playing, not the bed ridden sick man before me. I gently took his hand and smiled at him, trying not to cry. I had to be strong still for Jamie.

"It's going to be alright, Jamie I promise." I smiled at him. Just by that one sentence I could feel him relax. This is going to be hard, more tears were forming and already running down my face.

"It's not going to hurt at all kiddo." He smiled when I used his old nickname. He may be ninety six but I was now over one hundred years old and I didn't look a day over twenty.

The heart monitor showed signs of his heart slowing. I started to panic as I looked at it then back at Jamie, making sure to keep composed for him. I stroked the small tuff of snow-white hair he had on his head soothingly. How I remembered Jack joking to him about that. "It's going to be alright, we are all here." The monitor slowed again and Jamie's eyes fluttered.

"You will... always be... my Guardian..." He smiled at me as a tear ran down his wrinkled face. The bright brown eyes grew dim and his grip lessened on my hand, no.

"Jamie..." I said quietly, my voice cracking. His face stayed unmoving, still smiling at me, he was gone. I quietly mimicked Bunny and closed his eyes before breaking down into a fit of sobs. My cousins were gone.

Cold arms enveloped me and pulled me close to their shaking frame. I clung to Jack tightly as I cried into his shoulder.

I knew that this day would come, but to me it had come too fast. Even though the rest of my family could no longer see me I still stayed for Jamie and Sophie. We all had been there for them. Their marriages, their children, grandchildren, and more. It had hurt to see my aunt and uncle die. It had hurt worse to see my mother die, relapsed and OD. My dad and I saw it since it had happened on Halloween. But seeing Jamie and Sophie go, let alone at the same time had taken the cake. This was when I wished that I had not gotten my memories back so soon. This was the curse we must bear if we Guardians became attached to a child... a believer... the curse of seeing them grow old and die in the blink of an eye while lived centuries longer than any other creature.

A nurse that had silently stood in the back of the room, who was still convincing herself that the two hallucinated before their death turned their machines off and called out their times of death. She looked at the clock when Sophie had passed but did not dare announce it for Jamie's sake. But now they were gone.

Everyone in the room was crying, holding one another as they stared at the two. Jamie and Sophie had been our Guardians when we were theirs. I lifted my head up a little to look out the window. The moon was dimly shining in as if Manny himself were mourning. Keep them safe MiM. I sent a silent prayer to him. I had heard that sometimes if believers continued to believed in the guardians till the day they die that they earned a special place up in the moon with MiM. I do not know if it is true but I still sent that prayer out for them.

After what seemed like an eternity the family started to clear out first. We gave our round of hugs as they went outside to the rest of their family that had sat in the waiting room this entire time. Soon is was just us Guardians looking down upon our two former believers. Bunny hand come over to join Jack and I and he held us close to him. I was pretty much a Trick sandwich. We held one another together silently crying. Tooth joined in first the Sandy and North. We all hugged one another, comforting each other at this loss.

"We should go, not good for her to stay." North said quietly. I knew he ment me, we all knew. I wouldn't take my eyes off the two. Bunny gently took me from Jack and held my bridle style incase I retaliated, but I did not. His warm furry arms held me close to him as Jack stayed by our side. I looked up staring at the stars as we left the hospital and Jamie and Sophie silently...

The funeral later that week was just as heart breaking. We all stood in the back our heads hung sorrowfully. Jack was to my left and Bunny was to my right as I held their hands. They were my anchor through out all of this. If Jack and Bunny had not of stayed with me, I honestly think I would have gone insane. North stood on the other side of Jack, Sandy beside North. Tooth hovered beside Bunny quietly.

I lifted my head to look at the caskets, both a pretty rich cherry color. Their tombstones were right beside one another, their other half already buried on the other side of the tombs. Both Jamie and Sophie's spouse died beofer them, I found that very ironic. In the end they were all each other had, just like in childhood.

After staring between the caskets and stones for what seemed like an eternity I peeled my eyes away. This whole time I had be hoping that I was just under one of my own nightmares, but this was no dream at all it was all real.

"Lexi!" It was a faint voice almost gruff sounding as it carried through the light wind.

"Lexi!" This time is was clearer and more feminine sounding.

I looked to where my old name had come from. Only two people had called me that after I became Trick. My eyes frantically scanned the area, searching for the owner of the voices. A small movement caught the corner of my eye. I turned to it, making sure it looked as inconspicuous as possible so I didn't alert the others.

There they were, pre-teens again. Jamie and Sophie smiled as they sat on my tombstone, their pains and worries finally gone.

"Till next Halloween" they both said to me. A small gust of wind picked up blowing around the leaves that was jerked off the branches. With it vanished Jamie and Sophie.

Until then we can always play! A child like voice said with in my mind. The funeral was now ending and people were slowly standing and leaving, no one but their grandchildren and children noticing us. The Guardians slowly started to leave too. But i stood there, listening to the child talk to me as I stared at the tombs once more.

"Yes Jamie, we are going to play..." I smiled, and we would.

Author's Note: Bwahahahahaha! Just when you thought I was done I add this heart tugging experience! We say goodbye to Jamie and Sophie. This is actually based off of the short dedication I did for the people in Boston and my cousin.

Could this be the opening for a possible... SEQUEL?!

Let me all know if you want one! If I get enough asks I'll make it. Much love my fellow readers!