The Life That Ends:
A Reborn Story
by Casse NaRome
This story is dedicated to If I Die Young by The Band Perry. Also, to Patty Mendlewicz for being a great friend and fan!
And
as always… my Dad for giving me
wings,
my Mom for teaching me how to fly,
my Sister for letting
me soar, and
God for giving me the strength and confidence to take
the first flight.
Always the same nutmeg brown hair, always. I looked across the street through the window at the group of girls in the café. It was her, it had to be. No matter what lifetime it was, she was always reborn with the same brownish red hair. And those lips always so soft to the touch. I felt my heart flutter in longing. I had lived last lifetime without her but not this one. Our ages and our timing were right. The Facility hadn't realized that the ten lifetimes without her hadn't done anything to fade the eighty-eight with her. That I still held on to those lives. This would be ninety-nine.
I darted across the street towards the café and cars honked and blared at me and my disregard to the drivers trying to go to whatever places they were in a rush to go. This was destiny. This could not wait.
The door opened with a jingle but the room was too loud for it to be heard and no one looked over to see who had walked in. I scanned the room for my girl. I spotted her with her head down as she and another whispered back and forth.
My heart ached to sweep her into my arms and bruise her lips with kisses. Wanting to bury my face in her neck while twisting my fingers in her brown hair. The same brown hair. I walked to the counter to order a drink so I didn't look out a place in case the facility had someone on me. Hopefully, they would think that this could be a strange coincidence.
After taking my drink, I headed over to the empty window seat by the girls. How was I to do this? In past lives, I could boldly approach her and woo her but this was a different time. That would be too forward and women were different now. School, I could mention school. One problem though. I went to a facility school since I was what they deemed a troublemaker but then again these girls didn't know that. I could get them to talk just to find out what school they went to and then I'd know where I could find her and be with her every day.
I sat my cup on the table and did the same to myself in the chair. Okay, now to find an opening. My mind went blank. No, no, no. Don't do this. Don't freeze up Dain. I always call myself Dain. It was my first name and I just can't get use to going by another name. I have been Charles Duncane, Edward Munis, Richard Lowe but none seemed to fit me like Dain DuMarcus the Marquis does. I wonder if Tara Croix felt the same.
I saw a small slip of paper flutter to the ground from the girl's table. The sight broke me from my thoughts. There it was, my opening. I bent and picked up the paper trying to read it quickly without them noticing while I righted myself.
“Excuse me; does this belong to one of you ladies?” I tried to keep my voice smooth and friendly not wanting to portray my heart pounding in my throat making it almost impossible to think let alone speak.
The girls' conversation trailed off as they turned their heads and thus attention toward me almost as a hive. Tara's long brown hair fell across her face and I caught my hand before it darted to take the liberty of pushing it back. Her eyes twinkled with good humor and then her eyes locked on mine.
My breath caught. It had been so long since she had really seen me. Her body went terse and if I didn't know every move of her body, I probably wouldn't have caught it. I smiled slightly. Got her.
Confidently I slid the paper on the tabletop towards her. Tara's eyes never left my face. They narrowed as she tried to remember where she knew me. I watched her, as I knew déjà vu raced through not only her mind but her body as well as my fingers grazed hers while slipping the paper beneath her hand.
“Is this yours?” I asked her knowing it was. I recognized the flowing and feminine script on the paper.
“Um yea, yes. It is thank you, Dain.” She stammered.
My eyes widened in shock. She knew me. I didn't just feel familiar, she actually knew me. My heart soared. This is going to be the best life of mine yet. I didn't have to waste so much time convincing and explaining; we could just be together.
I smiled sweetly and spoke softly to her. “I have missed you, Tara.”
She nodded. “I have missed you too, Dain.”
“Lindsay what the hell is going on?” One of her friends demanded breaking us out of our revere.
Ok, her name was Lindsay this lifetime. I felt myself mentally shrug. Okay, this time we maybe Greg and Lindsay but we would always be Dain and Tara.
Tara shot a look to her friends. “Oh um. Sorry guys. Dain is an old friend I- uh well lost touch with.” She looked at me again eyes soft with excitement. “I am just so glad he finally found me.” She finished.
“Tara, I always find you, even if it takes me ten failed tries.” I responded.
Her eyes went sad with guilt. “Oh my god, ten? I am so sorry.” She understood that by ten tries I meant we had gone ten lifetimes apart.
“It's not all your fault. Timing is usually off; sometimes I am too late by ten, twenty up to thirty.” I used our code telling her the age differences in past few lives.
“Shit Dain, really?” She whistled. “They really screwed us right?” She laughed slightly.
“Hell yeah!” I agreed.
“Lindsay we really should be going.” Her friend interrupted again.
I didn't want her to leave. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let go of her go. I only wanted to brand her with my kisses. To feel the silk of her skin against my cheek as it brushed her collarbone while I charted her body with my mouth and my hands, as well, if she'd liked.
She reached over and grabbed my hand turning my watch to face her so she could see the time. I felt the familiar current between us and the curl of her mouth in a small smile told me that she felt it too.
“Crap! We really do have to go but can I stop by later?”
“I have very strict foster parents.” I let my eyes drill holes into hers hoping she got my meaning.
“Really?” He eyes widened in shock. “If I say meet me somewhere would you be able to get away?”
I nodded. “Always. Nothing would keep me away.”
She told me where to meet her, I agreed, and we went our separate ways.
Standing near the front door, I peered around the hall checking to see if any of the faculty were near enough to witness my escape. I didn't see anyone and I darted from the door opening it swiftly while hoping it wouldn't make a sound. As made it down the stairs of the front porch my heart pounded in my chest partly from adrenaline and the other part with the knowledge that I was about to see Tara again and possibly take her into my arms and press my kisses onto her soul, branding her once more as mine. She knew me. That was the biggest joy of all. This kind of joy erased all of the heartache that the past ten lifetimes had pounded into me nearly breaking me. She knew me and she loved me.
The streets were dark but still sticking to the shadows I made my way up Parkerview Blvd heading towards Millers Ln the street where the local high school set. I was almost there. I saw the school's church like temple rising into the skyline from the two blocks away. I stepped backwards off the curb to avoid being in the way as a bike messenger zoomed by.
I pulled my coat tighter around me as the wind whipped around me. I hunched over my knees and as I tried to use as much as my own body heat as possible while on the steps of my cathedral looking school, I shivered.
He was late. Hours late. I wouldn't leave. Not until Dain showed. I was willing to wait until the world stopped spinning for him. He'd show. He said nothing would stop him. In all ninety-nine of our lives, he hadn't lied to me once. He'd show.
I hadn't even started to panic when the first drop of freezing rain fell just as the cathedral tower's clock rung out its hour. Midnight.
The rain splattered against me and my mousy brown hair was now plastered to my face.
"Linds, get in here."
I heard the voice of my father somewhere in the rain but I did not register it somehow. As he pulled me into the car, I realized my teeth were chattering against one another. He blasted the heat on and laid his own coat, though it was slightly damp around my hunched and slumped shoulders. I glanced at the time on the dash glaring an angry red. 4:30.
He hadn't showed.
"Linds, why are you so obsessed over the jerk you just met who stood you up. He's a loser move on babe."
"He did not stand me up. Something just, just happened."
"Like what? He was hit by a bus on the way there? Come on."
"I did not say that. I don't know what happened. He said he wouldn't let anything stop him.”
“Lindsay, he is a guy, they are liars. You told me that."
"And it’s true. Just not this guy. He never lies. Like ever. Trust me."
"I don't know Lindsay. I just think you are harping on this stranger and it’s weird. That's what it is. It’s weird. Your dad thinks you are insane! He had to pull you out the rain. The girls are starting to think you are pathetic."
Nobody was getting it. Dain wasn't some guy who stood me up. He was the only guy that meant anything to me. I would spend the rest of my life looking for him.
I sat in the living room strumming my guitar to a Nirvana tune as I gazed out the window as the rain made designs against the glass.
The house was warm even though the cold wind gusted outside but I still had my flannel layered over my long sleeved shirt and t-shirt. The flannel reminded me of Dain. He had been wearing one just like it the only time I had saw him two years ago.
I had spent every day in search of him and still, I wasn't any closer to finding him.
"I'm just glad they are finally doing something about that intersection."
I tried to strum louder to drown out mom and dad's conversation in the next room. I would be heading to college in a few months and it couldn't be sooner. Seattle was getting a bit depressing with Cobain's death everyone was in mourning not to mention dad hadn't taken his eye off me since that night years ago when I waited for Dain.
"All it took was two kids getting killed in 2 years." I heard dad respond back to mom.
Two kids? I set aside my acoustic and padded across the plush carpet to the dining room.
"What are you guys talking about?"
Mom moved passed me stopping briefly to play in my hair. Fluffing it up and pushing the long strands behind my ears.
"They are finally putting up street lights and signals at the intersection by the school." Dad answered.
"You said two kids in 2 years?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, another kid was killed? When? Who?"
"That girl last week." He was looking at me as if I were half-insane again. I sighed.
"Dad, I know about her. Who else?"
"That kid two years ago."
Two years ago?
"Dad," I spoke slowly as fear coursed through my veins. "When exactly? More specific than two years ago. Was it a guy?"
He looked at me with his full blown Lindsay has gone insane look. "I think it was the night...at the school. You were a little out of it that night. It’s okay if you don’t remember." He answered reluctantly.
"Do you remember the kid’s name?"
Dad paused, searching his memory before answering. "Gregory Worthington."
My mind raced trying to remember if Dain ever told me his name this lifetime. I didn't think so but I was sure it was him. If it was, it explained not only why he didn't show up that night but also why he disappeared off the face of the earth like he did. I couldn't risk not believing. If he was dead, in this life, next life would be our last and the timing had to be right.
I felt tears sting my eyes as I looked at my parents. My acceptance letter from Yale, Harvard and Penn state sat spread out on Mom's desk.
I was a horrible daughter. I was selfish, selfish person. Did my family not mean anything to me? I knew they did only Dain meant more.
I knew what I was going to do. I wouldn't be attending any school or making my parents proud. I hated myself for my decision and for my weakness of not being able to live without Dain. Dain would hate what I was about to do. My parents’ life would be ruined; they were about to lose their only child.
I cried.
My name is Tara Croix and I’ve just seen the love of my life, Dain DuMarcus the Marquis, for the first time and by surprise. It is always when you least expect it, right. For centuries, I have lived and breathed for him.
My brother Marco and I were driving by the joke of a school, Talbot prep. Sounds prestigious right? Trust me it really isn't. Trailer park kids made to feel important due to academic scholarships.
Nevertheless, there he was and my heart was gone. My hand was on the car door handle before I had time to realize what I was about to do.
"Bonnie, what the fuck!" Marco yanked my shoulder with one rough hand and with the other tugged the wheel back straight.
"If you plan on doing a kamikaze suicide please don't drag me along with you. Put your hands back on the wheel B."
Quickly I put my hands back at 10 and 2. "Ooh gosh! Sorry sorry sorry. I got distracted."
"Distracted my ass."
"Just drop it Marco."
"Did you just tell me to drop it after you tried to fling yourself out the door of a moving car that you are supposed to be driving?" Marco threw up his arms in frustration. "Why did I let Mommy convince me to let you drive to go get my car from the shop?"
"Marco, do we need to revisit what 'drop it' means?"
"Screw your drop it, B."
I sighed and tried to scan the crowd of Prep Cattle to find where Dain went. I saw his head duck into a junk mobile but he wasn't alone. He was with a girl and irrationally I felt tears threatened to spill.
"Are you about to cry, B?"
"Marco, shut up! Before I make your butt walk."
"You are having a meltdown; I am trying to help you. I'm not the enemy."
"I am fine. I just thought I saw someone I knew."
"That makes you wanna cry?"
"No, that made me want to go to him, seeing him with another girl is what made me want to cry."
"He's slumming with trailer junk...he's not worth it. But as your big brother I am willing to kick his ass."
"He IS the trailer junk."
Marco's eyes went wide in shock or horror maybe both. "No. No no no Bonnie! Tell me you haven't fell for a wannabe prep dude and he played you."
"No! I'm not insane. Let’s just drop it ok?"
"Fine."
"Silence the rest of the way to the shop, promise me."
Marco held up his hand and did the Boy Scout salute. Though he had never been a member.
I tried to push the memory of a man I wasn't sure I knew out of my head.
I sat in the parking lot of Station Hill Park. I had followed the boy, who was Dain in this lifetime, and his girlfriend here. I was sure they had headed to the gazebo in the center of the park.
I took deep breath, trying to get my nerve up. It was now or never. I hopped out the car quickly and ran down the path towards the Gazebo. I saw him sitting with his arm draped around the girl.
Maybe it would be like last time. He would see me and it would be over. We'd just know.
I called out unable to hide the excitement and anticipation of being about to be in his arms. "DAIN!"
I saw his body stiffen as he heard me and he stood up to look around. When his eyes found me, he froze. His mouth formed the smirk I knew well. I called out again preparing myself to fling into his arms.
"Dain! Dain."
Confusion clouded his face as he shot the girl beside him a look and my steps almost faltered. He didn't recognize me. I didn't see Dain looking back at me through his eyes. My heart sank. He didn't know me. He always had in the past. Now seeing his eyes see me as a stranger was almost enough to destroy me. The love of my life saw me as a stranger yet his body was so accepting of the girl at his side. It was too late to stop myself.
I climbed up the stairs and flew into his arms. My heart rejoiced as his arms accepted me. The girl barked words that I didn’t hear but Dain obviously did because his arms left me.
I stood looking at him for any hint of something familiar.
“Dain, it’s me Tara.” I pleaded.
His body tensed as he began to speak and hope flooded me that he would say he knew.
You can read the rest of Tara and Dain’s story in The Reborn…coming soon!