The Inbetween

Tom had left the kitchen now and was standing beside Jay, “So uh... Do we... do anything?”

Holly rolled her eyes and let a laugh slip out. She wanted them to believe she was there, but she didn’t want them to be scared of the idea of that. She looked around the living room looking for something, anything she could do to let them know she was there. She spotted the notepad beside the phone that they’d never used, but it was obviously just there for the principle but scrunched her face up. She continued looking but quickly realised that it might be her only option so side-stepped around the coffee table, stumbling over the leg and falling towards Max. She collided with his shoulder, nudging him a little. She quickly gained her balance and let her jaw drop; she didn’t think she’d have the strength to physically move someone. There was a tense silence in the room as everyone stared at Max for a moment before starting to freak out slightly.

“I’m not just saying this alright,” Jay started slowly, “But I could swear I saw her hair there,” he said quietly, pointing to where she had tripped. Max looked to his left where Holly was standing with her jaw dropped. Jay saw her! What was going on? Maybe her powers were getting stronger today. Maybe the more they believed she was there, the stronger she became, or the more visible she became. She rushed to pick up the pen from the table and scribbled on the paper, but no one saw the pen moving.

It’s really me, I’m here. Don’t freak out, though!

She ripped the paper from the pad then stared at it for a few moments, willing it to appear on the coffee table, before blinking. When she opened her eyes the paper was gone and she glanced over to the coffee table to see the small yellow note paper that Nathan was now pointing at frantically, “Siva, come on!” he yelled then sat down with his head in his hands, “Look at that, how can you deny this? This is some fucked up shit; why in the fuck-?!”

“Shit,” Tom jumped up at the smell of burning and ran to the kitchen, switching everything off before running back in. “Guys…”

Holly was watching them, praying that one of them would have the next bright idea, because she had no idea what to do next. She’d already tried speaking to them without having to touch them and it hadn’t worked. But she’d discovered that she could physically move them and her ‘powers’ were a lot stronger. She was clutching at straws now, pleading one of them to come up with something. “Ugh, would someone just talk to me!” she cried not really knowing what to expect from shouting so loudly. She smiled though, when all five of them jumped and turned to face where she was standing.

Nathan was the first to make a move; “Uh, H-Holly?” he tried, wincing a little when his voice cracked. “Are you there? I don’t… We don’t know what we’re doing here,” he mumbled, frustrated.

Holly blinked – neither did she. She glanced around before sighing; it worked the last three times. She moved to stand in front of him then reached her hand out and touched his shoulder taking a breath to speak. She got nothing out though, as Nathan screamed and jumped back, kicking the coffee table and falling into Max, who reached out to try and catch him. Nathan was left gasping for air, staring straight into Holly’s eyes; eyes that were identical to his own. She took a few steps forward, a frown covering her face, and he followed her every movement. She looked around at the others to see them looking at Nathan, except Siva who was looking around her, trying to see what Nathan was looking at. She looked back at Nathan who had wide eyes as he pulled himself up and away from Max. “Can you… can you see me?!” she cried. He just looked at her for the longest time before a small smile tugged on his lips.

He nodded his head, “Yeah…” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat before repeating what he’d said. How was this happening? She’d been gone, dead and buried, for five years, yet here she was stood before him as if he’d gone back five years in time. “How-?”

“I don’t know,” Holly said softly, stepping closer to her brother, hesitantly reaching her hand out but stopping before she reached him. What if it all went wrong? What if he couldn’t see her again? What if she couldn’t communicate with him like this again? Her heart thudded painfully. “Nathan, I-” She gasped as Nathan held out his hand and touched her fingertips with his own, and everyone else gasped, jumping back and training their eyes on Holly, their jaws ajar. But Holly ignored that as she stared down at her fingertips. She felt warm. Warmth was absolutely radiating from her brothers fingertips; she felt it then, a surge of heat shooting through her arm to her heart. Tears sprung to her eyes – that was new – she hadn’t cried in over five years, despite how much she’d wanted to. She watched Nathan’s hand slowly wrap around her own before she was pulled roughly into his chest. She broke down, allowing her tears to fall and her sobs to shake her body.

“I missed you,” Nathan said into her hair, his voice shaking with his own sobs. She tried to pull him closer to her, crushing her face into his chest and inhaling the scent she missed so much. “You have no idea- idea how much,” his voice cracked and he pulled her in tighter. His baby sister was in his arms for the first time in five years, and this time she wasn’t dead. He squeezed his eyes shut refusing to think about that now that she was somehow here in front of him.

She choked on her sobs, unable to say anything. They stayed like that for what felt like a lifetime before Nathan moved back, grasping her shoulders and tilting his head down to look into her eyes. His cheeks were red and tearstained, but he sniffed and smiled at her. She watched as he reached out and touched his middle finger to her right cheek, wiping away the tears that were there. As soon as his finger touched her face she felt the warmth radiating from him. Holly didn’t know what to say now that it came down to speaking, but neither did Nathan. The pair didn’t have to say anything, though, as Max broke the silence by clearing his throat. Holly jumped a little then looked around at the four familiar faces before smiling at them. “Hi,” she said quietly, swiping her eyes and cheeks with the sleeves of her cardigan.

“This is just…” Max started but had no words to finish. Holly giggled, nodding her head in agreement.

“Uh…” Jay cleared his throat, “Does anyone want a cuppa?” He scurried off to the kitchen with Tom to make some tea.