Kilthalia
“W, where am I?” asked a confused, groggy, deep voice.
“Welcome! Please, make yourself comfortable till we can straighten everything out,”
His vision cleared from the blinding white that had been. He looked around to see nothing but clouds and there were other people where he was, almost like a waiting room. They were sitting on clouds and he was standing on nothing but fluffy fleecy cloud. He was very confused, but sat down to wait, never the less. It was so comfy that he felt like dozing off. But he can’t! The last thing her remembered, he was with his second wife…now he was here. Hmm. Mysterious indeed. But regardless, he DID make himself comfy in the cloud seat.
He looked to the other people. Some were reading, others were just sitting and a few were even asleep. A few were deformed… umm… like… something, ulp, killed them. He gulped hard but stood his ground regardless of being startled by that because of his pride.
“Drake?”
“Hmm?”
“Please come with me.” Said an employee dressed all in white.
Drake got up to follow the dog to the back door. There were other people in this room and they were pleading to him. There was an orange haired woman with a familiar beak. “Please, please, tell my son I DO love him! I know he’s mad at me but tell him mommy loves him!” Drake walked on and there was a married couple, ducks, there pleading as well. “We DO love our son! Just tell him that! We did what we did because we wanted the best for him!” said the dark blonde woman. The man with her added, “We only wanted him to learn!”
Drake walked on still, confused. Why were they pleading to HIM!? Next was three children, a cat and two rats consisting of two girls and a boy. The oldest cat girl asked him sweetly, “Tell our Mommy and especially Daddy that we love them eternally.”
Then Drake recognized them…Elmo Sputterspark’s dead children… He swallowed hard and got down on his knees and hugged them. “I’ll tell them, don’t you worry.” He said. “They love you too. This hug is from them,” After he let go, he say that they were crying from happiness. Drake put an index finger under the oldest, Tammy’s chin and looked her in the eye. “Your father loves you SO much.” To the rat boy he says, “And Tucker, I can’t tell you how much your father regrets what happened. He SO wanted to keep you. I’m so sorry that happened to you.” To the rat girl he says, “And Piper. Tory loves you. Your parents weren’t surprised that you couldn’t live, much like Tammy here, but always there is love, or else you wouldn’t even be here. Er...who are they?” he asked about the three that pleaded to him just before.
Tammy answered, “Quackerjack’s mother and Bushroot’s parents…”
Drake turned to stare at them. “My…”
“Drake Hudigan, what’s keeping you!?” called the dog in white.
Drake got up, looking down at the tree. “Later you guys.” And he continued to follow his guide. They stopped in another area where there was a long hallway of doors. “Go five doors down on the right.”
“Eh…Hey! What about…” but his guide was gone. Well, there was nothing else to do but go to where he was supposed to. This place was like some bad dream. Going to where he was supposed to, not daring to see what other creepy things were there. He found a brown, builders-special door. He reached for the brass doorknob and there was a scream in the distance. He paused. After all was silent, he continued to grab it and slowly turn. A wolf howled. Drake closed his eyes then opened the door, stepped through and shut it behind himself. Nothing happened. A familiar smell filled his nostrils. He opened his eyes and saw he had stepped through the closet door in the upstairs hallway of his old house he lived in with his beloved wife Michelle. Was he really sleeping? What a nightmare. Why was he back HERE!? Drake opened the closet door to return to where he just was, but there was nothing but closet in there. He shut the door once again, puzzled, and then heard something or rather someone downstairs. He went to investigate. Was some idiot stranger in HIS old house?! Then he thought about that. Why would he be upset? He looked around. Everything was the same as he left it… Uh oh.
Drake reached the stares leading down to the rec room then proceeded in sneaking down the creaky, shiny, wooden stares. Down the first seven, reaching the slate landing and then a u-turn to go down another six. He snuck a peek around the corner to the right to see...Michelle!! She was ironing!! He was so happy that he nearly fell off the last step to run to her, nearly knocking down the ironing board and the clothes and the iron to envelope her in his arms as they fell onto the couch. He just laid there on top of her for the longest time hugging and taking in how nice she smelled of flowers all the time.
“Drake! What are you doing here?!”
He looked at her. “I have NO idea Michelle. What are YOU doing here?! And why are we HERE??!!”
“Darling…” she got very solemn. “We’re dead…”
His lips parted in shock, then his brows burrowed in contemplation. “What!?” he said softly.
“We’re here to haunt our house,”
Drake thought about that for a while. “Cool.”
Michelle smiled. Drake added, “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather haunt with,”
“Me neither!” And they passionately kissed. He suddenly broke his kiss, upset. What about Lizabeth, Drake thought.
“Drake, what’s the matter?!”
he began to tear up and he rested his head on his first wife’s shoulder to cry. “I’m SO sorry, Michelle! I HAD to!! It was so HORRIBLE without you!! It was my only escape!!”
“What are you talking about, darling?”
“I…I…”
“It’s ok, nothing could be as bad as being Negaduck,”
“I remarried!!” they looked into each other’s eyes, his teary and hers were glassy. She barely said, “Drake…”
he mouthed, “I know.” And continued to say aloud in a whisper, “I’m so sorry,”
as he cried on her shoulder Michelle contemplated the predicament. Drake explained through his sobs, “I NEEDED you!! She was most similar!! I’m SO SORRY!!”
“Drake, I understand. You did it to survive. You’re a survivor,”
“You…” he picked his head up to look at her. “You TRIED so HARD!! But you couldn’t!!”
“I’m so sorry you had to see that, darling,”
he continued to cry on her, trying to make excuses for forgiveness from her. “I cried all the time over you!! There was nothing that didn’t remind me of you!! No matter where I looked, what I did, it was YOU!! And you were gone!! I lost you forever!!”
“I know sweetie,” Michelle said sweetly, her voice quivering, feeling his pain.