Chapter 6: One Hour to Eternity

The word rang out, final and true. I swallowed the charm, feeling my body solidify, the world sharpening around me. The sensation was dizzying, electric. I felt alive—truly alive—for the first time since my death.

“What will you do?” the reaper asked.

I didn’t answer, just walked toward a part of the mansion. This was Hanley’s base. I’d been here before and knew all the secret passages—including where Hanley hid his weapons and explosives. My mind raced, mapping out every corridor, every trap. I moved with purpose, adrenaline humming in my veins.

I set the timer, lit the explosives to cause a commotion and create the illusion of an intruder. This would not only distract Hanley, but also destroy his arsenal. Then I’d escape with Dr. Harrison through a secret passage and contact the nearest police station for backup. The plan unfolded in my mind, sharp and clear. I worked quickly, every second counting down to the end.

Thinking this, I quickly found the arsenal, phased in, found the timed bomb, and set it for three minutes. Then I phased out and returned to the basement where Dr. Harrison was held. My hands shook as I set the timer, but my resolve never wavered.

“You’re finally back. I just saw that monster inject him with something—probably the Adrenal-X you mentioned. Anyway, he’s in bad shape.”

The reaper hovered nearby, worry etched in every line of his face. His presence was oddly comforting, like a lifeline in a storm.

I didn’t know why this guy hadn’t left, but I couldn’t care now. I floated into the cell where I was once tortured. Dr. Harrison’s nose was broken, his face covered in blood. His eyes were wide, bulging, his whole body frighteningly agitated. After days without sleep and being injected with Adrenal-X, if he wasn’t sent to the hospital, he might die from cardiac arrest.

Panic clawed at my chest. I knelt beside him, whispering his name over and over. My heart tightened. Seeing him like this, I wished I could become corporeal and fight Hanley. But I couldn’t! Hanley had to live! He must be captured alive! Justice demanded it. I swallowed my rage, focusing on the plan.

Wait, wait! I was trembling all over. They say the dead can’t feel pain, but my heart felt like it was being torn apart. Every second stretched into eternity. I counted down the minutes, praying for a miracle.

I watched as Hanley picked up a dagger, grinning as he approached Dr. Harrison. The blade was already at his chest—I guessed what he wanted: to cut out Dr. Harrison’s organs as he did to me. My hands itched to stop him, but I held back, trusting in the plan.

Wait, wait! Never had three minutes felt so long. My mind kept repeating this phrase, as if fighting my fading reason. The tension was unbearable. I clenched my fists, willing the timer to hurry up.

Finally, just as I couldn’t hold back from charging at Hanley, a loud bang shook the mansion. The explosion rattled the windows, sending dust and debris raining down. Hanley spun around, cursing.

Hanley was startled, dropping the knife. “Damn it, what happened!” he roared, and soon someone ran in to report an explosion in the arsenal. His face twisted with rage and fear. He barked orders, his men scattering in panic.

“Damn!” Hanley roared again, forgetting about torturing Dr. Harrison. The arsenal was his foundation—without it, he had nothing. He stormed out, leaving Dr. Harrison slumped in his bonds.

“Those bombs can’t explode by themselves. Damn cops! Come with me!”

He kicked Dr. Harrison again, spat on him, and hurried off. I watched as Hanley left, then quickly turned corporeal, released the dazed but conscious Dr. Harrison, and held him tightly, tears streaming down.

The relief was overwhelming. I cradled his battered face in my hands, whispering his name like a prayer. “Harrison, Dr. Harrison—” I choked, wiping the blood from his face. “Harrison, it’s me, it’s me! Look at me, I’m here, I’ll get you out.”

His eyes fluttered open, confusion and hope warring in their depths. I had no time to think about what shock my appearance would bring—a forensic doctor, a staunch realist, seeing his dead lover appear again. But in that moment, nothing else mattered. I was here, and I would save him.

“Jenny? Blair? Is it you? It’s you, really you! Jenny, you’ve always been here!”

His voice cracked, raw and desperate. He reached for me, hands trembling. I was surprised. I thought he’d say, “You’re not dead,” or “I knew you were alive!” But I never expected him to say I’d always been here. So he always felt my presence.

His words broke something open inside me. I realized I’d never truly left him—not in life, not in death. “I’ve always been here, and always will be.” I held his hand tightly, smiled reassuringly, then lifted him up. The warmth of his grip was the sweetest thing I’d ever known.

“I’ll get you out of here!”

As I spoke, another explosion sounded in the mansion. I didn’t hesitate, taking Dr. Harrison through a secret passage, winding around, and escaping through a sewage pipe. The stench was overpowering, but I barely noticed. All that mattered was getting him to safety.

“Harrison, remember what I say now! Follow this road down, out of the woods, two miles east is the nearest police station. When you get there, call Chief Miller, tell him to bring more people—one team to surround Hanley’s. There’s a hidden door in the first-floor storeroom, leading to the real money-making operation. Tell Sam to get the evidence from your car—the USB has all Rick Hanley’s contacts and bribes in Maple Heights, and Hanley’s records! I’ve blown up their arsenal. Hanley is smart—he’ll realize something’s wrong. Tell Chief Miller to guard the docks—don’t let him escape! And—”

I rattled off instructions, my voice steady and sure. This was my last mission, and I wouldn’t fail. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” Dr. Harrison interrupted, his red eyes fixed on me. He seemed to realize something, holding me tightly, not letting me go another step.

His grip was desperate, pleading. I could see the fear and love in his eyes. I struggled, but not just physically. I shouted at him: “Harrison, I’m talking business!”

He shook his head, refusing to let go. “Jenny, can’t you be selfish just once! Let me be selfish just this once! You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

His voice broke, and tears streamed down his face. He clung to me as if letting go would mean losing me forever. His voice trembled with sobs, his whole body shaking. Those suppressed emotions finally erupted—this was the first time I saw him, always calm as ice, cry before me.

The sight broke my heart. I wanted to hold him forever, but I knew I couldn’t. “Jenny, what realism! Every second with you, I thank God for letting me meet you. Every moment you were undercover, I prayed for your safe return. Jenny, did you do something reckless behind my back again? I knew it. You always act on impulse when I’m not around!”

He laughed through his tears, voice thick with love and regret. He cupped my face, and I couldn’t tell if it was blood or tears rolling down, burning my skin. His hands were warm, grounding me in the moment.

“Harrison, we don’t have time!” I gritted my teeth, avoiding his gaze, while the reaper urged me on. I could hear the ticking clock in my head, counting down the seconds.

I pried his hands away, pulling him as we ran through the woods. I didn’t dare say I loved him. I wanted to be selfish too—to kiss him, to say ‘I love you’ a hundred, a thousand times in this last moment. I wanted to say all the love I never had time for, but I had no time left. The words caught in my throat, burning like a secret I’d never share.

I gritted my teeth, finished all my instructions to Dr. Harrison. He still held my hand tightly, looking at me as if to engrave me in his eyes forever. His gaze was fierce, unyielding. I wished I could freeze time, just for a moment longer.

But I broke free, because I had nothing left to say—my time was up. I felt my body fading, the world growing distant and gray. I forced myself to let go, even as every fiber of my being screamed to stay.

When I let go, Dr. Harrison stopped, panic in his eyes. He wanted to turn, but I stopped him. “Harrison, go forward.” My voice was unusually calm. I didn’t know why, but as I was about to be gone, I felt only peace. The calm was a gift, a final mercy. I smiled at him, hoping he’d remember me this way.

“Jenny—” Dr. Harrison seemed to sense something. His instincts were always sharp. He reached for me, but I pressed my hand to his back, guiding him forward.

I pressed my hand to his back, using all my strength to push him forward. “Harrison, go forward, don’t look back.” The words echoed in the clearing, a benediction and a goodbye.

He stumbled forward, but couldn’t help wanting to look back. “Harrison!” I could feel my body fading. I shouted with all my strength: “Go forward, don’t look back!”

He paused, and I didn’t know how much strength it took to stop himself, but he forced himself to keep moving, running forward. I watched him go, pride and sorrow warring in my chest. I whispered one last time, “I love you.”

“Is it worth it?” Before my consciousness faded, the reaper’s sigh sounded in my ear. His voice was soft, almost reverent. I smiled through my tears.

“Of course.” I nodded.

I grew up under the stars and stripes, raised on hope. I swore an oath to serve and protect. I have no regrets for my country, my people, my honor, or my father’s legacy. The only one I let down is my lover. And even then, maybe I didn’t. Maybe love is the one thing that survives everything.

I hope, on every day when spring returns, the passing breeze can tell him for me: I love him.

-The End-