8 GONE AND RETURN Part 8

John Sanderson looks at the unanimated Alice Lane a couple more second before he gazes at the two teenagers behind him.

"How long has she been like this?"

"I don't know, I found her like that since I got home.." Morrisey explained.

John try to touch Morrisey's mom hand gently. Her hand feels cold and she doesn't even flinch. It's like touching a dead body.

"She doesn't seems weird after the memorial.." John mumbled to himself. "Listen, how about now we help her up to her bed. If tomorrow morning she's still in this state, we'll call for help." John suggested.

"How about, Mori? She can't stay alone with her mom like this." Dylan asked.

John sighs, "How about I sleep on the couch downstairs, just to make sure they both are alright. I lived nextdoor anyway."

Dylan feels to protest, but John quickly realizes what he was thinking.

"Don't worry I'm not a bad guy." he said smiling to Dylan.

"That's what all the bad guys always said.." Dylan said quietly after John left.

John and Morrisey guide Alice Lane to her bedroom. She seems docile and unharmful at first, but things turn the other way around when they try to put her to bed.

"Wait.. it hurts.." Morrisey screamed.

The face still expressionless but Morrisey's mom grabs Morrisey's arm so tight, almost like she's going to squish the blood out of Morrisey's arm barehandedly.

"Damn it. Alice.. let go of her arm. Let go!" John shouted as he tried to loosen the grip from Morrisey's arm.

"What happened?" Dylan came as he heard the noise. "Geez.." He helps John pulls Morrisey's mom away. And out of nowhere, she releases her grip and passes out on her bed.

Both John and Dylan now standing out of breath and in disbelief of what just happened.

"It's like pulling a cow.." Dylan said.

"Listen.." John said. "How about you guys crash at my place, and I sleep on the couch downstairs.. I don't think it's safe for you to be here right now, Mori."

Morrisey, still holding the pain in her arms doesn't refused.

"Don't do anything too crazy though.." John said to Dylan.

"Don't worry, I'm not a bad guy." Dylan replied ,the same way John talks to him before.

***

Morrisey wakes up with her heart thumps rapidly. It's not the same ceiling she stares at, and she realizes it's not her bedroom. Slowly she remembered that she slept at John's place because her mom is somehow weird last night.

Dylan slept at John's couch tonight, and from the looks of it, he's needs to borrow John's clothes for school.

Morrisey slept at Mrs. Sanderson's old room. Maybe it supposed to be creepy sleeping in a dead person's room, but what happened to her mom last night makes it less scary.

She touch her arm, everytime she moves it she can feels the pain in her muscle. And now there's a red blueish mark on it. Slowly Morrisey comes down to John's living room. She looks for Dylan but he isn't there. She's about to go to her house next door when Dylan suddenly barges in.

"Hey, have you .."

"You need to look at this." Dylan said before Morrisey can say anything.

They both now go to Morrisey's house nextdoor. They enter the house and finds John sipping a coffee in the living room.

"Oh, hey. Good Morning, Mori. How's the house? Sorry if it's a little messy.."

"Nno, it's alright. Thank you for letting me stay the night.."

"Oh, yeah.. There's someone looking for you.." John smiled.

"Good, you already wake up. Now, what do you want for breakfast? I have waffle, pancakes or just some cereal would be good? How about you, Dylan?" A chatty voice comes from the kitchen. It's Morrisey's mom. Unlike her usual self, she's sporting a clean fresh face, dressed in a polo shirt and a linen pants. She seems like a normal suburban mom, not the all night-partier who still hangover in the morning she used to be.

"Ah, Morrisey sweetie, would you like to take a bath or breakfast first?" She offered.

Morrisey stuns doesn't know what to say.

"How about you, Dylan? You can take a shower in John's place, right? Is it okay, John?"

"Sure."

"Come on now, John. Eat anything you like, it's the only way I could thank you for what happened last night." Alice Lane continued.

"Thank you, Alice."

"Now come on you kids, you don't want to be late for school, don't you?" she continued. John and Dylan seem please that her mom is alright, but Morrisey can't shakes the feeling that something is off.

***

"There's something definitely wrong." Morrisey said on their way to the school.

"What is it?" Dylan said as he drove the car.

"My mom.. she never made breakfast, even when my dad still alive." Morrisey mumbled.

Dylan stay quite not knowing how to reply.

"Oh, shoot.. Elsa." Dylan said when they arrived at school.

There she is, standing in front of the school entrance, obviously waiting for someone before the school starts.

"Shit, I forgot about her.." Dylan said again.

"I'm not afraid of her.." Morrisey said when she comes out of Dylan's car. She approaches Elsa without hesitation.

"It's not what you think.." Morrisey said to her.

Elsa who clearly hold her emotion back looks at Dylan.

"Is that so? Pitty, you both might just deserve each other. A stray cat for a stray dog.." she said.

"I already told you, I wanna break up." Dylan said.

"You mean the cowardice text you sent me after my mom's funeral?" Elsa shouted, making sure the whole school listen to her words.

"You know it's bad enough you are a boyfriend stealer, but you also a liar!" Elsa shoves the book Morrisey gave to her. "I can't believe I fell for you lies like an idiot."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"It didn't work.." Elsa said as she left.

"Hey, Els.. what do you mean it didn't worked? Did you.. Did yo do it.. the spell?"

"I had all the stuff I need, I followed the book like it some kind of recipe.. not a single shit happened."

"Wait, how did yo do it? You supposed to marked the target with your mom's blood.."

"..and I did, I marked your mom when you're not home. Saying I'm looking for you, and I placed the blood on her hand when I gave her the casserole. Do you know how much casseroles you get when your family is dead? Freakin a lot."

Morrisey looks at Dylan. "Oh my God.. It was her at my house, it's your mom."

"What? What the heck are you talking about?" Elsa asked abruptly.

"You need to come to my house after school, okay. This is important."

"If you're bullshiting me again.."

"Just come and confirm it yourself!"

Elsa looks at Morrisey and Dylan swiftly. "Fine.. I can tell everyone what a freak both of you are."

"You can't, Els. You don't have any friends other than us." Dylan added.

***

After school the three of them comes to Morrisey's home.

"I can't believe I come here after you stole my boyfriend." Elsa said.

"I didn't stole your.. would you just shut up and get inside, okay."

They come inside the house, and Morrisey just shouted. "Momm!"

Just a couple second a woman in a clean blue shirt and a light blue jeans comes down.

"Morrisey, is that a way for a girl to call her mom.." She suddenly stops talking when she saw Elsa. She looks at her, and suddenly tearing up.

"It's okay, we all know.." Morrisey said.

"Know what?" Elsa still confused, but the woman whose appearances is Alice Lane comes straight to her.

"Oh, dear.. It's you. I can't believe I finally can see you again." Alice said as she gently touch Elsa's cheek with her hands.

"Morri, what's going on.." Elsa freaking out.

"Didn't you want your mom back? Now you're looking at her, well you looking at her inside my mom's body. That's how the spell works, the marked target become the vessel for the one you want to bring back."

Elsa looks at Alice Lane trying to recognize something. "Mom?"

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't told you this morning, Morrisey. I didn't want to freak you or John up." She looks at Elsa again. "I'm so glad I can see you again. Thank you for bringing me back."

"Mom, is it really you?" Elsa tearing up in joy.

"Off course its me, sweetheart."

For a moment those two hugs each other in tears.

"I'll give you guys some moment, okay."

Morrisey drags Dylan out of the house. He on the other hand doesn't look so thrilled.

"What's wrong?" Morrisey asked.

"Nothing. It's just.. like, that's it. That how easy it is to bring someone back from the death?"

"It's not that easy, we have to get rid of my mom, remember?"

"Right. Are you really okay with that?"

"Well, I don't have to worry about being punch everytime I come home anymore." Morrisey said. "And they look so happy, Elsa and her mom.."

Dylan scoffs. "They've been horrible to you, and you still want them to be happy?"

"I dont know.. it's nice to see mother and daughter love each other, isn't it."

Dylan looks at Morrisey. "It doesn't always have to be mother and daughter, you know.. Other love is nice too."

She gazes at his eyes before kissing him.

"Are you sure about this?" Morrisey asked.

Dylan put his arm around Morrisey's shoulder. "I'm helping you bring the death back and you still don't believe me?"

They laugh together.

***

It's been a week since they know that Morrisey's mom is now actually Elsa's mom. And in order for them to have quality time together, Elsa is going to spent the weekend at Morrisey's house. And that means Morrisey has to find a place away for the weekend.

Dylan said they can go over to his uncle's cabin, which is kind of make Morrisey nervous spending the time alone together for the first time, so fast. It's not like she could talk to this to anyone. Her friendship with Elsa has becoming weird, she senses Elsa still doesn't forgive her for "stealing" Dylan. But they will see each other a lot since Morrisey's mom is now Elsa's mom.

"Ready to go?" Dylan asked. Morrisey can tell he really looking forward for this weekend, and that put more pressure on her.

They packed some necessities and they are now stop over for lunch on their way to the cabin.

Suddenly Morrisey's phone ring, and it was Elsa.

"Hey, how's.."

"Please, you guys need to come here immediately.." Elsa's begged in the phone. Her voice was frantic and scared.

"What's going on?" Morrisey asked.

"You've got to help me.. It's not her. It really isn't her.."

"Who.. who are you talking about?"

"Your mom.. I mean, my mom.. it's not her, I swear it isn't her. Please, you have to trust me. Just come over here, please."

Dylan looks at Morrisey, knowing that something just not right.

"Who is it?' Dylan asked.

"It's Elsa. She said.. she said something is not right, and.. my mom it's not her mom."

***