Siblings Again
Little Saffron woke up to a soft whisper against her ear. The voice sounded familiar, and it was calling out to her. She switched on the bedside lamp and looked around, but no one was there.
“Saf, it’s me,” the voice said again.
Feeling a sudden chill grip her body, Saffron leapt out of bed and ran into her parents’ room.
“Mom! Dad! There’s a ghost in my room!”
“It was most likely a nightmare, sweetie,” Saffron’s mom, Gen, said.
“No, I heard her when I was awake, too.”
“Wait here,” Saffron’s dad, Jean, said.
Jean took a bat and left the room. He came back saying there was no one to be seen. Saffron still insisted that there was a ghost in her room, so Gen said she could sleep with them that night.
The next morning, both Gen and Jean left for work, leaving Saffron in her nanny’s care. It was not long before Saffron was visited by the voice from the night before while the nanny was in the kitchen.
“Saf, don’t be afraid,” the voice whispered. Although she was scared, Saffron noticed that the ghost’s voice was gentle, as if she meant no harm; the voice was that of a little girl who could have been two or three years younger than her.
“Wh-who are you?”
“It’s me, Marie.” The ghost revealed her translucent form.
Saffron’s heart sank that very second. Knots began to form both in her stomach and her throat. It was her twin sister who passed away two years ago when they were just four.
“M-Marie? Is it really you?” Tears were beginning to flood her eyes.
“Yes, it’s really me, sis. I’ve been sent back to look after you until you grow up.”
Marie explained to her how children who die are sent back to watch over and guide other children as they grow up, taking on the role of a guardian angel. Marie’s case was especially comforting for her since she was reunited with Saffron, and so was it for Saffron.
Saffron leaned in to hug Marie, but she passed right through her. Not being able to hold her sister made the tears stream down her cheeks, but Marie consoled her sister and told her that everything was alright. She knew how sad Saffron and her parents had been for the past day alone since she had been sent back to watch over Saffron.
“It’s okay, Saf. Even though I’m only here in spirit, I’m still not leaving your side.”
“You promise?”
“I promise,” Marie said with a warm smile.
Saffron smiled through her misty eyes, wiping off her tears. It was then that her nanny, Sarah, walked into the room with a plate of cookies.
“Saffron, are you okay?” she asked.
“You mean your sister?”
“Yes, she’s right here! Don’t you see?” she asked, pointing her finger at Marie.
Sarah smiled and nodded, even though she didn’t see Marie. “Alright, I’ll leave you two alone to catch up,” she said, placing the plate on the desk next to Saffron before leaving the room.
“She can’t see me; she lied just not to hurt your feelings,” Marie said.
“What do you mean?”
“Only the children we are assigned to protect can see us, although some adults may still be able to sense our presence, like mom or dad since we are related.”
“That’s not fair, though. Mom and dad still miss you, too, Marie. I’ve seen them going through our old albums sometimes.”
Marie looked down and sighed, her voice quivering with an echo. “I know, I saw them yesterday.”
“You should speak to them. Just try.”
Marie nodded. “Okay, I will. I don’t think they’ll see me, but maybe they’ll sense me. But you mustn’t tell them that I’m here. They won’t believe you; they’ll only get sad.”
Saffron nodded and smiled. “I won’t say anything, I promise.”
That evening, Marie watched from the corner of the room as her mother sat by the bed and went through old family photos. With each page she flipped, the more her eyes filled with tears. Jean walked into the room a moment later and sat next to her, wrapping her in his arms as they both mourned for her. Marie wished she could return to them—she wished she could be reunited with them once again, even if it meant her having to be reborn.
It was then that she heard a voice calling out to her from above.
Moments later, Marie reappeared before Saffron in her room and rushed to her side. “Saf, I can return! They said I can be with you and mom and dad again, reborn as your younger sister this time.”
“Really?” Saffron yelled with excitement.
Marie kept her finger to her mouth and shook her head. Saffron quickly lowered her voice. “How will you come back?”
“I have to try to communicate with mom and dad when they’re asleep. They won’t perceive me when they’re awake.”
Later that night, Marie floated above her parents and reached out her hands to their foreheads. “Mom, dad, it’s me, Marie.” She didn’t get a reply at first, so she tried again. After two more attempts, she finally had a breakthrough; Gen finally answered in her sleep, and Jean followed soon after.
“Marie, is that really you?” they both asked.
“Yes, and I have the chance to come back… To be reborn!”
“Is this… Is this just a dream?” Jean asked.
“No, it’s not, I’m really here. I’ve missed you both so much,” she said, stroking their faces.
Gen and Jean both felt her touch on their skin and were awakened at the same time, and for a brief moment there, as the world was still a haze before them, they both could have sworn that they had seen the figure of their daughter before their very eyes. They believed Marie’s words and tried for another baby. That same day, Marie woke Saffron up in the middle of the night to tell her the good news.
“You’re coming back, really?” Saffron asked with a smile stretched across her face.
“Yes, I’ll soon be your younger sister,” Marie replied.
Just three days later, when Saffron and Marie were playing together, Marie found her translucent form suddenly beginning to fade. Saffron stood frozen, her eyes growing wide as her hands began to shake.
Marie looked at her sister’s reaction and smiled. “Don’t worry, Saf, this is good news.”
Saffron’s face lit up at the realisation. “You’re coming back?”
Marie nodded with a smile. “See you soon, sis,” she said as she disappeared into the air.
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