"Follow your heart sweet love, look for the blind seer. He will help you."
Her voice ringed and there was a cacophony of birds that cried and wings fluttered above like they were spooked by something. The sound was so unbearable I screamed and jolted back to consciousness.
As I came to, the skies had already turned a gorgeous sea of pink and red-orange hues. It was a magical moment, the clouds looked like ocean waves I only saw in paintings. The silhouette of birds flying in the horizon added a beautiful detail to the scenery.
I heard music playing in the background and shifted myself to a more comfortable position. I was sitting at the front of the car and as I looked to my right I saw the familiar purple eyes that belonged to no one else but William Bernards.
'We built sand castles that washed away,
I made you cry when I walked away'
'Oh, and although I promised that I couldn't stay, baby
Every promise don't work out that way -'
"You are finally awake." He said as he propped his elbow on the wheel. He had pressed a button and the music immediately stopped playing. I did not notice that we weren't driving anymore.
Was he staring at me in my sleep?
It was hard not to feel raging hatred towards the man, but I had to hold myself and my emotions so I could get to understand my current situation first.
So far as I could tell, I had been reincarnated, reborn, transmigrated, whatever it is called. And that according to my baffling dreams, there was something that I was supposed to do in this new life.
Only I didn't know what it is.
I saw my reflection in the side mirror and my mouth fell open in surprise. I looked younger, like I was seventeen again. I had brown eyes with golden flecks around the iris, my cheeks had the same freckles that I had back then.
My hair was the only thing different, instead of my long brunette waves, in this life I had it dead straight and it was short, layered and the sides and back was shaved. I had bangs that was just above my eyelids it was kind of distracting my eyesight and I swept it sideways.
"You okay now Lizzie?" Will asked as I continued to stare at my own reflection.
"Yes William, I am fine now. Thank you for your concern." I told him nonchalantly. I tried to hide my resentment by acting like I don't really care what he talked about.
He raised a brow and gave me one long quizzical look. Then, he suddenly jumped in his seat as if something hit him.
"Ahh… I forgot, we haven't been able to formally introduce ourselves to each other." He extended his long arm and offered a handshake. "My name is Sebastian, Bash for short. I'm the lead guitarist of Lovely Tainted Roses."
"Levi our drummer the big softie, he carried you this morning when you passed out. And Zeke the lead singer, Becky's boyfriend. I think you already knew that since you sisters and all."
It took me about three seconds before I finally accepted his hand and shook, and let go as fast as I could. I didn't want to hold his hand for too long as I'm afraid my feelings would betray me if I stayed to feel the warmth of his touch.
"Who is this William you always mistake me for Lizzie? I'm kind of curious." He asked again.
I didn't want to answer him because my mind was too fixated at his handsome face I couldn't find the right words to say. Young William reincarnated was as warm and friendly as ever. He didn't change, even his extroverted talkativeness was the same.
He tilted his head in anticipation for my reply, his silky smooth locks of raven hair now neatly combed.
There was a deafening silence as I left his question hanging while I stared at him. Suddenly, the ice broke when my stomach made an unearthly growl.
Will/Bash couldn't suppress his laughter and guffawed. He laughed so loudly he even snorted. Uncharacteristically unlike the William I knew who was refined and had a good sense of what was appropriate to do in front of a lady.
"Heya what's up in here? Oh hey Lizzie welcome back! You A-O-K now?" I heard the muscle guy, Levi, ask as he got over the truck and leaned at my side of the window.
He was really tall and buff but not over the top stone hard, and he was kind of scary to be honest. He had a metal ring stuck to his left nostril and I cringed at the sight.
Must have hurt a lot to get something like that up in your nose.
"So," he clapped his hands together as if to announce something really important, "We are all set out the back, camp is ready and food is cooking. You sweet couple get your asses off the truck and get goin' okay?"
I blushed at his comment about the two of us and tried so hard to hide my embarrassment and looked the other way.
Levi was so tactless!
"Vivi is pretty stupid, don't mind him." He huffed as he got off the truck and went over to my side to open my door. "But, he's very kindly and makes the best sandwiches to drool for! Let's go?"
Unrefined but a bit of a gentleman still, I raised a brow at this reincarnation of William and I hopped out of the truck and — to my surprise — slipped because of the ungodly contraption of my sandals.
"Whoops easy now!" Will/Bash caught me in the nick of time and he hoisted me up so I could recompose myself from such an unfavorable display of inelegance.
I saw Levi made a beeline to where the others had huddled together with a huge bonfire at the middle. The smoke and the scent of meat cooking wafted in the evening air and my mouth involuntarily started to drool.
Meat was such a luxury in Shalem. I had only been able to taste one when William would bring some over for picnic like we used to in the forest near the hut.
The skies had turned dark and stars had already started to twinkle just like how it used to that night I died.
I snorted.
Funny how uncanny this world had come to being. Here I was, camping with reincarnations of the girls I had burned with and my past lover who betrayed me.
I wonder who the blind seer is.
Maybe he could help me get my self sorted out.
+++
A/N: Song Recommendation ---> Sandcastles by Beyonce