Seth shivered.
“The spiders killed everyone. The main power on the ship failed. I spent months running in the dark from the spiders. Even though they couldn’t touch me, it was terrifying, because they saw me. Different types of aliens came, trying to contain them, but they all died. Eventually, one alien got away, and I joined him on his shuttle.”
“That’s horrifying,” Seth said.
“Yep,” Caleb replied, but he grinned widely like he enjoyed scaring Seth. “After that, I wandered around for cycles apparently until I came to the space station orbiting Tamkolvanloknol. When I heard about Kalvoxrencol going to Earth, I jumped aboard to go home.”
“Then we came straight back here,” Seth finished.
“I didn’t have a chance to get to Earth.”
“I’m sorry.”
Caleb said, “Don’t worry about it. It might take me a few more cycles to make it home, but it doesn’t really matter.”
His words picked at me. Caleb had been dead for a long time, longer than any other soul I’d heard of. Most didn’t remain on the mortal plane for much time before they continued on their journey. Also, the prospect of staying here for even more cycles didn’t bother him. This was a problem. It might be impossible for him to leave.
Maybe he was untethered?
Most souls were tethered to either the place they died or their family; Caleb had clearly left both with no issues. When a soul releases their mortal concerns, they untether and move on, but maybe Caleb had always been untethered. So he wandered with no end, unable to leave.
“How did you die?” I asked, hoping Seth’s presence would aid in Caleb’s desire to talk.
“I tripped.”
“Tripped?” I asked, after sharing his words with Seth and Kalvoxrencol.
“I tripped over my own feet and rolled down a staircase. I cracked my head open. I died instantly.”
Seth scooted to the edge of the couch, his eyes not quite on where Caleb sat. “I’m sorry.”
Once again, Caleb dismissed his concern. “It’s not a big deal. I’ve been clumsy my whole life.”
So it wasn’t his death that kept him around. Sometimes when a person’s life was cut short, they clung tighter to the mortal plane, but Caleb was unbothered.
“Did you leave someone behind?” I asked, though saying the words felt like ingesting glass for some reason.
Caleb glanced at me, forehead creased. “What do you mean?”
“A lover. Child. Someone that you cannot let go of?” I explained. Seth turned bright red at my blatant words, though I didn’t know what that color change indicated.
“My family. But no. Why?”
I translated his words for Seth and Kalvoxrencol but didn’t answer Caleb’s question. Another reason why his soul lingered disappeared. He didn’t have anyone holding him back, which oddly relieved me.
Caleb said, “You’re trying to get me to move on.”
“Yes.” It wasn’t a secret. This was something Caleb had to do. This plane was for the living, not the dead.
He crossed his arms. “I told you, I’m not ready.”
Kalvoxrencol asked, “What’s going on?”
“Caleb is upset because I brought him to meet Seth in the hopes it would help him move on.”
“That’s his choice, isn’t it?” Seth asked carefully.
Caleb stuck his tongue out at me. “Seth gets it.”
