Long Past Dawn

"So am I," A ghost of a shadow flits across her face. Fitting, I realize, with the fact being I buried her less than a day ago.

She raises her arms and stretches them out as if she feels stiff. I'm somewhat surprised, her movements were fluid, not stiff and for a moment I'm left wondering if she was dead at all.

For a second it almost seems as if her outline disappears and I have an overwhelming feeling she's going to leave any second.

We just continue to stare at each other, neither of us says a word. After a moment she speaks again, "You know it hurt. It hurt a lot; what they did to me and the dying part too."

My heart prickles at the way she speaks so emotionlessly and I don't think I can handle it, "I already know that... I don't need to hear it again..."

"Really? I'm sorry. It's harder to pick and choose words when you're dead. It's kinda like looking at an old photo, you know, none of it matters now. It doesn't feel so important anymore." Jikan says, her eyes never breaking from mine.

"What are you doing here Jikan?" My words sound pointed and I hate to use that tone on Jikan but she's dead. She can't be here now.

"Can't I come to see you, Dawn?"

"You're dead. I buried you." I say the words more to remind me than to say to her.

"Yes." Jikan stops talking, staring into nothing. I walk over to her and squat down in front of her so I'm at her height.

I cup her cheeks in my hand and I don't know if she can feel them shaking, if she can she doesn't say it. "Well?" I ask, waiting, praying, for her to say something to tell me this is all a dream but her cold skin under my warm fingers tells me otherwise.

Her eyes look deep into mine, "I don't know what you want me to say, Dawn. I don't know much more than I did when I wasn't, well, dead. Most of the stuff I learned after, you know, I died, I can't put into words."

"You shouldn't be here," tears stream down my cheeks and I don't wipe them away. "Normally people stay in their graves."

Jikan looks at me as if I said something interesting, "Do they? I used to think so. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe."

A stray ray of light seems to hit her face and I can see how pale it really is, but it still has that innocent beauty about it.

Jikan looks away from me and it seems as if an unknown voice is calling to her and when she looks back to me her eyes are blank and I know that the Jikan I knew is dead. "I have to go now, Dawn."

My heart shatters to a million pieces at her words, "Jikan I-"

I'm cut off and Jikan finishes my question without even hearing me say it, "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll see you again. But Dawn, you're going down a bad path, you need to know some one's here for you. I'm here for you Dawn."

"You're dead." I want straight answers but it seems I'm not going to get any, I repeat the same thing for about the hundredth time tonight.

Jikan laughs and places her hand on my forehead, my eyes start to go fuzzy and my mind grows foggy, I almost miss her reply before sleep drags me under. "Maybe we all are."

***

My eyes flutter open as the night's events come pouring back to me. I sigh and roll onto my side, I'm not on the floor like I first expected but instead, I am on my bed as the morning light hits my face. I sigh and push myself up into a sitting position, I'm just about ready to put the whole thing off like some dream when I see the floor.

Dark mud covers some of the floor, in the shape of a child's feet. It was real.

I put a hand over my face and take a deep breath in. It was real. She was here.

I remember our conversation last night, 'Dawn, you're going down a bad path'. I remember how set I was on running away last night, now? Now I think I'm going to take Wonderwoman up on her offer.

I roll out of bed, trying to ignore the obvious mud tracks on the floor. I grab some clothes and a towel, rolling into the shower before coming back out in a dark red hoodie and dark blue jeans, ready to tackle the day.

I step out of the door and notice that's where the footprints stop too. I swallow and try to push last night as far from my mind as possible.

I've made my decision, I grit my teeth and clench my hand into a tight fist. I have no idea what Jikan meant by me going down a bad path, call me strong-headed, but I don't care anymore. I just have to get out of this place.

I swallow down my discomfort and worries about my decision and walk out into the warehouse. It seems as if everyone except Green Arrow and Black Canary is here, I can't help but wonder where they are, I let out a shaky breath and feel the confidence swell in my c.h.e.s.t.

"Dawn you-" Wonderwoman starts as she looks over at me but I cut in before she can finish.

"I'll go."

Wonderwoman seems to be confused, "What?"

I breathe in, maybe this will be a turning point, maybe things will change. "I said I'll go," I say, "I'll go to Themyscira."