Love Lies on a Gravestone.

“Dude, you’re late!” said Jimmy from behind his drum kit in Matt’s garage. Brian threw his jacket on the old beaten up couch and grabbed his guitar, adjusting the strap over his shoulder and taking his place.

“I’m here now.” Brian replied, strumming on his guitar, checking if it was in tune.

“Where were you?” asked Zacky, glancing at his friend with a curious look.

“Somewhere, I lost track of the time. Sorry.” Apologized Brian, hoping they would drop the subject.

“Where you with a girl?” asked Jimmy.

“Guys, leave him alone. He’s here now, just start practising.” Said Val, her arms crossed over her chest as she was rolling her eyes. Matt walked in the garage, kissed Val’s cheek before he took his place, microphone in hands and band practise finally started.

Brian was trying his hardest to keep his mind focussed on his guitar and what he was playing. The last thing he needed at the moment was bickering with Matt because he missed the solo or anything of the kind…

The practise went great, Brian only missed a note now and then but it went unnoticed… As Johnny was putting his bass back in its case, Brian wanted to do the same and ran back to see Allyana. But when Matt went inside the house, followed by Val, Zacky and Jimmy, he knew he had to follow. One by the one, the guys and Val grabbed beers from the fridge and went to settle in the living room.

“So, are you guys up for a movie?” asked Matt, his arms wrapped around Val’s waist as she was sitting on his lap.

“Not this time guys, I gotta head back home.” Said Johnny, as he took a sip from his beer and got up.

“Oh no you’re not!” said Jimmy, glaring at Johnny.

Johnny gulped and sat back down, making everyone laugh. Brian laughed along with them, but couldn’t help thinking about Allyana, sitting alone in the empty house. He pushed this thought to the back of his mind and pay full attention to his friends as Zacky and Jimmy started to complot against Johnny to steal his beer, and then pour it on his head.

**

After spending a few hours with his friends, Brian finally drove back to his house. He hadn’t already eaten at Matt’s so he headed straight to his room. He took off his T-shirt, jeans and socks before sliding underneath the covers. He was too lazy to brush his teeth or to do anything else than sleeping. The events of the past days and the sleepless nights finally caught up with him and he fell asleep soon after his head hit the pillow.

**

Allyana was lying on her bed, starring blankly at the ceiling, trying to remember what it felt like to be sleeping and she couldn’t help but wonder if Brian was sleeping at this moment.

For some reasons unknown to her, she hadn’t been able to keep her mind off him. The boy intrigued her. She couldn’t understand why he came in this house the first time. It had nothing special, it was old, burnt and in ruin almost. She knew that it wouldn't have crossed her mind to go and visit a house like this by her own… She might have explored it, but with friends and at night just to have a good fright… Just like the few kids that were hanging downstairs in the kitchen…

It still felt weird to her, having random persons in her house, acting like they owned it. They had no idea she was still here, on her own.

If she kept her eyes closed long enough, she could still see her parents in the kitchen, her father drinking coffee and reading the news while her mother was cooking breakfast. She could still hear her little brother running down the stairs and to the front yard, as their Labrador Yucky was chasing after him. But every time she opened her eyes again, it was nothing but dust and ashes everywhere.

She forgot how long she had been wandering the house, alone.

She had no idea where her parents and brother were, all she knew was that she shouldn’t be here… Not like this, not as a ghost haunting her own house.