Status: Complete.
Ghost of You
Prologue
The thunder clapped loudly above in the sky, the lightning blazing across the inky darkness. The rain poured heavily down, cracking on tree limbs and nearly shattering the ground. The wind blew like a kid blowing out birthday candles, ripping the tree limbs back, then sending them forward again with a hard blow from the opposite direction. I looked back towards my brother, waving him forward with my arm. His yellow rain coat glowed neon in the blackening night, clinging to his fragile body. My flashlight hung lazily at my side as I shook my head, a grin spreading wide across my face.
“Tom!” Bill called, his voice whistling in the wind as he caught up with me, doubling over after the long climb up the slope. “Why do we have to go there now? It's the dead of night and, if you haven't yet to take notice, pouring rain!” He glared at me. “And stop smiling!”
We shuffled our feet through the thickening mud. “I just … I felt something inside myself, Bill, like something's going to happen there tonight at our secret lake!”
Bill grimaced. “Yes, Tom. A mermaid is going to appear, with all her mer friends! Listen, Tom, whatever is there, it's either not going to be good, or it will still be there tomorrow.” I glanced at Bill, and he shrugged. “You like finding trouble,” he pointed out.
I sighed, looking up. We were about five feet from the edge of the cliff, where the lake sparkled topaz underneath. I bit my lip and looked back at Bill, and he sighed, slumping his shoulders.
“Well, I certainly didn't walk all this way for nothing. I don't feel safe though ...”
Bill's voice trailed off as we finished the hike up the trail. I sat down slowly, letting my feet dangle off above the water. I kicked my feet back and forth as Bill clutched the hood to his jacket as the wind began to blow rapidly, kicking up waves in the water below. I laughed, letting my flashlight dance around on the thrashing water. The wind began up again, hard. Suddenly, the flashlight flew from Bill's hand, sending it off to the left. Bill stomped his foot, muttering something with my name in the sentence as he went to search for it.
“Tom!” Bill called suddenly. I ran to where his voice was, about ten feet from where I had been sitting. Bill's flashlight was flickering, but he shone it down and pointed. It was a path that led from where we were standing down to the water. Not exactly to the edge; you would still have to dive to get into the water, but I smiled anyway, yanking on Bill's arm.
“Let's go check it out!” I said in excitement. We followed down the path, peering into the water. “Woah,” I said in a whisper. And that's when it happened. I turned my back for one second, and my entire world came crashing down.
“TOM!” Bill cried out suddenly, losing his footing.
His flashlight splashed to the water below. I threw out my hand, trying to find him but grabbing only the raindrops that spilled into my hands. I heard a larger splash and flicked my flashlight to the water below, searching.
“Bill! BILL!” I screamed out, my voice getting lost in the wind.
And suddenly, I saw him. I saw his life flash before my eyes, and what I saw hurt. I let my flashlight drop suddenly to my side. He wasn't moving, he wasn't flailing his arms for help, he wasn't swimming towards the shore – if there even was one. He was just floating there. My limbs went stiff, my body went numb, and my head started to ache.
“B-Bill?” I whispered, my eyes wide with horror, watching. Because that's all I could do, watch as the waves took my other half, my best friend, my brother, away from me.
“Tom!” Bill called, his voice whistling in the wind as he caught up with me, doubling over after the long climb up the slope. “Why do we have to go there now? It's the dead of night and, if you haven't yet to take notice, pouring rain!” He glared at me. “And stop smiling!”
We shuffled our feet through the thickening mud. “I just … I felt something inside myself, Bill, like something's going to happen there tonight at our secret lake!”
Bill grimaced. “Yes, Tom. A mermaid is going to appear, with all her mer friends! Listen, Tom, whatever is there, it's either not going to be good, or it will still be there tomorrow.” I glanced at Bill, and he shrugged. “You like finding trouble,” he pointed out.
I sighed, looking up. We were about five feet from the edge of the cliff, where the lake sparkled topaz underneath. I bit my lip and looked back at Bill, and he sighed, slumping his shoulders.
“Well, I certainly didn't walk all this way for nothing. I don't feel safe though ...”
Bill's voice trailed off as we finished the hike up the trail. I sat down slowly, letting my feet dangle off above the water. I kicked my feet back and forth as Bill clutched the hood to his jacket as the wind began to blow rapidly, kicking up waves in the water below. I laughed, letting my flashlight dance around on the thrashing water. The wind began up again, hard. Suddenly, the flashlight flew from Bill's hand, sending it off to the left. Bill stomped his foot, muttering something with my name in the sentence as he went to search for it.
“Tom!” Bill called suddenly. I ran to where his voice was, about ten feet from where I had been sitting. Bill's flashlight was flickering, but he shone it down and pointed. It was a path that led from where we were standing down to the water. Not exactly to the edge; you would still have to dive to get into the water, but I smiled anyway, yanking on Bill's arm.
“Let's go check it out!” I said in excitement. We followed down the path, peering into the water. “Woah,” I said in a whisper. And that's when it happened. I turned my back for one second, and my entire world came crashing down.
“TOM!” Bill cried out suddenly, losing his footing.
His flashlight splashed to the water below. I threw out my hand, trying to find him but grabbing only the raindrops that spilled into my hands. I heard a larger splash and flicked my flashlight to the water below, searching.
“Bill! BILL!” I screamed out, my voice getting lost in the wind.
And suddenly, I saw him. I saw his life flash before my eyes, and what I saw hurt. I let my flashlight drop suddenly to my side. He wasn't moving, he wasn't flailing his arms for help, he wasn't swimming towards the shore – if there even was one. He was just floating there. My limbs went stiff, my body went numb, and my head started to ache.
“B-Bill?” I whispered, my eyes wide with horror, watching. Because that's all I could do, watch as the waves took my other half, my best friend, my brother, away from me.