Ghost of You

I sat with my head in my hands for a while, trying to regain my breath and make sense of what had happened, when I heard the soft pad of feet on the grass next to me. I looked up into the blinding sun, spotting Mr. Listing.

“Everything alright, Tom?” he asked, sitting down slowly next to me, reaching out to rub my back.

I nodded, bringing my knees up to my chest and hiding my face from the burning sun.

“It's Bill, isn't it?” he asked suddenly.

I looked up at him, stuttering. “How did you...?”

“You were talking about him in your sleep last night.”

About him, or with him? I wondered. “Oh,” I said softly.

“It's normal to miss him, especially now with everything going on.”

I nodded, letting a wall of silence slide between us.

“Do you think they'll find my mom?” I asked suddenly, then wishing I hadn't.

Mr. Listing sighed, blowing out air. “I honestly don't know. I hope they do, and I hope they find that bastard Gordon as well. But I honestly don't know.”

I shook my head back and forth, my dreadlocks bouncing around. “I don't wanna go back,” I said suddenly.

Mr. Listing leaned back on his hands. “To your mom, or to the way things were before?”

“I don't know, I just don't wanna go back. I just don't wanna.”

Mr. Listing shrugged. “Then don't. You're always welcome here. Sarah's grown fond of having you around.”

I looked up toward the house. “Georg is lucky to have her,” I said, smiling as I saw the two coloring together at the kitchen table.

“You're lucky, too, Tom. Just because Bill is gone, don't mean he's, well, gone.”

I smiled. “I know what you mean. He's around.”

The question is, where?