Ghost of You

“He did that to you?” I whispered, mortified, clutching at my own wrist now.

She nodded, her eyes sad as she pulled her arm away. We both sat silent for a while.

“He's dead, you know,” I said lowly, almost feeling as if I hadn't said it.

She looked up at me, her eyes curious. “I knew you were different,” she breathed. A half smile lit up my lips. She sighed. “I had felt he was gone. It was all over the news for days. I kept getting this odd feeling, though, that he was still sometimes there. I would wake up at night with my scar burning, and it would just hurt so bad, as if someone was carving through my arm all over again.” I winced. “And then as the days went on, it just... stopped. No more pain, no more feeling of... of someone being there. Just... poof.”

I pursed my lips. “What happened to David?”

“Oh, he ran off. Met some woman. I got hired as a busboy, or should I say busgirl, at a family owned café. They let me stay in their home for a while, but was thrown out due to some jealousy issues from the wife.” Crimson winked at me.

I looked down, playing with my hands uncomfortably underneath the table. “It was the Listings, wasn't it?”

Crimson looked at me, her head titled sideways, as she nodded. “What about... him. You say he's gone, but where? What does he do? Has he ever hurt you?” She narrowed her eyes. “If he ever lays a hand on you, so help me God...”

“He's in some... weird place. My... friend says it's where all the odd ones go, the ones who probably won't make it to Heaven. It's called Fallen Shadows.”

Crimson pursed her lips, nodding her head. “I see,” she said softly.

“Anyway,” I said, hesitating, “he's just kinda... there. He pulls me in when I'm dreaming. Never makes any sense. When the moon is out, you can't stand, because there's no gravity, and the sun hasn't been up in... forever...”

“Those were all... places,” she said, cutting in. I looked up at her, her eyes covered in mist. “Fallen Shadows was... was the name of the carnival. That moon nonsense, it was part of an attraction. It went along with a folklore that was told before letting anyone on the ride...” she smiled. “He's made a little world, hasn't he?” she looked up at me. “And now? Where is he now?” Crimson grew excited then, her eyes smiling as she looked at me.

“I'm... I'm afraid I don't know,” I said as she sat back in her chair, her eyes gloomy once more. “I'm afraid he hasn't contacted me in a while. He did some time ago, yelling about a heart, how someone found a heart.”

“When you say that,” Crimson began, “I get... a feeling. A feeling of importance.” She looked at me. “That happens when people ask me to look for something lost. And I have that feeling now. As if I'm trying to find something lost. Have you lost something? Something you're trying to find?”

I frowned. “I've been trying to find out about this heart. He told me about a heart before,” I shook my head, “but I don't remember about what.”

Crimson closed her eyes, leaning back as she took a deep breath. “It's there somewhere,” she whispered, more to herself, “I can feel it. Now the tricky part is finding it.” She looked at me. Suddenly, she laughed.

“What?” I asked, hopeful, “what is it?”

“Uhm, erm,” she bit her lip, stifling a laugh. “I know this isn't a joke, but... I got a golden retriever. Did you lose your dog?”

I stared at her. “No,” I snapped bitterly.

She folded her arms across her chest. “I don't appreciate the attitude, bud. I'm only telling you what I saw... SARAH!”

I jumped as Crimson stood up, her voice flying past me. I spun around in my chair as the curtain fell shut.

“She's always doing that. Always!”

Crimson went storming through the curtain, me following along. She glared down at Sarah, who shoved a handful of salty potato chips into her mouth, giving a toothless smile.

“Sarah Listing, what have I told you? No listening in when I'm with someone. Ugh, I need some water.”

Crimson went storming away towards the doorway at the back of the house. I looked down at Sarah, who swallowed the large amount of chips.

“She's not lying,” Sarah said, her eyes glassy as she looked up at me.

“Oh yeah?” I scoffed, “and how do you know that?”

“Because. She was glowing that color again.”