Ghost of You

I felt a pain in my arm as I sat up quickly; I had smacked my hand against Bill's tombstone. My breath was coming in shallow gasps as I rubbed my wrist. I felt a chill nip at my ankles as I wiggled my bare toes, gazing at the sky. The clouds threatened a dread of rain. My body was achy and sore, especially the elbow that had been smacked against the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. I slowly hoisted myself from the ground. My throat was dry and my lips were chapped. I knew if I didn't calm down, the same thing that happened before in the bathroom would happen again, which I certainly did not want. I wrapped my arms around my chest, maneuvering my way through the cemetery. The dim sun told me it was around two o'clock at the latest. I knew that if I went home, the house would be deserted. I started to walk slower, biting my lip as I went. My thoughts fled to the black figure intruding in my home. A cold wind slashed my arm, chilling my bones. I drew a breath of the chilly air, and knew that I had no choice but to go home.



My hands were shaky as I gently pushed on the front door. I drew a breath and held it, expecting something to jump back at me. I slowly put one foot in front of the other, my head swinging every which way as I pushed the door shut, its small thump echoing through the empty house. I inspected the house and gaped at the kitchen table. The box that had contained my cap was knocked to the floor, the orange paper it had been stuffed with spilled on the tile. My hand suddenly flew to my head as I let out a yelp. My cap! I dropped to the kitchen floor on my knees, ashamed of myself. What would Mom do when she found out I had lost it? I felt my eyes beginning to swim with tears as I pushed myself from the floor. I went into my bedroom and pushed open the door, gasping at what I saw. It looked like a twister had ripped through my room. Clothes were scattered on the carpet; the drawers of my dresser were hanging out and open, teeshirts draped over the side; the closet was open and been torn through. I squeezed my eyes shut, thinking hard, breathing hard. No. No. Some creature had not been in my house. I realized I had left the front door unlocked and nodded to myself. That was it. Someone had broken in when I wasn't home. I knew what I was doing, though; I was reassuring myself, and it wasn't working one bit. I slumped my shoulders as I picked up an outfit from the floor, heading for a hot shower, hoping it would calm my nerves.



My dreadlocks dripped with water as they clung to the back of my teeshirt. I tried to tidy up my room, flinging clothes into random drawers, tossing and shoving things into the floor of my closet, tearing down posters from my wall that hard large rips down the middles, cleaning up the knocked-over trashcan, and making my bed. I heard something on the gravel driveway outside and pushed back a snip of my curtains, watching as my mom's car came to a sudden halt, her headlights shutting off in the layer of fog. I braced myself for the worst to come.



And I thought I had had a bad day. Mom came in shaken-up, her hands trembling with groceries as she busied herself with putting them away. She shoved a large box into the fridge, shutting quickly the door as she slumped into a chair.

“Mom?” I asked, taking a gentle step forward and tilting my head.

She shook her head. “It was bad, Tomi,” she finally said, letting her breath catch up to her. “I knew once I stepped into the office something would go wrong today; I knew it last Tuesday when my boss agreed to let me have the early shift today ...”

“What happened?” I asked, sliding into a seat.

She shuddered suddenly. “I was on my way to work this morning and there was a construction zone. I was paying close attention to the road while I passed through it, when I spotted a black cone. It looked odd to me, sticking out with all the bright neon cones. So I shrugged, thinking nothing of it, until I glanced into my review mirror a little along the way of the rode, and I realized that the cone wouldn't fade from sight. This didn't make any sense, because I had only passed one black cone! So, I pulled to the side of the rode and surveyed the cones. And when I glanced back up into my review mirror, I saw ...” Her words started to fail as her eyes grew wide with terror.

“... Bill?” I finished her sentence, a little too quickly, my voice high with anticipation.

She narrowed her eyes at me and glanced to the floor suddenly, then back up at me, then back to the floor. She leaned forward and scooped up the blue box, peering inside, then holding it out to me. I was frozen in my seat as she waved the box back and forth in her hand, staring. I opened my mouth, and a rush of words bolted forward. She held up her hand to silence me.

“Mom,” I said exasperated, knowing she was waiting for some lame and overused excuse. “Now I know what you're thinking, and it's really not that bad,” I started. She raised one eyebrow. “I...” I lowered my head, feeling my cheeks go crimson as my hands started to shake, my head swimming. “I went to Bill's grave today, and I feel asleep,” I rushed on, not glancing up. “And when I woke up, I didn't even realize it was gone until I came back home.”

I heaved a deep breath, grabbing the edge of the table as I shut my eyes tight. I could hear the clock ticking slowly on the wall, my heart hammering painfully in my chest. “I'm so sorry,” I whispered.

And that's when I felt it: the painful blow to the cheek, her painted red nails scratching across me. I stumbled up and out of the chair, my hand over my cheek, as I fell backwards into the wall. I could feel her towering over me as the phone began to blast its ring, leaving me teary-eyed. I felt something cold, almost like arms but feeling like ribbons, wrap around my torso, and I leaped up, hurrying away to my room. As I passed by, Mom bared her teeth at me like a rabid dog, her entire body shaking, her free hand clenched into a fist. I made my way to my bed and fell face-first onto it, letting the sobs rush out from me.