All Those Things I Still Remember

I was sitting on the couch with Billie Joe. Everyone else had gone off again, but I didn’t mind. I had some questions, and I knew that he was the only one who would take me seriously without thinking I was crazy. After I put Melody in bed, I decided to talk to him.

“You are one of my closest friends, and I highly value your opinion and advice. So, I really have some things I need to talk about…”I said quietly. He just nodded, signaling for me to go on. “I know that you are a very… Uh… What’s the word? Spiritual? I don’t know. But you believe in like… Ghosts and demons and the afterlife and shit, right?”

“I believe that the word you are looking for is superstitious? And yes, I am. Why do you ask?” He asked, crossing his legs.

“Well, there’s been some really weird stuff going on… And I can’t tell Mikey because he’ll have me locked away. I just trust you, ”I sighed. He nodded.

“What kind of weird stuff?” He asked concernedly. I took a deep breath and wondered where I should start.

“Well, for one thing… Melody’s been talking to someone… But, it’s not someone I can see…”I said slowly. He nodded, waiting for me to continue. “I think I know who it is, if it could be a spirit or whatever… But, every time I start to ask her about it, she just says that it’s no one.”

“Okay, well, what else has happened?” He asked.

“Well, I feel like I’m always being watched. I’ll see shadows or full on figures that I know aren’t actually there. I don’t know… I had this dream a couple of nights ago. It was really scary, because it felt so real. I could’ve sworn that I was awake, but then, Mikey shook me awake.”

“What happened in the dream?”

“Well, I was asleep and I heard the door open. I heard the jingling of keys and I just assumed that it was Mikey, because he was out with you guys and I just… I don’t know. I didn’t bother to check. Well, he laid down next to me and I turned to curl up next to him, but I immediately noticed that something was wrong. I mean, he usually smells of smoke and coffee and sometimes cologne, but it didn’t smell like that, ”I said quietly.

“What did it smell like?” He asked interestedly.

“It smelled of rain and flowers and dirt… And when I ran my hand over his chest, his skin was cold and hard. I didn’t want to open my eyes, because I was afraid of what was lying next to me. So, I reached up to his face… I traced his lips, and I felt a piercing, which immediately told me who it was. He was smiling at me, but I couldn’t make myself look. Finally, I looked down and through the moonlight, I could see the “Fiction” tattoo on his chest… I looked up and just as I got to his face, Mikey shook me awake. He said my breathing was scaring him, ”I bit my lip.

“So, you had a dream about Jimmy?” He asked slowly.

“It wasn’t just a dream… That’s what I wanted to ask you about… Is it possible to communicate with someone from beyond the grave?” I asked, fidgeting with my hands. He seemed to think this over.

“Yes, you can. But, tell me this. What makes you think that this isn’t just a bunch of really realistic dreams?” He asked. His tone was both intrigued and concerned. I knew that he wasn’t calling me crazy. He was trying to make me dig a little deeper.

“I just… I feel like there are signs… I feel like he’s still here… I would think that I’m just crazy… But, I’ve heard Mel talking to him, Billie Joe! I’ve heard her mention things that only he knew! I know that I’m not completely crazy…”

“What kind of signs?”

“I was listening to my music player the other night. It was the same night that I had that dream… Anyways, there was a song on there that I guess he put on it, but I hadn’t heard it before. Apparently, it’s going on the Nightmare album… But, it’s what he said after that…”I muttered.

“Hmm, can I hear this?” He requested. I nodded and went to retrieve my music player. I brought it back to him and he turned it on. “Which one is it?”

“It should be the one playing. It’s called ‘Fiction’, ”I stated. He just nodded, and we sat in an agonizing silence for about seven minutes. Finally, he turned it off and handed it to me.

“That’s pretty odd, ”he admitted. I nodded. “Well, I wouldn’t worry about it. I mean, I definitely feel like there’s a presence here, and it’s not a threat, and it may very well be him. Have you tried actually talking to him?”

“Well, I write to him sometimes.”

“You write to him? Like in a journal?” I nodded and he nodded slowly. “That’s cool. Well, maybe you should ask him to let you know for sure if it’s him. I know he isn’t trying to scare you.”

“I know. He wouldn’t do that to me. I just, I felt a bit crazy, ”I laughed nervously. He nodded.

“It’s perfectly understandable. But, you should give talking to him a shot, ”he suggested. I nodded.

“Thanks, Billie Joe, for everything. You are always so wise and helpful.”

“Hey, it’s just what I do.”