I'm Coming Home

I opened my eyes slowly to four white walls. The average sized room was a blur to me. I swallowed hard, trying to moisten my dry throat. I tried to steady my vision.

"What happened?" I croaked to the empty hospital room.

I looked to my left to see Christine by the window in a white gown. I gulped as my pupils became wide.

"Christine?" I whispered. This is the most gorgeous I have ever seen her. Her dark hair was laying perfectly on her shoulders and she had a slight smile on her pale angelic like face. I was completely stunned by her beauty.

"Julia, how are you feeling?" She asked me in a soft voice as I shook my head and tears filled my eyes.

"I don't know. I barely even remember what happened." I said in a hoarse voice.

A medium sized woman in Mickey Mouse scrubs came in my room and checked my IV bag and half smiled at me.

"Ya doing alright, kiddo?" She asked me with a look of sympathy on her face.

"I'm okay." I muttered as she nodded.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked again as I shook my head and swallowed hard.

"No thank you." I replied.

"Well, if you need anything...Just press that red button on your remote and let me know." She said as I nodded and she left my room.

I looked over at Christine again as she smiled at me and a whole bunch of sunlight came pouring through my room as I squinted and put my arm up in front of my eyes to block it.

"Holy shit." I said, still squinting.

"I'll see you later, Julia." She grinned and then started to fade as I watched her disappear into nothing.

The sunlight died down as my mouth continued to hang open.

"Christine?" I spoke softly.

What the hell just happened? She just disappeared into nothing? Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe I'm...losing my mind. Where is my parents? Where is everyone? Why am I all alone?

Then as if my mother and father read my mind they came into my room with sad looks on their faces.

"What's happening?" I whispered as my mom sat down on the hospital bed beside me while my dad stood by my mom with his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"I'm awfully sorry, Julia." My mom said, her voice cracking and tears filling her blue eyes.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I stuttered as she laid her shaky hand over mine.

"Do you remember anything?" My dad asked as I gulped and tears started to wail up in my hazel eyes.

"All I remember is...somebody hitting me in the back of the head. And I fell into Christine's pool." I said in a shaky voice as my mom had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Well, Julia, sweetie, we have some news..." My mom said with a serious tone in her soft voice.

"Yes?" I mumbled.

"Christine...she died last night when you were unconscious in the pool." My dad said as I cupped my hand over my mouth and shook my head fast.

That must've been why she disappeared. She was dead! She was dead and she was talking to me? How can that even be possible?

"It can't be." I whispered, still shaking my head back and forth in complete shock.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie." My mom said with sympathy in her voice as tears trickled down my cheeks like rain on a window.

"How did this all happen?" I sobbed.

"The cops said when they found her she was laying in the middle of the living room floor with a knife in her stomach. And they said that there was bloody handprints all over the walls. Was it there before you fell into the pool?" My mom asked me as I shook my head slowly.

"She must have struggled." I whispered with pity in my voice.

"I'm really sorry, Julia. I know she was a dear friend of yours." My mom said as she hugged me gently.

"Why did this all happen? We don't even know who did it. It was so loud in the house...Then we heard screaming and I don't know. I know for a fact though it had to be somebody from Dulaney." I told them as they both nodded.

"The cops need to ask you a few questions whenever you get to feeling better. We know you don't need anymore stress right now." My dad said as I gulped.

"I can't believe she's gone though...Who would do that?"