The Unknown

“Ash, are you going to stand here all day?” I asked myself before gripping the door handle and pulling it down, I pushed the door open quietly, slowly. I stepped in refusing to look up just yet, the room was quiet, just the steady beeping of the heart monitor, I shut the door behind me and looked up, my eyes searching the bed; there she was, peaceful and asleep. Her mouth smiling slightly, her eyes closed, her hands resting on her stomach over the bed sheets, her hair wavy and falling around her, she looked peaceful, I tip toed silently to a chair by the bedside, I sat in it putting the Dr Pepper on the bedside table, I watched her sleep for a moment or two. Then rested my hand on top of hers, she didn’t move, her skin was cold. I stayed still, forgetting to breathe for a long while. I just watched her, she looked like an Angel, then I remembered what Jack hand said and then Wren’s face appeared in my mind and it was like I was talking to her soul.

“Ash, Jack’s coming move your hand quick… He’s already pissed off, be careful.”

I blinked and her face and voice was gone, I removed my hand like ‘she’ had said and moved my chair further from the bed just as Jack walked in, I looked at him then at Wren, blinking quickly.
“What’s the matter with you?” Jack queried, “Seen a Ghost?”
I shook my head “Nope just confused.”
“Why are you here anyway?” He said, hostility in his voice
“Mom came for a check-up and decided it’d be good to let me visit Wren while I’m here and when I came in she was asleep” I lied, I knew I’d gone into too much detail
“Right.” He paced back and forth
“What’s up?”
“Stuff”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“Fuck off Ash…”
I stood up, Wren wouldn’t know if I’d been here then gone because her adoptive brother wanted me gone, the craziest feeling consumed my body it was as if I was being held back by something, or someone, my whole body was anchored to the ground and I felt breath on my neck.
“I said get outta here!” Jack yelled
I tried to move but I couldn’t, it wasn’t as if my body was heavy it was more as if someone was holding me back, stopping me from going anywhere. I saw the anger flash in Jacks eyes, he squared up to me-

“Play nice now…” I heard a soft and gentle voice mutter from the bed
Jack averted his eyes to Wren’s, “Hey sis” he smiled and moved to her side,
The feeling disappeared and I could move again, I looked around confused.
“Hello Ash” Her little Irish accent rang in my ears
I smiled and looked at her, “Hello Wren”
Jack glared at me.
“Jack, leave me alone or I’ll tell mum” She ordered
He looked at her shocked then scowled at me and stormed out.
I moved the chair back and sat close to her, she could see the puzzled look on my face
“What’s wrong Ash?”
"I’m not quite sure, but it doesn’t matter” I smiled at her reassuringly
She smiled at me “Good” she knew what I was confused about, but she couldn’t tell me.

We laughed and joked for a long while, it was perfect hearing her voice and her laugh above the drone of the various machines, I listened to her stories, she listened to mine, I responded to her jokes and she mine.

“Say… Ash…” She spoke quietly, “Did you see Saw?”
I thought for a moment, “Yeah I saw, Saw"
“Have you seen Saw 2?”
“Yeah I saw, Saw 2”
“Did you see Saw 3?”
“Nope, I saw, Saw 4 though!” I exclaimed
“What did you go and see Saw 4 before you saw, Saw 3 for?”
I stared blankly at her
She giggled lightly
“Y’know, your Irish, English humour is not funny at all” I tried my best not to chuckle
“Well you laugh at it!” She shrieked with laughter
I smiled; her bright green eyes sparkled with joy.
She leaned closer to me, was she going to kiss me? No, she lowered her voice to an almost silent whisper, “Jack has been stood outside the door this whole time”
I smiled and whispered in her ear tenderly, “Well, let him hear what we have to say…”
She smiled and sat back.