Two Dead Boys

The following morning Paris woke to find she was alone. She yawned and arched her body in a stretch before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked around the basement and then over to the side of the bed were the Chard Thing had been watching her the past night.

“who are you?” She asked herself softly. Brushing her hair out of her face. Sliding out of the bed Paris stretched again and headed up to the kitchen. There was a loud crash and Paris nearly jumped out of her skin. She watched wide eyed as a pile of plates lay in pieces on the floor just before Matt’s feet.

She rushed over as Sara did to pick up the fragments. “I’m sorry honey. That was stupid of me. The dishes were too heavy for you!” Sara called. “I didn’t drop them” Matt said flatly. Paris looked up at him confused as she tried to help out Sara. “The how-” Sara was cut off by Matt “I don’t know! I swear..I -I saw” Matt stammered, Sara and Paris glanced at each other worriedly before Paris nodded to Sara “I got this” Paris mouthed nodding to the fragments. Sara nodded and smiled before standing up and placing the back of her hand to Matt’s forehead. No fever.

“Dr. Brooks said to tell him if you were...seeing things. He said ” Matt looked away from his mom and glanced down at Paris quickly. “I remember what he said. He said if I was seeing things, or even thinking weird things” Matt turned back to his mother “it meant they’d drop me from the trial. We didn’t come this far, turn our lives upside down, and move houses, just to call it all off.” He said frustration very evident in his voice. “But if you’re seeing things...” Sara's voice trailed off “No Mom. It’s nothing. I’m not seeing things. I swear. Nothing’s wrong.” Matt said.

Paris watched him as she got up to dump her handful's of plate fragments into the trash bin. “Really. I’m just tired. Now I remember, I just left them sitting too close to the edge. That’s all.” as Matt spoke he did seem a lot more calm than he had been a few seconds ago. Paris walked back and started to pick up for the shards, this time, a broom and dust pan in tow. “alright. But you tell me if anything like that happens again.” Sara said exhaling heavily. Matt nodded and Sara pointed at him “Promise” she said. “Yeah, I promise. Sorry I broke the dishes.” Matt sighed looking over to Paris who was sweeping she smiled faintly. “oh don’t look at me with that guilty look, I’m here pretty much for free considering the low amount you are actually asking my parents to send for me. Sweeping up glass shards is the least I could be doing” Paris said with a wide smile. Matt cracked a small one himself before turning to his Mom “still though” he said. Sara smiled at him “it’s fine sweetheart, Grandma used to kiss me when I broke dishes. She always said it meant something worse won’t happen.” she said.

Paris giggled “you know with all of these dishes you should be good for a long time if that’s true Mattie” she said. Matt chuckled “I guess so” he said watching as Paris walked the last of the shards to the trash “or I hope so” Matt thought looking down at his slightly burned hand. He flexed it remembering when I had tried to open the door with the glass window the night before.

Paris helped Sara get Marry and Billy off to the school bus. And walked around with a chemistry book in her hands. It had been a while since she was able to study. Now she had a few good minutes before Matt’s Doctor visit. Matt walked into the living room and sat down next to her resting his head on her shoulder he curled his feet onto the sofa and cuddle up to her side watching her read. “that stuff looks like hell, I don’t even want to think about getting back to that” He said.

Paris chuckled and looked down at him “it’s not so bad actually, some say if you're good at science that you're bad at math....I think math is worse” She said. “you’re only a few pages in on that book, you’re usually halfway done by now...” Matt muttered. “You” he paused and Paris could feel his silent sigh roll through his body. “you don’t have to come with me, to the doctor this time, if you need to study and finish this book” He said. Paris closed her book and turned to him with a stern expression. “I’m going, I want to know as much as I can about what's going on with you” She said. Matt smiled and nodded. Nuzzling his head in her neck “just so long as you want to be there” he said muffledly into her neck. Paris giggled as his breath tickled her skin. “thank you, but really take today to study, I will me alright” he said softly. Paris nodded patted his burned hand gently, it looked to be a dark coal color. She froze and her body tensed for a moment. “It’s just like that Things hands...” she thought stroking Matt’s hand softly. “Matt?” Paris spoke hesitant, she wasn’t sure if she should ask. “yep?” He asked pulling away from her neck and looking her dead int he eye as if trying to wake himself up. It was clear he was still very tired. “what-well, what happened to your hand?” She asked.

Matt looked down at his hand and flexed it, “oh you know I burned it on the haunted creepy locked door in my haunted room filled with ghosts and a burned guy” Matt thought to himself almost bitterly. Instead, he faked a smile and rubbed the back of his neck with his good hand “oh eh, was fooling with some wires down in my room and kinda got a bad shock” He said. Paris looked at him with large eyes “What!” she shrieked. “you should have told somebody about that!” she gasped taking his hand in her own she raised it to eye level to examine it.

Matt gave a guilty smile. “Really Paris, it’s fine. It only looks bad, I mean it hardly even hurts” He reasoned. Paris placed his hand back down in his lap and eyed him carefully “if you say so, still you should have the doctor give it a look” Paris advised, Matt looked at her softly and smiled “right”

---

While Matt was at the doctors, Paris didn’t know what to do with herself. Wendy had gone out for a walk in the neighborhood. Mary and Billy were off at school and Peter was at work. Paris found herself all alone, in the house. She had tried to call her parents, but as usual they were busy and didn’t pick up.

Paris tried wandering around the house but eventually her legs took her back to the attic. “no” she told herself turning her back to it yet again “you will not set foot back up there” she thought. Turning her gaze to Wendy’s room she walked in headed for the old vanity.

Taking a seat in the chair, Paris leaned forward to look herself over in the mirror. “maybe there’s a hair tie in here somewhere” She said to herself pulling open the draws to see what she could find. Most of them were empty not to mention-

Paris jiggled the handle on two drawers and they would not budge. “geez!” Paris called out as she kept at it eventually the bottom drawer opened. “about time” she muttered, rummaging through it, there was a small jewelry box. Paris opened it up to find a pair of small pearl studs. She smiled and took them out setting the box on the vanity she carefully put the pearl studs in her ears. Turning her head from side to side in the mirror Paris smiled. “they’re so pretty” she breathed.

Looking back into the draw she saw that there was a photo under the jewelry box. Taking it carefully into her hands she flipped it over to see it was very old and very worn. But faintly she could make out a small figure wearing the dress that was in the attic.

A chill ran down Paris’ spine and she quickly dropped the picture back into the drawer and closed it. Getting up from the vanity she rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Walking quickly, jogging and soon she found herself sprinting to the front door. She felt as if something had been watching her, following her. And it did not feel like the Chard Thing. Not this time.

Paris swung open the front door and drew in the fresh air as she stepped into the sunlight it seemed the dark looming feeling vanished as well. “maybe I just need some air” Paris said to herself her eyes going to various weeds in the yard.

Paris sat in the grass pulling weeds, she had been working at it for a half hour now. “there are so many” she groaned looking over all the weeds still left, her textbook lay before her so she could read while she pulled.

“Hello” A friendly voice called out. Paris looked up to see a boy standing at the sidewalk in front of the yard. “oh, hi” Paris said waving a bit awkwardly. She didn’t hear him walk up, and she didn’t think anyone was out in about on the block.

Paris got up and dusted off her blue jeans heading over to him. “you’re with the family who just moved in right?” He asked with a small smile. “Paris looked back at the house and shrugged a bit sliding her hands into her back pockets “ah, sort of. I live here with them but I’m not their blood relative or anything” She said not wanting to fully explain. The boy nodded and stuck out his hand to her.

“well welcome to the neighborhood, I’m Jonah” He said. Paris looked at his hand and smiled, shaking it she looked up and tried to stop herself from gasping.

His eyes were just like that of the Chard Thing. A bright vivid green.

Paris managed to keep her smile. “ah thanks! I’m Paris, Paris Nickles. The Campbell family are the ones who live here” She said. Jonah nodded “it’s nice to see new faces around here, there aren’t many new comers in this side of town.” Jonah said. The more Paris talked to him the more she realized she was just being silly. Plenty of people had green eyes even if it was relatively rare. And for all she knew the Chard Thing was just part of her imagination. Jonah seemed very nice. “I don’t see why it’s a nice area” Paris said. Jonah gave a soft smiled and there was a pause of silence.

“It-It’s kind of hot out here, would you like a glass of tea or lemonade?” She asked him. Jonah nodded slightly “what would be very nice, thank you” He said as Paris lead him up the walkway and into the house. “pretty nice place, I remember this house” Jonah said as he followed Paris to the kitchen. “people say it’s haunted though” He added. Paris froze and she reached for two glasses. “H-haunted” She whispered her mind flashing to the Chard Thing, the old photos, the carved ghosts and that dusty dress.

Paris shook her head and eliminated the memories.

She placed the glasses on the table and went to the fridge “that’s silly” She said covering up her distress. “tea or Lemonade?” She asked. Jonah nodded towards the Lemonade and Paris pulled it from the fridge and poured it into the glasses, juice and ice dancing and swirling as she did so. Paris handed Jonah his glass and offered for him to take a seat.

“so how long have you lived here on the block?” she asked. Jonah smiled a bit “my whole life nearly, I stay with my uncle, my parents passed when I was 7” He said. Paris sat down her drink and swallowed roughly “I’m sorry” she said mildly panicked “No it’s ok, really” He said waving his hand. Paris smiled sheepishly “so you stay with the Campbells?” He asked. Paris nodded she figured after drawing out of him that his parents were dead she had to tell him her story to redeem herself. Something about his easy and calm personality made him easy to talk to. Maybe too easy to talk to.

“oh well, their Son, Matt. He’s my boyfriend. And well he’s got-” Paris paused and exhaled looked down at the ice floating around in the lemonade “He’s got cancer...it’s pretty advanced” she said softly with a somewhat bitter smile “they moved out here so he could be closer to his doctor...the ride from New York was too much for him. and...In case things go...sour. They wanted me here. Just in case.” She managed. Jonah nodded “I’m sorry that's gotta be tough. But I bet you help a lot” He said.

Paris looked up at him mildly shocked “having someone who cares about you around is more healing than you think. Emotional support, it’s a miracle worker at times” said Jonah. Paris gave a lopsided smile and “I hope you’re right” she said. Giving Jonah a once over, Paris thought for a moment. “Hey, Jonah? Matt....he could really use a friend around here. To make him feel. Normal again. Would you mind coming by tomorrow? If you can?” Paris asked as Jonah finished off his lemonade. He smiled but it didn’t seem natural almost forced “yeah, I will certainly try, I work the paper routes, and down at the cemetery but I will try and stop by” he said. Paris beamed “great thank you!” she said. Jonah chuckled at her excitement.

“well” He said sliding the glass away and pushing out of his chair “thank you for the Lemonade, but I should be going now” he said. “oh no problem, here I can walk you out” She said getting up herself she lead him back to the door and out to the front yard.

Ring - Ring -Ring

Paris looked back into the house at the sound of the phone. “oh” she breathed. “you should go get it, It was nice meeting you Paris” Jonah said, Paris looked to him and returned his smile “Nice meeting you too, stop by anytime you like, don’t be a stranger” She said backing up towards the door. Jonah smiled and gave a half nod before heading up the walkway.

Ring - Ring - Ring

Paris tore her eyes away from Jonah and darted into the house, slamming the door behind her as she ran to the phone. Picking it up she glanced out the window to see, Jonah was gone. “hello, Campbell’s Residence” she said while walking to the window. Looking up and down the street she could not see him. “he must walk really fast...” she thought a bit unsettled.

“hello, Its Sara. Paris honey we are headed home soon” Sara’s voice said on the other side of the phone. Paris brushed off the odd feeling that was welling in her and turned her back to Window.

Oblivious to the Chard Black thing that now gazed at her from the front lawn.

“Ok, how’s Matt?” Paris asked.

“Fine, better than usual, we will update you when we get there-”

“let me talk to her! Come on!” Paris giggled at hearing Matt int he background.

Sara sighed heavily “no- Matt, you’re tired wait til we get home!” Sara shouted. Paris giggled more. “yeah he sounds ok, you guys be safe coming home” Paris said before hanging up the phone.

Paris sighed heavily and turned around to look back out at the street. All was silent and clear out. But she could not ignore the dark feeling in her chest. “stop being so paranoid” she told herself before heading to the kitchen to put away the glasses and juice.