Haunting Grey

"I can feel you," I say, shutting my eyes. "God, Nat. Why is this happening?"

Her voice is strange as she replies, "You can't see it yet, can you, Grey?"

I open my eyes, and watch her expression fall. She looks remorseful, even mournful. I know I should understand why, but my brain can't comprehend the reason. I need her to tell me what's going on.

"Natalie."

Her name from my lips, and we both know what it means.

She brushes her hair away from her face, and sits on the edge of my bed. The mattress dips from the pressure of her body.

And I can feel it.

My mind reels, grasping, and I finally—finally, with a terrible realization—understand everything. The pieces fall together and I'm sick.

I look at Natalie again.

"No," I say. "This isn't—it can't be—"

"I'm sorry." Natalie's crying now. "I wanted to tell you when the time was right, but I thought you'd figured it out, and when you didn't—"

"So you lied to me? Made me think I was alive?" I shout. "How could you do that to me?"

"You're still alive," she says quietly, gripping my hand again. "You're still you, Travis. You're not gone yet."