Status: On-Going

Pink Nostalgia

Poor Girl

"I didn't kill her!"

I was panting when I opened my eyes and saw worried faces of people surrounding me. 

"Believe me. I didn't kill, Chloe," I said, almost pleading. I hastily touched Flora's arm. " It was an accident."

She stared at me, looking confused. I saw the confusion at other people's faces too. I started recognizing their faces, the school nurse, my class adviser, Ms. Torres and Jane, our class president.

"Denise, of course, you didn't kill her. You weren't even near her when the accident happened" Flora pacified me and it was my turn to be confused.
" And luckily, she wasn't dead. Just badly hurt. I heard, she won't be able to walk again. It was tragic."

I was speechless.

"Take a good rest, Denise," Ms. Torres told me. "I think you were just shocked with what happened to Chloe. We already called your parents and they'll be here soon."

I nodded. 

"Thank you," I said and tried to smile. I wasn't sure if it reflected.

Everyone left after telling me to take it easy, except for Flora who said that she would keep me company until my parents arrive, which I was extremely grateful of.

"Denise, you were telling something about not killing Chloe. You were in the school ground when she fell from the building. How could you assume that you had something to do with what happened to her?" Flora broke the silence. I knew she's been dying to ask this question but waited until everyone's gone.

"She was wrongly accused," I said, softly, almost to myself.

Flora gave me a puzzled look.

"Helen," I continued. "The girl who died a long time ago in Cypress hill. She was accused of pushing her step sister, Audrey in the same spot where Chloe fell. Audrey is here for revenge. I could sense it. She wanted me to have the same tragic life like Helen."

"Why would she want that?" Flora asked, obviously horrified by the mention of Helen.  

"I'm Helen's reincarnation," I confessed. I couldn't believe it in the beginning and tried to dismiss the idea as I didn't believe in reincarnation before. "She lured me back to Cypress Hill to punish for something Helen did. She was blaming Helen for her early death. Her soul hasn't rest in peace all these years."

Flora stared at  me. I'm not sure if she believed me or not but she didn't say a word.

Then she sat up straight as if she remembered something.
"Denise," Flora's voice trembled a little, "before Chloe's accident, I saw something strange with her. She has not disturbed me in weeks. She said she has a new friend and she doesn't need me anymore. She would always sit alone under the old acacia tree in the school ground. And one time, I followed her, she looked so scared talking to herself."

"She wasn't alone," I exclaimed.

"Do...do you think," she hesitated as if she was about to mention something forbidden. "Do you think she was with that girl?"

I knew she was talking about Audrey.

I nodded.

"I don't want to go to school anymore," Flora said, ready to cry.

I could understand her fear but I tried to calm her down.

"Don't worry, she's not gonna hurt you," I said but deep inside, I wasn't really sure.Who would think Chloe, the mischievous, smart girl would be a victim of Audrey?

 "Just don't stay alone. Always hang out with our classmates," I suggested.

She nodded, reluctantly.

Our conversation was interrupted when my parents arrived. I felt guilty when I saw how worried my parents were. 

They volunteered to drop Flora on our way home as it was already half past eight.

We were walking on the corridor when we passed by another room. The door was open and I accidentally saw the patient inside. The girl lying on the bed with her legs covered with bandages saw me too.

"Denise," she called.

I was standing outside the door, hesitating if I should come in.

"Please, I need to speak with you," Chloe said, almost pleading.

Like Flora, I could see the fear in her eyes. Something I haven't seen before.

I looked at my mom and she understood.

"We'll be in the waiting area."

"Thanks,mom," I said before going inside Chloe's hospital room.

"She hates you," Chloe didn't wait for me to take a seat. She haphazardly grabbed my arm.

I felt a sudden chill.

"I-is she here?" I asked, softly.

Chloe shook her head, "No. She's scared of hospitals."

"W-what happened to you?" I couldn't stop asking. "Why did you jump?"

Chloe sobbed, "I didn't want to challenge you. I didn't want to jump over the edge. I thought it was stupid. But she forced me to. At first, she told me to do it if I'm a real friend then she threatened to kill me. She's horrible but-" she stammered.

"Sh-she's scary. When I saw her real face, i-it...it was badly damaged."

I almost jumped up when the doctor came in. The face of Audrey as described by Chloe suddenly flashed on my mind.

We waited for her to finish checking up on Chloe before speaking again.

"How did you even become friends with her?" I remembered to ask.

"I saw her sitting under the acacia tree. I didn’t know she was a ghost. She seemed lonely so I approached her. She said that she didn’t have any friends because someone took them away from her. I felt bad for her and thought that we could be friends since my only friend had left me for you,” she hesitated on the last part.

“Did you really think it was my intention to steal Flora? You were mean to her that’s why she prefers to hang out with me,” I tried to stay calm because of her condition but somehow, I couldn’t help not raising my voice.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized even if I knew it wasn’t my intention to offend her.

Obviously, she was being selfish and didn’t want to admit that she was at fault.

“You’re right. I was a mean girl,” Chloe’s voice started to crumble again. “I wish I was nicer to both of you. Maybe, this won’t happen.”

“Audrey needed someone to do evil things for her. She will still use you whether you’re good or bad.”

“We can still be friends, right?” Chloe asked. “Even if I won’t be able to walk again?”

I gave her a sincere smile, “Of course. We’ll visit you all the time.”

I saw my parents happily chatting with Flora and apologized for keeping them late.

Before I left the hospital, I looked back at Chloe’s room. I was a little afraid that Audrey would go there to haunt her, but I got at ease when we passed by a couple, about my parent’s age, talking to Chloe’s doctor.

It must be her parents.