A Dance with the Dead

She stood on the balcony, and gazed out toward the river. The lights, from the building, and the stars glistened off the surface, reminding her of the late nights out by the lake.
Strong arms wrapped around her torso, and warm breath caressed her neck.
"Hi." She smiled.
"Why don't we go dance?" His seductive voice suggested.
She turned in his arms, and looked up into his brown, almost onyx, eyes.
He tried not to smile, as he looked into her gorgeous hazel irises.
"Is that a yes?" He asked, slightly of her expression.
She smiled. "I do believe it is."
He took her hand in his own, and led her into the dimly lit ballroom. His feet lightly touched the floor, as her heels clacked loudly against the linoleum tile.
"Jared, what brings you here?" She asked casually. Curiosity lathered the tone of her voice.
His lips curved into the smile she had fallen for years ago.
"You," He said. No emotion penetrated his voice as he spoke.
Her eyes lit up as she gazed up at him.
"You're just saying that," She accused.
He looked down at her and shook his head slowly, side to side. "You're still the same stubborn girl, aren't you Lily?" He asked, as a chuckle rumbled in his throat.
She frowned. "No I'm not," She said firmly.
He continued to chuckle as the music's tempo began to speed up. He spun her around the dance floor. Soon they were twirling in the center of the dance floor, beneath the crystal chandelier. The crowd circled around them, and cheered at their dance moves.
The song ended, as they moved back out onto the balcony.
He led her over to a corner that held a quaint table for two.
He pulled out the chair for her, and swiftly pushed it beneath her as she lowered herself into the seat.
"Thank you," She said quietly.
He smiled, and took his seat across from her.
"How have you been? I can't believe you were here!" She smiled widely.
He held back a strained expression, and managed to pull off a smile.
"I've been good," He lied. He couldn't tell her what he was, literally, dying to tell her. "You?" he added.
"I've been wonderful!" She said cheerfully.
He cringed at the shrillness of her voice. "That's great to hear," He said through clenched teeth.
"Did you stay back in Lakeville?" She asked. She was comfortable with her old friend's presence, but she couldn't help but feel a little awkward with the small talk.
"Yes I did," He replied, truthfully.
She smiled. "I wanted to stay, but I didn't really have a choice, did I?"
His eyes had been practically glued to the sight of the river, behind her, but now, they flickered and focused on her.
"You could have come back," He said coldly.
Her heart skipped a beat, as his eyes were now black as the night's sky above them. The coldness that iced over his voice made the comfort she'd felt drain from her body.
His eyes remained focused on hers as he continued to speak.
"You didn't want to," He said fiercely.
She frowned. "That's not true," She said in a mere whisper.
He glared at her.
"Nobody wanted me back!" She yelled.
Without thinking, he stood from his chair and swiftly and angrily, went back into the ballroom.
She tried to follow after him, but the lights flickered, and the room went black. He eyes strained to see anything around her.
She attempted to walk toward an exit, but her body couldn't move. It felt as if the blackness, in the room, was binding her into place.
She bit her tongue, in an effort not to scream.
Her eyes drooped into a long blink, and when her lids opened, light blinded her. She blinked quickly; her pupils adjusting to the light.
She glanced around, and found herself alone. The large ballroom was deserted. She stood in the center of the floor, where she had been dancing only moments before. Her black gown draped across the floor, in a silky river, beneath her.
She felt as if she was being watched. She spun around, but saw no-one.
She noticed an envelope sat on a table, on the outside perimeter of the floor. Curiously, she walked to the table and hesitantly reached down to pick it up.
Her hand hovered above it, as her heart began to race.
In elegant script her name was written across the face. She traced a finger of the surface.
She picked the envelope up, and slowly tore it open. A small note was paper clipped to an old newspaper article.
The note held the same script as the envelope.
I wanted you to come back, but you never did…, the note read.
She held her breath as she lifted the note, so she could read the article.
Local Man Found Dead
A local man, by the name of, Jared Lewis (pictured on the right) was found dead on the shore of Lakeville's popular beach, Driftwood Shore. Local police say that the man died from alcohol poisoning. It is said to be a suicide, because of a note that had been found in the man's hand. All that was written on the note was: She's the reason. If anybody has any information on the incident that occurred the night Lewis died, you are…
She couldn't follow it anymore. The words blurred as tears filled her eyes, and a scream ripped through her throat.
Her shrill scream was cut off by the start of music. The laughs and sighs of couples returned to her surroundings.
No one paid attention as she cried out in agony. She collapsed on the floor, sobbing. The couples around her were separating and looking down at her. Laughter began to echo around her.
"Dancing with the dead is dangerous," One man stated with a grin.
Within a second the dance floor was, once again, empty. This time she was alone, forever.