Living Dead Boy

PROLOUGE

It was dark and stormy when it happened. When I turned into what I am. What am I? I don’t even know, but people fear me. I cannot even walk the streets anymore, for people shriek in terror, and run away. I cause too much attention to myself, walking the streets. That of which I do not need.
I can’t even by food anymore. Though I do not need to eat, for it satisfies me none, I like the taste in my mouth, but the shrieks of terror and horror kept me away from the stores. So now I sit, day in and day out, not sleeping, watching the sun rise and fall with each passing day.
I have no real friends, no company of which to talk to, to confide in, I have no one to tell my secrets. I once did, back before I was like a monster. I used to play and frolic with my friends. I used to always have a girl under my arms, clinging to me, gazing at me with loving eyes. Now no body will touch me, let alone look at me.
Though I cannot feel anymore, I can still remember. I remember days I’d hang out with the guys, skateboarding, laughing, and joking. Staring at girls as they pass, watching them giggle and walk away.  I remember my first kiss, it was with a girl named Clare. Her eyes were a bright green, her hair a light brown, straight and soft to touch, and most of all her sweet breath, the lip gloss that tasted like vanilla. If only I could taste her lips one last time, but that will never happen, for I do not have lips myself.
Everyday I sit on top of the lonely cliff and gaze out to sea. Recollecting my thoughts and memories and playing them like a movie over and over in my head. Sometimes a lonely tear rolls down my skull during the memory movies, but that is all that rolls….one tear. The loneliness sometimes becomes unbearable, but there is a spirit that comforts me. Shows me that I still have a friend.
Every now and then I leave my cliff to walk the forest that stands next to it. Sometimes I see a person wandering but I always duck away so they cannot see me. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I sometimes want to lurch out, and hug the person standing there, man or woman. Of course I never do this, for I would surely scare the person, and make them scream, or faint, or even die thinking I was death himself. So for now I sit in the shadows every time I see a human being walk in my woods, watching them with awe and admiration.
My forest isn’t a forest but a narrow patch of trees between my cliff and the city. People don’t wander in here often anymore, since the incident. They say it’s haunted by the ghost of the lost boy, and in some ways they’re right, but I am no ghost. Just a fallen angel so to speak. I guess you could call me the undead. But my heart still beats inside of what’s left of my body.
So now that you know what I am, or at least think you know, I will tell you how it happened. How my life died away and how I became this: a half corpse, half human, undead ghost of a fallen angel.








-1-

The sun was bright. The warmth of the sun beamed down on me. It was finally summer. That meant no school, no teachers, and especially no homework. As soon as summer began, the gang and I decided to meet everyday for a skate session, and a fun time.
As I walked over I noticed the gang was all here. Jeff, Scott, Clare, and Trish. They were outside enjoying the summer sun. Jeff and Scott were pulling allies all along the road while Clare and Trish sat on the side walk painting they’re nails. I had just arrived.
“Hey guys!” I waved at them.
“Hey, Chris, you made it!” shouted Scott.
“I thought you’d never show!” Jeff yelled from the street.
I walked down the side walk, gazing up at them as they returned to they’re skateboarding. My skateboard lay tucked under my left arm, always ready when I needed it. My gaze left Jeff and Scott, to the two girls on the side walk. Clare looked up at me. Gave me a pleasant smile and then returned to her nails. Trish turned around and yelled up at me.
“Hey Chris! Want your nails painted too?”
I shouted back.
“No thanks, I had my nails done yesterday.”
She giggled and turned back to Clare.
I headed over to Jeff and Scott.
“What’s up guys?”
“Nothing much.” Scott said, as he shrugged and smiled.
Before I knew it Jeff had came up behind me and pulled me down. My skateboard fell to the ground. I struggled to get away. But they had me pinned.
“So what should we do with him?” asked Scott.
“Hmm I don’t know, what should we do with him?”
“I know, lets throw him to the piranhas!” Scott looked over to Clare and Trish who were watching and laughing. They stopped laughing and glared at him. He laughed. Scott turned back to me.
“So what took you so long?” Scott beamed.
I managed to get a breath in.
“I had…I had chores to do!”
“Ah yes the dreadful chores.” Jeff said in a British accent.
“Yeah so will you two please get off me so I can skate!”
“Hmm I don’t know.” said Jeff.
“I still say we throw him to the piranhas!” Scott looked over at the girls as he said this once more. Trish gave him the finger and then whispered something to Clare. Then once again I was surprised to have two more people on top of me.
I gasped for breath.
“Get off me!” I struggled, but it was no use.
The girls laughed and smiled, enjoying having me pinned.
Scott and Jeff jumped off me and let Trish and Clare take over.
Trish sat on top of my legs while Clare pinned my arms to the pavement.
Scott looked down and laughed.
“Your on your own kid.”
Then he walked away with his skateboard.
Clare held my arms tighter to the floor.
“Wow, for a boy your pretty weak!” Trish said with a laugh.
“Yeah, I thought you were supposed to be tough!” Said Clare holding my arms tighter.
With my last bit of strength I pushed the girls off of me. They fell over laughing. I looked at them and glared.
“See I am strong!”
“Yeah sure.” said Trish.
I walked away. Three feet ahead of me, my board lay sprawled on the ground. As I leaned over to pick it up, someone tapped me on the back. I looked up. It was Trish. She spoke to me.
“I need to talk to you.”
“Yes?” I said raising an eyebrow.
“I um…need to tell you something.”
“Yes?” I said again.
“I um…well u see…I uh…”
Agitated with her lack of words I yelled at her.
“Out with it!” I said.
As if on queue she blurted out words I’d never thought I’d hear.
“I like you!”
“You what?!”
She stood there blushing immensely. It was silent for awhile. I couldn’t believe what I had heard. I mean to me Trish was like a sister. I had known her ever since I moved here which was 3 years ago. I just sat there and gawked, my mouth hanging open. By the time I figured I looked like a complete idiot standing there, I said something.
“So when did this happen?”
Blushing a bit more, she choked out words of her feelings I didn’t even know existed.
“Well ever since I moved here, I liked you. It was a child’s crush. So I hid my feelings aside and decided to become friends with you. But as our friendship grew, so did my um love so to speak. I just had to tell you how I felt. If I wouldn’t have, I would have exploded. So yeah.”
She sighed a sigh of relief. As if a heavy burden was just lifted from her chest. But still I was amazed. I must have been blinded not to see she had liked me. She would always flirt, call, and email me, we always talked. I should have known. Again I was feeling like an idiot. Not because I hadn’t known but because I did not like her in that way.
But as if an angel heard my plea for someone to help me, Clare came running over.
“Hey guys! What you doing?”
“Talking” said Trish, as if to shew  her away.
“Oh I see.” said Clare. “Well then, I’ll leave you guys alone.”
Almost instinctively I shouted.
“NO!… I mean no, lets all hang out.”
Trish gave me the worst look in the world. I shrugged not knowing what to do.
The day wore on. I skateboarded and talked with the girls. Jeff and Scott made it a job to annoy me today; tripping me, taking my board, cracking jokes. But I didn’t mind it. That was only because I had Trish on the mind. I didn’t know what to do…and I knew I didn’t want to hurt her nor lie to her either.
Soon it was dusk and we all sat in the driveway of Jeff’s house.
“So will you be late tomorrow?” Scott said without looking at me.
“I’ll try not to be. I don’t think I want to be tackled again.”
“Good choice.” said Jeff “Well I should head inside, I have chores as well to do.”
Everyone said they’re goodbyes, and Jeff gave us a thumbs up and went into his house. So now there was only 4 of us left. After about 10 minutes, Trish stood up. She stretched and yawned.
“I guess I’ll go to now, I’m tired, I’ll probably hit the hay. Hey Scott! Walk me home!”
“Do I have to?” whined Scott.
“Yes you do, now get off your lazy ass and walk me home!”
“Fine fine, don’t shit a brick.” He turned to me and Clare. “See you tomorrow.”
Trish had already began walking, and we could here her at the end of the street, screaming for Scott. Scott turned and sighed then ran after her.
I looked over at Clare. She had her head to the sky. Her hair blew slightly in the wind. The red setting sun set a bright reddish pinkish glow to her face. For the first time I saw that Clare was beautiful. I don’t know how long I was staring, but it took me awhile to notice she was staring back.
I quickly looked away. I heard her let out a small giggle. I looked at her. She smiled back at me. I felt my palms become sweaty. What was happening to me. I felt so weird. I got up quickly, said bye real fast and rushed home without looking behind me.

*****

I lay there in my bed, thinking about Clare and Trish. The two strangest things that have ever happened before, happened today. Thoughts of Clare and her smile flooded my mind until I fell asleep.
















-2-


I woke up early morning. I looked over at my digital clock that lay on top of my dresser. 8:30. I got up and stretched. The sound of the TV drew me into the family room.
My dad was sitting on the couch reading the paper and watching the news. He looked up at me.
“Hey kid.” he said.
“Hey dad.”
“Your up early. Yesterday you slept till noon.”
“I know. The TV woke me up.”
“Oh I see. I didn’t know it was so loud.”
Truth was the TV wasn’t loud at all. I just made an excuse and lied to him. He went back to his paper. I looked at the TV. The weather was being posted.
“I guess its going to be sunny all this week.”
“Um hum.” My dad said not really paying attention.
The weather man was wearing a bright yellow suit and a blue tie. I felt sorry for him, yet laughed at his outfit that screamed to be shredded, for its own sake.
“I wonder if he likes wearing that tacky outfit?” I said to myself.
This time my dad didn’t give the “um hum”, he just stayed silent and remained reading his paper. I got up and walked into the kitchen, heading right to the fridge. I pulled the refrigerator door open and peered inside.
There was left over pasta from two nights ago, milk, orange juice, a bag of grapes, a package of bacon and a whole carton of eggs. I reached inside and took the orange juice from its spot and set it on the counter. I took a clean glass from the dishwasher and poured some juice in it. I wasn’t thirsty. I drank out of habit.
After I was done, I headed up back to my room which was on the second floor. I threw myself on my bed.
What had happened yesterday. Why did I all of a sudden act so weird. Then I knew, as if a bolt of lightning had just hit me. I like Clare.

*****

I walked down the street. It was earlier than usual. I just didn’t want to be late again. Who knows what they would have done to me this time. I really didn’t want to hang out with everyone today, but it was an obligation, sort of a job that did not pay and had no benefits, but I had to show up.
I headed past the houses. Looking to the ground thinking. I wondered still, why I had acted so strange. I knew I liked Clare, but I felt like a total idiot for just leaving her there yesterday.
I kept on walking down the street, unaware of my surroundings. I didn’t even notice her and she didn’t notice me. We just both looked to the ground. I didn’t realize she was there until we ran  straight into each other.
I stepped back, and quickly said sorry, still not knowing it was her. She looked at me. I still had my head to the ground.
“Hey Chris.”
Now I knew it was her.
“Oh. Hey Clare.”
“Hey. What are you doing out so early? Scared to be pounced on again?”
“I suppose.”
I looked at her. I was at a lose of words. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was look at her, until she said something else.
“I know about what Trish told you.”
“Do you now?” I said in an embarrassed tone.
“Yes, I do. I am her best friend. She does tell me everything.”
“Ok.”
I still had no idea what to say.
“So do you like her?”
I felt uneasy. It was a queasy feeling almost. I didn’t want to tell her, because I was afraid she’d tell Trish and it would hurt her.  Thing was though, it was as if now I couldn’t lie to Clare. Like I had to tell her everything. Even my new feelings for her. I, of course, didn’t tell her that.
“I don’t know. I don’t think I like her. She is more like a sister to me. You know. It surprised me yesterday when she told me. I didn’t even notice that she did. I feel like an idiot though, you know, for not knowing.”
She shook her head in agreement.
“Well then if you didn’t notice, you must be thick. I mean she flirts with you all the time. Its only totally noticeable.”
I shrugged.
“I guess. Still, it came as a surprise to me.” I paused “Your not going to tell her are you? You know, that I don’t like her in that way?”
“Only if you don’t want me too, but you should tell her. If you don’t it will end up hurting her more, and you know it.”
“Yeah your right, but even if I told her I didn’t like her in that way, that would still hurt her as well. I really don’t know what to do.”
“Why not, it shouldn’t be that hard. I’m sure Trish will get over it. It’s not really a big deal, just cause you don’t like someone that likes you.”
She was right and wrong all at the same time. It would be a big deal, because I liked Clare, and if Trish ever found out, all hell would break loose. I pondered on if I should tell Clare about my feelings for her, but I was interrupted with a distant shout.
“Hey guys!”
Trish came running down the street. I looked at Clare and spoke softly.
“Please don’t tell her.”
“It’s ok. I won’t.” Clare said moving past me to Trish.
I watched Trish slow down as she reached Clare. She was panting from running. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, her sandals were a dark brown and her hair was up in a bun sort of style.
Trish looked over at me then to Clare. I heard Trish murmur something, but I couldn’t hear it.
Clare then looked at me.
I heard her say “I don’t know.” To Trish.
Trish shrugged then walked over to me.
“Hey Chris. Your out early.”
“Yeah, I woke up early, so I had nothing else better to do then walk. Then I ran into Clare…literally.”
Trish and Clare both laughed. I smiled.
“So where’s Jeff and Scott?” Asked Trish.
“I don’t know. You know Jeff don’t wake up till like 11, and Scott always has something to do till we meet.” I said in response.
“Yeah your right.” said Trish.
We ended up walking down the streets, not really talking just walking, it was something to do. We walked down the street then walked back, by the time we got back to the spot where we all met, Scott and Jeff had already arrived and sat on the side walk.
“Hey where were you guys?” Scott said, getting up.
“Not doing something naughty I hope.” Jeff said staring up at me.
“No way, we were all just walking because we all woke up early.” I said quickly.
“Uh huh, sure.” They both said looking at each other and winking.
“Ok you can think what you want, but I tell you nothing happened!” Trish said in defense, but by now the two boys weren’t listening.

*****

The day dragged on as usual. They laughed and joked and played. The guys skateboarded, while the girls watched in the distance.
Trish seemed to eye me the whole time. Never taking her strange loving stare away from me. In a way, I was grateful, but in another way I was scared. I knew I didn’t like her like that, but I did like Clare. It was only a matter of time though that all of this would be out in the open.
We ended up all sitting on the sidewalk at the end of the day. Conversing among each other.
Trish stood up.
“I think I’m going to have a party, but it’s only going to be our little group. My mom is very lenient and says that you all might be able to stay the night, yes even you boys, we would pitch a tent in my backyard and all sleep out there. My parents will be gone the whole time as well!”
Jeff popped up as well.
“When?”
“This weekend,” answered Trish, “so, can everyone go?”
“Yeah!” said everyone in unison. Everyone except me.
“So can you go Chris?” Trish said with wide eyes.
I wanted to run away, but I knew I couldn’t it was like my feet were stuck the ground.
“Sure, I guess, I’ll have to check with my mom.”
She gave a disappointed “Ok.” Then turned away.
I heard he say “I’ll see you guys later” Then she was gone.
Jeff and Scott looked at me.
“You can so tell she’s into you. Hell we knew this since you first moved here. I say you go for it, hell Trish is HOTT!” said Scott.
I looked at Clare. She was sitting down cross legged and hunched over, she was staring at the ground. She ran her finger on the cement side walk. I heard her take a loud “sigh”.
I then looked back up at Jeff and Scott, who, might I have known, had been watching me. They looked at each other and nodded, and so they knew. They knew I liked Clare. Hopefully this time though, they’d keep they’re big mouths shut and not say a word. Boy I was wrong.






































-3-

It was the day of the party, and I was going, though I did not want to, I had a responsibility to my friends, no matter what was going on with me. No matter what my feelings were for Clare or Trish or anyone else for that matter.
I arrived late. I did not want to be there long. All week I had been avoiding Trish. I think she noticed. I felt really bad, but I did not want her to see the thing I had for Clare.
I entered her house at 7:00 pm. As I opened the door, I was hit with a wave of loud music. Booming sound waves flooded my ears. At first I couldn’t even tell who was singing, or even what kind of music it was. It only took a second to get used to loudness of the music. Rap, Hip Hop, and R&B was what was being played tonight on the stereo.
There were more people there then I was expecting. I had thought that it was only be our group. I had obviously been wrong. There were people everywhere. I pushed through the crowd of kids. I looked for Trish and Clare. After searching the house for about ten minutes. I walked outside to see them sitting on her porch laughing and giggling. I walked over to the girls.
“Hey Chris!” Trish said as she got up, and threw her arms around me in a bid hug.
I pushed her off gently.
“Uh, what’s with all the people?”
“If you haven’t noticed my parents are gone.” said Trish.
“I thought it was only going to be us.”
I looked over Trish’s shoulder and spotted two guys pulling out a bottle of Vodka and taking massive chugs of it.
“Yeah it was, but then I was like, what the hell, might as well have a real party, so I invited some other friends, who invited other friends, and so on and so forth. Isn’t this great! It’s my first real party!”
“TRISH!” I screamed. “They’re kids fucking drinking!”
“Yeah so.” she replied.
“Trish what if your parents find out? What if someone calls the fucking cops, are you insane!” Knowing I was upset Trish put her hand on my shoulder.
“Calm down babe, everything is going to be fine, no one will get hurt. I promise.”
I was so mad. I couldn’t believe her. I stormed off into the house. I pushed my way through the crowd, till I got to the stairs, I walked up them and entered the spare bedroom, which was surprisingly empty.
A queen sized bed lay in the center of the room. Where on each side were end tables with lamps on them. The carpet was a beige, while the walls were a dark red. There were two windows, letting in no light and no space to the small room.
I closed the door and sat on the bed. The bed squeaked as I sat. The bed comforter was a black silk overthrow. I fell backwards onto the bad, listening to the faint music. I began to let myself flow with the music, the beat held me in it’s sway. Thoughts of Clare drifted into my head.
As I lay there I was startled by a small lick on my hand. I saw Trish’s dog Cody, he wagged his tail next to me. I sat up and patted his head. He was an Alaskan Malamute. Big and Fluffy, no wonder nobody was in here, his yellow wolf eyes pierced mine.
“Hey boy.” I said to him. “You and me both are the losers, huh?”
He just stared up at me as I still spoke to him.
“I’m sure you hate this party just as mush as I do.”
He wagged his tail once more as if in reply.
The sound of music hit me again, someone opened the door. It was Clare. I froze. Cody trotted over to her, and she patted him on the head. Clare walked in and closed the door behind her, drowning the music.
“Hey Chris, are you ok?”
“Yeah I guess.”  I answered.
“Well you sure don’t look ok, or for that matter, acting ok.”
“Yeah I know. Well I don’t know, maybe I’m just weird. I’m just afraid that something bad is going to happen.”
“I know what you mean, I don’t think this party is a good idea either.”
She walked over and sat next to me on the bed.
“Everything will be ok.”
She placed her hand on mine.
“Trust me.”
I looked at her. She gazed into my eyes as I looked into hers. They glowed green, reminding me of a warm, crisp spring. As I stared I wanted so much to kiss her, but someone else walked through the door.
A boy and girl I did not recognize burst in. They were walking and making out at the same time. At first me and Clare just watched the kids, thinking they would notice us, but of course they did not.
“Uh hem.” Clare breathed.
They looked up.
“Oh we’re terribly sorry.” the kids yelled over the music.
Just then Cody took a dash out of the room.
“Oh no!” Clare jumped up and ran after him. I ran after her.
“Keep the room, losers.” I said as I ran by.
I saw Clare ahead of me. Running, pushing through the crowd of people. I saw farther ahead of Clare, a tail swished in between the people. Small screams and cries rang through the house. The dog who had only been trotting, picked up full speed and I could not see him anymore.
Clare stopped dead in her tracks and waited for me to catch up. I stopped next to her, breathing hard.
“We need to catch him, or Trish will kill us!”
“Yes, yes, I know.” I said in reply.
Instead of running she and I walked fast through the rest of the house looking for the dog. We searched downstairs, upstairs and the back yard. We hadn’t known where he went till we heard a distant yelp and screams.
Clare and I took off like a bullet to the sound of the cries. It carried us to the front yard. Where Trish stood blankly, and shaking. Then I saw it. It was Cody. He lay sprawled on the driveway and trail of blood flowed slowly to the edge of the street. His leg was twitching and his eyes were closed. I knew he was dead.
I looked at Clare. Her eyes were filled with tears. I looked back at the dead dog. What and who had done this? I didn’t know, but I was soon to find out.
The two guys who I saw earlier drinking stood at the edge of the road, their car still running behind them. They were frozen in terror, yet still woozy and acting stupid from the alcohol.
Trish finally fell to the ground, choking herself in tears. Clare ran over to her, and sat on the floor holding and crying with her.
I saw out of the corner of my eye the two boys slowing getting into their car. I turned towards them.
“And where the hell do you think your going?!”
The two boys looked at each other.
“Hey he wasn’t our dog, hell you should have had him tied up.” said on of the boys.
Furiously I ran at the boy and took a swing. My fist hit him on the side of the head. I kept punching him. I felt my hand throb at each punch I took. The boy kicked me, and took a swing at me, hitting me dead in the side of the skull. I toppled over, then staggered up to my feet. The boy stood, wiping the blood from his nose.
“You little punk.”
I found him lurching forward at me. His hands clenched in tight fists. As he swung for my head I leaned out of the way, almost falling over, and put my own fist in his gut. He fell to the floor. I saw him hit down hard onto his knees, then falling over holding his stomach.
I panted hard. I wanted to teach him a lesson. I turned to walk away from the boy. Then out of no where a fist came swinging through the air. Hitting me dead in the face. I fell straight to the ground, but before I even felt my body touch the pavement, I blacked out.
























-4-

It was silent at first. Black. Like I had fallen into my mind, into memories and thoughts that were blank and colorless. No sound. It was like this for hours, but to me it seemed only like minutes. Like time had speeded up. You know when you fall asleep and all of a sudden you wake up, seeming like you only slept for an hour yet completely refreshed. This is what I felt like as I opened my eyes.
At first when I fluttered my eyes opened, everything was blurry. I had no idea where I was. As things came into focus, I noticed I was in my room. Then I noticed the pain. My head was throbbing, pushing on my skull. Pounding like a non-stop beat of a war drum. As for my face, it was puffy and sore. I felt the blood pumping into it. It throbbed as well.
I sat up in my bed. My whole body was sore and weak. The sunlight from outside shone in my window. It took me awhile to remember what had happened. Cody was dead, and I had been knocked out by a drunk kid.
I laid my head against my wall. I thought about Trish and how she was. I was horrified as the visions of the twitching dead dog drifted back into my head. I quickly got up and ran to the bathroom, making it in time to throw up in the toilette. As I sat on my knees I heard someone running up the stairs.
My mother threw open the bathroom door. I looked up at her. I saw fear and disappointment in her eyes. They filled with tears. She walked in, and kneeled down to me. She wrapped her arms around me and held me. For the first time in a long time I began to cry in my mothers arms. She began to cry too.
After the tears, she helped me back to my room. She laid me down into my bed. She left without saying a word. She came back only a second later with a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin. My mother handed me pills  and gave me the glass. As I swallowed the pills, I looked up at her.
I set down the glass. I starred back at her. It looked like she hadn’t slept all night. This was probably true since I knew she was taking care of me. My mother worried a lot, I knew she would never sleep with me in this condition.
After looking at her. She spoke to me.
“How are you feeling.”
I felt so bad to speak, but I did.
“I feel ok, my head hurts. Other than that I am fine.”
She nodded her head.
“Hopefully that aspirin will help it some.”
“Yeah.” I said in reply.
“So are you going to tell me what happened?”
“Yeah, I guess I have to.” I began my story.
I told her about the party and how much of a surprise it was. I told her about the alcohol, I told her about me getting angry, I told her about seeing Clare upstairs, I told her about the couple barging in and making out, I told her about Cody running, the search, the find, and the fight. It was hard. When I reached the part of seeing Cody, I began to cry again. This time she didn’t comfort me, she sat at the edge of my bed not budging.
I looked up at her. Tears pouring down my face.
“Mom, I’m so sorry.”
“Me too son, me too.”
She got up from her spot and walked to the door.
“Get some rest. You need it. I’ll be back to see if you need anything.”
As she walked out of the door, I grabbed her hand.
“Mom. How is Trish and Clare?”
She looked at me and tears filled her eyes. She shook her head and walked out of my room closing the door behind her.
I laid down, and starred at my ceiling. My heart ached. I felt so bad for Trish, I saw her blank face in my mind. I saw her fall. I saw her tears stain the sidewalk. I closed my eyes. I had to see if she was ok. No matter if I was ok or not.
I stood up out of my bed, and walked to my closet. I threw on some jeans and a black t-shirt. I put on some black shoes, and went to my window. I had to sneak out, my mother would never let me out in this condition, let alone out to go see Trish.
I opened my window. The fresh air hit my face. It was warm and smelled sweet. I looked down. I was always scared of heights but I pushed back my fears and lurched forward to the tree branch that stood next to my window. I climbed onto it. As I climbed down the tree, I noticed how light headed and woozy I was. When I finally reached the bottom, and had my feet on the ground, I had to hold myself up so I wouldn’t fall over.
I began to walk down my sidewalk. My head pounded louder and louder till I reached Trish’s house. I walked to her front door and rang the doorbell. Trish’s mom answered the door. At first she looked surprised to see me. Then she looked concerned, not for me but her daughter, I could tell she didn’t want me here.
“Is Trish here? I need to talk to her.”
“I’m afraid you can’t speak to her, she is very grieved over the loss of her dog. I don’t think you’ll be seeing her anytime soon. I’m sorry.”
She didn’t even wait for a reply from me. She slammed the door  in my face. I knew that was going to happen. I walked around the side of their house to Trish’s window. I saw here laying in her bed crying. I wanted so much to turn back time. I hated seeing people sad.
I gently tapped on the window. Startled she looked up. She wiped the tears from her eyes and walked over to the window. She drug her feet along, then opened the window.
“What are you doing here?” her voice was cracked and her nose was stuffed.
“I’m here to see if your ok.” I said in reply.
“Figures, as you can see I’m not ok.”
“I know. Listen I am sorry. It’s not your fault you know.”
“YES IT IS! IT’S ALL MY FAULT IF I HADN’T HAD THAT STUPID PARTY THEN NONE OF THE WOULD HAVE EVER HAPPENED.” she shouted.
“Keep it down of your mother will hear you!”
“Oh yes, your always right aren’t you? Well you can just fuck off, I don’t care if my mother hears.”
“Trish. You don’t mean this. I am your friend, I’m on your side, so stop giving me shit and stop being a fucking bitch and talk to me.”
I had never talked to Trish like that. I felt bad for calling her a bitch, but I had to get to her to listen, and she was upsetting me. More tears flooded her eyes.
“Chris, I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do. I feel so bad. I killed my dog. My parents hate me now, and they won’t trust me anymore. My mother hasn’t even looked me straight in the eyes since the accident.”
“Lets get out of here.”
“What do you mean get out of here? I’m stuck in my room and if I get caught I‘ll be in even deeper shit.”
I looked at her in the eyes deeply.
“Lets go get Clare.” I said softly.
She starred at me for a minute.
“Ok.”
I saw her turn and walk to her closet. She grabbed a pair of shoes and quickly put them on. She threw her leg outside the window and before I knew it we were walking down the street together. We talked.
“You look terrible Chris.”
I had forgotten about my black eye and my puffy face.
“Yeah, I know. At least it doesn’t hurt as much anymore. I think it was the aspirin my mom gave me before I snuck out.”
“At least your mom will look at you.”
“Yeah, but I wish she didn’t. I see the disappointment, and hurt in her eyes. It kills me to she her so ashamed and scared for me.”
“Yeah.” she said thoughtfully.
“Can I ask you something?” I said to her.
“You just did smart ass.” she giggled.
“I’m serious.”
“Yeah ok.”
“Where is Cody now?”
“In heaven I suppose.”
“No not what I meant, I mean…where’s his….you know…body..?”
“Oh…that. It was buried yesterday, in the pet cemetery by the cliffs.”
“I see.”
We were silent from then on till we reached Clare’s house. We decided to try our luck with her parents. We walked up to the door, and I rang the doorbell.
A small woman answered the door.
“Oh hello.” she said to us. “I expect you’re here to see Clare?”
“Yes, if that wouldn’t be to much trouble.” I said politely as possible.
The small woman nodded her head and called for Clare. Soon she was at the door. Her hair was messy and it looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Her face was still stained with tears. When she saw it was us she smiled.
“Hey.” I said.
“Hey.” she said back.
Trish stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Clare. Clare put her arms around Trish in an embrace of friendship. I just stood and watched. They soon let go. Trish stepped back.
I spoke.
“Can we visit Cody’s grave? I haven’t seen it.”
They both nodded their heads.
“Ill be right back.” said Clare.
When she returned, he had on shoes and a pullover sweater.
Then we began to walk. We walked in a group; I was on the left, Clare was in the middle, and Trish was on the right. We walked past the houses, into the town. We saw the shops. People who were at the party recognized us, some gave a small wave, and some hid. We walked until we came to the edge of the woods.
“The cemetery is in the middle. Are you sure you want to go?” Clare said bravely.
“Yes.” I said. I looked at Trish. “Are you going to go?”
“I suppose.” She said grimly.
We began our walk through the woods. It was cold, dark and damp. The trees closed off almost all sunlight. There was a path where we walked, but it wasn’t much, just some dirt and about 2 feet of space. So because of the tight fit I walked behind them. Since I didn’t know the way; they led.
We had only been walking for about a minute when all of a sudden, I got really cold. It was as if all the warmth inside me was sucked out. I stopped. The girls didn’t notice and kept on walking. I looked around me. Then I saw him. It was Cody. He walked through the trees. He was farther ahead then Clare and Trish. He brought his eyes to mine. They were cold and a distant gray. No more of that yellow they had been before. They were now the eyes of a ghost.
I ran at him. He began to run to. I pushed ahead between Clare and Trish. They almost stumbled over. I heard them shout in the background, but I kept on running trying to catch him. I didn’t see tree’s anymore only Cody. Everything else became a blur. His black and white fur flowing in the wind. Then as if fog had hit hot air, his body dissipated into nothing. He was there no more. Gone back to the shadow world.
I stopped and leaned over to catch my breath. My head hurt now even more than before. I put my hand out to lean myself against a nearby stump, and as I placed my hand on the wood, I noticed it was not wood, but concrete.
I looked up. I had found myself in the graveyard. My hand lay on Cody’s fresh new gravestone.



















-5-

It was cold, hard, new, and yet, old at the same time. I looked down, and gazed at the newly laid tombstone. Tears swelled in my eyes, but none ran down my face. I sat down on the damp grass.
I could see Trish and Clare running towards me. I breathed in lots of air. I was out of breath. My chest heaved with each breath. Trish reached me first.
“What in the hell was that about?!”
Could I tell her what I had seen? Could I trust her not to think I’m crazy. I didn’t know. So I didn’t answer her. Clare ran up next to Trish. I looked up at her. Clare reached down her tender hand to help me up. I took it thoughtfully. She pulled me up and put my arm around her shoulder. I leaned on her.
“Are you ok?” she whispered in a sweet tone.
“Yeah I think so…My head hurts a lot.”
Trish was watching us. I saw her jealousy, and I was scared. Her eyes glowed red with anger. I know Trish was a forgiving person, but she would never forgive me if she knew, so I wrenched myself free of Clare. She understood and sat me down.
I laid down on the grass, my head pounding. Colors swirled in my head. I closed my eyes. I felt sweaty and cold. What was happening? Why did I feel so weird? I felt myself being picked up. My eyes fluttered open and close. I looked up and saw the light from the trees. Flashing, I was moving. I tried to speak but I mumbled instead.
“Hold on Chris, were almost there.” I heard Clare say.
“Christ! He weighs a fucking ton!” Trish said.
Everything was misty. Once again it felt as though it was black and silent. Colorless. It seemed like time was flashing ahead of me. It was so fast. Flashes of light. But soon there was nothing. No light, no sound. Just blackness. It was like this for a long time.

*****
Time passed, hours seemed like minutes. When I finally awoke, it was like it was before; blurry and muffled. At first when I came to, I just laid there. I didn’t bother get up or even open my eyes. It took me awhile to gain enough strength to roll over and as I did I noticed I wasn’t in my bed, or even in my house, and with not knowing where I was, I panicked.
I tried to sit up, but I was too weak, I only lifted a little bit off the bed, then fell back down. My head pounded, pulsing so hard that it was as if I was unable to breathe. I tried to yell but only sputtered and coughed instead, but with that I got some ones attention. A nurse walked in. She had a clip board in her hand.
“Lucky I came in here when I did.” She said as she walked over to my bed.
“I’m Cleo, your nurse. Your in the hospital by the way, you’ve suffered a mild concussion. Well I guess it was pretty severe, you were in a coma. Your friends brought you in, two girls, they had carried you all the way from the forest to the city. Pretty good friends you’ve got there.”
I watched her, she moved from my bed and checked a monitor on the other side of my bed.
“I should go call your parents, they’ve been worried sick. I told them to go home until you were awake, and when you came to  I would give them a call. I’ll be back in an hour to check on you, your parents should be here momentarily.”
I tried to speak to her, tried to tell her not to leave, but of course she did. I laid there. The hospital was all coming in clear now. I was in a small white room. With a table next to my bed with a digital clock on it. There was a picture across the bed. The painting was of a sailboat in the ocean. It was painted in light pastel colors. To the left of me was a window. I could not see down to the ground but I saw the blue sky. I guess this meant I was on a higher floor level.
I gazed out the window, sometimes a bird would fly past. If only I could get up, but I was still too weak. I drifted in and out of five minute sleeps, and although they were only 5 minutes at a time, I dreamed. I dreamed the same thing over and over again. The dream was of Cody; finding his dead body and then visiting the cemetery, there of which I saw him. About the seventh time I fell asleep the dream was a bit longer.
In it it showed Cody’s body, Cody’s grave, Cody’s ghost and then something else. It was like I was outside of my body looking down at me when I first blacked out. There I saw Clare and Trish running over an leaning down to me to grab me. But Clare stayed back. She looked over to Cody’s grave. I saw her mouth move but there was no sound. She closed her eyes. When she opened them she seemed fine, then she ran over to where I lay. I woke up again but this time all sweaty and cold.
It was almost at the hour mark. I looked at the door, wishing for it to open. Five minutes later it did.
“Hello again.” said Cleo.
This time I had enough energy to respond.
“Hi.” I said in a raspy voice.
“Well your parents should be here soon, I called them, they’re going to pick up your friends and bring them along too.”
“Ok. Thank you.”
“Are you going to be ok? Would you like anything?”
“I’d like a glass of water please.”
“Ok, it may be awhile, I have to check some other patients.”
I nodded, then she left.
About fifteen minutes later my parents walked through the door. My mom who had entered first attacked me with a giant hug. I was then greeted by her tears.
“It’s ok mom.” I patted her back.
“I know sweetie. I was just so worried.”
I smiled. Then I finally got a chance to see dad, Clare and Trish. Dad walked over to me.
“Hey kid. You hanging in there?”
“Yeah. Just barely.” I said to my dad who seemed not at all concerned at my condition.
Trish was the next to greet me.
“You scared the hell out of me boy! I’m so glad your ok. We had to carry you all the way to the hospital after we couldn’t wake you up.”
“Yeah I know. Thanks.”
Mom began talking to Dad but I didn’t pay attention, my eyes were fixed on Clare. She was standing in the doorway, almost like she was too afraid to enter. Her eyes were not on me, but at the window. Cleo came up behind her. It looked like Clare was about to jump out of her skin.
“It’s ok dear.” She laughed.
Clare just looked at her raising her cheek a little making a small smile. Cleo had a glass of water in her hand.
“Here you go.” she handed the glass to me.
“Thank you.” I said. She smiled back at me then turned to my parents.
“Mr. And Mrs. Adams we have some paperwork for you to fill out if you want to follow me outside.”
“Ok. We’ll be back sweetie.”
“Ok mom.”
Mom and Dad walked out the door with Cleo. It was finally time for us kids to have time to talk.
“So how are you feeling?” Trish asked.
“A little light and fuzzy but other than that I feel a lot better.”
“Well that’s good. Damn I have to pee, I’ll be back.” I laughed.
“Ok Trish.” She ran out the door.
Clare was still standing there.
“Are you going to come in and talk to me?”
“I don’t like hospitals.”
“Well your going to have to get over that for the time being.” I played with her.
She laughed.
“Alright fine.” she walked in.
“So how are you doing?” I asker her.
“I guess I’m ok. Chris.” she spoke softly “What happened?”
I looked at her, and she looked at me.
“I…A…Nothing.” I lied to her, and she knew it.
“Don’t lie to me Chris, not now, please tell me.” She pleaded with me.
“You’ll think I’m crazy if I told you.” I gave an uneasy laugh, but Clare still looked at me with searching eyes.”
“Ok, I’ll tell you, but please don’t tell Trish.”
“Alright.” She replied.
“You know we were all walking and ahead of you guys…” I paused. She grabbed my hand.
“It’s ok, go on.”
“I saw Cody…I had to run after him, I had to catch him, I don’t remember what I was thinking at the time, but I had to get him, but once I reached the cemetery…he disappeared.”
Tears were in her eyes. She looked like she was about to start a waterfall of tears, but she didn’t. She just looked at me, then down.
“Chris.”
“Yeah.” I said not expecting her to really say anything.
“I saw him too.”
My mouth dropped. I couldn’t believe it. She went on.
“Of course I hadn’t seen him as quick as you, I was too busy talking to Trish but when you fell, I looked over at Cody’s grave, and there he was, sitting in front of his gravestone. The wind blew and he faded away like vapor. I closed my eyes then ran to you.”
The dream. I had seen this in the dream. She had seen Cody as well, I wasn’t alone. Me and her now shared something. Me and her were now connected and we knew it. I squeezed her hand in mine. I was about to tell her about my dream but we were interrupted. Trish came running in. Clare quickly moved her hand away from mine.
“Wow! Who knew there is a line for the bathroom at the hospital? Sheesh, that took forever. So what did I miss?” She looked at Clare who still had watery eyes. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah I’m fine.” Clare said wiping the rest of the water from her eyes.
Trish eyed her with a glare. She walked over to me.
“My parents are picking me up here because we have to go somewhere, so umm feel better and see you later.”
I could tell that Trish was a little peeved, and so with that she left. I looked at Clare and she shook her head.