The Ghost Of You

Chapter Eight

Atwood, Colorado Monday, July 1st

"Zack, why do you keep coming here?" I heard Hannah ask. The last thing I remember is Mark choking me outside of Carol's antique shop. I look around and see Hannah looking at me from a corner of the room. I look around the room we're in, it's dark and smells musty. There's junk lying around, I see a box labeled Christmas and a Christmas tree next to it. It must be Hannah's basement, but I don't know why I would dream about us being here, I've never been in her basement. Mark always told us we weren't supposed to go down there because it was dangerous, it was where he kept all his tools so he was scared we would hurt ourselves on something.

"I don't know" I responded to her. I have no idea why I kept dreaming about her. It was weird that my dream would tell me to stop dreaming about it through.

"Zack" Hannah whispered. I lost my train of thought and walked over to her.

"Hannah, what's wrong?" I ask, sliding down the wall to sit next to her.

"I just...I like seeing you" she said, resting her head on my shoulder. Her hair was matted and greasy, but I played with it anyway. I remember he always telling me that it soothed her whenever she was upset when we were kids.

"I like seeing you too" I responded, twisting a piece of her hair around my finger.

"Zack..." Hannah started.

"What's up?" I ask, lifting her chin so she would look at me.

"I know this isn't real, but I like to pretend it is" she told me. I looked at her confused.

"I mean... I know this is all in my imagination but I like seeing you. It helps me try to stay positive and push through" She said, putting her head back on my shoulder.

That's a strange thing for my imagination to make her say. I puzzled over it for a minute before I responded.

"Hannah, where are you?" I asked.

"I'm in the basement" she responded, not looking up.

"Hannah...you died" I hesitated to tell her.

"What?" She asked, looking back up at me. Her bright blue eyes have become a stale grey.

"Hannah, I'm going to your funeral in a couple of days" I responded, I questioned weather or not I should be telling her this, but it was my dream so I decided to keep it realistic.

"Hmmm?" She hummed in a questioning tone.

"What are you thinking?" I asked her. She looked at me and bit her lip.

"This is some after life" She said, he expression not changing. I tried to read her face but she seemed just as confused as me. "How did I die?" She asked laying her head back on my shoulder.

"Well Lily-" I started.

"Awe Lily, I miss her" She said interrupting me but then waited for me to continue. I wondered if Lily was also having these dreams.

"Well, we're trying to figure that out" I said.

"What do you mean? Is it a mystery?" She asked.

"Kind of, Mark told everyone he found you in your bedroom with a bottle of pills empty in your hands. He tried to perform CPR but it was too late, you had taken your own life" I said. She sat up and looked at me.

"I don't think I would do that" she said.

"Well see, Lily and I have a theory that Mark killed you, and is making it look like a suicide to cover his ass" I explained.