Friend Of The Dead

Soft Rain

I didn't see what I expected to see, instead of a crime scene, or a portal that sends us into the world of Sherlock Holmes, I saw a tree. I was confused, thoroughly, until I felt Dorian's cold fingertips dancing up my throat to my chin, his fingers like feathers against my skin as he gently raised my chin to look up at---a tree-house.

A tree house.

I turned back to look at Dorian, a shocked look on my face. He stared back with the glee of a child painted on across his handsome feature, his hand leaving my face as he stepped away, walking past me towards the tree-house.

"Come on!" He called out.

Come where?

The tree house seemed small from where I was standing, like a large box made of wood that was placed upon one of the top branches of a large tree, with a smaller box attached to it---a large version of a birdhouse. The tree had thin wooden planks nailed onto its rough bark, working as a ladder. Except it only went halfway up to the tree house, wherein the middle it just cut off. The tree house was placed in a way that was facing the end of the branch, but it was still high enough that the ladder that was nailed to the tree didn't reach it.

I watched as Dorian started to climb up the planks one by one, doing it like he'd done it a thousand times. He even skipped a few of them, unafraid of how high he was getting. But why would he be? He's already in limbo, with his spirit roaming around whilst his body stays in the hospital, he can't die when he's already halfway there. He stopped when he reached the last plank, reaching across to grab hold of one of the protruding tree-stumps, and with a sly glance towards me, he let go of the planks.

I watched in silent amazement and horror as his body swung back and forth whilst both of his hands had a death-grip on the stump of the tree. I knew he could just apparate there, but he was doing it to show me how to get to the tree house.

He's planning on killing me.

I continued to stare as he put his strength together and managed to pull himself up, wrapping his arms around the tree branch and swinging himself up like he was freaking Tarzan. Then, he continued his climbing, the branches and bushes were so wild and thick that the climbing got easier, but me seeing him wasn't.

Then, at last, when he'd reached the branch that held the tree-house, he stood up on the branch, balancing himself and walking across it.

There's no way in hell I am doing that.

"Your turn, Sophie!" He called out again, a large grin on his lips. I shook my head at him, a fearful expression on my face.

"There's no way I'm climbing that tree!" I said, backing away.

"Yes, you are." He countered back.

"No, I'm not!"

"You can do it!" He said from up there, and my neck was starting to hurt from looking so far up.

"I can't climb that." I pointed at the half-finished ladder.

"And I certainly can't do what you did with that branch thing."

He smiled, walking across to the door of the tree-house with ease, I looked closer to see what made his movement so secure, but he was too far up for me to see.

"I know," He said cockily. I rolled my eyes at him, but he wasn't watching, instead, he squatted down, working on something with concentration. I was surprised when a rope ladder unrolled, falling for a long time before the last step hit the ground.

"That's why this was made," He smirked.

I looked up to give him a glare of defiance, but nothing made the smile fall from his face.