𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 | 𝐙𝐢𝐜𝐤 [𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐙𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐲] ✔️

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓.

February 1981

My mother said that there was something different with me, that it was like something was missing, she said that my eyes no longer sparkled as they used to.

I guess she said that because she wanted me to talk about camp, it had definitely been a horrible thing to witness but it wasn't because of that. It was because I didn't have her in my life anymore, as selfish as that sounds.

I understood after I gave my statement to the police that Ziggy was going to walk away or get mad at me, but I really thought that if I gave her time she would realize that what she said was crazy and she would look for me, but she didn't.

I went to the hospital every day she was there, even though I never went in to see her because I knew she needed time and I was afraid of her reaction to seeing me after what I said.

I went to the funeral too, all those people... they were good, none of them deserved to die.

When I realized that she wasn't going to let go of the idea that the curse was real, that's when I decided to go find her, her mother opened and went to call her, but when she came down alone she told me with a sorry face that Ziggy didn't want to talk to me anymore.

That really broke my heart.

Did she really expect me to believe in the curse? I mean, I always thought that when she talked about it she was being driven by fear, after all Tommy was someone close to her family and I would understand if she wanted to look for an explanation. Plus she had lost a lot of blood.

But no, she really believed in it. I don't understand, how could she believe that? Yes, it's horrible that everything bad happens in Shadyside and I don't think it's because they are bad people, but still it doesn't make any sense, nothing makes sense.

I walk down the stairs and run into my mother, she smiles at me and I try to do it too, but I can't.

"Nick you can't go on like this", she says.

"I don't know what you're talking about, mom".

She just ignores me.

"Ever since you got home from camp you've been like this, I know it was a bad experience Nick, but you have to keep going", she says.

"It's not because of camp," Will's voice rings throughout the kitchen. I hadn't even seen him there.

I give him a warning look, it was a mistake to tell him about Ziggy.

"What?" my mom asks confuse.

"Nothing. What's for breakfast?", I try to deflect the topic, but they weren't going to let it go that easy.

"Oh, come on," Will speaks up, "Why do you think Nick has never dated anyone?"

The image of Ziggy smiling flashes through my mind and a lump forms in my throat.

My mother looks at me and then at Will, not understanding what's going on.

Will is about to speak but I interrupt him.

"That's enough, that's not your problem. Stop talking about things that don't belong to you," I try not to sound angry, but I fail.

Mom grimaces, she doesn't like it when we argue.

"You should go see her," Will says before leaving the kitchen.

Mom and I stand in silence.

She sighs, probably trying to decipher what Will and I were talking about.