The Split

Micah looks outside his window silently, chewing on his bottom lip, a bad habit he could never get out of.

His brother, James, was talking in the background, but he could barely hear his words. He was too focused on what was hanging around outside his window.

"Micah? Are you even paying attention?" James whines.

Micah sighs, tearing his eyes away from the presence towards his little brother, who proudly smiled at getting his attention, and continuing on whatever he was talking about. But the presence outside the window kept pulling him back towards it, despite his brother's whining.

"Micahhhhhh."

"James, not now."

James huffs. "You say that everytime."

But even though he argues, he leaves Micah alone.

Finally. Peace and quiet.

"Hey Micah." The presence says outside his window, but it was clear as day inside his head.

With a small smile, he waves at the little figure standing outside his window, looking up at him with a smile. "Hey Ericka."

~

"I thought he would never leave." Ericka says once Micah was outside.

"You know, brothers." He rolls his eyes, but smiles through it.

"Yeah." Ericka laughs softly, but seems pained.

"Wanna play?" Micah asks, already thinking of a bunch of games to start with.

"I actually already had one in mind."

"Oh?" Micah raises his eyebrows, excited.

"Yeah, follow me."

But once he realized where she was headed, he had to stop following.

"What is it?" She asks behind her shoulder, realizing he's no longer with her.

"Dad says we can't go back there."

Ericka rolls her eyes. "It's fine Micah. There's nothing bad back here."

But Micah only stays silent, eyes locked on the gravestone settling right before the woods. His mom's grave. The point that we can't step over. "I'm sorry, but I can't. Dad says so."

Ericka pouts, but Micah stays firm in his spot. "Oh, fine. But if I win three games out of four, you're going with me for my game. Deal?" She puts her hand out towards the space between them, it seems so far away.

Micah tears his eyes away from his mom's grave, his heart down to his toes. With a shuddering hand, he takes her hand in his. They shake.

"It's a deal. Alright then. What's your first game in mind?"

~

He doesn't know how she did it, but she won.

Every game, including the fourth. Usually he wins all the games. But not today. It's like her game was waiting for him, taking control over his mind, over his surroundings.

"Micah! Dad said dinner's ready!" James yells across the yard from the front porch.

"Okay!" He yells back, hearing the front door slam shut.

"Meet me at our spot at midnight?"

"Why so late?"

Ericka only smiles slyly. "It's the beginning of my game."