Chapter 22 : "Seeing Dead People"

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Sᴏɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ sɪᴅᴇ - Oɴʟʏ Lᴏᴠᴇ ʙʏ Bᴇɴ Hᴏᴡᴀʀᴅ




Chapter 22

HARMONY'S POV







I kept my eyes wide open and remained frozen in place for a while before I could finally function properly. My gaze was stuck to the place that I had seen the unmistakably familiar head of hair. But it was impossible that I'd seen it. Completely and utterly impossible. Still with that reasoning running through my head I started to slowly sit up and turn in that direction.



The sound of a content sigh slipping past Louis' lips bought my frazzled attention for a mere second so I could check if his eyes were still sealed shut. Once I'd been reassured he wasn't paying attention I got to my knees and raised to my feet silently. I looked back to Louis once before I started an apprehensive track in the direction of the spur of red hair.



I don't know how long I had been walking in one straight line with only one thing in thought. Ben. His brilliant red hair that matched mine. I could swear on my life that I saw it in the corner of my eye. The need to see it again and to reassure myself that it really wasn't there had my feet moving until something of some interest caught my attention.



Sadly, after god knows how long, I had come up with nothing other than the idea that I may finally be losing it all together.



Rubbing my hand over my eyes, I became overly aware of the fact I was nowhere near Louis and I was utterly lost. Swiveling around quickly in search of some sort of hint of an exit out of the thick rows of trees, I heard someone shout my name, or at least I thought I heard my name. Remaining silent for the longest time, I shut my eyes to help focus for the sound of my name one more time. Unfortunately I just ended up standing in the middle of the darkening forest with my eyes shut and no sound to welcome me.



I sighed exasperatedly and thankfully a light bulb went off inside my head. Sliding my cell phone from my pocket I checked the reception just to put the wretched thing back in my pocket. No reception.



My mind began to reel as I thought of continuing to be lost in this bothersome woods and never getting found. One Direction flies back to London without their crazy carry on.



I shook my head of my ridiculous thoughts and let my eyes dart about in search one more time before deciding to start walking until I find help or a way out of here.



The sun had almost completely disappeared before I found an opening in the trees that lead out to what looked like the park, ironically enough. Finally being outside of the dark eerie woods, I breathed a deep sigh of relief. I took out my phone to see if the reception was any better to call Louis. Thankfully I had five bars.



Listening to the droning rings and waiting for Louis to answer, I took a seat on one of the red swings situated in the middle of the park. A chill ran up my spine from the dropping temperature and my lack of a jacket. Running my free hand over my arm to warm myself, I was welcomed by the sound of Louis' voicemail. I groaned in irritation and looked through my contacts for one of the other boys or even Paul. They should be in here somewhere...



"Harmony."



Snapping my head up from my phone screen, I looked beside me for who spoke my name. My eyes were wide with surprise, but once I noticed that no one was on either side of me or really even in the park, they widened in worry and fear.



"Hello?" My voice was small and timid as I called out to the invisible speaker. Waiting a while, I wasn't met by a response. Cautiously, I stood from the low swing and shook my head.



I took one last look around the desolate dark park before moving in what I hoped to be the right direction to the hotel. My thoughts seemed to be circling around the strange events. First I see an incredibly familiar head of red hair. Or at least I thought I saw it... Next I hear my name being called multiple times and no one was around. I feel as if things are bound to come tumbling down.



"Harmony."



"Jesus Christ." I exclaim in nothing more than a whisper as I whip around to see absolutely nothing yet again. Sighing in exasperation I roughly yank my hand through my thick curls and give it a little frustrated tug. "Seriously. Who's there?" I shout maybe a bit too loud. For the last time that evening I listened intently for anything.



A rustle from the row of bushes beside me caught my attention. From the corner of my eye I could see something move deeper into a lightly lit alley. Of course, a damn suspicious alley way. Looking both ways down the street, I swiftly sprinted down the alley to try and get a glimpse of whoever seemed to be following me, or more so, I was following.





Nothingness welcomed me but I kept treading down the alley till I came to a stop on the other side. I frantically looked down both sides of the sidewalk busy with people. Catching a few glances, I simply ignored them as I tried to look over all of the people in search of who ever I was following.



I could hear a faint whisper surround me as I heard my name being spoken from the mouths of the few who could recognize me. But one whisper had my head turning in its direction. Harmony. The whisper had a shiver slipping down my spine and I felt as if someone was watching me.



Sprinting through the crowd of people I began to feel frustrated by my need to know who was calling my name. I had a pretty good idea but I didn't want to think that it was possible and that maybe I'm really completely insane.



I knew that I had managed to make some sort of a scene. I looked completely mad and I was sprinting through some American city on the verge of tears. Completely mad indeed. Not evening taking in all of the whispering and staring being done by bystanders.



There he was.



My frantic movements were brought to an immediate halt as I stared to a spot about twenty feet away. A shiver ran up my spine. I could feel my heart almost stop once I saw his red hair. Eyes widened in shock and jaw dropped, I took in his green eyes that matched mine. The tears that had welled up began to fall relentlessly. Here stood the main reason my past three years had been a living hell. The reason I attempted to kill myself. The reason I was sent away to that damned hospital.



And here he stood, right before me. Smiling like the idiot he always was and the idiot I missed terribly.



"Ben!" I cried as I ran toward him and my tears turned from ones of frustration and sadness, to ones of surprise and some weird form of joy. I didn't even care how utterly insane this seemed. Ben was dead. He couldn't possibly be here. But my brain didn't seem to process that as I came closer and closer to him. "Ben." I exclaimed again and reached out for him but as my hand was about to feel him right beneath my touch, he began fading away.



My next intake of breath stuttered and I felt a single cry escape my quivering lips. Eyebrows pulled together in my state of frustration, I stared at the spot where Ben had once been. I knew that standing here glaring at the spot someone who wasn't there was once, wasn't exactly convincingly sane.



Crying out in frustration and total anger I yanked on my curls once again. I looked up through my teary eyes to be welcomed by most the people surrounding me giving me cautious looks. Unable to stop my uneven breaths and tears, I started up my sprint again. The weird feeling of someone watching me had disappeared completely and the goose bumps that had graced my pale skin while searching for Ben weren't coming back.



Funny enough, I had only gone a couple feet before feeling my phone vibrating in my pocket. Brushing away the trail of tear slipping down my cheeks, I slid my phone from my pocket and looked at the caller ID. A relieved sigh left my chapped lips and I clicked the answer button.



"Where the hell are you?" An irritated Louis questioned sternly into the phone. I could hear the obvious hint of worry and relief at the fact I had answered the phone. Truly just the sound of his voice began to relax me.



The shiver that ran up my spine from hearing his voice so stern was way too similar to the shivers I got earlier. "I seemed to have wandered off." I stated simply as I stared back at the curious glances and felt my stomach do uncomfortable flips.



"I already figured that out. Do you know where you are though?" He replied sassily and that was the least I could have expected, I mean, I did leave him in the middle of the woods.



I looked about for street names and once I'd found some, I told him where I was. "I'm sorry I left you in the woods." My apology was quiet and probably hardly heard over the background noise of the city around me.



The sound of Louis sighing on the other end of the call caused my palms to sweat in worry. "It's fine, Harmony. I was just beyond worried." He soothed. My heart stuttered slightly. I figured Louis was mad at me for wandering off but he was just worried. A small silly smile plastered to my features. "Please stay where you are. I'm coming to get you." Louis instructed and I planted my feet to the ground for unneeded dramatics. He hung up the phone and I listened to the click before locking my phone and sliding it back into my pocket.



It was quite amazing how quickly Louis seemed to distract me from my piteous moods. He can literally make me smile within a minute conversation, even if he does speak to me in such a stern way. It just makes me realize he does care and how much I seriously love him.



"Harmony?" I turned swiftly to see Louis already here. Without any hesitation, I whipped my arms around him and hugged him close, needing to feel his touch. His touch has a way of bringing me back to earth.



Louis pushed me back at arms length and inspected my features with concern etched on his. "You've been crying." He states as he brushes at the tear stains on my cheeks. My eyes shut involuntarily at the feeling of the pad of his thumb rubbing gently across my cheek.



With that stupid smile still playing on my lips, I nodded my head to be met with a little shake of the shoulders. "Snap out of it." Louis said a little teasingly and a smirk on his lips. "Why'd you leave earlier? You scared the shit out of me. I called for you and you didn't answer back. And why have you been crying?" The worry from beforehand was back in an instant and he left me with multiple mind-racking questions.



Should I tell him that I'm seeing dead people? Obviously not.



"I-I... Uh." I stuttered but was stopped by Louis' tight grip on my hand.



"We should talk about this back at the hotel." He whispered as he looked over my shoulder with a rather pissed off expression. I looked to where he had his glare set to see someone snapping picture after picture of Louis and I. Louis sighed heavily and tugged us along farther away from the sleazy paparazzi. I was beginning to feel dizzy with how fast things seem to be moving.







Well I know what is going to be flooding magazines tomorrow. You've guessed it...Harmony James...



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