Why I Stayed

Chapter Two

Oh my god. Holy shit. I'm dead, I'm dead. I'm so dead. What do I do? What do dead people do? Oh my god, someone help me. Someone please! HELP ME, I NEED HELP! I looked down at my mangled form spread across the tracks. I felt sick, so I looked away. I'm in so much trouble. Oh my god, what do I do now? This is not happening, it's all a dream obviously. Then I realised it wasn't because rarely do you realise you're dreaming in a dream. There's actually a term for that, it's called lucid dreaming and only happens about once in a persons entire lifetime. Of course, it never happened to me because apparently my life is over. I start screaming, although I have a pretty good idea that no one can hear me. That's when I got really scared. Can anyone hear me? Am I just stuck here with no one to talk to? I crumple to the ground and start crying. Where's Jesus? I went to church every Sunday, shouldn't there be some angel coming to collect my soul or something? Maybe I'm not really dead, and I need to go talk to someone alive and tell them to save me. I looked back at the mess that was me a minute ago. Nevermind, I'm dead. Trains going full speed take about two miles to stop completely, so I didn't blame the conductor for not stopping to see if I was still alive. That's probably why I heard sirens in the distance already. The conductor probably already called the authorities. They must feel awful, but of course it wasn't their fault. I took deep breaths, it's ok. You're fine. Okay, obviously you aren't fine, I mean look at you. But other than that, we are fine. We just need to figure out what's going on. Why I'm still here. Maybe this happens to everyone. Every person has unfinished business, right? Then that's what I need to do. Finish my business. I just need to figure out what it is first. The sirens grew louder and louder. I could already see the red and blue hue in the near distance. Oh hurry, hurry please. A police car arrived first, followed shortly by an ambulance. I ran over to meet the officer. He walked right past me. Well that answered my initial question. I'm invisible, great. "I'm right over here," I told him. Even though he didn't hear me, he seemed to follow my directions. It made me wonder how much the decisions I made when I was alive were influenced by the invisible dead around me. "Oh shit, dear god. This poor girl. Hey! Can I get an EMT over here? We got her," the officer said. A woman dressed in what I would assume is an EMT's attire came over and sucked in her breath at the sight of me. "Tell HQ we got a DOA," she said sadly. Her team came over and gently started the process of removing me from the tracks. I almost started crying, I couldn't watch this. I was in literal pieces. The wheel ran over the top of my head and my right ankle. One of my feet was severed and my head was a mess. I'm honestly glad the rest of me is still intact. "Do we have an identification?" The officer asked. One of the EMT's pulled my wallet from my back pocket in my jeans and handed it to the officer. I tried to grab it from him. "Hey! Don't look at that! It's mine!" I said angrily. My hand just swiped through his like it was nothing. I guess that would have been ridiculous anyway. I should want them to know who I am so they can inform my family. Oh my god, my family. What will they think? They're going to be heartbroken. But I need to see their reactions. They're my family for gods sake. Oh Josh, he's going to be so hurt. We already lost my dad. One of them picked up my iPod. "Still playing. The volume is maxed out, poor girl," the EMT man said, shaking his head. "Amelia Hudson. 16 years old, junior at Scappoose High School. What a pretty girl," the officer relayed slowly. That's the first time someone has said I was pretty, or attractive in any way. Well other than my mother of course. "Hey, can I see that phone?" The officer asked. The EMT handed over my iPod and the officer unlocked it. I never felt the need for a password because I didn't really have any secrets. Other than that I had a huge crush on Henry, but I think everyone already knew that. Everyone except Henry apparently. Oh my god, Henry. Nope, not even gonna think about him right now. Family first. I watched him go to my contacts list and find my own contact. "What do you know. She lives right here," the officer said. I looked over to my house. The light just went on in my bedroom. My mother is probably checking to see if I came home yet. The officer started walking over to my house. "Wait, hold on. Stop, not yet," I pleaded, running after the officer. "You're going to kill her! Don't tell her!" I yelled at the cop. He just kept going. Well I had no choice but to follow him. I was filled with dread as he stepped onto my porch and held his hand in front of the door. "Oh god," he said, exhaling heavily. He mustered the courage to knock on the door. I heard footsteps rushing to the door. "Oh there you are Ame-.... Oh. Hello Officer Worthington, is there a uh, a problem?" My mother asked hesitantly. "Are you the mother of Amelia Hudson?" The cop asked her solemnly. "Why yes. Why? Did she do something?" My mom asked even more cautiously. "Ma'm, I have some bad news. Authorities have just found and identified your daughter on the tracks in the trainyard behind your house. Your daughter is dead, I'm deeply sorry," he said, choking up at the end. My mom's eyes grew wide and dilated. "Oh no," she said with a quiet intensity. "NOOOO!! NO, MY LITTLE GIRL, NOO! NO. I WANT TO SEE HER, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" My mother started screaming at the officer. I burst into tears at the sight of her. I wanted to scream and I wanted someone to hear me. I wanted to let my mom know that I was right here and it was all ok and that this wasn't actually happening. "Oh my god no, no, no, LIA!!!!!" My mother sobbed, falling to the ground in a sad little heap. I almost can't take any more of this. The officer got down on his knees to comfort her. "Josh! Josh doesn't know, he doesn't even know!" She cried into his jacket. "Should I call him?" Officer Worthington offered. My mother didn't answer, but rather just nodded.