A/N: Long one-shot, so buckle your seatbelt.
What is it like to die?
Many people ask this question in their minds, especially Aaron. He wondered this ever since he was five. His grandmother passed around that time and he wondered if death was really all that bad. Did it hurt? Was there an afterlife? All the question bouncing around in his young mind. Which something those questions in his mind slipped out his mouth which made heads turn. Kids begin labeling him as "the weird kid." Since he was so fascinated with all the supernatural and strange. He would read books on it, watch videos on YouTube about, and sometimes ask his late grandmother about it.
After switching schools at age sixteen, the bullying became unbearable. Throwing food, being in a cramped locker, and even name calling was a daily struggle. Aaron did not have a chance to fit in, he was forever known as the weird kid that liked death. They even named him, Ghost Boy, even if the kids did not treat him like a ghost. Not invisible to the world, but bullies parade his weirdness like he was some kind of attraction. A freak show on display for everyone to see, to gaze upon his deformities, to stare at his oddness, and to mock him for being different. Aaron sometimes wished he was a ghost since he wants to be free from gravity, to be able to fly away from his troubles. To be free from all things that are horrible in this world.
At lunch, he was in his favorite spot, under a deformed tree. He was writing poems in his journal. When he notice something, even if he did not look up yet. He saw a figure moving closer and closer to him. There was not any kids near by nor would they ever come back here. He then looked up and he saw it. A
boy looking about his age, facing away from him looking up at something. Aaron looked up as well and saw a red kite in a tree. The boy ran over and started to climb up the tree. Once he climbed up, he scooted closer to the kite until he was with arms reach. The boy tried to grab it, but he slipped and almost fell off the tree. His little arms were holding to the branch for dear life.
"Help me!" He screamed looking at me dead in the face.
Aaron sat there stunned and the boy's fingers slipped, causing him to fall. Aaron closed my eyes not bearing to see what was next. He open my eyes, hearing the bell ringing, he realized that he fallen asleep. Feeling his heart beating out of his chest, still seeing the terror on the boy's face. Hearing his scream ringing in his head. While standing up, he could of sworn he saw a red kite stuck in the branches. He snapped out of it, heading back to the school. Alone, he walked back to his locker. Still scarred of what his psycho brain dreamt of. It was so real, making in feel like ice. His eyes is what he remembered the most, his sky blue eyes staring deeply into his soul. He tried to shake off the fear as he head to his next class.
*After school*
Alone again. Walking in a straight line not making any eye contact with anyone, but the sidewalk. Counting all the crack that he walked by. Hearing nothing, but him whispering the numbers to himself. Only he heard rustling to his left. He looked toward the woods that was next to him, but saw nothing. It was still and quiet, almost too quiet. He slowly walks away, reassuring himself that it was just a squirrel looking for nuts. He heard it again which made him sprint a few blocks. Once he would far enough, he started walking again. Not even a few minutes later, he heard someone giggling. He looked around and saw nobody. No people walking the sidewalks, nobody is outside, the neighborhood looks dead. He looked down, starting to walk again. He heard foot sides walking behind him, he turned around and saw nobody.
"W-Who's there?" Aaron said fearfully.
Silence was the only thing that answered back. Aaron though he was going mad. It's all in his head, don't panic, is what he keeps repeating in his mind. He takes a deep breath and walks forward. He went back to his solitary game of counting the cracks. Only he saw someone standing there as he was coming closer and closer to home. They looked so familiar, once he was close. Aaron was only a few feet away. He saw them, the boy about his age. He was standing in front of his house, looking up at the three trees planted in the front yard. He giggles and runs to the middle tree. Aaron looks up and see a red kite. Once he went to look down at the boy, he disappeared. Once he looked back up at the tree, the kite vanished as well. Aaron rubbed his eyes and squinted a little to see his vision was off. Only he knew it was his mind playing tricks on him. So he shook his head, walked into the house to finished homework, and rethinking everything.
