.Long Lost.

The Open Door of False Hope

"Do you wanna ask some questions?" Harry asks Danny cautiously.

Danny takes a small step forward, fiddling with the torch in his hand.

"When did you die?"

"2010!"

It doesn't go through. I shout it again, so loud my throat burns.

"2010? That's not a long time ago. How long is that? 7 years?" Harry responds.

Danny falls back in line again. Desperation fills me when I see his small retreat.

"BABY, ITS ME! IM SORRY BABY, PLEASE HEAR ME!"

"Baby? She's never said that before. Is there a chance that she died giving birth?" Harry asks. "She was raped..."

I growl at the absurdity of his statement.

"DANNY ITS ME!"

Danny comes through. I don't think I've ever felt or will ever feel as much joy and relief as I do in this moment.

"Who's Danny?"

"Isn't Daniel your middle name?" The girl asks.

"Danny used to be my childhood nickname," he says quietly.

Corey flashes his light over to him. Danny has his eyes closed, swaying slightly and so pale that he looks almost as ghostly as me.

"Hey mate, are you sure you're alright?" Corey asks.

This time Danny shakes his head.

"Harry turn the speaker off," Corey demands quickly, obviously worried.

Tears stream down my face. Please don't leave. Not yet. I'm not ready. Please baby.

"No!" Danny shouts, uncovering his eyes to show them watery and bloodshot. "No, let me ask one more thing. Please. I need to make sure..."

Harry holds his hands up in surrender, giving him the go ahead.

Danny's eyes look directly into mine. Baby blue to chocolate brown. Just how they used to. I swear it.

"Tell me something," he says brokenly.

I can tell by his voice he already believes it's me.

He wants me to tell him something only I would say.

And I know just the thing.

"I told you you'd go bald!" I shouted through my tears into the speaker. I forced so much energy into that sentence alone that I felt completely drained.

As usual it only picked up a few words.

...You.. go.. bald.

It was barely understandable but it was enough. It was enough.

He laughed as a tear slipped down his cheek which he quickly swiped away.

His hand then goes to his hair, or lack of and rubs it. "I guess you were right babe."

"Are you okay?" The girl asks judgmentally.

I'd love to rip her hair out.

But I don't have the energy.

Harry comes and takes the speaker from me, turning it off before he goes to stand within the group again.

"You said you used to live here, do you recognise the spirit?"

"Yeah."

"Stop messing about Paul. It's not funny," The girl pouts.

"Who is she?" Harry asks with a little too much excitement.

"Shes my Sandy. The love of my life."

"Excuse me?"

"I need to go. Right now."

"Wait do you know the people who killed her?!" Corey yells, actually believing him.

"That's why I need to go!"

"NO!" I yell as I run over to him but he's already out of my range. I struggle against the invisible barrier as he rushes off, everyone else hot on his heels.

"Please don't go! Please!

I NEED YOU! I LOVE YOU!

Come back baby please."

I've never sobbed so hard in my life, not even when I died.

I watch as the man I love walks away from me through blurry eyes. I watch as he walks out of the doorway with no door and disappears into the darkness.

I watch as the door of false hope let's everyone walk out freely, all except me.

"Come back. Please," I whisper, my throat so hoarse that even that hurts.

I crawl back to the place I was raped and killed and pull my knees up under my chin facing the doorway in the hopes that he'll come back.

I stay like that until the sun comes up.

He doesn't.