*Teresa*
I have always been able to see things that I shouldn't. I was able to see my cousin, even after she died when I was five. My family thought I was crazy, or that I was just looking for attention. I was slowly becoming depressed, thinking that I really was crazy. It only got worse when I almost lost my brother. Out of everyone in the family, he was always on my side. He would fight with our cousins every time they would call me a bruja, a witch.
"Don't worry Tess, I will always have your back!" I remember the smile he gave me when my mom was cleaning his cuts. He had finished fighting our cousin Enrique and got a cut on his head because of it. Even with the blood covering his right eye, I thought he looked amazing. He was never afraid to stand up for someone, and it was that bravery that killed him.
We were at home waiting for our parents to get back from the store. They went to get the ingredients to cook dinner, and told us to stay home and wait. Ashton and I were watching T.V in the living room, when we heard the front door burst open. At first I thought it was the wind again, but I remember that mom and dad had locked it on their way out.
"Teresa, hide!" He grabbed my hand and led me to the basement, it was built for something like this. We heard things breaking and what sounded like someone yelling at someone.
"Man I know someone's here! I heard running!"
"Check every where, we can't have anyone see us!" I was in the corner holding my legs close to my chest. I could hear my heart beat and I was afraid it was loud enough to give us away.
"Ashton, Quiero a mami y a papi." I wanted my parents to get here and make them go away, but I was scared that they would get hurt if they did. Even though he was only six, Ashton didn't even seem like this scared him at all.
"Teresa, stay here." He got up and headed for the door. I ran and held onto him using all the strength my little arms could give me.
"No don't go! Don't leave me here alone!" He looked at me and smile the same smile he gave me the day he fought our cousin. I knew he was going to go no matter what, and it was like in a way he was saying good bye with that smile.
"Te amo Tersa, I love you." He kissed my forehead before hiding me behind some of our dad's boxes and heading up to stairs. I heard him unlock the door and I heard him yell at the men.
"I told you someone was here!"
"Dude relax, he's just a kid."
"I don't care! He's seen us!"
"GO AWAY! Take what you want and leave!" He sounded so brave, but I could tell he was scared. I knew my brother better than anyone, I know he was a brave guy. But even the bravest man had his fear, and I know Ashton wasn't gonna be able to fight these guys. I move the boxes and tried to squeeze out from in between them. I finally managed to get out, but I was to late.
The sound was like and explosion in my ear, and it took all the air from my body. I fell to my knees, and I could already feel the tears pouring out of my eyes before I could even tell what was happening. There was a ringing in my ear, and I wanted nothing more than to trough up.
"DUDE! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!"
"HE SAW US! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" I ran up stairs, just in time to see the two men looking at my brothers body. I saw them, but they didn't see me. They were to busy looking at my brother's body, and all the blood that was coming out of him. They didn't even bother grabbing their bags, they just ran out the door. I could already hear the sirens heading towards the house, and the two man pulling away in their car. I didn't even bother moving, all I could do was look at my brother. He was faced down with his head to the side, his face was blank, and I could see the light leaving his eyes.
"ASHTON!" I cried even after our parents got home and the paramedics had taken Ashton's body. We drove to the hospital, and all I was doing was praying that we get there and Ashton be OK. I could have sworn I heard his voice the whole way there, and I hoped that didn't mean he was gone.
"We're here for our son, he was just brought in!"
"Name?"
"Ashton Robin! Please hurry, we wanna see our son!" The nurse was typing his name in the computer and finally found it.
"Yes, he is in surgery right now. They are trying to remove the bullet from inside him, please have a seat while you wait. Would you like some water?"
"I would like my son!"
"Amor, calm down. We have to wait for them to finish." Mom was trying to stay calm, but I could tell she wanted to cry badly. Seeing my parents like this was scaring me, it was only making me think that he wasn't gonna make it.
We took a seat in the waiting room, well I did. Mom took dad outside to get some fresh air, and told me to wait here in case they said we could go and see him. I was seating in the corner, but the waiting room was packed. I saw so many sick people, it only made me wonder why they haven't been taken care of yet.
"Hello." I looked to my left and saw a man in a black coat seating next to me. When did he get there?
"H-hello." I didn't want to be rude since he said hello, but he was creeping me out. He was wearing a black silk mask, like the one they give you when you cough a lot. I could see his eyes, they were so strange. One was a clear Ocean blue, and the other was a dark leaf green.
"You have really nice eyes, good for seeing things." Something about the way he said that didn't seem right to me, but I couldn't seem to move.
"Thank you?" He chuckled, and it was both soothing and creepy at the same time.
"You seem frighten, is it because of me?" I didn't want to say yes and be rude, but I really wanted him to go away.
"No, I'm just scared because of my brother."
"Ah, the boy with the bullet wound." I looked at him in shock. How the hell did he know? Did he hear when my dad was shouting? But I don't remember seeing him in here before.
"How did you know?"
"Tell me Teresa, do you want your brother back?" I was getting scared now, who was this guy? And how the hell did he know my name?!
"Of coarse, he's my brother. And how do you know my name?!"
"That does not matter, would you like me to bring him back?"
"What do you mean? How?"
"Come now, I know you can feel it. You must have heard his voice on the way here, he is dead." I had a feeling, but I didn't want to believe it. I could feel my tears coming out, and he wiped them away. His hands were so cold, almost like ice.
"I want him back, I want my big brother back!"
"Then let me help you bring him back." I looked at him, and he no longer had the mask on. He was actually really young, like in his twenties. He had dark hair that almost covered his different colored eyes. He was actually really handsome.
"How?"
"You let me worry about that my dear, all I want is to see that pretty smile of yours." With that he vanished, leaving me alone and confused. Was he really here, or was he just another spirit that I was seeing?
My parents came back after that and my dad seemed more calm now. They were just about to sit down when a doctor came and called for us. Ashton was out and we were able to go see him now. He was in his bed with IVs and and a heart monitor connected to him. He also had an Oxygen mask on his face.
"Doctor, how is he?" I saw dad holding my mom now, she was crying seeing him like this. The doctor smile and it helped calm down my mom.
"You have a strong son Mrs.Robin, he is a fighter. We actually lost him, but he came back at the last minute. His heart beat is becoming stable, and he should be better after some rest. I recommend he stay here until his wounds are all better."
"Gracias Doctor!" My mom crushed the doctor in one of her legendary hugs, and I could see him turning blue in the face.
"Mama, you are killing him." She put him down and I turned to look at my brother. I touched his hands, and that's when I noticed how cold his hands were.
After Ashton was released from the hospital he didn't stay with us for long. An officer said that they wanted to place Ashton in witness protection since the guys who did it were still out there, and they didn't want them to find him. My parents wanted to go with him, but the officer said Ashton would have to go alone, and that he would be place with a 'new family' so that we wouldn't be hurt too. The whole thing sounded stupid to me, but somehow my parents agreed with it. That's when I looked closely at the officer, it was the man from the hospital. Is this what he wanted?
"Fear not my little Teresa, you will see your brother again...in time." I heard his voice in my head, and I couldn't seem to find my own to tell my parents to stop him. I watched as my brother was put in the car and taken away from me and my parents. They still didn't seem to realize what just happened, and they just cried and waved as Ashton was taken away. We moved shortly after that, and my parents were depressed for the longest time. And with Ashton gone, my cousins continued to pick on me. That's when I decided I would not let things get to me. I started dressing in bright colors, but I ended up having a passion for the UN-known. Not long after that did I meet Lolita, and discovered what she and her family were. I instantly fell in love with them, and instead of erasing my memories they marked me. So now I have the reapers seal on me, making it impossible for me to tell anyone about them.
I got to know more about them and about what the reaper really does, and that's when it hit me. I can never tell them about Ashton, and what he is now. Her dad kills Blake every time he sleeps with a girl from school, I can only imagine what he would do to Ashton if he found out he cheated death. I still don't know exactly what that man did to him, but he brought my brother back so I don't care. I love Lolita, but I can't tell her that my brother is now a zombie. If they take him from me again, I don't know what I would do. He protected me when we were little, now it's my turn to do the same. Even if that means I have to fight my best friend, and The Grim Reaper himself.