Chapter 10
Maia begged me to stay at her house tonight. Saying that I was going to either die because of Jen or this ghost. I told her I was fine, I haven't died yet. She said okay and I think she tried to run to her house. I couldn't sleep at night I was paranoid about everything. Jen came in not to long after Maia decided to leave. She simply acted normal and sat in the chair not even looking at me. "So, how was your day?" I was being nice, though I shouldn't.
"It was fine, had fun with some of my friends. What about you?" I was wondering if she wasn't killing people on her own. Maybe she had help with all this.
"My day was good. I didn't do really anything." She shook her head and waved. She then shut the door to my parents bedroom.
I decided to sleep in the living room. It had a tv and a light. Turns out I slept for eight hours, it was my new record. I woke up from a nightmare where Jen killed me in my sleep then I was stuck in internal life with Emily. What a messed up nightmare.
It was ten in the morning. Jen left a note and said she'd be back soon she had some things to finish from yesterday. I thought, yeah so you can go kill more people. Just hoped i wasn't on that list.
I decided to take a quick shower and eat a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. I then started reading a weird romance book. I stopped after page five, I hated romance books. You could only dream about it. Why not try to live it? I got another book an action book, it was perfect. I hadn't noticed it was two in the afternoon. I haven't called Maia at all.
I laid it off for another thirty minutes. Maia started knocking on the door. I should have called, she's probably mad for walking over here. I opened the door and Maia looked a little grim.
She walked in and sat down. "I think we need to talk."
"Okay." I said waiting for her to continue. Something defiantly was on her mind and she was having a hard time saying it.
"There's going be a candle light service for Brandon tonight. The three people in your yard are gonna have one tomorrow. I think we should go." She looked at the floor and said it was a such a sad tone it was unbearable.
"No." I knew my answer even if she pleaded. It was always gonna be no. Always.
"Please Amber, it would be respectful." She looked off the floor right at me. It wasn't going to work.
"They just tell you that. Forget it I'm not going." I was irritated. Memories flashed in my head.
"But.. They did it for Mich-"
I interrupted loudly. "I'm not going! So forget it and come back later!" Maia got up and reached the door.
"If you change your mind come." She shut the door and I could hear her stomp away. No way in hell was I going to it. Too many memories.
It was two years ago I was thirteen. I was old enough to know when someone died but seeing a lifeless person was something way different. My older brother Michael was the best. No brother in the world could replace him. He was one of a kind. He was seventeen. He and Luke were friends. The two year age difference didn't count. He went over there a lot and one night he never made it back. A car ran into his lane head on and he didn't have on his seat belt. The impact killed him instantly.
My parents had a candle light service at the high school. A picture of him with a bunch of candles sat in the middle of the foot ball field. Some people had candles and others just prayed. It was too much for me, to sad. So, I ran through a bunch of people and sat in the car and cried until it was over. I hated the thought of death but people have to die someday. I just really wished he was here.
I shook the memory to the roof. It didn't fade away it just replayed in my head. I kept repeating I hate candle light services over and over. Then a thousand of childhood memories came in. Too much, too much.
I had to get it out of my head. I couldn't function. I was having a complete meltdown. Nothing could get rid of it, it had to be gone. I went into the kitchen and raided through a bunch of cabinets. Finding a bottle of rum and whiskey.
I sat on the couch gulping down 1/3 of each bottle, waiting for a miracle. Not even ten minutes later I felt woozy but relaxed. My parents would kill me. Not like they sat up cameras in the place. Or did they? No, what a stupid thought. I felt fine, in fact I think I drunk at least another 1/3. The room seemed to be spinning.
I didn't keep track of the time. I didn't even know what I did this morning. I stood up and laughed when I feel down. Ha, I can't even stand up. Did Maia come over today? I don't remember, I don't want to. I looked at the whiskey bottle. I drunk almost half. Was that bad?
The door opened and a familiar face was close to me. I looked closely trying to piece her together. It was Jen, who started to say something. "Man, are you drunk. No wonder your parents hired me. Too bad I didn't watch you, oh well, your still alive." It took me forever to process what she said.
"Thanks for your concern. It's always nice not to be watched."
"Oh honey, haven't your parents ever told you not to go snooping in the liquor cabinet." She smiled and I couldn't help but think it'd be nice to slap her.
"Yeah, but if they didn't want me to then they wouldn't have one." I untwisted the top of the whiskey bottle.
"Ohh, nooo you ain't drinking that. Not when I see you." She snatched it away and I noticed something. She was actually doing her job. Out of everything this was what she decided to take from me? Maybe it's cause I wanted it so bad.
"Hey, give it back." I reached for it, only to grasp air. I felt the floor for the other one, which wasn't there.
"Say good bye to them there going down the drain. So will what ever else I find." Something clicked in my brain. If she poured them all out my parents would notice and blame me.
"No, don't do that. I promise, I won't drink anything else." She looked at me and sat the bottles back in the cabinet.
"Better not, weren't you going to that candle light service for that guy. He was your age, you probably knew him." A bunch of stupid memories played in my head once again. Starting with Mia coming over asking me and then to now. Must have been a while since I drunk the 1/3 of those bottles. Now it was wearing off. I was blaming Jen for this.
"Yeah Maia asked me. I told her no, I hate candle light services." Jen sat down in the chair. She just looked at me, giving me chills. Which then lead to my adventure in the basement, now I really needed those bottles.
"Why don't you go, I can drive you." She was being awfully nice. Maybe she was just driving me to an edge of a cliff. She also had dead people in that car, no way was I getting in it now.
"No, I don't want to go." I lay back down on the couch. She went into my parents room. I sighed, there was nothing that could fix my memories. They were there, for good.
I got off the couch an hour later and I thought Maia said the service was at six thirty. I had fifteen minutes to get ready. I brushed my hair and attempted to straighten it. Then I walked out the door prepared to walk ten miles. I had to do what was apparently right.
That walk was took a little but longer than I expected but I got there at 6:20. I didn't bother to find Maia, there was too many people. I grabbed a candle and went toward the stands. I remember dropping my iPod on the steel stairs and it broke. Three hundred dollars down the drain.
I stood in the back and waited for the lighter to come around. Finally lighting my candle. Watching the flame dance in the wind. I looked behind me seeing the fence and a huge drop to the bottom. That would hurt and it would be like flying, only you'd be dropping.
"Don't you bother to chew a piece of gum?" I looked beside me seeing a guy I barley knew. I couldn't even remember his name. He was in my Geometry class.
"No, why does my breath smell that bad?" I joked. A small smile on his face. Did all guys just decide to smile like that? It reminded me of Brandon.
"No, but I can smell an alcoholic miles away." I looked at him. What was he a stalker. He was in band, he also played basketball. I didn't think I smelled that much of alcohol, but what did I know.
"Thanks, but I'm not an alcoholic. I just enjoy a drink once and a while." I still held into the white waxed candle.
"Seems like you picked tonight. Did you know him?" He looked to the football filed where they sat Brandon's picture. No candles had there place yet.
"Yeah, he was nice. My friend asked me to come, said it was the right thing to do." I still didn't think it was the right thing to do. Going to a funeral maybe,not this.
"So, I have a feeling that's not why you decided that rum and whiskey could help you." How did he know that? I was getting skeptical.
"How'd you know?" He laughed.
"I know what everybody keeps in there house for a drink. You think your the only one who raids the liquor cabinet?" Of course I did, what fifteen year old wanted a drink that smelled bad. Even when you knew you shouldn't, too many goodie-two shoes.
"No, just the only one who did tonight. I hate candle light services. Brings back bad memories."
"So, that's why you had a drink." I sighed. I didn't need to tell him that. I didn't even recall his name. He didn't need to know the other reasons. Like, yeah you know there's a serial killer staying at my house and a ghost, just though you should know.
"You can say that. What's your name? I forget things easily." He laughed and stuck out his hand. I shook it.
"My name is Isaac Williams, who are you.."
"Amber Johnson." He smiled and stopes shaking my hand.
"Well, Amber. How would you like to finish this candle light meeting and get something to eat?" I was kind of thinking I just meet this dude. He was nice not mean, quite polite.
"Hum, tell me something no one knows about you?" He gave me a questionable look.
"I never kissed anyone before." I thought he was lying. That wouldn't impress me, not at all.
"Please, someone like you. Girls would die to kiss you." He laughed. His teeth were perfectly straight. He had dark green eyes and dark blonde hair. He had a face everyone loved.
"Just like your probably thinking." I was glad that he was a distraction from all this. I would have broke down and left by now. That didn't mean I was thinking about kissing him, not at all.
"Very funny." A man appeared on the field and his voice filled the air.
"We are all here to hope and pray to god that Brandon Greg Walters comes home safely. He was a great friend, son, grandson,brother,uncle to all. He enjoyed playing basketball, baseball and football. He was good at math,biology......" The list of everything that was awesome about him. Nothing he ever did wrong. No mistakes, just that he was lost. Only he wasn't lost he was dead. I couldn't stand there anymore, I felt myself about to get sick.
I blew out my candle. "Lets go, I can't stand it here anymore." Without hesitation he blew out his candle and started to go down the stairs. I wiped off the light tears that were falling. The memories of my brother filling themselves in my mind. I was always running away.
When we got to his car I got in and he looked over at me. His face cut in half by a shadow. I started crying, tears coming down so fast I couldn't wipe them. "I know you either really miss Brandon or you really hate candle light services."
"I hate candle light services. I hate everything. I hate people. I hate life. I hate even sitting here. I'm such a loser, I mind as well walk home. My brother had a candle light service he died. I hate them, there so damn sad." I was wishing I wasn't crying. I also needed that bottle of whiskey. Did I have it, no.
"I'm sorry. I probably didn't help. You don't have to go out and eat with me. I can take you home I don't mind." He was so nice. Why was everyone like this,nice. It made if hard for me to at least act a little mean.
"I don't mind eating dinner with you, but I should really get home." He smiled and I saw he wasn't going to kill me. He really liked me. Or he was just a weirdo who keeps fifteen year old girls in his closet.
In a second thought I saw someone else. A person who was unique. Someone who didn't mind being themselves. A person I always wanted. Now, a person I needed, a person names Isaac."You deserve dinner. I'm taking you, and good luck trying to hate me."
That night I ditched a candle light service. Meet a guy that I actually like. Drunk a couple of hours away. Then went to dinner and went home. Just to get the bottles I had earlier out of the cabinet. To end up drinking the rest of the it and to text Isaac. Not really noticing how much I was really messing myself up.