'Til Fear Do Us Part (A Grim Awakening Book 1)

by Michelle Gross

  I grunted and moved the popcorn between us. That only made his grin bigger. I turned to Tess and caught her watching us. She smiled, knowingly. Well, she thought she knew something, but I was not going to let that happen. Ryan’s slurping on our Coke caught my attention. He was staring at the blank screen. Seriously, he needed to stop.

  What was wrong with me?

  I wanted to fan my face but didn’t. I needed to stop reading so many smutty books. It was obviously doing something to my virgin brain. Especially when he was around.

  The small amount of lights that were in the huge room began to dim until it was completely dark. The screen lit up with previews. Ah, finally. I leaned back into the seat. Something needed to take my mind out of the gutter.

  Fifteen minutes into the movie and I caught Ryan sliding his hand over my seat. He leaned closer to me, slowly slipping his arm around my neck. Wasn’t that the oldest move in the book? I snuck a glance at him while he was looking at the screen. He was going to ruin my plan and our friendship if he kept on.

  I looked to the screen again and squinted my eyes. That was strange. I thought I saw some sort of movement at the bottom of the screen toward the front of the room. I leaned forward so that I could see better. There was definitely something at the bottom of the screen. It started out as a tiny shadow that kept growing until it shaped into something monstrous looking. Was that fur?

  No, not fur.

  Unease settled in the pit of my stomach as it started to move away from the front and into the aisle. A shiver ran up my spine. Twice in one day? Just what was happening around me? That wasn’t a ghost. It moved like fog and the shape was massive, but as it moved closer all it looked like was a black cloud. Of course, I was the only one that seemed to notice the thing. As it traveled up the aisle, a part of it expanded off, forming a hand. It was reaching out in my direction. There was no mistake, whatever it was, it was after me.

  I needed to get out of here. My gut told me to run. The fog pushed through the seats and people. Their heads dropped in their laps as it passed over them. What? No one in the theater was paying attention to anything but the screen, a scary part was playing. Only I could see the one happening right in front of us. I jumped up hitting my knee into the seat in front of me. I moved over Ryan’s long legs to get to the aisle.

  “What the hell?” the girl that sat in the seat I bumped yelled.

  I looked back for a split second. “Sorry.” I ran out, the light in the hallway giving me comfort. I looked back and the blackness was oozing out the bottom of the doorway where I came from. I dodged angry people in the hall that glared or yelled at me running. I went for the bathroom; it was brighter than most places. I went to a stall and hid. I slammed my behind on the toilet seat and placed my feet up, cradling my knees. I tried to catch my breath and calm down. It seemed to help with every second I waited for the blackness to come and it didn’t.

  Just what was happening? What was I experiencing? Seeing ghosts, I somehow managed all these years. Scary fog that was after me was more than I could handle.

  The black fog began pouring into the bathroom, up the walls, across the floor. I looked up in horror as the fog surrounded me, spreading, closing in. I wished that I was crazy. A tear slid down my cheek. I never knew what was happening or when the madness would ever end. The fog began to drop from the ceiling above me, making a hand. It reached for me. “Melanie.” it slithered in hundreds of tiny voices. I leaned back as far as the toilet would allow me. The fog was on the ground—climbing the toilet.

  The entrance to the woman's bathroom slammed open. Loud footsteps echoed through the room. The fog literally began to scream as the footsteps grew closer, each step evaporated the fog until it screamed itself out of existence. A pair of huge black boots stopped in front of the stall I was in. I quietened my whimpering when I realized I was doing it. One last bit of fog tried scrambling away from the boots, one raised to squash it. A tiny scream came from it as it sizzled until nothing remained. I froze when the boots pointed in the direction of the stall I was in.

  Seconds felt like minutes as I waited for the mysterious person to open the door. I leaned to the side trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was on the other side. It was a man. Why was he in the girl’s bathroom? He was covered head to toe in black. I couldn’t see his face through the tiny crack but he was tall. Really tall and built if the boots were any indication of how big the man was. If he were some sort of attacker, I could never get away from him. I waited for my stall to be opened, waiting for my doom. Only, he turned around and left the bathroom. I heard the door shut.

  I dropped my feet from the toilet and opened the stall. Nobody was in here. The black fog was gone. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Ryan was waiting. “What happened? You scared me back there.” He looked worried but I couldn’t make myself care at the moment. I was in danger. That was all that I knew.

  “I need to go home,” I stated.

  He studied me a second before replying, “Okay, I’ll take you home. Let me text Tess that we are leaving.” He pulled out his phone and left his sister a text.

  The ride home I barely said a word. Ryan wouldn’t push for answers even if he knew something was wrong. When it came to my issues, he was more than understanding. Which made my heart ache, but this was even more than I can take. I had no idea what I saw but it wasn’t good. I couldn’t tell him.

  So, I stared out the window into the dark of the night.

  Chapter Three

  I didn’t think it was possible, but the dark circles under my eyes were getting worse. That was bound to happen when a person never slept. I was on my third and last cup of coffee when Mom woke up at eight. An hour later Alex woke.

  Sunday dragged by and I caught myself falling asleep on the couch around noon. The phone rung and I jumped myself awake. Alex was playing on Mom’s iPad when it happened and shook his head at me before continuing whatever he was doing. I dragged myself off the couch and answered the phone by the third ring. “Hello?” My voice was a little hoarse from being so tired.

  “You okay?” It was Tess. Her usual spunk was gone and replaced with worry I sensed over the phone.

  “Yeah.”

  “What happened yesterday? Ryan said you sort of freaked out.” I sighed through the phone, pinching the bridge of my nose. “You left not even twenty minutes into the movie. It had me worried. I’m sorry, was it the movie? I shouldn’t have made you watch the scary one.”

  “No, it wasn’t the movie.” Although I wished it was.

  “Then,” she hesitated, “was it a ghost?” she whispered. I wanted to crack a smile that she was being so considerate of my secret.

  Alex bumped into me on purpose as he ran to the kitchen. I glared as he disappeared through the hallway. I heard noise outside. “Did someone pull up?” I mumbled to myself. I went to the window and peeked out the blinds. Ryan’s truck was in the driveway. What was he doing here? “Your brother just pulled up,” I told Tess over the phone.

  “Oh?” There was a twinkle in her voice that was suspicious. I looked down at what I was wearing.

  “Crap. I’m still wearing what I slept in.” Black spaghetti strap shirt and pajama pants. She laughed over the phone. Oh, well. Before I went all girly, I knew it was for the best. He needed to see how unflattering I was. Like I wasn’t enough on a daily basis.

  I went to the door and opened it. Tess and Ryan were walking up the steps to the front porch. I glared at them as I hung up the phone. That was when I noticed the cake in his hands.

  “Look at her.” Ryan laughed. “She totally forgot.”

  “Totally,” Tess agreed, and I sensed that they were making fun of me.

  “What?” I paused and looked down at the date on the phone. September 18th. It was my birthday. Holy crap. I forgot my eighteenth birthday. How lame. I felt the blush on my cheeks. The torture of having pale skin. “Ugh.” I tried to hide my embarrassment.

  “Surprise.” Tess hugged me. I stood there awkwardly.
Ryan was grinning at me like a fool. A good-looking fool.

  “Ryan, hurry with the cake before it melts.” Mom walked to the door and ushered us in. I gave her a skeptic look. She knew they were coming over. Wait, I turned back to Ryan who held the cake.

  “Ice cream cake.” I perked up, eyeing the cake in his hand with renewed interest. Ice cream cake was the best.

  “Now she’s interested,” he said. He was the last to enter and Mom shut the door behind him. He slipped off his Puma’s and followed Mom into the kitchen. Of course, I followed after him. He did have the cake after all.

  “Aren’t I a little too old for cake?” I told them but my eyes never left the cake. Ryan sat it on the counter.

  “You're a loser, anyway.” Alex was sitting on one of the bar stools.

  “Alex,” Mom warned him. I sighed at the sad truth my brother spoke. Even he knew what a loser I was. Stupid ghosts, thanks for ruining my life.

  “There’s my Alex.” Tess gave him a dazzling smile and his whole face turned red. He couldn’t deny he was my brother in that category. We both blushed like idiots. He had a thing for Tess.

  “Shut up,” he told her then looked at me. “How does someone forget their birthday?”

  “Now, now,” Tess continued to pester him.

  “Happy birthday, Melanie.” Ryan loomed over me, smiling bright.

  “Thanks.”

  “Happy Birthday!” Tess attacked me from the side with a hug.

  “Can we cut the cake already?” I grumbled.

  ________

  An hour later, I was on the back porch sitting. It was nice and pretty; weather was just right. I stared blankly at the old tire swing in our backyard. Tess and Ryan spent many summers back here with me swinging each other on that thing. I smiled. It was easier some days more than others. Some days, like today, I was okay. I stayed home and never saw any ghosts. I could imagine I was normal.

  But I would never live a normal life.

  I knew my life was heading nowhere. I wanted to be stronger, really. The thought of spending every birthday with Mom sounded... sad. I loved her, but people my age were out doing things they shouldn’t with friends. I even held back Tess and Ryan.

  “Hey.” Tess grabbed the seat next to me and sat down.

  “Where’s Ryan?” I asked.

  “Helping your mom do something. I don’t know,” she mumbled and I smiled. He was sweet. My smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared. It was wrong to want him to stay with me.

  “You seem even more down than you normally are.” She studied me with a sad smile on her lips. “And I didn’t think that was possible.”

  “I just want to be normal,” I gave her the truth.

  “I like you the way you are,” she replied. That made me smile for a split second.

  “I don’t understand you and Ryan. Why are you even my friend?” I stood up, not wanting to get emotional but knew I already was. Yesterday messed with my head. “My own parents never believed me, but you two,” I grabbed my chest, “I’m sorry.”

  “I have no idea where this is coming from, but could you please stop?” she sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on and I know there’s no way for me to understand but I don’t need to. I accept what you see that I don’t. I don’t need an explanation because sometimes things can’t be explained.” I stared at her. “Okay, enough. These sorts of conversations make me want to vomit. So, whatever you see, that’s cool. The day you and Ryan told me your secret, I laughed but I believed you. For some strange reason.” She stood while scratching her jaw and walked over to me. “You see ghosts, whether it’s real or in your head. We still love you regardless.” As horrible as that last part sounded, she had me feeling better.

  I laughed. “I could kiss you right now.”

  “Well, don’t. I’m not into that sorta’ thang and my brother just might kill me if I did.” I laughed harder.

  “Thanks, I needed that.”

  “That’s what I’m here for.”

  “What are you here for?” Ryan opened the screen door and stepped on the porch.

  “For Melanie. She’s the birthday girl,” she answered. I rolled my eyes.

  “What a sad life.” I bent my arms onto the porch railing and gazed into the distance.

  “Hey, I got an idea.” Ryan and I both groaned when Tess spoke.

  “I’m not sure I wanna know,” Ryan said, stepping close to me.

  “Let’s plan a party on the old strip job near Bernie's next weekend. Melanie never does anything exciting, and that needs to change. I’ll invite a ton of people.”

  “I don’t think so,” I said quickly.

  Ryan was quiet. I turned my head, the crease in his forehead told me he was considering the idea. “It does sound entertaining.” I frowned at him.

  “See, it will be fun. You’ve never been to one.” She was getting excited now. I was trying to find a reason why I kept saying no. Other than my ghost problem, there were none. I needed to take back a part of my life the ghosts took from me and ignore the new one from last night.

  “Will there be alcohol?” I wondered aloud.

  Tess snickered nudging her brothers shoulder. “Will there be alcohol?” she mimicked my words. “Listen to how innocent she sounds.”

  “You don’t have to drink if you don’t want to,” Ryan added. He was probably afraid that might scare me away from going. He was always looking out for me. I smiled.

  “No, I think I will.” I would. I was tired of my life. I needed something to keep my mind off what happened last night.

  “Really?” Ryan looked surprised. Not as surprised as I felt. It was a pleasant sort of feeling though.

  “Yes! I have been waiting for this day.” Tess jumped.

  ________

  They were long gone when night fell and Mom went to work. Alex fell asleep on the couch. I debated on leaving him there but didn’t. I turned off the cartoons he was watching before I picked him up. I barely made it up the stairs with him. He was growing so much these days, I barely had the strength to carry him. I remembered when he was way cuter than the brat he was now. My back felt huge relief when I dropped him on his bed. I stretched out the pain before I walked out of the room.

  I was almost to my room when I heard the TV downstairs. I turned it off before I laid Alex down. I was sure. Well, pretty sure. I walked downstairs and turned it off. I left the small shade lamp on in the living room. I needed some sort of light on in the house in case I was to get up through the night. I made it to the stairs when the TV came back on.

  I stopped moving. Hardly breathing, I tried to tell myself I was imagining it. I slowly turned back to see the light of the television casting a glow into the hallway where I was. I tried to tell myself not to panic. The knots in my stomach tightened. I walked back into the living room. I hurried to the coffee table, grabbed the remote, and hit the power button. I waited for something to happen, scanning the room. Nothing did. No ghosts. I thought of the fog from yesterday. It wouldn’t come again... would it?

  “Ah!” I pulled down my shirt to look at the X. It was glowing red, burning my flesh again. Something was about to happen. It all started every time this X heated up my skin. The pain grew stronger. I ran to the phone, but it wasn’t at its base. I started to look around the room for it. The TV flickered on. Fear pumped through my veins.

  I ran into the hallway toward the stairs, but stopped when I saw what stood at the top. A young girl wearing a yellow sundress with tiny white flowers. She looked a little older than Alex. Only she was dead. Her skin was sickly white as most ghosts were but that wasn’t how I knew. A blotchy red stain covered the left side of her stomach. She wasn’t a normal ghost... Her eyes burned red. I staggered backwards into Mom’s bookshelf in the hallway. The curve of her mouth slid up in a sinister way as she tilted her head to the side. I was screwed.

  She was holding one of her hands behind her back. She began to move the arm tucked behind her, in her hand was a tiny thin sword, but
it was just as big as her in height. She was going to kill me. She started down the stairs and I turned on my heels to run.

  “There’s no point.” Her voice was that of a child’s and she laughed, “Tonight, you die.”

  I ignored her. I wasn’t going to wait for my death. I ran outside knowing she would follow. If this was how I was going to die; I wouldn’t let anything happen to my brother. I doubted she wanted anything to do with him, though. They all seemed to want me.

  I opened the front door and ran off the porch barefoot. I looked around our yard deciding where I should go. We lived at the end of the hollow up on a hill. My closest neighbor was at the bottom of the hill—besides Janet who passed away. I looked back into the house and saw the shadow of her tiny frame walking through the hallway. The grass was cold on my feet as I went for my car. I cried out when I realized it was locked. My keys were still in the house. She was already outside. I knew it was over, but that didn’t mean I would give up.

  Then things got stranger. A figure appeared in front of me. I fell back against the car causing my head to hit the window. I grabbed my head and shook the pain away. At the rate I was going, I was only helping them kill me. I looked up to whoever was before me. The guy was tall, that was the first thing I noticed about him. The second was the way his dark hair spiraled out of control. He didn’t look like a ghost from behind. His clothing was black which probably wasn’t a good sign. My eyes widened when I looked down and saw the boots. The same boots that were in the girls’ bathroom last night. It had to the same guy!

  I sat there stunned until I figured he wasn’t going to turn around. I didn’t know what he was doing. I took that as my chance to scoot away. I was so focused on him that I didn’t notice that scary ghost girl had somehow ended up on the car. The sword she held hovered above me. She lifted it over her head smiling at me.

  Then everything happened at once. I tried to make a run for it but ran straight into his broad chest as the blade came down over us. The ghost girl only seemed to notice him at that moment, her evil smile turned to horror. She moved backward in an unnaturally way. “You!” she hissed at him before jumping off the other side of the car. His boots crunched as he strode around the car to where she jumped.