"Morgan!" She heard Toby shout her brother’s name as she entered the lunch room.
“Morgan?! Where?” She asked, turning around and a second later she was caught by Colin and Toby in a tight embrace.
"Good morning to you too…" Casey squeaked, trying to breath.
“Ohh! Casey! It’s you!” Toby exclaimed. “We thought you were Morgan! Why don’t you have your make up on? If it wasn't for the hair…”
"You're ok!"
Colin interrupted Toby’s mumbling after they had let go of the poor disoriented kid.
Casey nodded slowly. "Yes…I'm fine…what's going on? Did you see Morgan? I need to talk to him, and Din, where are they?"
Colin shrugged, looking at Toby for support. "Well, we were kind of hoping you would tell us that." Toby said.
Casey blinked, looking even more confused. "Why would I know something? I just woke up and he wasn't there…"
Colin and Toby exchanged worried looks.
“Then it must have been Morgan.” Colin mouthed to Toby who sadly nodded.
“What?” Casey looked at them annoyed. “What is going on you guys? I demand to know! If it’s something about my brother…” Casey gulped. “Is he ok? Please…don’t tease me about this…”
"Well…"Colin started, looking at Toby; he did not want to be the one to say it, especially when they weren’t even sure that Morgan had been hurt.
"Well, when we woke up this morning there were bunch of cops and paramedics here and we thought that you already knew why…errm…” He bit his lip, expecting Toby to pick up.
"But why did you think I know something? Why me?" Casey asked again, irritated. “What would I have to do with the cops and the paramedics?! I told you! I just woke up!”
"But your mom was here with some man, probably your step dad...I think, and she was crying…she was talking to the cops and then there was this..."
Toby answered, refusing to call his friend ‘a body’.
Colin shook his head; he now seemed more confused than Casey was.
"She didn't…you didn't see her? Din went to talk to her…we thought she would go find you after that."
"I just woke up!" Casey snapped again more quietly, she had definitely enough of this.
"I didn't see anyone yet beside you two! Not my mom, not Din!” She got louder, her temper rising quickly with the weight of not knowing and the bad felling she was tormented by since the night before.
"I didn't SEE ANYONE! I DIDN'T EVEN SEE Morgan yet…"
Her voice died out.
"Morgan…"
Casey gasped, breathing in a little too fast, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "Where…Where is my brother?!" Casey suddenly looked terrified. "If mom's here…" She felt a great stone crush her heart. ‘That is why his bed was made, he didn't come back…He is never coming back…’ Her thoughts ran amok as her brother’s did earlier.
"Oh god…"
"No Casey! Don't think that! Please!" Colin and Toby eminently tried to calm their friend down. ”Casey! Please breath! Please, don’t think like that! We can’t have you fainting now!”
They brought her to a nearby chair; both remembered the only time she had reacted like that when they were around her. The first time she had a panic attack.
It was the day they turned eleven and they were allowed to go by themselves to play by the river in their hometown.
Morgan, being the clown that he was, laughed at Casey for not being brave enough to climb a big tree that shadowed the water and in his laughter he lost his grip and fell in, nearly drowning to death in the process.
Luckily, a group of older boys that were swimming nearby pulled him out and brought him to shore, but even after Morgan was safe out of the water and smiling at his twin Casey was having trouble breathing, she was practically hyperventilating.
"If anything happened to him…" Casey whined out, her lips going blue by her lack of breathing.
“Nothing happened, nothing happened, Casey, just please calm down…” Colin pleaded. "Casey…”
"Casey!" Casey looked up to see Din run towards them.
”Casey! Oh my god! Thank god you're here!” He let out, halting in place, breathing out to calm his raising heartbeat.
"I was looking everywhere for you! Your mom is searching for you like crazy."
Casey stared at her friend with hollow eyes, ready for almost anything.
"What happened?" She asked in a low tone. “Is it Morgan? Is he hurt?”
"C'mon…" Din tried to pull her out of the sit but Casey refused to move.
“No! Tell me now! What is going on?! Please!”
“Casey.” Din looked into her eyes.
Those brown beautiful sad eyes that he was about to make sadder.
“Please just trust me and come with me, ok?” He managed to pull her up and aside.
“Is it that bad?” Casey asked as they went to the door of the lunch room and Din leaned forward, half holding her as he quietly said something to her.
“What is he telling her?” Colin asked Toby who shrugged. “You think Morgan…”
“I hope not.”
"He is, isn’t he…?" The question remained hung in the air.
They watched as Din pulled back to say his final words and then Casey’s face got completely pale and a moment later Colin and Toby heard and saw Casey scream in horror, they were sure that even the neighbors on the other side of the lake near their school heard her.
"No!!! No!!! He didn't! You're wrong!!"
"Casey, please…I saw…"
“NO!!!NO YOU didn't! YOU ARE LYING!”
Din tried to calm her but Casey pushed him away.
“WHY?!WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DRAG HIM WITH YOU?!”
She screamed at Din who looked like he wanted to be buried alive rather than to stand there in front of the enraged girl.
“Casey…please…I’m sorry…” Din tried to reach out to her but a ringing slap was heard throughout the now silent hall and Casey, with her hand still raised was staring at Din with furry.
"It's your entire fault!!! You shouldn't have dragged him with you! It's your entire fault!" She screamed again and again, her voice breaking under the heavy stone that crashed her heart. Casey began crying, screaming even louder but it wasn't enough to lift the pain she had felt.
Din made another attempt to hug her but Casey wouldn't let Din anywhere near her.
"Just stay away from me, YOU MURDERER!"
Casey screamed at him, crashing through the doors they were standing by.
“I never want to see you again! Ever!” They heard her scream and then she was gone, running to an unknown destination with Din watching the door as it closed behind her, his whole being eaten in morbid feelings of guilt.
Colin and Toby exchanged worried glances and then without saying a word they both hurried to Din who by then slid to the floor, he too, on the verge of crying.
"And what the hell was that?" Colin demanded, crouching next to Din with Toby standing above them, looking utterly disturbed.
"It's Morgan…" Din whispered.
No one spoke, Colin and Toby waited for him to continue.
“I killed him."
Chapter four: Not so dead yet
“YOU DID WHAT?!” The eyes of those few students in the cafeteria that were not yet staring at them were now trained on their little group.
“Please,” Colin breathed in slowly. “Tell me that you are joking!” Din shook his head miserably. ”DIN!” Colin grabbed him by the collar and shook him mercilessly.
“What do you mean KILLED HIM?! Tell me that Morgan is still alive!”
“I…” Din sniffed, looking in Colin’s strong arms like a wrecked puppet. “He is but…I don’t know for how long…” Colin looked at Toby who crouched beside them.
“Din…you better start explaining.” He said in a low voice, this whole thing was getting way out of hand and he wanted to know exactly what was going on.
Din coughed and chok
ed." Last night…" He managed. "After we separated to go to sleep…He…He…" Din felt the tears strangle him.
"He what?" Toby asked quietly, encouraging him to go on.
“It was my entire fault, I wanted to race him, and I left him alone and…and…” He started sobbing. Both Colin and Toby felt very awkward by this development.
“Calm down.” Colin gritted his teeth. “What did you do?”
Din managed to take a ragged deep breath.
"Is Morgan going to die?" Colin asked, staring at the floor.
He covered his own mouth with his hand. 'Did those words really just rolled down his tongue and came out of his mouth??'
Din shook his head. “No…” He whispered. “I don’t….” He huffed, wiping his tear struck face with his sleeve. "I don't know, his mother just said that they took him to the hospital…the night guard found him lying in a pull of his own blood at four am…"
His voice died out. “Someone…something…” He couldn't go on.
They sat silent until Toby finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper.
"All that blood we saw…"
"Morgan's blood…"
Din nodded, looking completely distraught “He fell…” Din looked up at his friends.
"The cops don't think it was an accident either. His head…it was practically cracked open…Someone pushed him down those stairs. Someone pushed him by force…and Casey…" He choked again. "She thinks that I tried to kill him."
Din sobbed. "It's my entire fault. She is right…I wasn't there to stop it, he was alone, it’s like I did kill one of my best friends…I’m just as good as the killer, I’m no better than the monster who did it, Casey will hate me forever….She will never forgive me for this."
Toby breathed out, he wanted to make this all go away but he couldn't, he laid a hopefully assuring hand on Din's trembling shoulder.
"We don't know if he's dead, Din. Please don’t blame yourself. There was no way for you to know something like that would happen. No one knew no one is at fault but that beast that pushed him." He said, not knowing how accurate his description was.
Din shook his head.
"Me and my stupid ideas. I should have never suggested going and checking the hag's age. That was so stupid, me and my brilliant plans…"
"So what is it?" Colin interrupted him, sounding as if nothing had happened and they were in the middle of an ordinary school day.
Din blinked in surprise. “What?”
“What is it?” Colin repeated.
"What's what?" Din asked his eyes dried out from crying.
"What is the hag's real age?" Colin asked sternly and Din almost exploded as it downed on him what it was that his friend was asking.
"WHAT?! How can you even think about asking me something like that in a time like this?!" He yelped, his voice still cracked and barely audible but screeching none the less.
Colin shrugged. "I'm sorry…I was just trying to light up the mood a little…"
"Well, you failed!" Din stood up in anger.
“Seriously dude, not cool.” Toby agreed and that statement seemed to only make Din angrier.
“You are both impossible!" Din growled, throwing his hands in the air. "God! I'm going back to bed and wish to wake up from this nightmare! I’m just going to pretend like this day never happened!!"
“You know you can’t really do that! It won’t help.” Toby stood up behind him.
“Well, I’m going to try anyway!” Din spat in anger and with that he walked off, leaving Toby to glare at Colin.
"Nice move, dumb ass." He said annoyed, “Is this the reaction you expected?”
Colin sighed. "Don't worry; I mentally kicked myself two seconds after I said that.”
Toby looked at the direction Din walked off to. "You deserve a real kick too, you know that?"
”Yeah yeah, you can give me one when this is over ok?” Toby kicked him. “Oooww! I didn't mean now!”
---
Din stormed into his room, slamming the door with all the force he had in him.
He threw himself on the bed, hiding his face in his arms and crying his heart out, his heart wrenching sobs shaking his quilt filled body.
"Shit! Shit!" He muttered. “Why did this have to happen?! Why him?!” He fiercely hit the pillow like it was to blame. “Why?!” He shouted. “Why couldn't it have been me?! SHIT!" He screamed.
"Is something wrong?"
Din suddenly heard a familiar voice beside him, without even looking up he begun to shake.
“Are you all right? Why are you crying like that?” The voice continued. “Did some chick dump you or something?” The voice droned sarcastically and then it laughed.
“Man, I haven’t seen you cry like that since the first day of school when your mommy left you alone, that was hysterical.”
“Stop…Please stop…” Din muttered, he raised his head from the pillow and gasped, the sight of his friend's ghost standing before him was enough to make what’s left of his heart shutter to pisses.
“Din?” The being reached its hand towards him and Din, screaming it terror jumped to his feet, getting as much distance as he could between himself and the intruder.
"No…No…Stay away from me…You’re not real...Mo…Mor…Morgan!" He yelped out and Morgan grinned.
"Yes, I know my name is Morgan, Din what’s wrong? What’s going on? Why do you look like you just saw a ghost or something? It’s just me."
He took a step forward and Din stumbled back. “No! Please! I’m sorry!” Morgan halted his step, looking at his friend, puzzled. 'Why was he so terrified by the mere sight of him? Why did Din look like he was actually afraid of him?'
Din shook his head. “Please…stay away.”
Morgan frowned. “Dude, you act like you actually see a ghost.”
Din let out a short laugh. "I think I did…oh god….I mean I am. Damn...I'm going out of my mind." He said to himself. ”Oh god…I’m so sorry.”
“Dude! Stop it!” Morgan crossed his arms over his chest. “Did you go religious on me or some shit like that, that you keep muttering about god?” He asked and Din stared at Morgan. ‘That was not possible, was it?’
"You can't be here…” Din muttered, willing the vision away but as predicted wishing Morgan away did not help him. ”I…did you come back to get revenge?”
“What?”
“What are you doing here then? C’mon! Just get it over with!" Din screamed and Morgan looked at him like he had really just lost it.
"What do you mean what am I doing here?! I live here! What the fuck kind of question is that? Where else would I go but this shit hole?! I am stuck here for the summer just like you do!" He said, putting his hands on his hips.
Din took a deep breath. “It’s just guilt…It's just guilt…I'm not mental….My mind is messing with me right now."
Din turned from a really confused Morgan, doing his best to ignore him as Morgan stepped closer to him. "Din, for fuck sake…!"
Morgan, utterly pissed off by his friend’s actions tried to reach out and grab him, to turn him around but his hand went straight through Din’s back like one of them wasn't even there, like one of them really was the ghost Din was so scared of.
Morgan gasped in shock, stumbling backwards; he stared at his hand that to him seemed completely solid, ‘What the hell was going on here?’
“Oh god…what is this?” Morgan whispered, drawing his friend’s attention.
Din slowly turned around to face him, still half wishing him away.
"Are you…really here? Are you really…real?" He asked, biting his lip.
Morgan still stared at his hand, silent as a tombstone, his pale face only reflecting the horror he was feeling.
"What…?" Din slowly took a step towards him. “What is it…? Morgan?”
"My hand…" Morgan stuttered, still examining his hand in the radiant light of the early morning.
“What…what about it?” Din took another step towards him.
"I…I tried to grab you…But it was like I was trying to catch air…My hand…It went straight through you!" Morgan looked up at Din. “Why is this happening?! What did you do to me!?”
He glared at Din, his eyes as accusing as Casey’s were, 'They are so alike.' Din thought and involuntary shrunk back. ”I…I’m sorry…”
Morgan growled in annoyance. "Stop being sorry Din! Just tell me, what the fuck is going on?!" Morgan backed into the wall, breathing hard just like his sister did, he couldn't understand and it was killing him, pretty ironic considering the state his body was in.
"Am I…" Realization hit him, overcoming his mind, the images from the night before flushing before his eyes.
'The hooded man…The stairs…The screaming…That wasn't a dream, was it? He didn't even dare to hope that it was. He fell, he fell and he bleed…That suffocating darkness that took him…'
"Am I…" Morgan let his tears fall freely down his face, he didn't even consider the absurd of an idea that a ghost could cry. "Am I dead?" He raised his eyes to look into Din’s sad face. “Tell…please…” Morgan begged him. “Did I die last night?”
Din gulped, he didn't expect Morgan to be so fragile, so innocent.
“I don’t…I don’t know…” Din whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“Ooohhh…How?” Morgan let his body slide down to the floor. “Why…?” He looked down at his hands, still the same as they were, only now growing paler as only the dead did.
"What happened to me?" Morgan finally asked, not even bothering to raise his gaze or change his position, he didn't think that it would change anything, for him it was already over.
“Morgan…” Din took a deep breath and closed the space between them, crouching next to Morgan like his friends did with him. "Someone, I don’t know who…But I promise that we will find him!” He said quickly. “Someone caught you last night after we separated and he…He pushed you down the stairs and you…” He couldn't just say it. “You were bleeding so bad…I saw it…I…The night guard found your body this morning…"
Winds Of The Apocalypse Page 6
