Another Life, JenniferNewman [short story to read .TXT] 📗

keep this lying up? Sophie was my best friend. I had never had to lie so much to my friends and family before. It’s crazy!
“Oh god fine. But Soph?” I finally say after I convince myself that this really is the right thing to do. The later I leave it the worse it is going to turn out. Although I am not about to tell herb about the little fact. I am being haunted by a ghost. That would just be weird and not really something you discuss over the phone.
“Yeah. No matter what you say you are NOT getting away with not tell me. If your new boyfriend is an arsshole then you tell us. I mean it!” okay I just had to laugh she really did think that Parker was crazy or something.
“No he’s not an asshole. Well actually I’ll get back to you on that one.” I say as the man himself walks out to the hall with a cup of coffee in his hands. He grimaced when he heard me and mouthed. ‘How was I supposed to no’ which made we laugh a sort of hollow laugh but a laugh all the same.
I took a deep breath and carried on telling Sophie whatever it was she wanted to know.
“So tell me why. Like anytime now!” I sighed and leaned more heavily on the banister while Parker cam and sat down on the step before the one I was sitting on and handed me the cup of steaming hot coffee. I smiled thanks and decided that I would forgive him for picking up the phone since I would have done it myself soon. Or chuck it out the window either one.
I rolled my eyes at him and then answered Sophie,
“I went down to the station because they called saying they had news about my dad……” I took a deep breath. “They said that….. They say that there’s a chance that he killed himself.” I breath out quickly finishing my sentence quickly in the hope that it would be over and done with if I just said it out laud fast enough. Well no such luck. I closed my eyes and felt two strong hands on my arm and waist pulling me towards Parker who wrapped his arms firmly around me allowing me to rest my head on his chest. It did make me feel better but I could not shake the feeling of dread that was still making its presences known.
“Oh my god! Rose I am so sorry. Look come over to mine. I don’t care if you are with Parker he can come as well. You really sound like you need cheering up. I cannot believe your Dad would take his own life. I am so sorry!” I moved my face so I could speak into the phone and not sound muffed.
“ Thanks Soph but really it’s okay. I need to be here when my Mum gets back.” Oh yeah and there was that to. Well okay I am not going to tell my Mum this. Do I want to lose her to? This could really kill her. I hide my face against Parker’s chest again while he strokes my hair calming me down. This was a time when I really would have said nothing if I had started crying but I couldn’t. I just felt hollow. Not scared anymore. Not happy. Not sad. Nothing.
“okay Parker is with you I can hear him telling you to calm down.” I start to say something anything but she carries on “so I’ll come to you really I don’t care if you just want to snuggle up with your boyfriend for the next few hours you are stuck with me!” The beeping tone sounded making any kind of answer impossible. I sighed and leaned away from Parker so I could put the phone down on the stair nearest to me. I really didn’t think that Sophie coming over is a good thing but I was still glad.
Parker pulled my head back to his chest and continued his stroking. A couple of minutes later the phone rang again I looked at the caller ID making sure that it was not my Mother before putting it back down. Before I managed to place it back on the step Parker took it out of my hand flipping it over and taking the batteries out. Well why had I not thought of that……
Seconds and minutes past but neither of us spoke. The silence carried on until I noticed that Parker was fidgeting in a way that I already knew meant that he had somethi9ng to say but didn’t know if he should or how to phrase it.
“Just spit it out already.” I tell him as I turn my head up to look at him with my eye brow raised.
He looked at me in a confused way and the sighed saying,
“you don’t have to tell me but your mom. She’s ill right?” he swallowed “I was just wondering if it could have anything to do with my brother. If it is then you have no idea how sorry I am. I mean I’m already sorry. About everything but-“ I cut him off my putting my index finger over his lips and rolling my eyes half heartedly.
“It’s okay. I mean it’s not but it’s not your fault. Anyway I don’t really think this can be connected back to your brother. She has Mnemophobia. Yeah I had no idea what it was either.” I said as he gave me a very boyish confused look. “it means she has a fear of memories. I don’t really understand it and that pretty much all I know. Can you promise me something?” well this is weird…..
“Of course”
“If the occasion somehow pops up. Don’t tell my Mum that my Dad could have killed himself. I don’t want her to ever find out. Not even when she gets over this phobia.”
I looked up at him then. He put his free hand on the side of my face and whispered, “I promise.”
Then of course the door bell rings make us both jump about five feet in the air. Well okay… pure normal.
I tucked my dark hair behind my ears and stood up with Parker’s arms still around my middle. I opened the door to Sophie’s small figure. She emedatly came in and threw her arms around me in her attempt at a bear hug. I blinked and quickly hugged her back leaning down so that my head was on her shoulder. Before pulling back so she could make sure that my eyes were not red and the asking questions to Parker which I quickly ignored since she started with, “you had better be looking after Rose. How upset is she?” well okay not standing right in front of you at all…
We somehow drifted off into the living room where Parker sat next to me with his arm around my shoulder in a casual style but really he was just making sure that I was okay. Really I have no idea how boys think these things up but whatever.
Sophie had stopped off at the shops on the way down here and had bought a large bag full of all different kinds of chocolate. I looked at some of the names and became slightly worried. Since when had there been a chocolate named dance floor. Were people really starting to get that desperate for chocolate names? Was I really starting to use even the names of chocolate as a n excuse not to think about what I had no choice but to think about? Hell yeah!
Sophie had also been to Starbucks. My heaven and bought free frappuccinos with cream. She said that she had had no idea what sort Parker like so had just gotten him a vanilla because in her opinion everyone likes vanilla.
When the drinks were finished and Soph had finished telling me for the hundredth time that it would be okay, the home phone rang. Beep Beep Beep. When had any of us put the battery back in? I look up at Parker who is looking at the door to the hall with a confused expression turning into one of knowing. Please tell me that I was reading his face wrong. Please not now while Sophie is still here. I closed my eyes trying to will Cody away. A loud thud sounded from the hall as the phone holder fell to the ground. Well so much for the willing.
Parker was on his feet in seconds and standing in front of me. Sophie looked over at me since I was still sitting next to her. Crap please don’t do anything that makes Sophie suspect.
I could hear the fierce breathing from where I was sitting meaning that Sophie could for sure. I start coughing loudly trying to drown the noise out but it just somehow get louder and louder.
Then I feel it. The cold odor that I had come to know as Cody. Well crap. I looked up at Parker who was still standing in front of me looking around wildly. The glimmering mist that as the only tip off we had when Cody was around was nowhere to be seen. Well that narrows down the places he could be!
“Ahhhhhhhhh I could have sworn that scream lasted a life time. My head turned but in time to see Sophie turn back to me with the most scared look I had ever seen. I jumped up off the settee and landed steadily on my feet looking over at the body on the floor. The face was turned away from us but I could tell straight away that it was Cody. I backed up pulling Sophie with me. Parker quickly followed in front of us both.
I could feel my eyes making large round circles.
And then it moved. The sound of the hushed whispers from the forest in my dream. The sound of the people I had ‘known’ screaming from the shifters. Scream after harsh scream following each other like a song. One by one I heard them again. My back is against the wall but I can still see the body as it rises. First its head and then the necks. I heard the sound of bones shattering and then Cody was facing us. Sophie screamed again. The eyes. They were as black as night. There was no emotion in his face. Just nothingness. I found myself breathing fast and then Parker was in front of me with his big arms pulling me to his chest.
“Rose! Don’t you want to see what your dear Daddy has done? Don’t you want to know the truth?” I shiver as the voice of Cody reaches my ears.
“Oh my god!” I hear Sophie mutter under her breath as she must see the body rise from the ground and kneel. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god! I repeated and repeated inside my head as the voice carried on. I blocked it out by listening to the fast beat of Parker’s heard singing its own unique rhythm.
I pulled my hand away from where I had been resting it against Parker’s side and held it out to Sophie since I could hear her breathing quicken. When she takes my hand I turn sideways so I can see her and pull both of them down to the floor were we lean against the wall with our eyes closed waiting for it to all just stop and go back to normal.
It’s not real.
Nothing is real.
It will all just go back to normal in a minute.
Footfall after footfall.
Step after step.
Breath