Blame The Weeds (gxg)

15

There was a ghost at the end of my bed. Kare Bear, it spoke. I blinked away the fog as my vision adjusted in the dark. I was dreaming again. I set my cheek back on my humid pillow—then grimaced and flipped it, slamming my head back down. Howls of wind shook the windows in the dark. It lulled me back down.

"Kare."

I shot up—then scrambled backwards. The ghost was crouched at the side of my bed.

"I'm sorry," is what he said.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I whispered, wincing as my head spun. I lit up my watch, which read 4:28 AM. I grabbed my head. "Oh my god! Luke!"

"I'm sorry," he said.

When my heart had slowed to a not-so-painful thrum, I blew a few breaths and looked up. Yes, Luke was here. He was in a dark shirt, his cast stark-white, and I could barely make out the pinched expression on his face.

"Are you okay?" I asked, flexing my fists. He paused, then nodded. "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Blue Rock Key," he said, referencing the key hidden in the front garden. Dad had put it there in case of emergencies for us, which always meant Luke.

"You have to leave," I said, forcing my shoulders to relax. "Your parents will flip if they wake up and you're—"

"Dad finished the scotch and mom's taking sleeping pills again. I need you to take me somewhere."

"No," I said.

"But I don't know how to drive," he said, as if reminding me would make it make sense.

"Luke it's four o'clock in the morning! We can't leave!"

"No one else will take me."

"Where?"

"Our Lady of The Sea," he said, and his voice broke.

My eyes bugged. "That's across the causeway, Luke! I don't even remember how to get to the island, let alone—"

"Please," Luke repeated. He reached for my hand over the sheets and gripped it—hard. His skin was clammy, and I tried to pull from his hold, but he wouldn't let me go.

"Luke, listen," I said. "My dad would have my head. It's bad enough that you ran off before, but we got away with it." I pulled away but he only held harder. My heart climbed up and up, nearly choking me. "Luke, let go."

"You have no idea what it was like," he choked out, reaching for his chain with his other hand, the one hindered by the cast. "We had one thing down there." He wouldn't let me go. "Kareena you have to take me."

"Let go," I said. His grip tightened. "Luke!"

"So you're not going to help me?" he said between his teeth. I froze.

"You're scaring me," I said. His eyes blazed black.

"I'll go without you. I will. I'll walk if it takes me a week. I don't care anymore. Do you hear me? I don't—"

I yanked myself backwards, breaking his hold. He was jerked forward with a wince. His hand immediately wound around his ribcage as his head hung to the floor. Then, only his low wheezing pulsed in the darkness. I took shallow breaths myself, trying to keep calm. My head caged a thousand black moths fluttering around and I had no idea what to do. I couldn't see right, and my lungs burned like I'd run from a shadow.

"I can't," I whispered. My voice wavered like I was walking a tightrope. "We'll...we'll go tomorrow, okay? School's done, so we can go tomorrow. And—and Rue can come if you want."