The Other Side

"Ava, what is so interesting about the sky?" My best friend Richard laughs. I turn my head to the right to see him walking over to me, he lays beside me on the grass. I stare at his smirking face, wondering how he knew I was here.

"So want to explain why you are lieing in the middle of a field?" He asks, his green eyes study my face.

"I'm just relaxing." I reply, looking away from him and back up at the sky.

"Oh ok. Then you won't mind if I join you?" He chuckles, elbowing me in the side.

"Not at all. However first explain how you knew I was here? Have you turned into my own personal stalker now?" I wink.

"You wish! No. You seem to forget that I know you Ava Harris. Today was stressful at school and you only live two minutes away from here. Your too lazy to travel to a far place to sulk." Richard laughs.

"Oi!" I swing my hand round and smack him in the stomach. "I am not sulking."

"Alright. Alright. Touchy! Anyway even though you had two exams today, they were also your last two exams. So what are we going to do this weekend?"

I look at my best friend, his blonde curly hair only five years ago has turned into a darker colour. His baby-face features have now disappeared and become more defined. I can see why girls like him at our school, fall to his knees even. I just don't see him in that way. I never have.

"I'm sorry but I can't hang out this weekend, I've got to go to my grandparents house. You could come if you really want to?" I ask sceptically.

"Yeah sure. I'm up for that." Richard replies, surprising me completely.

"Ok.. Sure. Might be boring though?" I say, making sure he knows what he's in for.

"I'm sure it wont. We will find something to do."

"Fine. Well then we should really head back to my house so I can ask my Mum." I jump up from the grass.

Richard looks up at me in a weird way, a way I've seen quite a lot recently. "You coming?" I hold out my hand. He grabs it and I lift him up to his feet. He opens his mouth to say something but then he stops, leaving his mouth open slightly.

"What is it?" I ask, confused.

"Didn't you hear that? It sounded like.. Wait! There it was again. Shh! Listen." He whispers.

"Whatever. Crap joke." I laugh, turning to walk away. 

"Shut up! I'm serious! Listen!" he growls, holding his hand up before I can argue.

I play along with whatever stupid game he is playing and stop talking. I wait to hear something, but the field is silent. Apart from the sound of the wind blowing through the grass. Just as I'm about to open my mouth, I hear it. Voices whispering, I look around to see where it's coming from. The voices start to speak louder, but what they are saying isn't understandable as they are speaking too fast. It feels like they are shouting inside my own head, I cover my ears in an attempt to block them out. Suddenly they stop shouting, the voices return to whispers and slowly start to drift away. The voices continue to disappear across the field and into the woods.

"What the hell was that?" I gasp. I look at Richard, his face is blank and expressionless. "Richard? Are you ok?" I ask, worryingly.

Richard sprints down the field towards the woods, I scream out after him. When he doesn't reply I run after him as fast as my legs let me. Once he reaches the woods he doesn't hesitate, within seconds I cant see him anymore. I charge into the woods after him, yelling his name over and over again. Begging him to stop. I spot him up ahead, standing still with his back to me. As I reach him my pace slows, I stop a few metres away from him.

"Richard?" I call. I peer in front of him to see that he is looking down into a small pond. The water ripples softly.