Bad Things Never Die (Discontinued)

Chapter 6

Location: Prison

Dream's POV

"What are you doing?"

I froze as my brain slowly processed the sound of her voice. I didn't know how to feel. I didn't want to see her. Not then, not now, not ever. Her presence only made me realise how much I had really lost it. Her shallow breathing echoed throughout the room as we sat in silence.

I slowly lowered my fists down onto the lectern. I could feel the girl's eyes on the back of my head as I refused to turn to face her. I didn't want to. I was scared she was just another thing that my mind was trying to trick me with. Another part of the plan that would make me feel more guilty than I already did. I knew she was dead. She died in my arms, but that didn't stop a small part of me from believing that she really was behind me. That she wasn't just a figment of my imagination.

"You're dead."
I heard a slight snort in response as footsteps began to echo in my small prison cell, which was quickly followed by the sound of a purring cat.
"I don't see how I could be dead. I haven't felt anything other than how I feel now so surely if I'm dead that means I always have been."
Her voice seemed to echo out into an infinite void of nothingness as she spoke. I sharply inhaled as I began to become a little on edge. The bitter smell of ash filled my nostrils and I nearly choked when the fumes hit the back of my throat.

"You're dead. I killed you. You took your final breath while I held you in my arms. You told me so yourself. There's no way you're really here."
Silence seemed to linger for a moment too long after I spoke, leading to me beginning to pick at the skin around my fingernails. I turned my head ever so slightly so I could look at the girl while I anxiously awaited her response. 
"I don't know what you're talking about Clay, this is the first time I've had the guts to visit you. As far as I'm aware I'm fine."
I couldn't comprehend what she was saying to me. None of it made sense. I knew she was dead. There wasn't a slither of a chance that there had been a mistake.

"So you don't remember?"
"No Clay, I don't remember dying in your arms or whatever bullshit you're on about."
I was lost for words. I couldn't work out what my mind was trying to do to me.
"So how much do you remember then?"
The girl shrugged slightly as she kept her eyes locked on the cat curled up against her side, refusing to look me in the eyes now that I was looking at her.

"The first thing I remember was waking up outside this place in the middle of the night. I was so scared and confused. But when I saw you curled up against the wall talking to the intercom, I recognised your voice and I worked out that the old me knew you. I had no idea you killed me though."
I furrowed my eyebrows as I listened to the girl's explanation, still not fully understanding what was going on.

"What do you mean by the old you? You're not making any sense."
The girl just simply shrugged in response.
"I'm not really sure what I mean either. I was actually talking to Ghostbur about it..."
I turned away from her as I tried to calm the hundreds of thoughts that whirled around in my head.
"You were talking... Wait. Does that mean you're her ghost? Is that why you can't remember what happened?"
I watched as she screwed up her face as I spoke, almost as if my questions had disgusted her.

"I'm not her ghost. Me and her are completely different people. I'll try and explain it all soon okay? You have a visitor. Just promise that you won't hurt him more than you already have."
I turned back around to face her, only to see that Patches now sat alone in the back corner of my cell and the girl was nowhere in sight. 
"I promise."