Go Away

Chapter One

It was a cloudy night in August when my best friend Ben passed away. His family had called and said he was gone, and that was it. No explanation.

I didn't cry, although I did feel sorrow for Ben's family. I knew I wouldn't miss him, for I didn't have a reason to. He wasn't gone to me.

I knew he would come to me soon after the incident. When I saw him from my second story window his face was pale and his clothes ripped. They always appeared the way they were when death struck for a few days before they turn into regular looking people, or whatever it is you would call them.

I still didn't know what had happened but from the looks of it some one had harmed him. His neck had a gash on the side and his hands were covered in blood.

Ben never talked to me, not all of them talk. Whether it be they don't know how to or they simply choose not to. I talk to Ben though, I tell him everything. It took me a while to get used to the complete silence but after some time it started to feel nice. He would some times nod his head or raise his eyebrows.

I eventually found out what happened to Ben and it started a theory of mine on why he won't talk. The bloody slash on his neck had not been the cause of death, just a cut from what had occurred. Ben had been walking home from the library after a long night of studying when he ran into a big group of men, according to the police reports they were all in their twenties and built like goddesses. They told Ben to strip but he refused. When he did this they removed his shoes and choked him with his own socks.

When I read the report to Ben he only shook his head. I asked him all sorts of questions. Is this information true? Did something different happen? He only stared at me with a blank expression.

Every time I ask questions about that night he never shows any expression. If it's true that he was choked with his socks then maybe he doesn't talk because he wasn't able to scream for help that night. He may be afraid to talk. Maybe they told him if he made a sound they would kill him.

I always make jokes about it to him like "this is what happens when you study" and it always makes him smile. Horrible, inhumane things like that always humored us and that's what makes it so comfortable to be around him.

Ben attended his own funeral. I was on one side of the coffin when it was being placed in the ground and he was on the other. He would make faces at me, mocking his death and it took every nerve in my body not to laugh.

Ben was never afraid of death though I know he never intended on dying that night, or anytime soon for that matter.

Some people claimed that it's "the way of life" but it most definitely is not. They way of life is dying from old age or disease not being attacked on the street by people who are trash to society. 

Ben's death angered me. What angered me even more is that he won't give me anything to work with on what happened. It wasn't his time and he didn't deserve to die that way.

My parents yelled at me when I showed no emotion to Ben's death. I told them it didn't really matter, which it didn't to me at least, and they told me that I need to grow up and drop the emotionless act.

I've never told them about what I can see and hear. I've seen the dead since I was a child. It never scared me until I found out that there is good and evil in them and even then I didn't tell anyone. Sometimes I want to tell someone especially in situations like the one I had with my parents. I know what will happen if I tell anyone though, I'll be called crazy and no one will ever believe me.

Ben's the only person that has ever known about my ability. I told him on the day my grandmother passed and he never once showed a sign of disbelief.

The only spirits I can see are the ones that hold onto Earth. Most of them weren't ready to go or feel they have some reason to stay , may it be incompleteness or confusion. Others who feel they are fulfilled move on, I'm not sure where they go but it must be pretty nice because most spirits don't even try to fight it. Only the extra determined ones stay.

I'm not quite sure why Ben stayed. I know that he didn't want to die but what would he have here that was worth fighting for?

When my grandma died I thought she would stay, but she didn't. I was at the park searching for her when I saw her sitting on a bench. Spirits look like people in hologram form, sometimes it's hard for me to distinguish the difference.

I ran up to the bench but just as I approached it a bird flew from where she was sitting and she slowly faded away, smiling as she stared into the sky.

I screamed in pure pain and agony. Ben, who was there with me but stayed behind, heard me and ran to me screaming, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

Tears were rushing down my cheeks and I ran into the edge of the woods where I buried my face in my hands and sobbed for what felt like a life time.

Ben was there rubbing my back and I remember he didn't even have to ask what happened. I told him everything from the first time I saw a dead person to the first time I talked to one.

He asked questions but he never seemed to be freaked out or unconvinced. Since then I've trusted Ben with everything about my life, the good and the bad.