Julie And The Phantoms Collection

The Beach

Reggie wasn't sure what he missed more, the taste of crunchy noodles that he hadn't waited to eat so they didn't soak or the hot drinks like tea and hot chocolate. He missed a lot, like being able to hug someone, he never liked to cry let alone have anyone hold him when he cried but he rather that than the depressive one-sided conversations with his brain. He'd sit there for hours and talk to himself or his reflection but now he didn't even have one, if a torch was shone on him a very very faint outline of an orb would show up but it wasn't his reflection. It wasn't his hair that he hadn't even bothered to style, it wasn't his tired and teary eyes, it wasn't his pale skin...

The bassist missed a lot but he didn't miss the random depressive days where things just got to him, where everything was too loud so he was overstimulated but nothing was entertaining enough so he was under-stimulated. The thing about being dead was entertainment didn't come in many forms, sure it came in the form of 4individuals (Alex, Luke, Julie & Willie) but they were people dead (one) alive with their own entertainment and own lives-or deaths-and had something better to do than lift his mood. Julie was at school, Alex was on a date with Willie and Luke was at his parents house, watching them with way more joy than he had before after Julie gave his mother his song. Reggie could hear him humming it whenever he'd be getting ready to go or be returning, after all his mother loved to hear it and was somehow convinced the song was in her head.

Reggie didn't have that, his parents house was turned into a bike shack on the beach and that didn't leave him anywhere but in the horrible memories. Alex wasn't any better off and apparently nor was Willie, all three were parentless but Willie didn't seem to care and Alex liked watching over families who took their kids to pride, he'd watch their parents care and grow attached to them, forgetting about his own who disowned him for his gayness. Reggie had already tried that with Ray but with Ray never responding he gave up, sometimes still putting on the show for everyone else as if he wasn't bothered. As if he wasn't bothered about having no family, as if he wasn't bothered about not being able to speak to anyone but 4 people and sure he could be seen by many when music was playing but he couldn't have a full conversation.

That's what brought Reggie to the beach where his house used to sit in front of, glaring harshly at that stupid bike shack that looked so pathetically mocking, he was convinced it was there only to spite him and not because it was even useful! He chewed his lip as he sat on the sand in front of it, he wasn't known to get angry or upset but today wasn't his day, nothing really set him off except his mind. Except when Ray ignored him when he wished him good morning, when he was walked through yet again by Carlos, how Julie was being all flirty with Luke and paying Reggie no mind at all. How he was seen yet he wasn't seen, how he wasn't heard, everything left unanswered and so his own questions bit at him about everything and now, once again, here he was.

What Reggie didn't expect was to be so quick to show up at the beach and glare down that bike shack like every fault ever was its damn fault, he didn't expect to pick up the rock and scream in pure anger and sadness. To kick the bikes in the shack with such strength, for the wooden sides of the shack to give and the ceiling to creak in protest. Reggie didn't expect to use the rock in his hand, to slam it into the already wounded sides of the shack and watch the holes in the wooden body form, for his hot tears to blur his vision yet his rage could still see. The shack had multiple holes in each wall, both walls practically falling off, the gate had been kicked off and the roof was slanted now-a strong breeze would finish it off along with the sign attached to it.

Reggie was panting when he was done with his work, staring at the shack with his hands on his knees as he took in deep breaths as if he'd need them. He admired his work before he dropped the rock and kicked it, it bounced off the roof and the poor thing finally slid off and crashed to the ground causing everyone to look at the shack. A few people rushed over to curse and investigate but Reggie just walked past them all, hands in his pockets as he ignored the people and strode towards the waves of the beach, they lapped over one another in eagerness and Reggie just felt called for. It was a beautiful day with a beautiful blue sky with scattered clouds, with sand that was easy to kick and people sunbathing, others eating and having picnics-all things he couldn't do anymore. No sunburn, the sun didn't recognise him, good to know he'd defeat Dracula in a fight.

Eating was another no go but the sand gripped his feet, recognised his presence and it was enough for Reggie to smile at the irony "at least you recognise me" he mused to himself as he stared down at the sand below his feet "I'd hope so after all the years I ran on you" he joked. He looked back at the footsteps he made in the sand, the tell-tale trail of where he was going and what he was doing, a print that would be erased by wind, other feet, vehicles and the sea. At least the sand knew he existed. He sat down on the sand just before the tide and stripped of his socks and shoes, he pulled up his jeans and wandered into the water, the cold chill was welcomed and how the water shaped around his ankles like he was there... It was so beautiful. The land and sea recognised him, knew him and it was grounding.

The seagulls suddenly weren't too loud anymore, now a welcome sound as Reggie closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the wind was very slight and barely hit him at all but the mild, refreshing cold that it carried helped him feel like he was there. He was free, stood on the beach taking in all the smells and the noises, he didn't have to feel stupid or worry about anyone calling him to disturb him because he was on his own and completely unseen to anyone outside the special 4 the universe had selected. People didn't hear Reggie, they didn't see Reggie, couldn't feel him yet he could hear everyone, see everyone, touch them and feel the cold and overwhelming emotions as the walked through him without a care.

"I like you" Reggie murmured, a soft smile on his lips "I like you wind, sand and sea... You're so kind to me" he told the elements as if they'd respond and in their own way they did and as long as it wasn't silence Reggie felt noticed. The sand sucked him in as he stepped further, the ocean crept up his legs as he went deeper into it and the wind lapped at him as if he was a solid person and not a ghost, as if he were alive.

Suddenly Reggie felt alive and there he stayed, enjoying the elements and even as the sun fell he stayed where he felt at home, he was found later by his group buried in the sand using it like a blanket as he slept peacefully. His friends didn't have the heart to move him and disturb the peace he found and that was how 4ghosts slept unnoticed on a blanket on the beach and how Julie was trending on TikTok for sleeping on the beach.