Haunted by the Past (Original)

Chapter 60

"You're late," her crimson lips smiled at me.

"My invite must've got lost in the mail," I snickered.

"You're drunk," the charcoal man frowned.

"You're pretty judgy for a dead man," I hissed. "Oh come on, you're all dead! A few more days can't hurt you! Lighten up! Get it? Lighten. Up!"

"¡Ey, manita! You know I'm all for relaxing and taking it easy, but you're drunk in the middle of a forest at night! Didn't you tell me there were bears up here?" Gabe pointed out.

"And yet I'm not stuck in a forest with a man!" I cleverly countered, or so I thought at the time.

"She actually went there," Brodie remarked with dismay.

"¡Pendeja!" Gabe pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's not like I've got any food on me!" I exclaimed.

Waving my hand at them, I stood up from the table, taking my nearly empty bottle with me, then began walking along a white line in the dirt. Just to prove to them how drunk I was not, I extended my arms out and balanced myself as I went along. Two steps in, I stumbled off to the side.

"Wait, wait, I've got this," I insisted.

"Who are you trying to convince?" I heard Gabe question.

I opened my mouth to respond, but as I turned to look back at him, I realized I was standing on a small hill in the middle of a clearing. The full moon overhead blanked the area in a white, cool light. Even though the forest was flourishing with spring growth, this one section was absolutely barren. With a healthy supply of sunlight, it should have been full of weeds at the minimum, but not even a dandelion took root in this sizable section of terrain. A few beams stuck out of the dirt, which indicated that some structure once stood there, but it was long gone. If I had not been drunk at the time, I might have considered how strange it was. I explored these forests a lot as a kid, but for the life of me I could not remember this section. Yet I felt drawn to it like it was somewhere I was always meant to be.

Looking back at the middle of the barren dirt, I noticed a stone slate peeking out of the ground. Shuffling over, I brushed the slate clean of the dirt with my sleeve, then sat down upon it with my legs crossed. I lifted my nearly empty bottle of whisky and considered drinking it, but changed my mind when I saw her sitting across from me. Her eyes empty and lifeless. Her lips a crimson red, not quite smiling but not quite frowning either. I poured the last of the alcohol onto the ground in front of me.

"You never got a chance to drink," I mumbled. "Well not legally anyway."

She stared at me unblinking. Under the intense moonlight, she was whiter than usual. A chill ran through my body, causing me to fold my arms tight.

After a few minutes of silence, I spoke up, "We're close, you know, to finally getting him."

She didn't react, but I didn't really expect her to anyway.

"I know, I know, I'm late," I sighed. "But better late than never, am I right?"

I swore her head shifted ever so slightly, but it could've been my mind playing tricks on me. Like how it was playing tricks on me by making me see people who weren't there.

"Don't tell anyone, but I'm kind of scared," I admitted to the dead. "Eli says he has a plan and to trust him, but like I'm not sure I'm ready for this. For one I still suck at shooting guns. Shouldn't I go spend like three years on a mountain training? I'm pretty sure that's what happens next."

Not even the slightest twitch out of my drinking companion.

"I mean, what's the rush? Just because they keep killing people and stuff..." I trailed off. "No, you're right. I'm late. It's time we get him."