Ghosting You

Chapter 3 - Those Left Behind

Funi glanced at her phone, the glowing numbers on the screen reading 6:34 PM. It had been nearly an hour since she'd tried to reach Kel, and with each passing minute, the knot of unease in her stomach tightened a little more. It wasn't like him to be this late, especially not when they had plans to watch the new Witcher series together.

She sighed, her fingers hovering over the play button on her laptop. The temptation was too great, the lure of escaping into a world of fantasy and adventure too strong to resist. With a guilty twinge, she pressed play, the opening credits of the show filling the screen.

As the familiar strains of the theme song washed over her, Funi couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. She knew Kel would be furious with her for starting without him, for breaking the sacred pact of binge-watching that they had established so long ago. But in that moment, she couldn't bring herself to care.

Besides, he would not stay long when he came because he had work commitments to attend to.

There was something comforting about losing herself in the world of The Witcher, about immersing herself in a reality where monsters were slain and heroes always triumphed. It was a welcome respite from the uncertainties and anxieties of the real world, a chance to forget, if only for a little while, the nagging sense that something was terribly, terribly wrong.

But even as she watched, her mind kept drifting back to Kel. She pictured him, his easy smile, his infectious laugh, the way he scratched his forehead when he was truly happy. She thought of all the moments they had shared, the inside jokes and the late-night conversations, the dreams they had whispered to each other in the dark.

And with each passing scene, each sword fight and sorcerous incantation, the sense of unease grew stronger, the feeling that something had happened, something that would change everything forever. She tried to push the thoughts away, to lose herself in the story unfolding on the screen, but it was no use.

Funi paused the show, her hand trembling slightly as she reached for her phone once more. She speed-dialed Kel's number, her heart hammering in her chest as she listened to the ringing on the other end. One ring, two rings, three...

The ringing seemed to stretch on forever, each unanswered tone a twist of the knife in her gut. She could feel the panic rising in her throat, the fear that something was wrong. And then, as if the universe itself was conspiring against her, the phone slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor in a moment of cruel irony. But before she could even bend to retrieve it, the device burst to life, its screen lighting up with an incoming call, a glimmer of hope in the gathering darkness.

Funi's heart raced as she picked up the phone, hoping against hope that it would be Kel's voice on the other end. But when she saw Anthony's name on the caller ID, a sense of dread washed over her. She took a deep breath and answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Hey, Toto," she said, using the nickname she'd given him years ago. "What's up? Have you seen Kel?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, a silence that seemed to stretch on forever. And then, finally, Anthony spoke, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Funi..." he began, his words trailing off into nothingness.

"What is it, Toto?" Funi asked, her heart hammering in her chest. "What's going on?"

"It's Kel," Anthony said, his voice barely above a whisper. "There's been an accident."

Funi felt the world tilt beneath her feet, a wave of nausea washing over her. "What kind of accident?" she demanded, her voice rising in pitch. "Is he okay? Where is he?"

Another long pause, another silence that seemed to suck the air from the room.

"Funi, I don't know how to tell you this," Anthony said, his voice cracking with emotion. "But Kel... he's gone. He was hit by a car, a hit and run. He didn't make it."