Heart of fire: Hoax

Chapter 11: Truth or lie?

The police continued to investigate for two weeks. Every day, with their annoying sirens, they drive around town looking into security cameras, bringing in forensic scientists. Is it just me, or when they wear their protective gear, they look like human-sized marshmallows? No? Just me? Ok then.

Again, and again they would stay at the crash spot till late evening. I would walk past them. All of them, people in suits or white clothing, all focused on their craft. I was getting worried if they could find something. A piece of cloth. Hair strand. Chipped nail. I don't know. But, to my luck, nothing has been found. I could feel the tension within them, annoyed that they couldn't find their ghost. Their phantom girl. It's exciting, teasing the foolish men. With clothes that fall from the sky, and messages on paper that lead them to nowhere. A cat and mouse chase, just the cat doesn't know what it's chasing.

After that flood of a night, we both became closer than ever. He would walk me to a nearby Starbucks which I didn't know we had. He'd always take some of the foam from his drink and smug it on my nose. A cloud on my nose. And I'd splash water at him from my water bottle. Running away from old shopkeepers after messing around with the chips. Holding hands and walking around the park. It was our favourite spot. Eating food and doing nothing. Lazy but it was relaxing. What were you expecting? Us tackling and wrestling on the grass with mom's watching us with their children? Or being all lovey- dovey? I (hoped he knew) that we were not in a relationship. I wasn't not ready for that. I think... but he is just so nice.

I want to open up to him. I really do. 'Hey, remember that ghost girl? That's me! Crazy right?' Yeah I can't say that to him. I'd run away if I was him though.

So, how did he find out? I bet you're wondering. It's completely by accident. Completely. Not by some cool fight that I ended myself in. It was a fight between me and him.

He wanted to go to another city. He just brought it up randomly when we both were trying to sleep. "Hey, I was wondering, do you get tired staying here? You've stayed here for two months, but ... don't you want something to change?" I got up and stretched.

"Kind of I suppose. But I don't want to leave." I was trying to cover my feet with the blanket, struggling a bit.

He turned to me confused. "Why? There's nothing here for us. Why not go to the main city? We can find a real place to live. Real food. Real life you know?"

"Money would be tight." I reluctantly said.

He laughed a little ,"Yeah, but we both could work. Earn money and get our own place. It would be better for the two of us, right?"

"I don't want to leave though."

"Why?"

"I was born here." Silence.

He raised an eyebrow. "Wait really? Then where were you before? You know, you were coming back here."

"I told you, the orphanage." He kept his hand on my shoulder and came closer to me.

"Come on Sarge," He said pulling me closer with his hand around my shoulder, "We both know that isn't true. I don't think you were at the orphanage."

I started to prick my thumb. "Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Why wait tomorrow? Come on, what are you hiding?" I didn't say anything. I just pushed him aside and covered myself with the smelly blanket. I didn't want to leave. This town is me. It's a bit of a nuthouse but I love it. He shuffled a bit closer. "Come on. Really. What happened?"

"For the millionth time NOTHING!" I could feel myself burning up. I tried to control myself. To keep myself from hurting him. Calm down. Calm. Breathe for goodness sake.

He looked concerned but continued to push through, "It can't be that bad. I know it can't be that bad," he said with a soft smile.

I stood up quickly and grabbed him from his collar. He was left there, dangling from the ground. Out of fear he punched my face. I dropped him and spat out blood. He crawled backwards, holding a butter knife. "Show him who you are." I heard a voice tell me

"I can't." I told it.

Eddie was breathing very loudly. "Who the hell are you talking to?"

"You really want to know what happened?" I walked closer to him and got down, balancing on the balls of my feet. "Why do I have so many scars on my body? Why did I leave and came back after so many years? Well I'll show you," I sat near him. Very near. " Look into my eyes." I asked. He looked at them and the next second was filled with horror.

"What the hell-" He shouted in terror. He noticed my hands. He crawled back, holding the butter knife with more grip. I was scaring him. So what? He wanted to know the truth. The truth is not what you always want to hear I suppose. You're the bad guy here. Look at him.  "He's terrified of you monster. Look at his eyes. You're the bad guy." the voice told me again. It sounded like a guys voice.

"SHUT UP! NO I'M NOT FOR GOD SAKE." I fell backwards onto the mattress, hitting my head so the little people would stop talking.

"What's wrong with you! Who the hell are you talking to?" He was shouting at me a lot. I tried to speak but I couldn't get the words out. I came closer to him. "Get away from me!" He said holding the butter knife. "Get away from me!" He said louder. 

"Eddie please-"

He said it again. And again. "Eddie I won't hurt you." I said with my hands in the air. "Eddie I swear I won't hurt you-" I walked towards him, but he threw the knife at me. The knife scrapped the skin on my arm of. Blood was leaking everywhere. I gave a small yelp and held my arm. My vision became blurry. Everything with a tint of red, like blood. The headache came back. I shook my head and charged towards him and hit his head. Hardly. 

"What the hell Sage!" He said as blood dripped from the side of his head.  There were tears in his eyes, but he didn't cry.

I stood there with his blood on my hands. SHIT  I got back to my senses and ran towards him and gave him a hug, "I'm sorry." I said, trying not to cry. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Just breathe Sage, breathe.

He actually got surprised when I ran up to him. He held his hands in the air as I hugged him. PIECE OF SHIT. WHY'D YOU HURT HIM. YOU JUST SAID YOU WOULDN'T. STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID- 

"Your head-" I pointed to the back of his head. It was bleeding a lot. I touched the wound and he winced.  "I'm sorry Eddie- I'm sorry I swear-"

He shook his head and put his index finger on my lips. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that." He was still shaken, but he was trying to clam down. I didn't say anything and helped him get up.  I searched for some clean bandages and a bottle of water. I washed the back of his head and wrapped it with the bandages. We both stayed quiet the whole time.

The whole time my chest was tight; I couldn't breathe properly. It was either I was scared of losing him, or I was scared of hurting him. I think it's a mix of both.

He went out to get us hot chocolate, though I argued with him to stay here because of his head. "You know, this won't last forever." The voice came back again.

I huffed. "Can you shut up for once?" The room became a slightly tint of dark red.

"Is it wrong to tell the truth?" The more the voice talked, the more familiar I felt with it. I felt I heard his voice before. But I can't think from who.

"Who are you even? And what are you doing in my head?" I shook my head. The headaches were getting worse the more that voice spoke.

"You know me."

It never gave me the answer to my last question.