Only Skeletons Remain

Chapter 30: Liam's Ghosts

July 2016

The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the quiet clearing behind their home. Harper wandered through the tall grass, lost in thought. Her head still ached from the aftermath of her most recent vision a few days ago, she had gotten another one, but the cool evening air offered some relief. As she approached the small garden, she heard Liam's voice—soft, hushed, like he was trying not to be overheard. 

Curiosity piqued, Harper stepped closer, her bare feet silent against the soft earth. She furrowed her brow, trying to keep as quiet as she could. She stopped just behind the large quenepa tree and peeked around it, expecting to see him talking to one of their parents or maybe even himself, as he sometimes did when playing alone. But what she saw made her heart skip a beat.

Liam was standing in the middle of the clearing, facing someone—or at least, it looked like he was. His small hands gestured as he spoke, his voice so casual, like he was talking to an old friend. But the air in front of him was empty. No one was there.

Harper's breath caught in her throat. She stared harder, squinting to see if maybe she was missing something. But there was nothing. Just Liam and the empty space he seemed so engrossed with. It was almost as if he were talking to a ghost.

"Liam?" Harper called out softly, stepping into the clearing.

Liam didn't flinch. He turned toward her with a calm, almost serene expression. "Harper, you're interrupting," he said, his tone light but firm, like he didn't think anything strange was happening at all.

"Who are you talking to?" Harper asked, a knot forming in her stomach as she moved closer. She knew her brother was weird, but this was a whole new level.

Liam turned his head back to the empty space and smiled. "It's... Uncle Jesse," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Harper froze. Uncle Jesse. Javier's older brother—the one she and Liam had never met. The one who died before they were born. He had died during the Bandito Siege when Harper and Liam were babies.

She swallowed hard, her voice shaky. "Liam... no one's there."

Liam's brow furrowed, his head tilting slightly, as if trying to understand why Harper couldn't see what he could. "But he's right here," he insisted, glancing back at the space in front of him. He even went as far as to motion into an empty space. "He says not to worry... He's always watching out for us."

Harper's hands trembled as she took a step closer. "Liam, we need to go inside."

But Liam didn't move. He just stood there, staring at that empty space, his face so calm, so certain. "I'm not scared, Harper. He's family."

Harper's heart raced as she backed away from Liam, her eyes darting between him and the empty space he was speaking to. The evening light seemed to darken around her, casting long shadows that felt too close, too heavy. She tried to steady her breath, but her chest tightened with a mix of fear and confusion.

"Liam," she whispered, barely holding her voice together, "stop it. Please."

Liam, still calm, still smiling, tilted his head as if listening to something Harper couldn't hear. "He says it's okay, Harper. Jesse's just here to help."

Harper's pulse quickened. She'd heard stories about Uncle Jesse—how he died before she and Liam were born, how he'd been close to their parents. But this? This was too much. It was too real, and too wrong for Liam to act so casual about it. Miguel had always mentioned spirits in the dark were waiting for them, and now it seemed that Liam was talking to one of them.

She turned on her heel and sprinted toward the house, her feet pounding against the dirt, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Bursting through the back door, she shouted, "Mamá! Papá!"

María appeared first, her hands still wet from washing dishes, eyes wide with concern. "Harper, what's wrong?"

Javier followed close behind, setting down a book he'd been reading. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Harper struggled to catch her breath, gripping the doorframe as she pointed back toward the clearing. She was on the verge of having an asthma attack, and she rubbed her chest a few times. "It's... it's Liam," she stammered. "He's... he's talking to someone, but there's no one there. He says it's Jesse. Uncle Jesse."

María's face paled instantly, her expression shifting from concern to something much deeper—something more fearful. She glanced at Javier, her hands trembling slightly as she dried them on a cloth.

Javier stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Harper's shoulder. "Where is he now?"

"In the garden," Harper whispered, her voice shaky. "He's just... standing there, talking like it's normal."

Without another word, Javier and María exchanged a silent look and headed out the door, Harper trailing closely behind them.

When they reached the clearing, Liam was still there, standing calmly and smiling at the empty air. He turned as his parents approached, that same serene expression on his face. "Papí! Mamí! Uncle Jesse says it's okay. He's just checking in."

María's breath hitched, and she knelt down next to Liam, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Liam, sweetie," she whispered softly, "are you sure it's him?"

Liam nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, he told me all about the weird summer camp he used to work at and how he watches over us from time to time. He says we're safe."

Javier's jaw tightened. He knelt beside María, gently placing a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Liam, what you're seeing... not everyone can see it. You have a gift, just like Harper."

Harper felt a cold chill run down her spine. She had her visions, yes, but this—this was different. It felt like there was an entire world Liam could see that she couldn't. She blinked a few times, wondering if any of her brothers were going to exhibit gifts like them. She didn't want her brothers to freak her out too.

"We'll explain everything, Liam," Javier continued, his voice steady but strained. "But for now, I need you to come back to the house with us. We'll talk more there."

Liam hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the empty space where he claimed Jesse stood. "Okay," he said quietly, and began to walk back with them. But before they left the clearing, he looked back one more time, his voice drifting through the still evening air.

"Bye, Uncle Jesse. I'll see you again soon."

Harper shivered, sticking close to her parents as they all walked back to the house. She turned her head, narrowing her eyes as if the ghost would appear, but it didn't so she tunrned back and jogged to catch up. She didn't understand what was happening, not really. But one thing was for sure—Liam's gift terrified her.