That night, Joel couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed, the empty house creaking around him like a living thing. His foster parents were out again, probably at some bar, and the house felt more like a tomb than a home.
He kept thinking about what Riley had said—about how Sandra had been real to him, even if she was a ghost. But was that enough? Could a memory keep you warm when the nights grew cold and lonely?
As he stared at the ceiling, a sudden urge gripped him. He had to go back to Hollow Hill. Maybe it was crazy, but something inside him was telling him there was more to this than just Sandra fading away. Maybe—just maybe—he could find her again.
Throwing on his hoodie and grabbing his flashlight, Joel slipped out of the house and made his way through the quiet streets. The night air was crisp, and the moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the town.
By the time he reached Hollow Hill, the wind had picked up, rustling the dead leaves that littered the ground. The mansion loomed before him, dark and foreboding, but Joel felt a strange pull, like something was calling him inside.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the creaking front door and stepped into the darkened foyer. The air inside was heavy, thick with the scent of decay and old memories. His footsteps echoed as he made his way through the familiar halls, past the grand staircase and into the ballroom where he had first seen her.
"Sandra?" Joel whispered, his voice barely audible in the vast emptiness.
Nothing. Just the soft sound of the wind outside, whistling through the broken windows.
But then, a flicker.
Joel froze, his heart racing. It was faint, barely visible in the dim light, but there—by the window—was a familiar figure. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her, just as she had been the first time they met: pale, ethereal, and heartbreakingly beautiful.
"Sandra," he breathed, stepping closer.
She turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Joel?"
He couldn't believe it. She was really there. "I thought... I thought you were gone."
Sandra shook her head, her expression troubled. "I don't know what's happening. I've been trying to come back, but it's... hard. Like I'm being pulled somewhere else."
Joel's heart sank. "Somewhere else? Like where?"
"I don't know," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "But I don't think I can stay much longer."
"No," Joel said, stepping forward, his hands trembling. "You can't leave again. I—" His voice cracked, the words catching in his throat. "I can't lose you."
Sandra looked at him, her eyes filled with sadness. "I don't want to leave you either, but... I don't belong here, Joel."
"Then I'll come with you," he blurted out, the desperation in his voice surprising even himself. "Wherever you go, I'll go too."
Sandra's eyes widened in shock. "No. You can't. You have to stay here. You have a life ahead of you—"
"But I don't care about that!" Joel interrupted, his voice breaking. "You're the only one who ever made me feel like I wasn't alone."
Tears filled Sandra's eyes as she reached out to him, though her hand hovered just inches from his, unable to touch. "You're not alone, Joel. You never were. And you don't need me to be strong."
"I don't want to be strong," Joel whispered. "I just want you."
For a long moment, they stood there, staring at each other, the distance between them feeling both vast and impossibly small. Finally, Sandra smiled, a bittersweet smile that made Joel's heart ache.
"I'll always be with you," she whispered. "Even if you can't see me."
And with that, she began to fade again, her form growing dimmer and dimmer until all that was left was the faintest outline of light. Joel reached out, trying to grab onto her, but his hands passed through the empty air.
"Sandra, no—"
But it was too late. She was gone.
