The Ghost Under The Bed Sheet

A Haunting Goodbye

Chapter five

Tay felt the breeze as it blew through her braids, listening to the crunch of leaves under her feet as she walked. She had begun explaining the night she died to Keely. How the accident had happened.

"What an absolute bastard." Keely swore upon hearing what Pete had been calling Hayley. "So they were there in the tree house with you?"

So far, Tay was appreciating how readily Keely had been listening to her talk as they walked back down the hill towards home. She knew bringing up new information like this was groundbreaking on her part, but even with the idea she was about to learn something so detrimental, Keely listened patiently.

"They were. I think everyday about the fact that if I had just turned around before climbing up, I probably would have seen them." Keely nodded, thinking about it.

"He was giving Hayley so much grief, Keely. So much. The way she just took it as well, like she'd heard it a millions times. God knows what he was planning when he led her there." Keely stayed silent as she mulled the thought over, no doubt thinking the same things Tay had already.

"He was always a knobhead. I just didn't realise the extent. And Hayley -" She went silent. It raised so many questions just as much as it questioned her own beliefs against Hayley.

"I know. They reached the top before you yelled out to me. Pete was clearly not happy to see me. I asked Hayley if she was okay and, fuck Keely. She looked broken." Tay kicked a conker on the ground, turning to look at her.

"She had this look in her eyes that begged me to help her. He started to call her a stupid cunt for not telling him I was there, and she said nothing. Like she was ashamed. Hayley fucking Parker, ashamed of herself. So I called him a prick and to shut his mouth. Then he turned on me, calling me a dirty rat." Tay laughed at that.

"Can you believe it Keely, me a dirty rat." Tay did her best to impersonate one as Keely laughed, shoving her gently.

"What happened Tay?" They reached the bottom of the hill, Tay stilled as she leant against a mental fence, Keely standing in front of her, almost protectively.

"You called out then, yelling my name. I called back, as you know, and I think that's the moment I knew he planned to do something evil to her. Because he panicked and-"

"He pushed you didn't he?" Tay said nothing as Keely paced frantically, kicking the fence next to Tay before looking at her.

"He pushed you?"

Tay nodded. "He did."

"Holy shit." Keely covered her face with her hands. Tay recognised that as her tell tale sign of internal panic.

"Hey there now." Tay gently removed her hands, replacing them with her own, making Keely look at her.

"I know this is a lot. I've had three years thinking about this, and I understand I'm just dropping this on you now."

"He deserves to rot." Keelys voice was venomous.

"I know, but Hayley is handling it now. I talked to her tonight."

"You what? Wait, hold on. Why the fuck didn't she say anything before? She was right there, she's known this entire time!" Tay gripped Keely by her shoulders, the sudden revelation hitting her.

"He threatened her, Keely. I mean, threatened to kill her. He threw her to the ground and told her right then and there, he'd kill her too."

"She still did nothing when you fell! She could have done something." Keely's voice was desperate and Tay's heart broke.