Red Ribbons on Her Wrists

Days and weeks

Smith: So now we have four suspects. Her amazing brother, she was in competition with. Her moody father, the least likely in my opinion. I couldn't imagine a father that could do that, and you said it yourself he still looks for her. The boyfriend she broke up with who also had a violent streak, but if he did indeed do it, I would think he'd have been a prime suspect so must have surely already been ruled out by police. And finally the most likely case in my book, she killed herself.

Young: Why do find that the most likely scenario?

Smith: Well, she's stuck here and she doesn't remember what happened. She also had horrible luck with men, golden boy older brother, moody distant father, abusive ex boyfriend and a lot of unwanted attention from others. Her friend Jess, said the girls were more awful then the boys. She must have had a lot to deal with as a seventeen year old. So, knowing all that in combination to the red ribbons you mentioned earlier, it seems like a closed case to me.

Young: Nicely deduced.

Smith: Am I right?

Young: That would ruin the story wouldn't it? The most important part of a story is getting through it to the end right? Well by the end, I promise you'll know if you are right. Besides at that point I refused to believe she could have done that to herself. Maybe in the moment I agreed, I thought it might be likely, but as I got to know her it seemed less and less likely. Possible but not likely.

Smith: Why?

Young: You Ready to listen? I smile and nod. Well then shall we continue. I was spending all my free time questioning Thalia. Finding the in and outs about her, both before death and after. She used to love forget me nots and I found myself buying them and leaving them scattered around our place. Yes I said our place because that's what it had become. She was always there, waiting for me excitedly when I got home. She sat with me while I ate, helped me study, and would dance And sing along while I played my piano. It was odd but exactly what I needed. She was a bright spot in my day, I remember one time I was in the shower, I was thinking how bizarre my adult life was turning out. I was thinking about how I needed to call some of my friends and go out, get away from the mystery of Thalia that was driving me insane. I needed to visit my parents, I knew I couldn't bring my mother here, that would be an embarrassing nightmare. As I washed my body off and turned off the shower I had resolved to dedicate more of my time to living. But it all changed when I pulled the shower curtain back and she was standing there, naked. She was always blurry but not at that moment I could see the clean curves of her body, her skin such a vibrant beautiful mocha color I wanted to touch her. I let my hand drift out toward her cheek and then recoiled quickly a look of hurt spread over her face and I know shame covered my own.  Why are you doing this, I asked her meekly. I couldn't understand what she would gain by showing herself to me like this. "I just wanted to be looked at, I'm sorry Landon. I see the way you look at me sometimes and then I see you look bored and I thought maybe if I showed you this part of me..." She trailed off and if a ghost could blush she did. "That you wouldn't lose interest in me."  Thalia, her name tasted bitter in my mouth, this isn't what I want from you. In another life maybe, but you're dead and I can never touch you like that, I can't touch you at all. I'm not bored with you but I need to live too. I leaned down toward her to catch her eyes with mine. "And I'm not living right now I just... I just am when I dedicate all my time to you." I could see the hurt in her hazel eyes and then I watched as it changed to anger and she pulled back her hand and punched me right in the chest. Being dead must have given her supernatural strength because I flew naked down into the tub, bashing my head against the wall. Blood started to pour down from a cut hidden somewhere in my hair and for the first time I was truly afraid of her. Then she was on me and I could feel her, my vision was blurry but I could feel the weight of her on my body. "Landon, oh no Landon I'm so sorry. Please talk to me please say something." She cried lifting my head to look for my wound, it was unreal and I couldn't believe it. I lifted my hands and placed them gently on her hips and she gasped. "I can feel you." I said dumbstruck. She smiled that dimpled grin and kissed me and I felt it and it was the most wonderful and awful kiss of my entire life.

Smith: How? How could you feel her? Why was it awful? From the way you tell this story finding out there was a way to feel her, I would think would just be wonderful to you. Did you call your friends? See your parents? I would have definitely told my mother. I laugh and Landon smiles at me. It really is bewitching that smirk of his.

Young: No, I never called my parents, I should have.

Smith: you still could. I offered but again he only smiled at me. I bet your mom could help you better then I can.

Young: maybe, someday I will. I did go out with my friends, the very next night but that was when I found out one of my college buddies older brother was the infamous violent ex boyfriend. I'm not sure how it came up but I was obviously drunk and told him about living above the butcher and his poor daughter. I remembered my friend swallowed hard and nodded, he said he knew all about the butchers daughter because she had broken his brothers heart a couple months before she went missing. I didn't press the issue that night, eventually he brought it up again when he came to my place a couple months later. Landon shifts uncomfortably in his chair and runs a hand through his thick curls again. I'm getting ahead of myself again, I'm sorry. Sometimes it just jumbles up in my head and things come out out of order, I'll try harder here sorry.

Smith: it's ok, just let it come out as it does if I need to I'll ask questions. Speaking of, I asked two you didn't answer, care to? Before we take a short break.

Young: ah yes, it was awful because though as you said I wanted her, I wasn't stupid. She was dead. I was kissing a beautiful dead girl, a ghost while bleeding naked in my tub. That struck me as kind of awful, but yes still it was wonderful. They say the heart knows no bounds... Mine knew none at all. She was a bi-racial girl, ten years older then me who was also dead, but all my heart saw was her. She was the most beautiful person I had ever met, she only looked like a child despite how much older she was then me. My skin might have been pale white and hers was a translucent caramel but all I saw was Thalia and all she saw was me and that was enough for us. He smiles and I know for sure, if I hadn't before that
Landon is in love with Thalia. I don't know why I could touch her after that moment, but from the minute I bumped my head I could always feel her, she wasn't as blurry. Can I tell you what she thinks?

Smith: of course.

Young: she thinks it's because it was the first time I actually believed she was real. I guess I agree because from that day on, I never doubted that she was.