Runaways and dreamers

Chapter 18- Ghosts

Katie and Jace woke up with the sun as it rose and cast gold across the city. Jace thought Katie hadn't heard him last night; she wished she hadn't.

With every ounce of herself, Katie didn't want to go back there, but they were running out of options fast. With summer beginning, all the previously empty vacation houses were full and the beautiful city extra crowded. In the back of her mind, it nagged at her, there's a place, you know there is, it's empty and you know that for damn sure. Her mind nagged, constantly poking her with the last resort she hoped it wouldn't come to.

"Any ideas?" Jace asked as they walked down the same block for the 8th time today, the apartments and houses no more vacant than the last time they'd walked past, not even an hour ago. It was like he had read her mind; her annoying, nagging mind with the worst possible suggestion.

There was too much there, she couldn't go back. Even at a distance it would kill her slowly on the inside. Relieving the pain of old scars, memories haunting her like ghosts. She would avoid it if at all possible; it was the last place on earth she wanted to stay.

After another 3 hours of endless walking, they had absolutely nothing. No place to stay. No abandoned house. They were desperate and Katie knew they had come to a last resort situation. But her gut twisted and churned in dread at the thought of returning. The place was scarred for her as much as she was, full of tainted memories no longer happy after their final outcome. Memories that had been happy once, but dimmed by the pain of understanding.

Jace looked defeated, "Is there anywhere we can stay?" He asked almost rhetorically.

Katie gritted her teeth tightly, even the thought of it making her sick, but she knew they had to, it was their only possibility. With immense regret and reluctancy, Katie finally answered him, "There is one place we can stay."

Jace caught her grim tone, seeing her face flushed as she looked sick, he nodded solemnly, unsure if whatever place it was was even safe based on her look. At a dragging pace, Katie led the way back to the house she had grown up in. The farm house where she had been raised then abandoned. A long time ago, this place had been a safe haven or refuge to her. But after being abandoned for the second time in her life, all the good memories were shrouded by pain and wondering and regret.

What did I do wrong to make them abandon me? Katie wondered as they made their way toward the farm house. All she knew was what she had found in a diary entry written by the farmer's wife, saying how they couldn't take it anymore and they were going on vacation to get a break from Katie. The vacation had ended them, but raised hundreds of questions for Katie. The question of why had kept her up many lonely nights throughout the past, after she was abandoned, though she never could seem to find the answer. To her it felt as if it were right there, but just out of reach, taunting her with knowledge she couldn't have.

The house was also a reminder of Romona and James, her betrayers who somehow managed to haunt her wherever she went. The pain of regret, betrayal, confusion, loneliness and more were waiting for Katie at that house. Lurking in the shadows, hiding in walls, around ever corner and in every closet, waiting to consume her.

But the two of them were out of options.

/*\*/*\*/*\*/

To Katie's despair, the house was in view now, 500 yards off or so. It stood there like a tombstone, the old yellowy pain flaking off and dusty. No one had been there in years.