Don't Leave Me (A Bajan Canadian Fan Fiction) (Watty Awards 2013)

Chapter Fifteen: She's Not Coming Back, Is She?

Chapter 15

I ask Rob to come babysit Reegan while I go to my room to catch up on sleep. I fall asleep and start to dream.

I was running, running away from something. I stop running until I reach a cliff. I stop at its edge before I turn and see what was chasing me.

It was a shadow. The figure came into more view as it came closer. It was Mat. He came closer, reaching out his hand.

"Help me," he said, his voice raspy. He reached forwards, his hand passing through my chest. His body passes through mine, falling down the cliff. I turn and look down the cliff. Mat's human form appears, his wrists covered in blood.

I wake up with a jolt, sweat falling down my face and chest. I lay back down in my bed. My phone starts to ring. I turn and pick it up.

"Hello?" I say into the phone.

"Is this Mitchell Hughes?" a woman asks from the other side.

"Yeah," I say. "What happened?"

"It's Rebecca. She's gone," the woman says. I could hear her sobs from her end. My heart shattered.

"What? What do you mean?" I ask.

"She's missing," the woman says.

"What?" I ask. She explains everything about what happened.

"No," I breathe. I drop my phone. it shatters. I lay my head on my pillow, crying out my eyes.

Rob walks down the stairs, seeing me cry for probably the 20th time in his life.

"Dude, what's wrong?" he asks. I explain everything.

"Oh my God," he breathes. I start crying again. Rob walks back upstairs to check on Reegan.

Mat now Rebecca. Why is this happening?

Reegan runs down the stairs and jumps on me, tackling me in a hug.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. I hug her back.

"It's okay. I'm okay," I say. She nods and walks to my computer. She clicks the Skype icon and scrolls down again. She clicks on Tyler's face. It rings for a while until he answers. Reegan smiles.

"Hello!" she says. Tyler raises his eyebrow.

"Mitch?" he yells. I groan and stand up.

"Yes Tyler?" I ask.

"Who is this child?" he asks. I press the palm of my hand against my forehead.

"That's Reegan," I say, picking her up and setting her on my lap. She curls up into a little ball.

"So how does she know how to do this?" he asks.

"Good question. Reegan how do you know how to do this?" I ask.

"I'm a smart kid," she says, playing with her hair.

"Alright then," Tyler said, pushing up his glasses.

"Sorry to bother you. She did this to Adam 2 days ago," I say. Tyler laughs.

"Oh God," he said, slowing his laughter.

"I should let you go," he said. I said goodbye and shut off Skype.

"You're such a butt Reegan," I say. She laughs and hugs me.

"I love you Uncle Mitch," she says. I hug her back.

"Love you too, peanut," I say. Reegan hops off me and walks up the stairs. Rob comes downstairs with some food.

"You need to eat today Mitch," he said, handing me the food. I shake my head and push it away.

"I'm okay. I'm not hungry," I say.

"That's disgraceful," he said, pushing the food into my hands and walking upstairs.

I look down at what he made. Turkey, cheese, mayo and pickles with fruit. Not hungry. I put the plate of food on my side table.

I lean back in my chair, my head lolling to the side. Maybe I do need to eat. I pick up the plate and pick up a strawberry, bringing it to my lips. I take a bite. No flavor or taste.

I spit out the distasteful berry and set my plate aside.

This...

This I cannot live with...