My Ghostly Boyfriend

Spiral Into Darkness

Levi and I are leaning against each other, hand in hand, watching the sun dip below the clouds. As the magnificent show of pink, tangerine, yellow, and scarlet hues ceases, it stars to drizzle, quickly picking up into a torrential downpour. We hurry into the nearest building which happens to be Magic Beans Coffee Shop. I pull up a radar app on my phone, and it shows that this storm may last a while. We settle down in the leathery sofa near the back of the shop.

Magic Beans is empty except for us and a few other small groups. I guess everyone else remembered to check the weather, I think. After a couple of minutes, a waitress named Patty comes to take our order.

"What can I get'cha?" Patty inquires.

"Oh...we were just here to wait out the storm, but it looks like it won't pass over any time. I'll have the Vanilla Frappuccino, and Levi..? I reply.

"Ummm I'll just have some water. Thanks"

Patty writes down our order with a smile, nods, and walks away. The rain still shows no sign of stopping, but Magic Beans closes in half an hour. Levi seems to notice my distress, and whispers, "They'll probably keep it open for us since we don't have an umbrella. They seem like very nice people.'

Just then, I realize that it is almost 8:15, and Levi's mom will be picking us up on the other side of the boardwalk. I tell Levi that I'm going to text her that we might be late because we don't want to get drenched. I pull out my phone to text Mrs. Watson. The battery is dead.

"Hey, Levi? can I borrow your phone? Mines dead." Levi hands me his phone with a nod. I press the "on" button, but nothing happens. Are you kidding me, I think, neither one of our phones work right now?

Just then, I notice the land-line phone hooked up on the back wall of Magic Beans. I ask Patty if I can call someone on it.

"Absolutely, dear. That's what it's there for." She smiles sweetly. It's raining even harder now; if that's even possible. Lightning flashes everywhere. There's no way we can make it across the boardwalk, now. I walk over to the land line, and start to dial Mrs. Watson's number. Then, just like that, the electricity flickers, and shuts off. I put my ear up to the phone. Silence.

************************************

I can't see anything, but I feel Levi slip his hand into mine, as if to say, don't worry. Lightning breaks the curtain of darkness, and I can see I group of people sitting at the tables towards the front of the shop. Levi urges me over to one of the sofas in the back. On my way over there, I kick a coffee table, cursing under my breath. Damn. That'll leave a mark.

I nuzzle my face into Levi's shoulder. As he pulls me in closer, I start to doze off.

An enormous clap of thunder shatters my sleep. My hearing is foggy, since I just woke up, but I know I hear a scream, and pounding footsteps. Levi pushes me off of him, and tells me to stay back here.

A flash of lightning ignites the room with silver light, just long enough for me to see a huge man dressed in all black, standing menacingly in front of Patty.

Patty quivers with every word. "Marcus. I told you the files would be ready by Thursday. I-"

"Give them to me now!" the big man roars, motioning with his pistol. Patty begrudgingly, reaches under a shelf, and takes out a Manila folder. She delicately hands the files over to Marcus, who violently snatches them from her hands. Just for good measure, he hits her over the head with the gun. Patty drops to the floor with a thud.

In an attempt to escape this hostage situation, a woman screams and runs for the shattered glass door. She doesn't get very far, for a bullet explodes from Marcus' gun, and collides with her back. She drops to the floor- dead. I've tried to keep quiet this whole time, so maybe the man won't notice me, but when he shoots the woman, I can't help but cry out. Marcus stalks over to me, and when he sees me up close, a horrid smile plasters his face.

"Well aren't you pretty," Marcus hisses, his sly smile, now a creepy grin.

"Don't you dare touch her." Levi growls.

"Or what?"

Please don't try to fight him Levi. Please don't.

He does.

**************************************

Levi swings at him. His fist connects with Marcus' left jaw. Marcus stumbles back, but recovers quickly. Marcus retaliates with a punch to the gut. Levi curls over, wincing with pain. Marcus takes advantage of this and kicks Levi's leg out from under him. I want to intervene, but I'm paralyzed with fear.

Levi is laying on the floor, groaning. Marcus pulls out his gun. He points it at Levi's head. I'm numb, frozen. Everything is in slow motion. Marcus pulls the trigger with a bang. I try to scream, but nothing comes out.

Julia's note: Yay!! I finally updated the second chapter! 😏 quite the cliffhanger...

please remember to vote and comment! Thanks! by the way, sorry the chapters are so short.... :/