Ghost

Chapter 17 (Final)

Elaine took a swipe at Mel with the curtain rod. Mel jumped back, the curtain rod grazing her very swollen hand. She cried from the pain that Elaine had only added to.

Tongues of flames reached at the small girl. The fire combined with the aggressively flickering lights provided a scene full of terror, Claire's blood which was splattered all over Elaine's face and arms simply added to it.

"Just let Elaine fix the guest!" Elaine cried out, swinging wildly and smashing the curtain rod through the wall.

One of the lightbulbs near the door burst into flames, taking a chair at the top of the pile with it.

Mel and I shuffled backwards. My eyes darted wildly searching for something to defend ourselves with, or another exit.

Elaine yanked the curtain rod out of the wall and swung again, completely hitting me below my chest. I heard and felt the crack of two of ribs breaking. And fell backwards into the staircase.

"Mack!" Mel yelled, pulling me out of the crossfire to prevent any other damages.

A small portion of the top of the furniture pile crumbled to the ground from fire damage and my head whipped around. The flames were spread across the top and steadily traversing downwards.

My desperate thought process grasped this is an opportunity.

"Mel, try moving that table." I pointed at a wooden coffee table just above the base of the barricade.

Mel, obviously confused, grabbed the table firmly with her usable hand and tried wriggling it. To her un-contained surprise, the rest of the furniture moved with it.

"Try to move whatever furniture you can, I'll try and hold her off." I said, picking up the leg of a chair that had crumbled to the floor. "Don't get hurt." I added.

"You too." Mel replied, getting to work with her not broken hand.

I moved towards Elaine, immediately getting her attention. She swung her weapon at me angrily as I ducked under her attack. While she was recovering her balance I ran to the other side of her. I swung the chair leg, hitting her head.  Elaine crumpled to the ground.

Mel had almost completely removed the furniture from the left side of the door, the doorknob completely in sight from the space that the both of us could probably squeeze through. There was only one piece of furniture she was having some trouble with, a couch that was too heavy to move with one hand.

I ran over to her and helped to shove the couch away, burning remains of furniture that had been balanced on top fell. Mel began to move them carefully so she wouldn't be burnt.

Elaine had pulled herself onto all fours. Her hair waterfalling from her head which prevented any view of her face.

"... Just need... To fix them." She said, barely comprehensible.

Elaine stood up, wobbling then steadying herself. She lurched towards us slowly.

"Then Elaine can go back." She said to the ground, Elaine slid her hands across the wall as she moved to keep herself steady.

Mel finally moved all of the furniture away, she touched the doorknob and pulled her hand back.

"It's hot." Mel said, waving her hand to cool it down.

I took a deep breath, then grabbed the doorknob, wincing as the scalding metal burned against my skin. I turned the knob and pushed the doorknob, then shoved Mel towards it.

"Go go go!" I said impatiently, my eyes focused on Elaine, who was trembling angrily.

Mel began to slide past the furniture.

"No!" Elaine shook her head violently, her hands plastered to her forehead and her eyes wide in fear. "Let her stay! Let Elaine stay!"

The ceiling had begun to crumble, bits and pieces falling all around us. Elaine tilted her head downwards and when she pulled it back up, her mouth was tilted into a sinister grin.

"Adalyn." I said.

"Goodness." She said, looking around with her eyebrows raised. "I leave for half an hour  and this happens."

Mel disappeared through the doorway. I began to back up towards the door as well.

"Go ahead and leave." Adalyn said, waving her hands towards the door. "Im all done right now."

"You'd really just let me go?" I asked, placing my hand against the door frame. Mel had begun to call my name.

"Mack, you boring boy, Im not letting you go. Because this won't be the last time we meet. We'll keep meeting and meeting until your dead for good. This is only the beginning."

I began to squeeze through the door as well, almost crying out as my ribs pushed against a piece of wooden furniture. Half of my body could feel the outside air.

"Now to clean up this mess." Adalyn said, turning around.

With one final push, I was outside with the nighttime sky.

"Lets play again, you and I." Adalyn called out cheerfully before I ran off towards my only alive friend left.

------

"So what do we do now?" Mel asked as we watched the house burn.

"Dunno." I replied, "everyone's car keys are inside."

"I guess we'll have to take the bus, won't we?"

"Its the ultimate walk of shame." I said.

Mel smiled a bit through the tears running down her face. "Celia said that didn't she?"

Tears were running down my face too. "She must've."

We began the long walk towards the bus stop, gravel crunching against our feet.

"What are we gonna tell everyone's family?" Mel asked sadly. "Should we even tell them the truth?"

"I don't think they'd believe us if we did." I said. "We'll just say there was a fire."

Mel nodded, her mouth trembling.

"Do we keep going with our lives now?" Mel asked, "I don't know if I can even do that."

"I guess we'll have to."

Mel turned towards me sharply, grabbing my arm so I'd stop.

"It's just," sadness was thick in Mel's voice. "We've lost everyone, Celia, Claire, Alec, Gabriel, Holly. And," she let out a sob before continuing. "I don't want us to go our separate ways and live in separate towns and go to seperate schools. I don't want us to lose each other too."

I contemplated her words, I had my sister and parents. And she had her parents but not really. I was all that was left for her, and honestly, she was the only one who would ever get what happened. Holly couldn't even compare to her.

I reached into my pocket, finding the ring that was still hot from the fire we'd just experienced. I pulled out the engagement ring that her sister had given to me before saving Mel's life and held it in front of me so that Mel could see.

"Maybe we don't have to."