M.I.A.

Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Corey

I walk out to the stop on the main road and catch a bus into town. I've done this at least a hundred times. It gets pretty boring living in Cutter's house, so I long ago figured I needed to get out and be with the people of the world. It makes me feel just a little bit normal. I sit between Joseph, the old man who always wears a fishing hat and goes to the library, and Marie, the hot housewife who sometimes cheats on her husband with a Shadwell United bank teller named Flo.

Yes, Flo is a woman.

I'm not telling. I'm not judging. On my better days, I find it incredibly hot, actually...and they don't seem to mind if I watch—which is cool of them.

Part of me knows it's perverted and wrong, but what horny eighteen-year-old wouldn't take advantage of being invisible and being able to walk through walls? Not this one. Besides, they'll never, ever know and I'll never get in trouble for it. Unless, of course, I eventually pass over and have my ass handed to me by the man upstairs.

But, because of how I died and the fact that I'm never going to be able to lose my virginity, I feel like I'm at least a little entitled to watch live-action hot lesbian sex every-so-often. And I feel like maybe whoever handles my case after I finally pass on will understand.

I get off at the Main Street stop and follow Joseph as far as the library. Normally, I'd go in with him and read over his shoulder. He likes mysteries and thrillers, I like standing near him when the hero is in a building filled with hostages and has to cut a bomb wire. He gets all sweaty and his heart starts beating—it reminds me of being alive. Not that my heart can't do these things, but up until Mia, life was pretty boring with Cutter.

Personally, I think it's because I do this that I still remember what it's like to be alive. I think it's why I still breathe and have a heart beat. I think that's why I'm warm and can still touch things and why Flo and Marie keep my plumbing in working order. I think that's maybe why I still look like normal...because I'm not consumed by death, but with life. And I never want to forget that. Because I want to be as alive as I can, even though I know I'm dead. I have so much more living to do. An eternity of it.

I watch Joseph push through the glass doors and continue on my way. At the police station, I slide past the bored looking woman in the kiosk and walk through the bolted doors. In the back, the desks are piled with files and surrounded by bulletin boards. I find the one I'm looking for.

It's Mia's missing person print out. The girl in the picture is nothing like the girl lying in the bed. I realize, for the first time, that Mia is beautiful. She's bright and carefree, her smile easy, trusting, forgiving. If she ever gets out, she'll never smile like that again. So I feel like it's important to remember this girl in the picture for her. I owe her that much.

I stand there for a long moment, studying her face. When this picture was taken she never knew or thought that anything like what she has been through over the past few days could ever happen to her. People never think bad things could happen to them.

I didn't anyway.

According to this print out, Mia is like me. Swim team, National Honor Society, Class Council, Prom Committee. Smart, athletic, popular. This picture was taken with her in a nice dress—probably prom. The picture was cut out of a larger one, I can see the arm of whoever took her to the dance. I bet she has an alpha boyfriend not unlike how I used to be. It's probably that John guy she keeps crying out for when she sleeps.