Don't Leave Us (Book Three in the Don't Leave Series) (Watty Awards 2014)

Chapter One: Don't Try And Sleep Through The End Of The World

Chapter 1

"I'm sorry," the doctor says. "He's gone." 

Reegan held onto her father's hand tightly as she sobs quietly. I held Mathew in my arms as I look to my dead lover. He's gone.

I hand the baby to Adam and walk out of the room. He's gone.

I start walking down the hallway and into the parking lot. He's gone.

I get into the car and start driving down the road to our house. He's gone.

I park in the driveway and slowly exit my vehicle, opening the front door and shutting it quietly behind me. He's gone.

I sit on the couch and stare at the floor. GOD DAMMIT JEROME, HE'S GONE. 

I start to cry into my hands. He's gone, he's actually gone. Mathew Nooch is actually gone. I fall onto the ground and writhe around on the tan carpet. He's dead, oh God he's dead. I start to scream. Mat is gone.

"WHY!" I scream, bashing my fist on the ground. "Why did it have to be him?!" I get up and walk over to the wall, punching it with full force, leaving a dent in the drywall. I put my face into my other hand as blood dripped from the one in the wall. I smear the blood across the black paint, making it look a deep shade of crimson. 

Tears fell down my face as I walk to the kitchen to grab a rag to clean the blood, wiping my hand before entering the living room. I catch a glimpse of white in the corner of my eye. I turn quickly, but nothing was there. 

"Hello?" I whisper. I feel a chill down my spine and I spin around to meet face to face with a girl, pale as snow except for her eyes, which were as blue as the sea. I scream but she places her ghostly hand on my mouth.

"Shhh, Jerome," she whispers, her voice silky and light. She removes her hand and stares at me.

"W-who ar-re y-you?" I ask shakily. She laughs softly.

"Diana. I'm Tris' sister," she smiles. My breathing slows a little.

"Tris had a sister?" I ask. She nods.

"I died, let's see..." she walks away from me and starts to float, crossing her legs in midair. "Ah, yes. Five years ago. I died when you were 23 or so. Tris must have told you or Mat a family member had died, yes?" I nod, slowly approaching her.

"Yes. He just said that a family member died, but he only told Lauren who it was," I explain. Diana smiles.

"Tristan, Tristan, Tristan. Such an odd boy," she says, uncrossing her legs and landing softly in front of me. "I've been watching you and Mat, you know." My eyes widen and I blush.

"O-oh..." I stutter. She smiles. 

"It's really funny how you guys get it on. Strange because I've never seen two men-"

"ALRIGHT. I get it," I say, cutting her off. She laughs before I blush again. 

"Speaking of which," she says as she stops laughing, "where is Mat?" My stern expression becomes softer as I look at the ground.

"He died," I whisper. Her smile turns to a frown and she hugs me as best as she could being a spirit. 

"If I was alive, this would go a lot smoother," she says. I laughs through my tears.

"Yeah it would, wouldn't it?" I say, stepping back slightly. She drops her arms to her sides.

"Tell Tristan I love him. Please," she says before dissolving. I sigh.