Haunted Hearts

Invisible friend

Mike's POV

I tensed up at his words, but tentatively wrapped my arms around Vic.

"I-I missed you too." I spoke. After a moment, we pulled away from each other and I stared at the spot where I knew Vic was standing. I squinted a little and furrowed my eyebrows as the faintest outline of a person became clearer. Within a few moments, a pale, ghost of my brother appeared in front of me.

It was so surreal. My dead brother was standing in front of me, smiling brighter than he ever had when he was alive. I shook my head in confusion and glanced over to Samia.

"How?" I started. I didn't even know what to say. I had so many questions. I had imagined this day in my head for years--what it would be like if Vic just walked through the door one day.

There was so much I wanted to say--to ask him about--but I didn't know where to begin. I could hardly believe what I was seeing, but then it clicked. Back, a few years ago, right after Vic died, I remembered seeing him. I could talk to him and hang out with him just like before. When I told my parents, they never believed me and took my to a doctor. They thought I was crazy, but I wasn't. They said I was in shock and eventually I began to believe it. Soon enough, we moved. Vic didn't come with us.

"How are you here?" I asked, baffled by the fact that all these years I had been missing my brother when he was here all along. He shrugged and looked to Sam. She nodded over to the bed.

"Let's sit. There's a lot you two need to talk about." She said. We sat in a circle and I waited for them to start explaining things to me.

"So what's actually going on here?" I asked when no one spoke. Sam sighed and looked at Vic. He shrugged and looked up at me.

"Well, uh, after I died, um..." He trailed off. He looked uncomfortable as he glanced nervously at Samia. He took a deep breath and sighed. "After I died, what we think happened, was that I had some things that I needed to sort out. Like before I could, I don't know, move on or whatever." He explained. I was still confused and I guess it showed because Samia cut in next.

"It's like unfinished business. And we think it had to do with you. That's why we brought you here." She added. I nodded slowly, trying to piece together what they were saying.

"Okay...so, what do I have to do?" I asked. They were both staring at me like I was expected to do something, but I didn't know what. They then looked at each other and back to me.

"I don't know." Vic said.

"Yeah, I didn't really expect to get this far..." Sam said, laughing nervously. I set my jaw, frustrated that I couldn't get more answers, but then I realized something. Vic was here. He was with me like he was alive again. But he was trying to leave?

"Why do you need to move on?" I asked Vic. He looked at me, confused, and I continued. "I mean, you're here. All the people you care about are here and can talk to you. Why would you want to throw that away and go off to wherever it is that you go?" I asked. It saddened me to think that he wanted to leave earth all together. He shrugged.

"I don't know it just doesn't feel right being here anymore." He told me nonchalantly. It was as if he was just talking about something as simple as changing clothes. For him, maybe it was. But for me, it was devastating to hear.

"Well what about me?" I asked. I started getting annoyed, angry even. "Am I not enough to keep you here? You want to leave me all over again?" I was practically fuming the more I thought about it. How could he just want to leave? Why was he doing this?

"Mik--" Sam started.

"No!" I snapped, scrambling off the bed. "You...You can't just do that to me!" I shouted at Vic. He looked confused, scared maybe, but I didn't care. As much as I loved my brother I wanted him to hurt as bad as he was making me just right now. I felt betrayed. "You can't just leave without saying goodbye and then come back into my life years later like this! I can't do that! I can't lose you again!" Tears were streaming down my face as I exploded at Vic. "Do you even know how much this hurts?" I asked, letting out a short sob. "How could you do this? Come back into my life just to leave again?" Vic looked apologetic as he stood from the bed. He shook his head.