lost and found

Thump, crunch, thump, crunch, the leaves went from under my feet as I made my way home from school. When I got home there was a note on the door. I wasn't surprised, with my dad always working and my mom being a social butterfly, I was almost always left home alone. The note said they would be out for a while. I attempted to open the door but it was locked. I knew there was a key under the welcome mat though. When I opened the door the house stood still as an Egyptian tomb and I was chilled down to the spine.

''Home sweet home.'' I mumbled to myself, as if someone was there listening to me, but of course there wasn't.

With nothing to do I threw my backpack on the couch and turned on the TV. I flicked through the channels one by one. Nothing, except for static at least. My whole house was like static, boring and stale, with nothing to do but think to myself. I gazed outside my dust stained window.

"That's strange," Curiosity and hope pulsed through my veins, "I haven't seen her around here before,'' there was a girl about my age staring at the ground, dressed all in black, sitting on the curb by the creaky old playground in the center of town. She looked just like me. Pale skin and all. The thing is she didn't look familiar, and if I didn't know her, then she must not know me. Could she be the one, my new best friend? As I walked outside to approach her she raised her head. then I saw her eyes, her bright red eyes. I fell back startled hitting the rough gravel. She walked over to me in such a swift movement as if she was floating.

"Are you OK?" She droned with no emotion what so ever.

"Ya I'm fine," I said as I rubbed the growing bruise on my shoulder, "It's just, well, your eyes. They're, red!"

"So w- Never mind, what do you want?!"

"A friend,"

"What?"

"I was wondering if you could be my friend,"

The girl grinned "sure," I smiled with delight.

Screech! The brakes went on my moms blue car as she parked in the driveway.

"Oh, come on! I want to show you to my mom. You're the first friend I've ever had," I admitted as I pulled her arm to lead her to my mother.

"Mom! Mom! Look I found a friend, can you take a picture of us together?" I shouted excitedly.

"Um, honey, are you sure?" My mom hinted.

"Uh, ya,"

"OK, honey, if that's what you want," She pulled out her phone and took a picture.

"Thanks, mom. Can I see it?" I asked.

"Of course, honey," My mom answered handing me the phone. It was perfect me and my new best friend.

Later that night,the stars shining down on all the sleeping children, well, except for this sleeping child. I just couldn't sleep. So instead I was on the stairs eavesdropping on my mom and dad's conversation. I wasn't really eavesdropping though, mostly because what they were talking about was me. So really i'm already included in the conversation.

"I just don't understand. Something has to be wrong with him, he is way too old to be having imaginary friends," My mom implied.

"It is strange, he says he had someone else in this picture, but obviously I see no one but him here," my dad held the picture in his his hand, utterly confused.

I felt my face get hot like burning coals and i ran out the front door. I ran and ran until i reached the forest. The forest was dark all the time, night or day, blockading all the other entrances, other than the main one to our small town. No one dared to go near the forest because of this. Except me. When I made it to the forest I found the girl sitting there.

"Hi," I cried.

"Hi," she said in that same drained out voice.

"I ran away,"

"And then again you didn't pack,"

"Heh, I guess so," I could now feel the warm tears crawling down my face. I vented for a bit and she listened, then I cried myself to sleep and she fell asleep aside me.

"Ben! Ben! Where are you?!" My mom cried out for a response. I jolted awake, the girl still sleeping next to me. My mom stood staring at the both of us.

"Oh, honey, get away from that!" My mom took my hand and pulled me away from my friend.

"What are you talking about?" I said as searched for an answer in my head.

"Honey, your friend has been dead for years. She was just a ghost or imaginary or something. All I know is that she isn't real. I'm sorry," She showed me the picture once more and there I saw there was no one beside me. I looked back to where I was sleeping and all that layed there was a corpse of a girl about the same age as me, dressed all in black, rotting.

My one and only friend was never there. I was such a fool, because then I knew I would be forever alone.