My Haunted Heart

Chapter 6

The hours went by dreadfully slowly. In Biology, my mind drifted over to what Julian said about talking to someone who I couldn't trust. I didn't want to believe that he was talking about Fletcher, but I had the slightest feeling that the warning was against the brown haired boy who had only recently become my friend.

The bell rang for lunch and I weaved my way through the mass of students as fast as I could to the cafeteria. Fletcher was sitting alone at one of the tables, and I noticed that his food hadn't even been touched. He looked up and met my eyes, but his face was expressionless other then the deep purple circles under his eyes. It looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. I approached the table and sat down, Fletcher's eyes still locked on mine.

"I can't wait any longer, I have to tell you," he whispered, and I thought I heard pain in his voice. "What's going on?" I questioned, noticing that other people's attention were focused on us.

Fletcher grabbed my hand and hurried out of the cafeteria and down the hall towards the exit, dragging me along with him until we reached the playground in the back field. His grip was so tight that my hand started to ache, before he finally let go and sat on the bottom of the slide. I stood in front of him, searching his face for any emotion. "Fletcher, you need to talk to me," I said, flustered.

"Ella, are you afraid of me?" He asked softly, looking up to meet my eyes. The question surprised me, but not as much as how his eyes appeared to be burning with pain. "Of course not, why would I be scared of you?" I lied.

"You should be! You should avoid me Ella, you don't know how dangerous I am!" He shouted angrily, lunging up from the slide and getting closer, forcing me to stumble back. He towered over me and I didn't realize until now how much bigger he was then me. I stepped back and tripped on a small stone, but before a scream could even escape from my lips Fletcher's hand grabbed mine and pulled me into his chest, with his arms wrapped securely around my body.

I pushed back at him and he let go, letting me back off and glare at him as best as I could. "What is up with you and you're crazy mood swings?" I screamed, and his angry face softened a bit.

"You won't believe me if I tell you," he said quietly, and the air suddenly felt much colder. "Try me," I said, surprised at how desperate my voice sounded.

"Ella, I'm... I'm dead. I have been for a long time," he mumbled, looking down at the ground. My heart skipped a beat. For the past few days I had wondered why everyone was so afraid of this angelic man standing in front of me, with his beautiful blue eyes and snow white skin. But now I knew.

It was because he's crazy.

His intense and violent mood swings, the way his eyes burn with such intense and dark emotion, his ice cold skin, and the fact that he avoids other people are only a few of what's drawn me to that final conclusion.

I started connecting a few more of the dots, when suddenly something came to my mind. "You were the upset patient at the mental hospital that my dad was talking about," I murmured. This town was small enough that I could figure that out.

Fletcher's eyes filled with tears. "Ella, you have to believe me. I'm not crazy like those doctors think," he said, taking a step towards me. "Don't- don't come anywhere near me," I stuttered, and his face grew anxious.

"You want proof? I'll give you proof," he argued, taking a few more steps forward. I wiped a tear from off of my cheek that had somehow escaped unnoticed. "You're crazy," I whispered again, reassuring myself that I wasn't the one going insane.

Fletcher raised his hand in front of me and I subconsciously met it with my own, but when I tried weaving my fingers with his, they grabbed at the air instead. I could see his hand right there, but I couldn't seem to feel it, like it was as thin as the air around us. A small gasp escaped my lips and he laughed softly at my expression.

"This is so wrong," I breathed, shaking my head. Fletcher's eyebrows raised a little, and I could hear my heart beating in my eardrums as I turned and ran back towards the school, down the road and into the forest.