I got up, went downstairs, put on my coat, then just left. No one said a word to me, and I'm glad they didn't.
I didn't know exactly where to start first, but I found myself walking to Ant's house. When I got there, I walked right up to the front door. His house isn't big, but its not small. Its just right. I knock on the door and almost immediately, it flies open, and a short woman stands in the doorway with a man behind her in a chair. She has dark eyes, and you don't have to look at her long to tell she's in pain.
"Hello? Who are you? Have you found him?" She speaks so quickly, it takes me a bit to process and answer her.
"Um, no, I haven't found him, sorry, ma'am." Her body whole body shifts in disappointment and worry.
"I'm Mason," I continue. "Mason Greenly." She tenses up when I say my name, and the man behind her turns around and looks at me. "I knew your son, and I think I might know where he went."
Her eyes widen by ten times, and she looks back at the man. He stands up and walks over to stand next to the woman.
"If you find our son, we will be forever in your debt." This man says. His voice is deep and gravely. He almost sounds and looks like he's been crying.
"I will try my best, sir. I promise." I reply honestly.
He puts a hand on my shoulder and nods at me, but I can tell he's afraid to touch me. I nod back, then I started to walk to the abandoned building that Anthony and I had climbed so long ago.
-
I get to the old building, and somehow, it seems more ugly in the daylight and without Ant with me. I start to pull myself over the wall, and climb up to the roof. I get onto the roof after some struggle with the icy, snowy surface. I try to stand up, then I slip on the ice, falling down. I manage to stop myself before I go right over the edge. My heart is racing. That was a close one. I look down to see how far I would've fallen, and I see my worst nightmare 50 feet below me.
A body, with dark skin, hair, and eyes, in a pool of blood.
Oh, my god.
I climb off the building and jump down from the wall as fast as I can, then bolt to the front of the building.
Yeah, there he is, no mistaking it.
Anthony Parker, in the flesh.
The rotting flesh.
I run over to him, and a bunch of flies and ants scurry away. I'm now hugging a dead corpse in a ghost town I don't know the name of. I don't care how creepy or gross it is, because I just want to see him. There's blood coming from his mouth and nose, and especially the back of his head. He is dead. He has been dead. He's been dead and nobody came to find him. Hot tears are rolling down my cheeks and falling onto his jacket. The same dark jacket he's always worn all winter. I run my hand through his soft, dark brown hair. I hold his cold hand in mine, squeezing it tightly as I feel myself start to hyperventilate. I need to leave, but I can't get up. I hear my mother's words in my head, "You've come so far, baby. Please, not now..."
An idea comes into my head. An idea I haven't had in a long time. I get up slowly, and go to start climbing the building again.
I get to the roof, stand up, and slowly walk to the edge. I look down at the dead, bloody body that belongs to the love of my life. I hold my arms out to the side.
"I'll see you soon, Ant." I say softly. I lean forward and take a deep breath.
No.
A force that is not me stands me back up straight again.
C'mon, don't be a doofus.
A hear a familiar voice, and I whip my head around to see who's there.
"Ant? Anthony?"
It can't be him.
Can it?
I'm not here for long, now go. Tell them where I am and get help. Take your pills. Stay safe. Find Cassie. •
