Abnormal High

Chapter 8: Residual

Sky’s father was nice enough but hard on Sky and almost never around. He asked us about school and thanked me for coming with Sky for support. But behind all those smiles and jokes something was up. His smiles and laughs didn’t seem genuine to me but I threw it over my head convinced he was just very very sad.

I had never been to Sky’s house before and was surprised when we pulled up to a large wooden cabin. I gasped in surprise. I didn’t think that Sky would live in such an old but huge comfy- looking cabin.

“My mom picked it out when my parents were first married.” Sky had an odd smile and it struck me that he was smiling through the tears that threatened to overflow any second. Finally they did and I could do nothing but hold his hand, hug him tightly, and pat his head as if he were a small child even though I had to stand on my tippee toes to do it.

After he stopped crying we brought of stuff inside, his father immediately telling me to make myself at home and to come to him if I needed anything. Sky brought me into the guest room and asked me if I wanted a tour around the house and grounds. We went back outside and he took me for a walk past the garden in the back of the house, along the grass that surrounded a huge lake, and back inside. After the tour Sky asked me if I wanted to watch some TV and I declined. We both retreated to our rooms to catch some Z’s before tomorrow.

I quickly fell asleep but awoke just as quick to a pleading voice begging some unknown force to stop. My eyes adjusted and I screamed. A residual played in front of me and tears streamed down my face as I watched Sky’s mother’s death play over and over again. The killer wasn’t visible though; a dark black mist surrounded the figure that murdered Sky’s mother making me unable to determine who it was. I knew this was not real, just a replay of the terrible event that had occurred here but still screamed horrified that this was what had happened. The killer stabbed her over forty times and then she lay lifeless as the black mist exited the room then the scene repeated. Who was the black mist? Who had messed up this residual? Who had murdered Sky’s sweet mother? Finally after I had watched the scene five times almost six when Sky burst in the room. “Lola what’s going on?”

I pointed unable to form words over what I was watching. “Residual?” I nodded shaking and shivering in fear. “It’s my mother’s death isn’t it?” He ran over sitting on the edge of the bed grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. “Who is the killer Lola? Who killed my mom?!!!”

Words finally begin to form. “I d-d-don’t k-k-know Sky. S-s-someone m-messed w-w-with  it-t-t. I c-c-can’t tell.”

“Are you sure Lola? Keep looking maybe things will change.” Sky had a look of complete wonder and amazement as it replayed again and I shook my head. I knew it wouldn’t change. “Sky its b-b-been t-t-tampered with. It w-w-won’t ch-ch-change. There’s a b-b-black m-mist. S-s-something e-evil d-d-did this-s-s.”

He blinked and his eyes turned back to their normal caring stare. “Lola I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be like that. Look you can sleep in my room and I’ll sleep on the floor ok?”

“Ok-k-k b-but-t d-d-don’t l-leave m-m-e please.” He took my hand in one of his, grabbed the sheets and pillow off the bed and brought me into his room. He sat me down on his bed and prepared his makeshift bed on the floor. While he did that I looked around. Sky’s room here was way different than his at school; there it was covered in mostly Jake’s stuff. His ceiling was speckled with stars and constellations and every space near the walls was completely covered with bookshelves; consisting of his collection of movies, books, and sports trophies. The rest of the walls were covered in band posters and a desk faced the corner by the closet.

When he was done he came and sat by me worry completely consuming his face, “Lola your still shaking. Come here.” He opened his arms wide and held me there till I calmed down. Again the tears flowed down my face and I buried my head in his shoulder. When I pulled away and he saw the tears he wiped them away softly with his thumb. He was the sweetest guy I had ever met let alone been friends with.  

“Lola hey I’m going to go tell my dad that you’re going to sleep in here ok? Do you want to come with me? I know you don’t want to be alone.” I nodded my head feeling and probably looking like a bobble head.

We walked to Sky’s dad’s door and Sky knocked. We heard a grunt, a thump, and then a groggy “Wuh? Who’s there?”

Sky answered back and his dad peaked his head out, eyes still half closed. Sky exclaimed what had happened and Sky’s dad’s eyes widened as he turned to me, shock immediately zapping him awake, “So you’re a necromancer? Sky didn’t tell me that. What did you see? Did you see the killer? What did you see?” His words had a weird tone to them not the wonder and excitement that had flashed through Sky’s blue eyes but almost a worried tone like he was scared I had seen something that I wasn’t supposed to. I shook it off, blaming my absurd thinking on shock, “No I didn’t see anything Mr. Lawrence the residual has been tampered with. A black mist surrounds the killer but I saw everything. Every stab, the blood spilling out, each of her screams, it was terrifying. I-I-I can’t go back in there. Please don’t ask me to. It will replay over and over again.” The tears began again and Sky put his arm around my shoulders pulling me closer.

   Again I saw the flash of something that scared me. It looked like happiness? Relief? Again I shook myself. Then he spoke, “I am so sorry that this has happened to you in our house Lola. And no I will not have you sleeping in that room anymore. You can sleep in Sky’s room while you stay here. Sky you can sleep on the floor if that’s what you want because I’m sure Lola here doesn’t want to be alone. This must have been a very traumatizing experience for you. Good night.” Then he gave me a hug and Sky a pat on the back and closed the door. We weren’t even two feet away when the snoring started. Suddenly we both burst out laughing trying to snuffle the noise with our hands over our mouths. We walked back into Sky’s room and Sky pulled me to a stop, “Are you sure you’re ok?” When I nodded he gave me one last hug and crawled under the covers on the floor. I laid down on his bed and was asleep before my head even touched the pillow.