Imagination

Eighth Encounter

The next night she stayed with him again.

A zombie came out of the floor, with a stereotypical groan and started walking around the room. Every so often it would stoop and pat the ground.

Aviva cringed waiting for it to attack her, but it just kept walking around. Then she felt something touch her neck and whipped her head around. Sitting on the bed beside her was a ghost. It reached out a hand and Aviva jerked away.

"Who are you?" she whispered. The ghost reached out its hand and opened it imploringly.

"I am you. I am death. I am everything." the ghost whispered. It touched Aviva's arm, and she felt pins and needles at that spot. She jumped away with a shout.

"Go away!" she yelled. Aviva looked at her arm and saw that it was encased in a block of ice.

"Stop!" she screamed at the ghost, who was trying to grab her hair. "Navin! Navin wake up!" Aviva grabbed Navin and shook him awake.

As he woke up, the ghost and zombie faded away.

"Aviva?" Navin asked sleepily.

"Are you okay?" Aviva asked, hiding her iced arm behind her back, "You were having a nightmare....."

"I'm fine." Navin yawned. "I mean, I dreamed about a zombie walking around, but I talked to him and his name's Herbert and he likes gardening. He was planting seeds in a garden for us."

"You didn't dream about a ghost?" Aviva asked.

"Nah, just Herbert." Navin closed his eyes. "I'm really tired..."

"Then go back to sleep. I'll stay here." Aviva said, and waited until Navin closed his eyes before leaving his room.

Once in the hallway, she closed the door and leaned against it. Aviva raised her arm and was surprised to see that the ice had gone away.

But her whole arm was still cold, and there appeared to be a mark from where the ghost had gripped her arm.