Sudden Departure

Chapter Nine

The walk back to my house was really long. Longer than the car ride and longer than the actual walk should have taken. It wasn't cold, though. At all. It was very uncharacteristic for the time of the year, but I wasn't concerned. I was comfortable.

The walk was very pleasant. But silent. Dead silent. It made me uneasy.

As I reached my house a dark cloud shifted and rested in front of the sun. All of the lights were turned off but several cars littered the driveway and the road. I recognized a few of them: Cameron's truck, Jane's "jacked-up" Jeep, Jamie's energy saving car. That's weird, I thought, Oh, but my parents probably think I was murdered, so maybe it's a search party?

I shuffled up to the front door and gripped the handle. I sucked in a deep breath and released it with relief when the door swung open.

The inside was still. It was even more quiet than outside, if that were possible.

"Mom? Dad?" I shouted from the entryway. No answer.

I continued walking slowly into the house. It smelled like my Aunt's mac' n cheese, my uncles green beans, C's cookies. I breathed in the smells and frowned. Something wasn't right.

I pivoted on my heel and knocked into something hard. I groaned and rubbed my nose. When I opened my eyes I was staring into my living room. The curtains were drawn and the room was dark. I could barely make out my mom's figure in the dark. She sat in my favorite chair staring at the floor. Her hair was knotted in a messy bun on top of her head and her usual perfect makeup was gone.

"Mom? What's wrong?" I stepped towards her and slammed right into nothing.

"What the..." I murmured to myself. I tried to push my hand into the room but was stopped. Ripples vibrated the space in circles. I gasped and snatched my hand back and coiled it to my chest.

A breeze wafted from behind me. I twisted around and saw Stuart. His eyes were red and puffy. He slumped over and leaned against the wall. "Stuart! What is this?"

He didn't answer, he just plodded over to my mom and crawled into her lap.

He walked through it. Stuart walked through the invisible barrier.

I held my index finger up to the doorway and tentatively poked it. Ripples swirled across it again. It felt hard as a rock but looked like liquid "What the heck," I growled under my breath.

Breeze after breeze after breeze blew by me. I turned and saw several people walk past me. C, Jamie, Jane, Ally,Cameron, Kyle, Liam, Ian, Mikey, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, and cousins. Everyone walked passed me and squatted in the living room. They had plates in their hands but no one touched their food. Dark circles encased everyone's eyes and there faces were red. Black clothes (and black hair from Jane) clouded the room.

I stared at the mass with a puzzled expression.

"Well," Jamie's small voice piped up. Her voice echoed through the silence and rattled my insides. The sound pierced my ears. "Shailene had a really nice life."

I pulled back in surprise. What was happening? I had a nice life? Doesn't she mean, "she has a nice life."

I peeked at Cameron. His bottom lip was quivering and his face was scrunched in concentration. Cameron's face reddened and tears spilled over the brim of his eyes. He sniffled and when he spoke his voice was dripping with sorrow. "Yeah, it was great."

Jane bit her lip and squeezed his hand.

He thrust his head into his hands. "I should have just driven her home! It's all my fault. It's all my fault."

My dad raked his hand through his ruffled blonde hair. "Cameron. It. Is. Not. Your. Fault." He emphasized every word.

Cameron shook his head and mumbled under his breath, "Shailene is dead because of me."

Every word they said shook my bones. My heart ached and tears leaked from my eyes. Every single word anyone said to console themselves hurt worse and worse.

"What?" I shouted after a few minutes. "What? What kind of sick joke is this?" I pounded on the invisible wall with my fists. "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!"

I kicked the wall and punched it with all of my force. Tears gushed from my eyes and stained my hoody. My nose ran and added more moisture to my face.

I pounded on the wall again and again and again. "WHAT IS HAPPENING! ANSWER ME AND STOP THE ACT." I yelled and shrieked until my voice turned hoarse.

I couldn't breathe. A hole was ripping through my heart and spreading through my chest. I pushed myself up against the wall. I slammed my head into it, trying to block their condolences and reassurances. Their words that I was in a "better place" were driving me mad. Couldn't they tell that I was right there?

I slapped my hand up to my chest and dragged down in attempt to seal the hole. I pulled at my hair and ripped it out of its neat braid.

Nothing hurt. Nothing hurt worse than the pain of leaving everyone behind.

I pressed my back against the wall and slid down. "I can't be dead. I didn't die. If I'm dead how am I here? I'm not dead. This is a prank." I screeched again and struck the ground. I saw my fading reflection in the tall, hall mirror.

My face was shredded into ribbons by tears. My eyes were red and puffy and my hair was pulled from the braid in thick, tangled tufts. I averted my eyes and threw my head in my arms.

Mom. Dad. Stuart. Cameron. C. Jamie. Ally. Jane.

I sobbed harder. I trembled. The hole in my chest ripped more.

I slowly stood up. Before I knew what I was doing my face was pressed to the glass. "MOM," I howled as I struck the clear wall. "DAD," I hit it again. "STUART," and again. "CAMERON," again. "C," again. "JAMIE," again. "ALLY," I hit it again. "JANE," I hit it again.

And again.

And again.

I yelled out every name of everyone I could think of. For hours and hours. I watched them leave my house one by one. I followed them shouting and trying to pound on their backs.

No answer.

No reaction.

Nothing.

I was dead and there was nothing I could do about it.

~~SD~~

I went into my house one last time. The only people left were my family. My mom. My dad. My brother. They were packing up bags and suitcases.

I leaned into the wall. I tried yelling but could only manage a whisper. My eyes were boiling over with tears and the hole in my chest was festering.

"Mom, Dad, Stuart. Can't you hear me? I am right here. Listen to me. Listen."

They couldn't hear me. They kept going. Going on without me.

I followed them down the stairs and out the front door. They were dragging bags with them. They were leaving.

"Don't leave me!" I whimpered at them. "Don't leave me alone here." I reached for their arms and only brushed through them. I tried pulling their hair. Pinching them. Pulling at their ankles. Nothing.

I sank to the ground as the van pulled away. I collapsed onto the ground and cried. I was alone and dead. I had to leave them. I was alone. Everything I was afraid of was happening. The fear of death during life was so much less than the fear during death.

I closed my eyes and laid wallowing in misery.

"Get up," a voice instructed me.

I snapped my eyes open to reveal a tall girl with light brown skin standing above me.

If you cried (or at least got a little emotional) please comment and tell me. I don't want to sound bad, but it has always been my dream to write something that effects people to such an emotional degree that they cry. I was getting a little teary eyed writing this.

~Angealic Darwin