Meeting death

Chapter 7

“Me? Are you high or something?” he frowns.

"What?” he asked confused. I just stare at him. He looks away and into the fire again.

“I’m not going to admit that I know anything of this world, because I don’t.” I look down.

“Staring at it is not going to make it explode.” I say. He looks at me, and lifts his hand up. The fire grows and I scuttle back, and cower in fear. The man’s facial expressions change to one of hurt, and sorrow.

“I didn’t mean to…” I stand up and look at him.

“I don’t know what you want with me, but if that was just a story to scare me, it didn’t work. Go and interfere in someone else’s life.” I stare hard and walk away. I feel a little tugging at the small of my back, and my whole body is thrown back. I don’t fall, but stumble and turn around to be right underneath the man’s nose.

“That was not a simple scary bed time story that was a life story, and if you don’t believe it, then the world hasn’t got a chance to stand what will happen when you turn 16.” His eyes stare deep into mine, and I feel lost, like I’m sifting through darkness. I shake my head.

“How am I supposed to believe you? I don’t even know you, for all I know you could be a mad man.” The corner of his mouth lifts up in a smirk.

“What will it take to prove this will happen?” I look away as he tries to dazzle me.

“I know you can see the dead and I know you can scare people, but what I want you to show me is why I should trust you.” His eyes snap up and he looks away. He waves his hand in the air, and a hole appears out of nowhere. He gestures for me to walk through. I look at the hole and then at him.

“Ladies first.” I raise an eyebrow.

"Since when did the mad man become such a gentlemen?" i say sarcastically. He rolls his eyes, and walks through, not turning back to see if i follow. As i step behind him, the hole swallows us, and we are walking into an endless darkness. My footsteps echo, while he makes no sound. I stare at the back of his head for what seems like a lifetime until the blackness starts to twist and pull in different shapes, then colours, until we are in a dry desert, sand whipping my hair in my face and eyes.

"Where are we?" i ask, trying to look through the blaze of the sun. i cover my eyes with my hands, and look around as the dust clears, and see we are in a tiny little town filled with house size wooden....well i don't really know what to call the, like the old Texas movies, with the tavern thingies. The man takes a step forward clearly lost in his thoughts. He suddenly spins, and looks away in the distance.

"Watch." he commands, and i spin, see the dust on the horizon stir up. What starts as a blob then turns into horses with men ridding on top.

"The point of this is....." he hushes me, and all around us, i see people come out of the cabins, and they watch as the cowboys approach. When the reach us, everyone is quiet. The man in front looks familiar, even though i have never met him before....well that doesn't make sense does it? he gets off of his horse and thumps down to the ground. The colours and shapes swirl and we are in blackness. i look at the man purse my lips.

"Well that was pointless wasn't it?" he chuckles quietly, and then the black starts to stretch and pull again, swirling into masses of colour, until we are in someones back yard. Their lush green grass stretches out quite far, but something catches my eye. I turn my head, and see a gaped tooth, curly haired girl playing underneath a tree. She takes no notice of us, even though we are in her backyard.

"She can't see us." The mans voice says, sending shivers up my spine. I slowly walk forward and kneel in front of her. She suddenly looks up at a bang, but she seems to be staring right at me....no, through me. A scream comes from the house, and i spin around, just in time to see a woman running out of the house. The woman that runs out of the house makes me catch my breath. the man from this afternoon comes out of the house and walks toward the little girl, and i start crying. i fall to the ground and the colours swirl back to aunt Patty's house.

The woman......was my mother.