Hotel Ceiling

Seven

Calum and Jess came into the dull hospital the next afternoon. Amry stayed in the stuffy room beside her dying body.

Amry didn't know how to go about with this stuff. She knows she has to try and figure it out, but one person stays at the front of her mind.

Nate.

She wanted him to be beside her, helping her get through this. Though, even Nate knew he couldn't.

Her thoughts were broken when the creaky door opened. Her two friends sat down beside her and stared at the pale girl.

Calum finally spoke up, "Everyone misses you, Amry. I know I've said that a thousand times before, but we need you more than ever. It's killing us."

Amry felt tears welling up in her eyes at this. She didn't expect her friends to feel so strongly about this. It made her feel guilty.

"Whatever you do," Jessica started, "don't leave us."

"School has been terrible. It's so quiet, every second. If there is speaking, it's small whispers," Calum explained.

A single tear fell down Amry's left cheek.

"No one wants to lose you," Jess said.

The trapped girl nodded, even though her friends couldn't see.

"Jessica?" The boy asked. She just nodded for him to continue. "Amry never said 'I love you.' Not even in a joking way. Do you think she regrets that?"

"Yes!" Amry screamed as the tears continued to fall. "Every second, please help me!"

The blonde beside Calum spoke slowly, "I doubt it. If she ever regretted that, we would've known. She never even says it to her family either."

"I'm sorry," Amry sobbed on the ground. She wanted someone beside her, needed someone beside her.

"Amry," a low voice spoke behind her.

She stood up slowly and turned around, still breathing heavily. There, once again in the corner, stood Nate.

Amry cried harder at the sight of him. She needed his help. She needed him.

He wrapped her in a tight hug, and this one, she could actually feel. She hugged back instantly.

Nate wore a black t-shirt, black jeans, and black leather boots. She now noticed his soft-looking black hair. His eyes were different colors. Left, bright blue. Right, light green.

Her friends mindlessly walked out of the room. She wanted to tell them to stay, but Amry knew it was impossible. She turned back to Nate.

"What are you doing here?" She sniffled.

He shrugged, "I knew you were having a hard time dealing with this. I don't have anymore hints, I needed to tell you that. But I wanted to tell you that if you make it out, you'll only see me as an illusion in the real world."

"Can I speak to you?"

"I don't know. It's different with everyone," Nate informed the brunette.

She nodded, "Do you want me to make it out?"

"What?"

"Do you want me to escape, or stay in The Void with you?" Amry asked. Though, she didn't know why.

He only rolled his shoulders back, as though, looking rather uncomfortable. Nate's eyes strayed past her into nothingness. His arms were now crossed and the boy chewed on his lip.

His eyes met hers, "I mean, it'd be great to have company with me. But you couldn't just give up your whole life for me. All the people that would miss you. See, when in between life and death, you can be an illusion, or you can stay the soul. Illusions, you already know. Souls, those are what's trapped. They were never freed, sent into Heaven, nor Hell. You can't be seen by the real world if you don't wanna. Get it?"

"You completely changed the subject, don't do that."

"Sorry."

"No you aren't."

"Not at all."

Amry shook her head while smiling, "Answer me, Nate."

"I'd love if you stayed."

"Then it's settl-" Amry started, only to be cut off by the boy.

"But I'd love it even more if you didn't just give up everything in an instant. I saw you, sobbing over your friends," he paused. "At least you actually have a chance. A chance to see your family and friends again. See how I turned out? I don't visit my family because..." Nate trailed off.

"Because why?" Amry asked softly.

"Because I'm scared of how I'll react. I don't even know who's still alive from that family. I don't know if they kept those pictures of me on the wall, or kept my photos in their albums. Not sure if my room is still there, or if my drawings from when I was a child still hang on the left side of the fridge." He stopped. "You should be scared."

"Why?"

"Because being trapped here is worse than going to Hell. When you're here in The Void, you send people into comas. If they lose, how do you think their family feels? Usually quite terrible. So, you have to live with that on your concious, forever," Nate explained.

Amry looked down at herself on the bed, "Do you age in The Void?"

He shook his head, "Nope. But if you want, you can be placed in the body of an older or younger you. Whatever you want."

"How old are you?" She accidentally blurted.

"Now? Or when I lost?"

"Both."

Nate took a deep breath, "I was 10 years old when I lost. Now? I'd be 37 if I was still in the real world. I'm in my 18 year old body though."

"You're 37?" She asked surprised.

"Would be, but right now I'm 18," he nodded. "27 years ago I lost my battle. Been dealing with the regret ever since."

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

He looked around, then his eyes settled on hers, "It's fine. But I think you have a life to get back. You can do it, Amry. I'm counting on you. Run along, darling."

Then, there was one.