Karen O'Neill COMPLETED

9

Well, it wasn't a literal mental hospital. No, John would never do that. He took Karen, instead, to his mother, who is a therapist. 

"It was just a dream, honey."

"No, it wasn't. I saw her. It was her hand and her voice!"

"Maybe you're just feeling traumatized from the experience of your mother's heart attack. There is a lady- Mrs. Swan- at the same hospital. She has developed a random water allergy and is currently in a coma." Mrs. West smiles sweetly at Karen.

"So?"

"So, other people have it worse than you."

"I don't care, I don't care, I don't care! You are lying to me. I know it. She. Died. How would you feel if John died?" Karen stands up abruptly. Behind her, the door opens and John walks in. He grabs Karen's shoulder. She swivels to face him. His face is full of hurt. "Do you not believe me? I was dead, John. Dead. I saw you, you were torn up. You shut down, stopped talking to anyone. You visited my grave, John. Do either of you know how I died?" Both shake their heads. "I killed myself. Because I was being bullied. I had scars and bruises. I had a broken nose from Jessica and a bunch of other girls. I got into fights and my uncle was the one that helped me do it. MY UNCLE." Karen was screaming by now, tears running down her face. John obviously decides that he can't take it. He grabs Karen's hand. He pulls her outside and starts running, Karen following close behind. They run into a little shack. John looks at her for a second before throwing his arms around her. Karen hugs him back. They stand there for a second before John starts to cry. Not Karen, John. "Why-"

"Karen, don't you dare start having thoughts like that." Tears silently stream out of his brown eyes. 

"I- I'm sorry." Karen lays her head on his shoulder. 

"Please, I w-want to believe you, but..."

"An unlikely story." Karen turns away.

"No, no, no. It's just... yeah. It is a l-little bit wild."

Karen silently nods. Then-

"It really happened, didn't it?" John pulls away. His eyes are slightly red. His face is pale from shock. 

"Yes, it did." Karen tells him more of the story. All the details. Everything. Even the things that happened before it all started. 

"I don't know what I can do to help."

"I-I think I need to get back to Ghosttown."

"Karen no..."

"I'm sorry, John. But it has to end this way."

"Why?"

"Because that's the way the story goes," comes a voices of a child. Karen and John let go and turn around. 

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Don't you know? That's the way the story goes..." And she disappears.