Letters With a Ghost

Chapter Five

Camryn stood in front of a large glass window, overlooking a beautiful lake. In the middle of the lake was a platform, with a bunch of carnival rides strung with colorful lights that reflected off of the dark water.

She wore a long purple dress adorned with lines of glitter winding up the skirt. Her brown hair was in a neat bun, twisted with white silk ribbons. She wore light makeup and a light smile, one that lit up her face just enough to make her dark brown eyes shine.

She noticed a reflection in the glass beside her. A well-dressed boy of about her age with blonde hair and the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen was staring at her reflection with a smile playing on his lips.

"I've missed you, Ayden," Camryn said at last.

"I know you have," the boy answered. His voice stung her heart with the familiar, comforting tone that she turned to in times of despair.

Camryn kept her eyes locked on his reflection. "I've missed your voice, too," she added softly.

Ayden smiled. "I don't see why," he chuckled. "I hate my voice. I always have."

"Your voice is perfect," Camryn persisted. "Ayden, look, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

Ayden shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm listening."

Camryn took a deep breath. "I love you, Ayden," she began. "I want more than friendship with you. I want to always have you by my side, I want to hold your hand in public and hug you and kiss you softly. I'm sorry I never told you this before. I just wanted to say it before it was too late." Camryn broke her gaze from the glass and turned to where Ayden was supposed to be standing. There was no one there.

"It is too late, Camryn," Ayden said.

When she looked back at the glass, Ayden's reflection still stood beside hers.

"I'm gone, Cammy," he said sadly. "Now, don't blame yourself for what happened. You had nothing to do with what I did. The pressure just became too much. I snapped. I had the perfect opportunity to do something terrible, a once in a lifetime chance, and I took it." He smirked. "You know what's funny? Everyone always says, if there's an opportunity, seize it. Take any chance you can! Well, look where that got me. They failed to mention that I should think it through first."

Camryn smiled. "Leave it to you," she teased.

Ayden laughed. "Yeah," he said. "Leave it to me." Then he shrugged. "I guess it's all right though. It's kinda cool where I'm at now."

"Where is that?"

"Your head, Cammy. You do know what's going on here, don't you?"

Camryn nodded. She knew exactly what was going on. She just didn't want to admit it, for fear that it would end. "I need closure, Ayden," she pleaded. "I need to know why."

She felt a hand touch her shoulder softly. When she looked beside her, she looked right into Ayden's clear blue eyes.

His scent washed over her, delivering her the sense of peace that she so craved.

Then she felt his lips on hers. So soft, so perfect. Everything she had ever imagined it would be. When he pulled back, he whispered two words in her ear: "Ask Alex."

When she looked at him, his face was pale. He looked ill, deathly ill. When she looked down, she noticed scarlet drops of blood dripping from his fingertips and staining the marble floors.

Camryn screamed his name and woke up drenched in a cold sweat.

Dear Ayden,

What the hell just happened?

I dream for the first time since your death and it turns out to be the worst nightmare I've ever had. Actually, no, scratch that.

I'm living in the worst nightmare I've ever had without you, Ayden. I can't stand it anymore. I know your situation, I know what you went through. But what did it in for you? What was it that made you hit your breaking point and do that to yourself, do that to me?

I don't want to sound selfish but I don't know any other way to put it.

And what does "ask Alex" mean anyway? I can't bring myself to so much as look in the same general direction as your brother. I mean, come on, he looks just like you, only older.

He's the mirror of what you would be had you lived long enough to stare at the reflection.

Remember when you told me that I should follow my dreams without caring what the haters say? How I should keep pursuing my dream to become a novelist, no matter how far-fetched anyone says it is?

What about you, Ayden? You would have made a great actor. I remember that time you played Romeo in the school play. I had never seen so much enthusiasm or charisma put into a role. Not like you did.

But now your dream is cast off. It was cut short by an inexperienced director, just trying to be ahead of the game, for reasons unknown to anyone.

What point were you trying to prove by doing that? I love you, Ayden... But I seriously think you should have gathered more experience before you made a call as critical as that one.

Your life wasn't a movie.

You shouldn't have ended it.

--Camryn