Living Dead | Onhold

Chapter seventeen

I decided to go to the bookshop the following day to check up on Rachel. I knew for a fact that there was no way in hell she killed me. But I bet she played a part.

She looked uneasy throughout the entire morning. She was packing and unpacking the books on the shelves. Same books, on and off.

“Are you okay dear?” An old lady came up to her, making her jump. “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay Mrs. Rose.” She faked a smile, “I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”

“You seem to be all over the place lately.” She put her hand on Rachel’s forehead.

“Maybe I’m just nervous. Graduation is coming up in just two weeks.”

“I have four daughters,” Mrs. Rose said. “You can’t and you will not lie to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing,” she said. “Can I just continue packing the books now?”

She nodded, walking away.

“I didn’t do it.” She whispered to herself. “I should have been there for you, but I didn’t do it. I swear.” She turned to look at me. For a moment I thought she looked right in my eyes. It felt as if she could see me, or feel my presence. She smiled, shaking her head. “Will you stop watching me now?”

“Me?” I asked in a whisper.

“Yes, you!” She yelled, “I didn’t do anything to you.”

“Then who did?”

“I don’t know.” She cried, “I don’t know! I don’t know!” She screamed, covering her ears as she fell to the floor. “I don’t know, I don’t know! Get away from me! Stop watching me! I’m sorry, I don’t know!”

Co-workers came running to gather around her as she continued screaming.

“Dearie?” Mrs. Rose kneeled besides her, “shhh.”

“Get away from me, stop watching me! I’m sorry! I don’t know!”

“Get back to work and stop watching her!” Mrs. Rose yelled at her employees. “Honey, it’s okay. Hush, it’s just me now. Shhhhh, it’s all good.” She brushed her hair as she continued whispering in her ear. “Do you want to go home?”

“Uh-uh.” She shook her head, “She’ll be watching me.” She whispered.

“Who honey? Your mother?”

“Her.” She said, pointing towards me as she continued shaking.

“There’s nobody there.”

“She’s watching me!” She yelled, “And she’s following me.”

“Honey –“

“Don’t say there’s nobody there! I see her!”

“Okay, okay.” She paused, “I still think I should call your mother. I’m giving you the week off.”

I continued watching her as she cried on Mrs. Rose’s lap. I still couldn’t believe she sees me. How was that even possible? She didn’t see me all this time, but why now?

“Baby, I think you’ve got schizophrenia.” Her mom said as they walked inside.

“Because I’m seeing things that don’t exist?” She asked.

“Yes.”

She nodded.

“Who’s ‘Her’ anyways?”

“Her.”

“Yeah, who is she?”

“I don’t want to talk about it mom. I just want to go call my friends and let them know that I’m going crazy.”

“Don’t think of it that way…”

“Mom. I’m probably not going to be the same person anymore. The least I could do is let my friends know.”

“Do you have to?”

“Of course.” She said, walking to her bedroom, where she quickly took her phone out to call Kurt.

“Kurt, you guys need to help me. I’m in this mess because of you! You need to help me!”

“Whoa slow down, what’s happening?”

“Call everybody, except for Nicholas. We’re going to meet up at the beach in an hour.”

“Why at the beach?”

“There’s less eyes there. Or would you want us to discuss Alisson in a coffee shop?”

“No. I got it; we’ll meet up at the beach in an hour.”

“Good.” She hung up.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, “You were supposed to be my realest friend.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

“Who killed me?” I asked.

“I don’t know.” She walked to the door. “I’ve got to go.”

“I’m coming with. Duh.”

“No! Stop following me!”

“I will if you tell me who killed me!” I yelled.

“I don’t know!” She ran out of her room crying.

“Who are you talking to, Rachel?” Her mom asked.

“Who killed me?!!!” I screamed.

“I don’t know!!!” She screamed back at me, covering her ears as she ran out of the house. She kept on looking back to check if I was following her, which I was of course.

“Who?” I asked when she approached the beach.

“Maybe you did!” She yelled, “Maybe you were such a coward and you couldn’t face the hardships of your life so you decided to kill yourself! Why should we suffer?!” She cried, “Why are you coming after me of all people?! Why can’t you just die and stop haunting me?!”

“Maybe because my peace lies with you!” I yelled back, “why are you the only one who sees me if you don’t know what happened to me?”

“How should I know what happened to you when I didn’t kill you?!”

“Maybe you did! Alongside all your friends!”

“No, we didn’t.”

“If they were capable of calling themselves my friends and they did all those things to me, ask yourself if they are really your friends!”

She tried to stop herself from crying as she turned her back on me to continue walking.

“Who killed me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, Rachel you’re the only one who can see and help me! Would you rather go crazy than help me?”

“I can’t help you! I don’t know anything.”

I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn’t believe she was keeping things from me.

“Okay I know something.” She stopped walking.

“What is it?”

“Either Calvin or Alex killed you. But that’s all I know.”

A/N: how you guys doing??