Spirits of the Afterlife

Chapter 1 - Introduction

flashbacks in italic

thoughts in bold

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"In the worst of times, remember I'll always be there for you"

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Flashing lights and sirens filled the air in the street. A crowd was gathering around the vehicles as the authorities struggled to keep the curious eyes from disturbing the scene. The distinct cries of a child and the sobbing of the mother were heard along with the commotion of the intrusive mob and the sound of voices through radios and walkie talkies. This orchestra of horror and bewilderment and the blockade had caused cars to stop and their drivers to leave their vehicles to see what had happened.

There was a small city near the coast, a port town with few inhabitants that lived in relative peace. The ocean was a big part of everyone's lives, from the economy to a number of local superstitious beliefs regarding it. The town depended on the sea, and it was protected by it. There were few buildings on the coast, most were homes, but a short distance inland was where the centre of the town was. Mainly local stores, cafes and restaurants. The town was quite calm, to say the least.

The day was proceeding as normal, people returning from their jobs and students heading home from their afternoon classes. The two friends had been walking side by side since the school gates and were going to study together for an upcoming test. They were chatting casually about the day's events as they approached the crossroads that took to the beach or to a neighborhood where one of the friends lived, which was one of the most populated streets of the town. The students waited for the traffic light to change as the cars passed and the people went by their business, with a number of other civilians who were going by their chores and tasks. The traffic light turned red for the cars and the friends and the civilians started to cross the road, but one of the students saw near the end of the street a truck that did not seem to want to stop at the red light. 

And a child straying from its mother, standing still smack in the middle of  the street.

Acting on impulse, he dashed to the kid and pushed them out of the street in a quick action. His friend was shocked still at the beginning of the crossing, watching as the truck tried to brake, but alas it was too late. The vehicle was not able to stop.

The boy who saved the child's life had sacrificed his own.

Now the body had been covered and the police arrived to investigate. The mother of the child was the one who alerted the authorities in the first place. I didn't do anything. I was just frozen. I couldn't move. I could've stopped him, he was so close to me, I could've reached out to grab his arm, I could've done something, I could've helped him, I could've–

I couldn't do anything.

And I didn't.

I was still so in shock that I was just standing there, two steps away from the sidewalk, people crowding all around me, cars, trucks, ambulances, voices loud and all the other sounds louder, but I couldn't hear them. They felt... muffled. The colors and lights in front of me were getting blurry, all I could see was the front of the truck and the concealed body of my best friend, only his hand slightly sticking out from the side. And the blood. So, so, so much blood. So much blood that I had never seen altogether, not even in movies or games, and I thought I never would.

I  had to do something. I decided it would be best to call his parents. It was the right thing to do. Gathering some strength, I managed to look down at my phone that I was still holding, and I slowly moved my trembling thumb across the screen looking for his mom's contact, since his dad was out of town. It was hard to see. I could barely read it, but I was pretty sure it was her contact. My finger shakily hovered over the screen. What should I say? How should I say it? After all, I am telling a woman, a mother, that her son just died. I took a shuddering breath as my vision blurred more and more, and I collapsed.