Ghost Boy

Ch 8. Running out of time

Running out of Time

I stare at the wall as Caleb sleeps. I can feel myself fading, fading fast. It's been almost a year since I died, and it has been hard. Knowing that I'm going to be invisible again, and knowing the possibility that he may not be able to handle it.
But I know he'll make it, he has Ivy now. He's a father, and has a new responsibility.
But I'm not going to lie, I'm scared..

I'm scared of what will happen.. not to me but my family, what will happen in the remaining years of their lives, those precious remaining days. I'm worried about what I'll miss, what Caleb will have to tell me, what they're going to do. How they'll grow, and who they'll become.

I'm afraid of leaving what I have. There is no heaven or hell just the place in between, there is no god who created us all, there's just the Grim reaper, Death, who looks nothing like we expected him to look like. He wears no cloak and carries no Sythe. He is normal looking, and he carries a large old book. The book of death.

Everyone dies eventually, I had accepted that by the time that I was 11. I just didn't expect my time to be cut so short.

Naya kept the promise we made when we were little after our aunt died. She didn't cry much when I died, but I know she wanted to.
Naya is strong, I always knew that and I admired her for it. I have always looked up to her, she protected keykey from being bullied when we were in middle school, and she did the same for me when I came out.
But I know she can only take so much.
She has sleep paralysis, and she confides in our brother, Jason.
Jason, Naya's twin.
My big brother, always quiet until he is spoken to, or unless he wants to speak. I remember when we were little, and someone asked me if he couldn't talk. I laughed, saying that he just preferred not to speak. He got made fun of for the large red birthmark on his arm. But he couldn't care less about what the other kids said about it. But he has always had a soft spot for our family. He and Naya both took college classes at night because they had to support us on their own. Naya had to learn to cook when she was 17 and Jason had to drop out of highschool just so he could get a full time job he later homeschooled himself and then went straight to college.

We all had a rough childhood but despite it all, we were happy. But I died, and that messed things up. My siblings are still adjusting to their life without me.
Naya has taken over the basement and now uses it as her hideout, the house is full of her yelling curses when she gets killed in her video games.
And keykey has taken up her potions and science experiments again, which never go as planned.
My brother, Jason started dating for the first time he and his girlfriend are pretty close. My sisters like her and so does Caleb, so I don't have anything against her.

A couple weeks ago Caleb got a call from Keykey, she was talking frantically and seemed scared.
Caleb ran over to my family's home to see keykey holding her bedroom door shut.
"What's going on sis?" He asked, "is there a spider in there?"

Key frowned, "I messed up, really badly."
Caleb raised an eyebrow, "how so?"
My sister sighed, "I was trying to make banana bread without bananas or bread-" Caleb snorts, "you do know that's not how you make banana bread, right?"
"Caleb, it came to life. It turned into a boy." Her face was dead serious.
She opened the door and there, on her desk, sat a boy.

He stared at Caleb, his expression not changing.

"He looks like you.." key muttered to Caleb, clutching onto his arm.
Caleb smiles at my sister, his expression changing, "and lock.."
Keykey walks up to the boy, "do you have a name..?"
The boy shakes his head, and Caleb simply smiles, "Owen.."
The bread-child thing looks at him, "Papa..?"
Caleb nods, "you have to stay here with your aunt keykey for now. Okay?"
The boy nods, and hugs him.
Caleb smiles

"Why did you leave him there?" I ask as Caleb sits in the drivers seat.

He sighs, "I can't take care of two kids right now.. I wish I was but I'm not.. besides, he'd think I'm crazy talking to someone who isn't there.." he laughs softly to himself. He's sad; sad that he can't help, sad that he can't take care of two children, and he's still sad about me.

I sigh, "I.. I don't think you'll have to worry about that for much longer..."

He looks at me, "What do you mean..?"

I force a smile, "my time here is almost over.. my family is happy, and you are getting better. I can feel myself fading Caleb.. it's painful knowing that you won't be able to see me but that's how it is.."

Caleb is silent.
That's never good.

He opens his mouth and then closes it again.
"... how long do you think you have left..?"

I can feel myself disappearing, this is going to be hard to say.
"I think.. I think I only have a few days left.. I don't know how many but I can feel myself fading.."

Caleb is silent, "... but I don't want you to go.. I'm not ready yet.."

I smile, "but you are.."