Grey

Nothing to See Here

"Are you gonna act like this all night?"

Simon snorted, shoving some fries into his mouth. "Are you gonna keep asking stupid questions?"

Joey sighed as he pulled out of the drive-through. "Whatever, man."

Simon stared out the window as Joey's car sped down the road, back to campus. The McDonald's food sucked, but it was a little better than the food in most of the campus cafe.

Joey didn't seem to get that Simon didn't feel like talking. 'You're so quiet, bro,' he would say. 'Move on with life.'

He didn't read the papers.

Simon couldn't even read the papers. Not today, not tomorrow...

He didn't even understand how she died.

When the hospital lady had called him, all she had said was that they died of natural causes. But Simon didn't believe that- his father was still in his early 50s, and Julia was only eight. Eight years old- she had never hurt anyone. And yet someone found it necessary to hurt her.

His father's death wasn't as confusing. He had irked plenty of people when Simon was a kid- employers, business cooperators, etc. That was why they were always moving- that, or James got 'tired' of living somewhere. Simon hated moving- it forced him to not get close with anyone as a kid, to be alone in everything. He only had Cassius, and sometimes, his father tried to take that away from him, too.

Really, all it would take was a victim of his father's unpleasant natures to happen to be crazy...

It was dark outside. Simon hated going out late at night- he always saw things in the dark. Shadows that were darker than the night itself, hiding in the trees, pale figures standing on the sides of the roads...

He didn't tell anyone this, of course. He probably just wasn't getting enough sleep.

The car stopped.

"Hey, Simon."

Simon groaned, turning around. "What do you want, Joey?"

He froze. Joseph wasn't in the driver's seat...

In his place sat a young girl of maybe thirteen, her face gaunt and lifeless. Her eyes were a bright yellow, staring at Simon. A dark cloak was wrapped around her body.

"Simon, Simon, Simon. Do you want to play a game with me?"

"Where- who- who are you? Where's Joey? Get out of the car!"

The girl smiled. The action cracked her lips, a trickle of blood trailing down her chin. She didn't seem to notice. "Play my game, Simon," she said, her smile widening to reveal a mouth full of broken teeth. "You've practiced for so long... You have to start playing today."

Simon scooted backwards. "What? I'm not playing your games! Get away!"

She drifted towards him, so close that he could feel her breath on his face. It smelled like death- literally.

"I will make you play," she said lowly, "Or you'll become-" she paused- "-like your beloved Julie and Daddy."

Her imaged flickered, first to Julia. Julia, blue eyes wide, dark hair falling out of a headband. She looked scared, reaching out for Simon. "Simey! Help! Don't let them get me!"

Simon's breath caught in his throat. He moved towards her. "Julie?"

Her form warped into his father, with dark hair not unlike Simon's, and wild dark eyes. His face was bloodied in certain places, and a long scar ran across his cheek. "Simon, you worthless piece of trash," his father said, reaching for Simon. "You can't even save me!"

Simon kicked at his father's image. It yelled, and changed back into the ghostlike girl. She hissed.

"You dare attack me?" The 'girl'- for Simon knew it was no ordinary girl, but had a lack of substitutes to call it- was suddenly extremely close to Simon, her nose an inch from his. He swallowed, and from the corner of his eyes, he could see Joey's keys in the ignition. The girl, unaware, kept speaking, her voice malicious and sharp.

"You will die tonight, Simon Nov-"

Quickly, though not exactly swiftly, Simon reached past her and yanked the keys out. She lashed out at him, cutting his shoulder with her- well, what had looked like- fingernails, and Simon gripped the keys, stabbing her chest right under her collar bone. She froze, looking up at him in shock. Dark blood oozed out of the wound, and the keys remained stuck. She screamed silently, her face swirling into itself, skin ripping and mending until she began to burn. Simon jumped back, clutching at the at the car door. The girl gasped, feeble hands clutching at nothing, and whispered, before bursting into a screaming fire-

Nothing.

Simon panted, breathing heavily. He didn't move. His thoughts churned.

"S-Simon?"

Simon whipped towards the backseat, heart racing, to see Joey, cowering. "Where did he go?"

Simon stared at his dormmate, still not moving towards him. "What? Who?"

Joey pointed towards the driver's seat. "That guy with the gun, you idiot! How didn't you notice him? You must've done somethin' to get him outta the car!"

Simon gulped. For whatever reason, Joseph hadn't seen the girl, or Julia, or Simon's father. All he had experienced was some hitchhiker trying to jump them.

But why?

"I-I stabbed him with the keys. How did you get in the back?"

For a moment, Joey frowned, as if he didn't know himself. "I- I jumped back here when he opened the doors," he said. "That was one crazy heroin overdose."

Yeah, Simon thought, don't you wish it was only an idiot on drugs.

"Let's get back to campus. We can report everything later."

Joey climbed back up to the drivers seat, and Simon suddenly sighed. "Crap."

Joey looked over at him, turning the keys in the ignition. "What?"

Simon stared at the keys. "How- I just- I thought I stabbed-"

"Bro, chill out. I get it, you're shaken up about stabbing the guy, but it had to happen. Self defense, man."

Simon shook his head. "No, I-" He stopped, knowing that it was pointless. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

Joey grinned, and started to drive. "Aren't I always?"