A Chosen Fate

Cheryl ran to the window, in fear. He needed to be safe, and she couldn't let them hurt him. Her little brother. He hadn't had a chance to live life to the fullest yet.

She peeked through the cracks of his curtain-covered window. He was fine, sitting on his bed, but he had a sad look on his face. The alarm had just gone off a few minutes ago. Cheryl wanted to tell him that she was okay, but that would be a lie.

She remembered this secret knock she and her brother had created when they were younger. It had a specific rhythm to it that Cheryl only faintly remembered.

As her fist rose up to the window to knock, she stopped herself and thought better of it. He would need to be prepared for the news that was about to come. She waited for him to shower, so that when she yold him, he would be more alert and ready for the horrible news.

~~~

James walked out of the washroom, now fully dressed and alert. He looked to his door, as if his sister would barge right into his room at this very moment. She usually did.

But no sound came. From the empty feeling in the house, he could tell that Cheryl hadn't come home last night. He was alone, which didn't happen very often.

His siter, Cheryl, usually came to his room to get him up and ready for school, no matter how many times he complained that he was sixteen years old, and he could take care of himself.

She alwayd laughed it away though, completely ignoring him, pushing him out the door to leave for school, while she packed her own bags. She was eighteen, only two years plder, and already acted like a mother.

He rolled his eyes and laughed to himself, though a feeling of loneliness crept through his body.

He was all alone in his house.

His mother had died when he was only three, and Cheryl five. Their father had been devastated and became a drug addict, spending countless nights out of the house, leaving Cheryl and James alone most of the time.

And when he was home, he was never himself. He started abusing James, though Cheryl always stood up for him. It always resulted in Cheryl getting hurt, which hurt James too on the inside, every time. Cheryl always stayed positive though, and assured him every night that everything would be okay.

As James packed his school bags, he heard a soft knock on his window. It sounded familiar, with a certain rhythm to it that reminded him of when they were kids, pretending to be spies and creeping around the house. Back then, their family was a whole, and not broken.

He looked up to see a shadow behind the curtains. He jumped.

When did that get there?

James opened the curtains and there stood his sister, with not even a scratch on her, from what he had seen. He sighed in relief. She was okay!

"Cheryl! You're finally here! What took you so long? Where were you all night?" Questions poured out of him as he stared at his sister in awe.

Cheryl put a finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet. He opened the window to let her in. "Why can't I talk?" he whispered, slightly scared.

Cheryl gave him a harsh stare, shaking her head. He gulped. She was never mad, or even agitated, so this had to be important. He kept his mouth shut and listened.

"I have bad news, James," she started.

James looked at her, sligjtly incredulous. "Why are you allowed to speak while I am not?"

She glared at him. "Just be quiet, okay? Anyway, I need to tell you to stay at home today, so don't go to school, because–"

"No school?" James interrupted. "YES!" he cheered.

She glared at him once more. "I forgot how childish you are, no matter how many times you say you are old enought to take care of yourself. So shut up and listen to me, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!" he saluted.

She sighed, "I can't tell you anything more than I love you. But I won't be there to help you anymore, You've grown up, even though it doesn't seem so, and you need to find someone more trustworthy than me to take care of you, because obviously you can't take care of yourself. Stay safe, and go live with someone you trust, Don't go to mom's cemetery, no matter how much you want to see her, and forget about me."

This was too much. Forget about Cheryl? She was basically his whole life.

"I'm sorry, did I hear you right? I think I heard something about you leaving me, which is going to be impossible until the day you die," he stated triumphantly.

She looked at him sadly. "Well, that day has already come," she opened the window, and as she climbed out she said, "Stay safe!"

"Wait!" James shouted as she slammed the window shut. He sighed. "Well, I'm definitely not going to school now," he mumbled to himself as he got up, opened the window, and climbed out to follow her.

She was out of the busy streets in no time, not even stopping to say 'excuse me,' which was odd, as she ran through the streets. He ran after, glad that being on the track team had paid off. Panting, he finally reached her. Cheryl was at the exact cemetery she had told him not to go to.

"Why is she here?" he asked under his breath.

Apparently, she had super hearing, because she turned around, her eyes widening as she saw who jt was. "James!" she screamed, making him jump. "Why are you here?"

He put his hands up in surrender, her screeching voice scaring him. "Surprise?" he asked sheepishly.

She glared at him. She seemed to be doing that a lot today. He flinched in response, saying, "Okay, I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. You know how curious I am!"

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "I was trying to protect you!" Her eyes widened as she saw something behind him. "James, run!" she screamed.

James was frozen though, his eyes wide, He had seen something on the ground, a body. It was Cheryl's body, blood fresh from only a few hours ago, staining the grass red. He turned around, and a split second later, he was impaled, with a knife to the stomach. He looked up to see a group of men staring at him with wild, frightened eyes.

"You don't belong," said the one who had stabbed him. "People like you aren't needed on Earth. You can die like all the others, the ones who see and talk to ghosts."

His last words rang in his ears as his world blurred away. So all this time, Cheryl was...dead? He closed his eyes, finally understanding her words, wishing he could change what he had chosen as his fate.

~~~

Yeah, now that I read this story I wrote years ago, I see how much I could improve it...

but I dont feel like it hAH. This was how the story was originally, and I've decided to keep it that way.

This isn't proofread so I'm sorry ;-;

Anyway hope you liked this mini short storyyy now byeee :D

- Drey ♡