Talk To Me

Chapter zero

February seventeen

No amount of knowledge prepared Leah for her current existence. The numbness and emptiness were all she could sense. Though she often felt fuelled by anger and despair, the forest calmed her down. Perhaps being in such close proximity to her body brought some comfort.

The girl who once felt fascinated by the ability to see spirits, now became one of the spirits herself. Leah was dead, she died four days ago, to all ordinary people the ghostly stage usually was confusing, but Leah was different, and soon after dying she found a purpose in her death.

She guessed the day held warmer, she but couldn't sense the warmth on her face as her gray eyes peered at the shadowy sky. She used to love looking at the sky, trying to make out the cute shapes of the clouds, but now all of them looked dull.

Leah bent down her head, staring at the pile of leaves, knowing what the brown petals hid. If only she could expose the content of the pit, her job would be much easier, but even in death life seemed not easy. A sudden loud sound echoed through the woods, capturing the girl's attention.

The sound moved closer to her as she turned to look toward the naked bushes. The owner of the noise appeared from behind the trees. His brown fur glistened in the sunlight and the leaves crackled as he ran toward the pit. He barked a few more times, halting in front of Leah.

"What is it, Duke?" the man yelled, following his dog. He stood, panting. A gust of smoke left his mouth as he exhaled the last heavy breath.

The dog looked at Leah and barked one more time, tilting his head to the sides.

"Can you see me?" Leah asked, and the dog's ears stood up from her echoed voice.

Leah nodded as she realized the dog could, in fact, see her. She squatted, peering at the dog. Duke yelped, looking at the ghostly woman.

"Duke!" the dog owner yelled, scratching the top of his head.

Leah grabbed a small branch, knowing very well she couldn't capture it. She looked at the dog one more time and pretended to throw the twig into the pile of brown leaflets.

"Fetch," she said, observing the animals' reactions.

Duke acted swiftly and ran into the pile of leaves, his ears flapping against his head. The dog almost vanished as his brown fur remained hardly visible in the petals.

"Not again, Duke!" the man said, heading closer to the pit.

As the hiker approached his dog in swift steps, he noticed a white cloth sticking out of the pile.

"What have you found, Duke?" the man asked, grabbing the dog's collar.

Soon, the man restrained his dog by the collar and tied the animal to the fir tree stump. He came back to the pile, trying to investigate what hid underneath the pile of leaves. He tried to pull on the sheet but felt defeated.

The man wiped his misty forehead with the sleeve of his jacket as he dug through branches and leaves. Seemed like the wind came to help as the breeze captured some of the leaves, carrying them through the mossy ground.

Soon the man uncovered all branches, finding a large white cloth. It wrapped around something, he leaned closer to examine what lay covered in the sheet. As he slowly unfolded the sheet, the sight of his discovery made him lose his balance and he fell on his buttocks. A loud gasp left his mouth as the dog barked again. The forest echoed from Duke's voice until the hiker truly learned what he discovered.

The sheet hid a girl, almost as pale as a cloth she remained wrapped in. Her lips appeared blue, purple bruises covered her entire body. Her long brown hair seemed frozen, it held loose, and a significant portion of the hair lay underneath the girl. The most striking part seemed to be her silvery eyes looking up toward the sky. A golden locket with a thin chain hung around her neck, and it lay on her bare chest.

Leah smiled upon seeing the scene in front of her. They found her, and all she could do now was wait. She vanished, and the old man with his dog stood truly alone in the woods near the Bellamy River.