A Lost Ghost

Chapter 16: Back From The Dead

   My body doesn't know what to do. I just stand there looking stupid. My jaw is on the floor. My heart pounds rapidly inside my chest. I don't have to do anything because Matrix darts over, grabs my jacket, and yanks me in for a tight hug. I don't hug him back at first. I'm in too much shock. I stare into Dice's blue eyes. There doesn't appear to be a burn on him. Finally, I snap out of it and hug Matrix back. I can't stop the tears now. No matter how hard I try. They stream down my face. All this time of blaming myself, hating myself, and it turns out they were both still alive all along. Matrix pulls away. I have to blink a couple thousand times to make sure I'm not dreaming.

"I...I thought you were dead," I croak. He laughs and shakes his head, his eyes red and glassy. I can tell he's trying so hard to keep the tears from flowing.

"C'mon. You and I both know it's gonna take more than a SAM to kill me."

I laugh, quickly wiping away the tears with the back of my hand.

"Look at Lazarus over here. Back from the dead."

My eyes flick to Dice as he walks over. He stares at me with that half smile I usually find really annoying. He holds out his hand for me to shake. I chuckle as I take it.

"For once, I'm actually happy to see you," I say. He snickers.

"I'm always happy to see you, Bink."

I roll my eyes and glance over at Matrix again. My brows furrow as I look down at his bandaged-up ankle. I point to it.

"What happened?"

He raises an eyebrow, his eyes looking me up and down.

"You're worried about me? Binky, you're kinda bleeding...everywhere."

My eyes narrow as I look down. The blood is seeping through my pant leg. The bite marks around my ankles are steadily oozing blood. The Russian guy grabs my arm and motions for me to sit down at a table in the middle of the room. I do, and it's not until then that the stinging pain rushes back.

"How'd you get so banged up?" Dice asks. I scoff and shake my head. Where do I begin?

"Well, first, I fell off a cliff. Then I got shot. And then I got attacked by a pack of wolves, like, an hour ago."

That was only the physical damage. I could talk about Akio, the nightmares, Mei-Xing, but I don't.

Matrix laughs.

"Sounds like you were having loads of fun."

"Fun. Yeah. That's what I'd call it."

The Russian guy comes back with a whole first aid kit. I glance at Dice and Matrix and then nod towards the Russian.

"Who's he?"

Dice laughs and shakes his head.

"This here...is the Russian Friend."

My eyes widen as I look at him.

"You're real?"

"No. I'm just a figment of your imagination."

I roll my eyes. That's on me for asking a stupid question. I watch as he tends to the puncture wounds. I roll up my pant leg and cringe as I see my gunshot wound. The stitches are torn out. Blood cakes my thigh. Matrix and Dice grimace as they stare at it. The Russian disinfects the puncture wounds and my gunshot wound. I look away and bite my knuckles as he stitches the gunshot wound back up.

"What...happened to you guys?" I wince.

"After we ejected, I broke my ankle on impact. I was lucky enough to stumble across this schmuck in the woods."