~Gunshot~

~The Unseen~

The unseen

I was standing back in that alley, back where my life was ended. Where my life was taken from me. Taken from me for an unknown reason. I walked over to where a faint trace of blood lay. I crouched down over the dark patch. I placed my fingers on the cold ground. I ran my fingers over my patch, it seemed sharp yet smooth, bumpy yet soft. That small patch of earth was the only trace left...

Suddenly I heard voices behind me. I stood up quickly and turned around. A small group of kids around my age were walking towards me. They stared right at me...

Right through me.

They continued to walk towards me. They were laughing, joking and complaining about homework...like me. That's what I would be doing right now...if I was alive that is. I would be walking home from school with my friends. Talking about what's on TV tonight and dreading a piece of maths homework for Mr Sharp...

They were really close now, so close that I could touch them. One of them shivered. A shiver that I recognised all too well. It happened to me on a regular basis, it flowed from her head to her toes causing her to shake all over. The others laughed at her before proceeding to walk on.

To walk right through me.

If felt as if my organs were being pushed together, compressed into a tight ball. I felt so suffocated and heavy. Once they had left my body I fell to the floor landing in a heap, coughing and desperately gasping for air. I was met by the harsh reality of none.

Ghosts.

That's what I must be now. That's...we are...what cause the breathlessness. We're who cause the coldness. I sat back down on my heels and stared around the back lane. It was such a normal place, an important part of everyday life for everyone. So normal yet such a dark place...such a dangerous place. Anything could happen.

I closed my eyes for a minute, trying to sort out this mess in my head. When I reopened my eyes I was cramped, surrounded. Stuck in a small square on the floor as others wandered around me. Some were moaning, some were crying and some were just standing there with blank expressions on their faces. No one seemed to acknowledge each over, like they couldn't see each other. Men, women and children of all ages. The only thing they had in common was they were all ghostly pale and translucent in colour...like me.

I blinked.

They were gone. I was left alone once more. Alone in the back alley with only a couple of black bins for company. I stared down at my blistered hand, it didn't seem as bad. It too was pale in colour, I was a ghostly grey colour all over. There were others like me, loads of people like me. I had just seen ghosts...but they were gone, had I seen ghosts? But then again you can't see a ghost, not even after death.

"Ellie? Oh honey not you! You're too young for this!"

Whispered a shaky voice. I jumped to my feet with my eyes darting around searching for where the mystery voice came from. Nothing. Nothing apart from a few bins and crisp packets floating around in the wind.

"Sweetheart, it's me" repeated the shaky voice.

"Grandma..." I muttered. As a ghost seem to step out of the rusty wall. She was the same ghostly grey colour as me, as the rest of us. She was still wearing her familiar long flowery dressing gown with the matching pink slippers and hairnet. I gazed at her in total awe. I opened my mouth ready to speak to her...something I hadn't done in such a long time.

"No, I have to go honey."

She stated looking longingly down the street. What? She had just got here! I haven't seen her for three years! She can't just get up and leave me again! I refuse to be alone again, I've been alone ever since that bullet smacked into my chest.

"Where" I said dumbly.

"The afterlife..." She whispered.

"Heaven is too full, hell is too full, the earth is too full so we have to go to the afterlife".

So she is going to leave me, she steps out of a wall and almost straight away just leaves me, alone again in a damp back lane. My mind started to tick, I had to stay with her I wasn't going to be left on my own again.

"Can I come with you?" I asked quickly as hope filled my quivering voice. I walked towards her my eyes fixed on her hairnet. She put up her hand as if to stop me in my tracks.

"No" she said flatly as once more she gazed down street hopefully.

"What?"

"No, you have to stay and answer to your unanswered question" She told me quietly.

I was confused.

"Wait!"

My grandma was walking down the street towards an amazing bright light.

"You can't just leave me!" I yelled.

She was saying over and over again as she walked closer to the light. I watched as she stretched out her hand towards the dazzling light. I gave up.

"What's your unanswered question?"

"You"

She was gone, gone along with the great white light. I was left again. Even more confused than when she arrived. The word "you" seemed to bounce off every surface and echoing through my body. I had to find that answer to that unanswered question:

Why did that moron shoot me!

{>.