Ghosts of the Living

Where dreams go to die

Wow! I didn't upload in a long time. This was sitting on my computer, so I thought I would share it. I don't know if anyone still reads this or is going to... But here you go. Who knows, maybe this one will be the one I finish. -maggie

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First there was darkness. An all consuming, thick darkness. I thought I would choke on it. I couldn't breathe--much less see anything.

It looked like I was in some sort of dark cave. I walked over to the walls and felt that they were damp and cold. Somewhere in the distance, I heard the faint drip drip of water as it slid down the walls into a puddle. It was cold in this cave and I saw my breath as it came out in short puffs of smoke. Where the hell was I? And how did I get here? For a moment I even forgot who I was. But then I remembered my name. Addie.

"Hello?" I called out to nobody.

I didn't know which way I should go to try to escape this tunnel. I choose the left and tried not to slip and fall. I lightly patted my head and felt my hair sticking to it in clumps. It was probably sweat. Gross. I went to smooth it down to put it up in a pony tail and found that my hand came back slick and wet. I could barely see anything, let alone my hand in this complete, utter darkness. I put it up to my nostrils and found that it had a strange, distinct odor to it. It smelled like copper pennies, like batteries, like--blood. Did I trip and hit my head or something? Is that why my memory was in chunks? Maybe I gave myself a concussion. From up above a small hole above me leaked in sunlight. I looked down and saw that I was wearing a long, billowing white dress that was ripped at the hem and caked in layers of mud. Looking at this my stomach started to cramp. This didn't feel right to me. I couldn't remember what I was wearing last but something in my gut told me that it wasn't this dress.

Then from out of nowhere my head starts to ache like nothing I have ever felt in my entire life. It brings me to my knees and I collapse on the cold, hard ground. I open my mouth to scream in agony but stop when I see a boy with a lantern standing in front of me, rubbing his temples and scowling.

"Could you not scream liked a damn banshee? I've got a killer headache and you're not making it any better."

I scramble to the corner as far as I can to put as much distance as possible between us. I probably look pathetic in my dirty dress, cowering in fear over a boy my age. My body starts to shake and I have no idea why. My heart starts to race and I feel like I might pass out any second from the lack of oxygen. I claw at my throat, gasping and writhing like a fish out of water.

"Sorry. I seem to have that effect on people."

He gives me a hand to help me up and I grasp it. It feels warm and safe and strong. I see his face better now that I am closer to the light. He has curly brown hair and bright blue eyes. He looks around my age but he carries himself in a way that makes him seem older than he really is. He is also very muscular and I must have been staring for too long because he coughs and Iooks down quickly,making my face burn bright with embarrassment.

"What is this place?" I ask, looking up at the dark ceiling.

"Crap," He mutters to himself.

"You don't remember anything that has happened to you? Nothing at all?"

I try to think back, but my memories are still in big chunks. I can barely remember anything, to be honest. Its like they are trapped in a smoky haze and its too hard for me to see them.

"I don't even know how I got here." I tell him while twirling the fabric of my dress between my fingers.

"Listen, Kid. What I say to you might not make sense. You might try to runaway or kick me where it counts...It has all happened before. But what I say to you is true. And I am sorry that it has happened to you and what not but it happened and nothing can change the fact that you are very much dead."