Ghost of a Hero

Being the Main Character Sucks

Cooper sunk into the couch. His eyelids drooped, and his head began tilting to the side.

"Cooper," I whispered his name. He opened his eyes slightly.

"Yeah?" He asked. He sleepily blinked at me, his brown hair a mess.

"Let's get you to the guest bedroom," I whispered back.

He sleepily shook his head. "No. I don't want you to leave me. I'll see my twin again in my dreams. You're good luck."

I froze. He never mentioned Angel as 'his twin.' He always mentioned Angel as 'him.'

"We can't sleep here, silly." I nudged him again as his eyes began to droop.

"Can we go to your room?" He sleepily mumbled into the couch.

Damn, he was cute when he was sleepy.

"Sure. I can't sleep on my bed, anyway." I whispered back.

He sleepily stood up, a blanket hanging off his shoulders. Hugging a pillow, he slowly shuffled up the stairs. I floated behind him, ready in case he tripped. He walked down the hall, pausing outside my room. His head drooped a tiny bit.

"Cooper, you have to open the door," I whispered. He nodded his head, reaching for the door handle. He turned it slowly, shuffling quietly to my bed. He looked at the floor and then at me.

"I'll take the floor," He yawned sleepily.

I sighed. He always said that. Never, once, would he ever take the bed.

Pulling the blankets off the bed, I helped Cooper place them on the floor in a nest. He curled up immediately, humming in contentment.

"I know you can't hold my hand without your body, but will you stay next to me until I fall asleep?" He asked quietly. His eyes were mostly closed.

I resisted the urge to reach out a hand and tuck an unruly hair back into place. "Yeah, I'll stay. I'll keep the nightmares of your twin away. I couldn't leave you alone anyway. You'd give me hell for it, silly."

'Dead twin' was what I almost said. I'm so glad I didn't.

Cooper sighed in contentment, his breathing evening out.

The saddest part was that I knew Angel. He and Cooper were inseparable from birth. They seemed like such a perfect family until that fateful day.

I guess looks can be deceiving from the outside.

It said on the news that Cooper's father was suicidal. Cooper and Angel walked into the kitchen where their dad was preparing to slit his throat. Angel tried to stop their father. Cooper ran to get their mother. Angel was stabbed by his father multiple times. Their father stabbed himself shortly after.

When the police arrived, they were both dead. Cooper was holding Angel's body.

They had to physically drag him away from the scene of the crime.

Ever since then, Cooper has seen glimpses, hallucinations of his brother. PTSD is what they call it. Sometimes he'll go months without seeing Angel. One day he'll have another hallucination, and the memories will all flood back. He dreams of Angel too.

I guess having a sibling die like that will haunt you for life.

I know my birth mom's death still haunts me.

The quietest squeak of door hinges caught my attention. I shouldn't have heard that. I glanced at Cooper. He was asleep. Should I check it out?

Soft footsteps paused on the ground downstairs. Someone was in our house.