The Ghost of You - Phan

Alone

Ok hi, I've noticed a few people have added this to their library, so thank you so much! But I'd like to apologize in advance if the chapter placement is a bit weird. I honestly don't know what happened in the production of this book, but Wattpad decided to screw me over! If you see a duplicate chapter, please just skip over it, because there's no way of me deleting these duplicates. It could just be my phone playing up, but please let me know! The chapter placement should be:

Alone
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Anger

_________________________

It replayed in my head again and again. I could picture it clearly. I saw a hooded figure surrounded by nothing but darkness, brandishing a sharp knife. I saw a second figure, his tall frame cowering at the sight of the other, who was now approaching him, making the presence of the weapon known. I watched the events unfold, and I held my arms around me, a poor attempt at comforting myself, frozen to the ground and unable to do anything, as I already knew what was about to happen.

I turned away, hearing the shrill, ear-splitting screams of the second man, and after the sounds had stopped, I couldn't bring myself to look back at the scene, only able to hear the retreating footsteps of the murderer and the dying sobs of the victim.

"Phil..."

*

I woke up in a cold sweat, my face drenched in tears, and instinctively, I reached out to the other side of the mattress, only to retract my hand again upon reminding myself that no one was there to hold it.

I sat up decidedly, knowing that I would be physically unable to get back to sleep without being haunted by the nightmares. This wasn't a wise decision, though, as my thoughts caught up with me again, like a predator hunting it's prey.

Dan and I had been married for just over a month when it happened. I remember how happy we were that day. We spent every moment together, both of us disregarding the tradition that the couple weren't to see each other before the ceremony; he told me how he couldn't bear to spend too much time away from me, which I teased him for for being dramatic, but secretly, I thought it was the most romantic thing ever.

I shook myself out of these thoughts; they'd only end with me in hysterics, instead, I dragged myself out of bed and towards the window, where I could look out and watched the world go by.

In the distance, I could see the faint outline of the London eye, which reminded me painfully of Manchester, where Dan and I had first lived together. It seemed like a forever ago.

*

One afternoon, we were out on the town, doing Christmas shopping, when he'd suggested going on the Manchester eye. I'd agreed enthusiastically and let him drag me by the hand towards it, and we stood in our own compartment. I watched him gaze out of the glass walls, admiring the vast landscape, and I crept up behind him, wrapping my arms around his torso. As I kissed the expanse of his exposed neck, he laughed, pointing out our favourite places in the city as he spotted them; it was honestly a shame when we had to get off.

*

Tears began building up in my eyes again, remembering that simple moment in our life, how we'd never get to make memories like that again, and the water fell, the stream becoming a river. It didn't take long until I had collapsed into the floor, a screaming, shivering heap.

*

I was woken up by a knock on the door, and though I knew who it was, I was reluctant to answer. I was still on the floor, and upon rubbing my eyes, it seemed that I had been crying in my sleep. The knocking was louder now, drilling into my head relentlessly. Groaning, I stood up, reaching the front door in a few long strides, opening it to see Louise.