Ghost Soldier

Chapter Three

Ashley's POV:

I scrambled away from the desk.

"No, no, no, no," I said. There was no way, absolutely no way, that Tommy had written that.

I bolted out of the room and down the stairs in record time. I could feel my body as it trembled. There really couldn't be anyway that that had just happened. I wasn't being haunted.

I scoffed at myself. Did I really just run out of my house because I thought I was being haunted? Walking back inside, I went back upstairs, grabbed the paper with the writing, and balled it up. Someone was just playing tricks on me, or my head was so deep in depression that I was seeing things. I would go see a doctor or something.

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I ignored Tank as he whine at the air by the counter. As he continued whining, and uncomfortable feeling descended over me. I tried to ignore that too.

"It's nothing, you're just depressed. That's all," I murmured to myself. I repeated this in my head as I picked up the phone and called my doctor. We chatted for a few minuted and got my appointment scheduled.

Hanging up the phone, I sagged against the counter. I felt completely exhausted and I couldn't even fight my urge to go to sleep. So, I dragged myself upstairs and made a stop by the bathroom.

Sighing, I opened the cabinet and took out my mother's sleeping pills. I decided I would only take one to help me sleep. But as I stared at the tiny pills in the bottle, I thought That just one may not be enough, and I just wanted to make sure I would stay asleep...

I dumped out a handful of pills and held them in my palm. I could sleep for a long time... Just as I was about to pop them into my mouth, my hand flew downward and the pills scattered. Startled, I glanced up into the mirror- and screamed. I saw Tommy's face and he looked absolutely livid.

I curled up into a ball and shuddered at the sudden cold.

"Go away, go away, go away," I chanted. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my legs tighter to my chest.

"Get up," he said icily. I clutched even tighter to myself, still chanting, "go away," to the room.

"Get. Up."

I chanced an upward look. Immediately I wished I hadn't. Tommy was still standing right over my balled up form, looking very solid, and very, very, pissed.

The room was now so cold that my body shivered and I could see my breath. The mirror began to frost over. If I had to guess, I would say that the water in the pipes was freezing up as well.

"Do not make me tell you again."

I took a big breath, trying to pull my courage together, then forced myself to get to my feet. I turned to look at him. He wasn't quite so solid now that I'd complied.

I couldn't stop the tears that flowed to my eyes as I looked at him. I didn't care if I was going crazy and the transparent figure before me was just a figment of my imagination. Everything about it looked like Tommy. The broad, musclar shoulders, thick torso, strong arms. All of what Tommy had been.

His eyes softened when a tear escaped.

"Don't ever think about anything like that again," he said, voice firm and commanding.

The tether on my emotions snapped. Everything I'd been feeling since I'd learned of Tommy and Ted's deaths came to the surface. Angry tears mixed with my sad tears. I started to shake from the anger boiling up inside me, my shivers forgotten.

"Don't tell me what to do! You have no idea what I'm going through, Tommy," I shouted. Now that I'd started, I couldn't stop and I continued ranting at him. "You don't know what it's like, waking up every morning, knowing you and Ted aren't here. You, of all people, know you and Ted were all I had. What the hell am I supposed to do without you?"

Sobs cut off my rant and I heard him sigh.

"Just disappear, or whatever it is that you do," I said when I could

"It always was just the three of us, huh?," he asked and rubbed the back of his neck.

I nodded. The three of had been stuck like glue before they'd joined the Marines. Even then, whenever they'd been home we were never far apart. 

I looked up at his slowly fading form and panicked.

"Where are you going?," I asked, the panic clear in my voice.

He looked over at me, confused. When he glanced down at himself, understanding dawned on his face. He became solid once more. I sighed in relief, but didn't understand why he was here in the first place.

"Why are you here?," I questioned. He rolled his eyes in a completely Thomas way that made me smile an actual smile. I never thought I would miss that action.

"First you freak out 'cause I'm 'disappearing' on you, and now you want to know why I'm here. Make up your mind."

It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Just answer my question."

He sighed.

"Before Ted died-" he cleared his throat- "He asked me to take care of you."

I gave him a confused look. He couldn't exactly take care of me in this state. At least not the way Ted had meant. Ted had probably meant "marry my sister an love her for forever" when he'd made that request. Ted had always wanted us to get married.

I shook my head, trying to refocus.

"But you're dead too. I'm not trying to harm your ego or anything, but you can't exactly take care of me this way."

He glared at me, and I let out a huff of air.

"I'm already doing a fairly good job. Who do you think locked the house up last night? Wasn't you mother and it sure as hell wasn't you. Who do you think made coffee? Your mother doesn't drink the stuff. And I'm sure you heard me feed Tank this morning."

I put my hand up to my face and leaned against the counter. He may have done all those things, but he wasn't actually here. I had to get that through my head. But my heart felt lighter knowing he was around; even if it was only in spirit.

"That doesn't answer my other question. Why are you here?," I asked, trying to draw away from my line of thought.

"I promised him. And for Ted, I never break promises."

"Even in death," I murmured to myself.

"It would appear so. Ted thought I would live through that ambush and make it home to you. But, even though I'm only a ghost now, I'm still going to do everything in my power to help you through this."

        I nodded and turned to leave the bathroom I'd had enough of this conversation. And I wanted to be alone with my thoughts.

"Ashley?," Tommy asked in a sorrowful tone.

"Yes?" I didn't turn to look at him.

"You know, you aren't the only one that lost someone. Your mother lost Ted too. So did I. I was there when he died. And I could poof myself into the afterlife so I don't have to deal with everything I feel. But I'm stronger than that. And you are too.. My point is you aren't the only one hurting, so don't act like you are."

Now I turned to face him, angry words on the tip of my tongue. But when I spun around, I was greeted with an empty bathroom.

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So here's chapter three. I hope any of you reading this enjoyed it :)