The Aliveagainers

25 - Coda

Everythin' seems to happen quick and slow at the same time. I see Micah' crumple down, his feet quiverin' once or twice and then layin' still in the snow.

And then they're here, creepin' and swirlin' in from the trees all around us. So many of them, all whisperin' and chatterin' and makin' their way towards us.

"Kayla! What do we do!?" I hear Jamie shout and he moves closer to me.

Caleb pushes him back again and grabs at me. He pulls at my arm and it explodes with pain. I shriek aloud, almost fallin' to the ground, and he lifts the handgun and holds it to my head.

"Keep them back, boy! I know you can do it! Keep them away!" he roars, his spit hittin' me in the face. He puts one hand up over to cover my mouth.

The Aliveagainers come closer, leanin' in. I look at their faces, their empty eyes, and it almost seems like they're laughin', enjoyin' what's happenin'.

"I'm tellin' you, boy! Send them back, or I'll kill her! Do it!"

Késhaun looks up at me with those big, beautiful eyes and they're fillin' with tears.

Then there's this long, wailin' noise that comes in from the woods and all the whispers stop and we all turn to see. From within the trees drifts another, slight and smaller than the rest. It floats into the clearin' and starts hissin' at the others. A few reach out to swipe at it but it somehow pushes 'em back with a wave of its arms and some unheard words.

And I know that it's her. She's come, she's been followin' me this whole time.

"What in the f-" grunts Caleb and for a moment he loosens his grip.

I push my head forward and bite down as hard as I can. I feel my teeth crunch into his hand, cuttin' skin and splinterin' bones. I bite down and pull back hard as I can and I feel one tooth rip out with a sharp pain but it's enough to make Caleb howl and he pulls his arm back.

"Run! Run!!" I shout as I try to pull myself free of his grip, spittin' bits of blood and bone out of my mouth. I stumble forward to the ground as he recoils.

I see Késhaun stare at me and his mouth just forms a big No.

I stand up and shout again, my voice full of pain and fear and anger. "Just GO!"

And in that instant I see a flash of movement then a burst of light and an explosion of noise. Instantly I'm thrown back, soarin' through the air.

Then I hit the ground and there is a crackin' sound and a sharp burst of pain in my leg. My eyes burn and dazzle with light and I fall sideways so my face is half in the snow. My head's spinnin' and I feel like I'm about to pass out but I lift my head and yell as loud as I can.

"Jamie, take him! Take him!" I cry.

I feel a fire in my belly and a terrible pain in my leg. I look up to see her right next to Késhaun and my heart drops.

But then she just floats there and he's lookin' up at her and he reaches out his hand and it looks almost like she touches him, ever so gently. And then she roars this awful noise and the other Aliveagainers howl and fall back into the woods and crows start cawin' all around us, their cries blendin' with the awful whispers.

I see the boys move down towards the path as she drifts close behind, shriekin' and hissin' at the other ghosts. Between them I see Késhaun glance back to me for a moment, then rushes away and he's gone.

"You want her!? Huh!?" I hear Caleb shoutin'. "You want her back? Well, you can't have her!"

My breath comes in big gulps and I roll my head back. I can just see his legs approach as he walks over to me and I close my eyes, waitin' for it.