Flipped

1.3

We walked home very quietly for a few blocks, before Ava, Taylor, and then Mike quietly broke off for their own homes. All of us, lost in our own thoughts. After a few minutes the clouds broke above and the moon cast an eery glow over the elm trees in front and beside us.  It was still silent.  No more wind.  A lone car or two passed by.

    It was almost two when I crept back into the house and into bed. But I couldn't sleep. It was like all the dread I should have been feeling in the initial encounter was just delayed and it all came back to me now. It was the knowing that something big had happened but not being able to put my finger on it that was killing me. I'd felt that feeling before. Also in my room. At home, where you're supposed to feel safest. My dad yelling, slapping, slamming the door...

Around half past seven I staggered down the stairs and plopped into a chair around the kitchen table.  It was Saturday morning, and normally I would sleep until at least  one, but I knew there would be no more sleeping for me today.  No one else was awake yet.  I made myself some toast, stole some left-over cherry pie from the fridge, and sat on the couch.

    A few minutes later, I texted Mike.  We made plans to meet at McDonalds.  When I arrived, Ava and Taylor were already there.  All three of them sitting in the corner. With lattes. They weren't even talking to each other, just sipping their coffees. Ava was on her phone. I gave them a quick hi and slid into the booth. One look their eyes told me this was real.

"So you got the texts too?", I said, nodding at Taylor.

"From the creepy old man with the bad hair last night?" she intoned. "For about three weeks.  It was ridiculous. It's actually the third location I went to."

    That made me do a double-take.  "Wait, what?  Was anyone there the other times?"

    Taylor shook her head.  "Nope. I don't know why I even bothered to show up, really."

"Maybe he was waiting for all of us.  Also, did any of you notice how uncomfortable he was when Taylor asked any questions?  The man flinched, almost as if he was in pain."  Ava said.

The memory flashed on me. Ava was right, for sure. "Okay, right? Why couldn't he tell us any more?  Or even explain why he couldn't say more?"

    We sat silent for a moment. Mike turned to me. "Do you have any more texts?"

    I took out my phone and rifled through it, stopping suddenly. "Check your phone." I tried to keep my breathing level.

    Ava took her phone out of her pocket and started looking through her texts.  "Umm...they're not here."

Taylor looked up from her phone and also shook her head.

    Mike leaned back on his chair and rolled his eyes up at the ceiling and just laughed.  "Well then.  I guess it was just a dream. Things just get better and better, don't they?"

    "Well, honestly, I think we have to just treat it like a dream for now," Taylor said.

"What? Why?" Ava asked.

"That man gave us no real information.  What other option is there?  Research ghosts and spirits at the library?"

    Mike said, "yeah, let's become the ghost club.  So cool."

    A bad joke.  No one laughed.

"I think Taylor's right, we just have to move on for now."

    I walked home alone, passing whips of brown leaves, the occasional coffee cup or crumpled candy wrapper.  Two boys in bright t-shirts were walking towards me from across the street.