Phantom [h.s]

Four

I stare at the window for a moment after he jumps, completely appalled.

"Jane, I'm h-" My mother steps into my room and stops when I turn around to look at her. "Jane, what's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

The complete irony of her statement makes me let out a small laugh, shaking my head.

She stares at me.

"Sorry, no, I'm fine," I say, quickly stopping my brief laugh. "I'm fine."

"Why is the window open? It's not that hot in here, is it?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure it works," I lie.

"Oh." My mother nods. "Alright. Well, I'm going to get started on dinner."

"Okay." I watch her walk out and turn back to the window as soon as the door shuts.

I lean out slightly to look at the ground, scanning the entire backyard for Harry. He's nowhere to be found.

I look over at my bed, where he was lying. The sheets are smooth and look untouched-odd, for having been sat on for who knows how long.

I sit down on the bed and think.

Harry is dead. There is no way any breathing, living person could project that type of odd cold feeling on me. I felt it truly within me, unlike any other cold I've known existed.

What does he want from me? My mother came home before I could ask him.

Damn it, Mom.

Despite being completely confused and utterly stricken at the fact I was just practically contacted by the dead, I can't help but be intrigued. H.S. is Harry Styles, a sarcastic dead boy that showed up on my bed today, who clearly needed something if he previously planted the box, photograph, and necklace in my room.

I realize that Harry Styles is the answer to the question asking if there is life after death.

Somehow I know I need to keep this to myself, similarly how I knew I had to keep the photo and box to myself.

I get up and look back out the window, my eyes sweeping the large backyard for any sign of the peculiar boy.

And despite being completely befuddled and a bit weary of this entire ordeal, I want to see him again.

-

"Some species of lizards have the ability to shunt their blood, enabling them to separate their tail limb from the rest of their body when threatened, thus scaring aw the predator."