All Was Golden

F O U R T E E N

Ryan could feel the ground beneath him. The falling had stopped, but he couldn't be sure how long ago he had landed. He inhaled warm air and held his breath for a moment before exhaling. He didn't hear anything around him. Had it all been in his head?

"Ryan?"

A voice called out softly to him. The same voice that had told him to hold on. It sounded more familiar now. He knew that voice, though he hadn't heard it in years.

"Ryan." A light touch grazed his cheek. "Please, wake up."

Ryan opened his eyes. He was on the ground, looking up at a ceiling encased by shadow. To his sides were deep red walls that looked carved from stone. The shapes were jagged and hazardous to make the space he occupied. "Where am I?"

A hand was outstretched to him in response. Ryan took it out of pure instinct and allowed himself to be pulled up by whoever it belonged to. The hand let go once he was sitting up.

It took a moment for Ryan to find the hand's owner. At first, there didn't appear to be anyone with him. However, after rubbing his eyes and looking at a spot in front of him that seemed distorted compared to the rest of his surroundings, a figure began to shift into view.

It was a boy in light colored clothing. His hair was a bit long, having to be brushed away from his face to expose blue eyes that crinkled with the smile he wore on his bearded face. "Hello. Long time no see."

Ryan stared at the figure before him in amazement. It was someone he hadn't seen since highschool. A friend that he never thought he would see again.

He scooted closer to the figure and reached out. One hand went to his face, while the other combed back strands of his hair. "Spencer?" The question was a whisper that barley made it past Ryan's lips.

The boy continued to smile. "You remember me."

Immediately, Ryan pulled him into a tight hug. He choked on a sob, feeling tears role down his cheeks. Spencer held him back as he tried to find words to speak.

"How?" Was the one to finally escape him as he tightened his hold on the fabric of Spencer's shirt. It couldn't be real. It shouldn't be real, yet here Spencer was.

Spencer let out a soft laugh. "Just breathe first." He soothed.

Ryan choked on another sob. "You're dead." He couldn't bring himself to pull away from the embrace, "You were dead."

"I am." Spencer was the first to pull away from the embrace. Ryan reluctantly pulled back, letting his eyes dart over Spencer's features. He looked the same as he did the last time Ryan saw him. Spencer reached out and wiped a tear trail from Ryan's face. "I died back in highschool. This isn't exactly where or how I expected to see you again."

"How?" Ryan repeated. Looking at Spencer, he could only remember the way the news was brought to everyone and the comfort he had seeked from... Him.

"You've got friends on the other side." Spencer replied. Behind him, a veil of light seemed to spread from his back up into the air. "Well, you at least have one." For the first time, he frowned. "Oh, Ryan," he swiped more tears away, "what have you gotten yourself into?"

Ryan's head dropped. He didn't even know. He had thought he had the strength to go through the box of belongings in his closet that belonged to Him... It all started because he thought he could handle it. Then he found the key.

"The key." Ryan's head shot up as his eyes widened. He looked around the space they were in feeling panic rise within him. He had grabbed it in his hand...

Ryan hissed as a pain shot up his arm from his palm. He clenched his fist and brought it close to his chest. "Aah!"

"What is it?" Spencer's concern was nearly drowned out by an echoing laugh that filled Ryan's head. He shut his eyes tightly and bite his lip to keep from screaming again.

After a few more seconds of pain, the feeling faded. Ryan let out a sigh and dropped his head again. He felt drained, as if all the energy he had was zapped from him with the pain. "Where's the key?" He croaked. His voice sounded rough, as if he had just woken from a three day sleep.

Spencer was quiet for a moment. "Do you know where it came from, Ryan?"

Ryan lifted his head, despite the heavy feeling that made him want to immediately drop it back down. "Do you?" He countered, hoping to find some kind of answer to all of this.

Spencer shifted uncomfortably. "It's something that never should have wound up in your closet." He said, quietly.

Ryan tilted his head. "How do you know where I found it?"

Spencer sighed. "I've looked out for you for years." He locked eyes with Ryan. "You may not have been able to see me then, but I've always been with you."

"Even..." Ryan couldn't bring himself to say the rest. The words caught in his throat like leaves in a gutter.

Spencer nodded. "Even then."

"Wait." Ryan shook his head. "If I couldn't see you then, why can I see you now?" He looked at the walls around them. Red. Carved. Dark except for where they sat. "Where are we?"

Ryan was mid-turn when something on the ground caught his eye. The key sat partially buried in red soil. Ryan dusted the top layer away, though he was nervous to actually touch the metal again.

"We're somewhere neither of us were meant to go, Ryan." Spencer spoke as Ryan continued to eye the key. It was face down, so it's red eyes couldn't intimidate Ryan. "Thanks to that thing, we're stuck in hell."