3 Years Before-

"Whenever we pass on, we'll meet right here. If I pass first, my spirit will be waiting here for you," I heard my friend Anna say, her small hands in mine. We were in our favorite coffee shop in our favorite bookstore, and we were sipping our iced caramel mochas together.

"Yes, okay," I agreed, nodding and hugging her. She had beautiful brown curls, and deep amber eyes that glowed like honey. We were fourteen then.

Present Day-

"And now, our lovely Anna has taken to the highest place in the sky, bidding us farewell," the preacher said, my eyes welling up with tears. "Now, Michael, would you please come up and say a few words?" the preacher asked, directing all the attention to me.

I nodded, full of sorrow, and walked up to the pulpit. I wiped my eyes, and placed my hands on the coffin.

"Anna Michelle Ryan was a great friend, not only to me, but to her whole community," I said, my speech playing out. "Two weeks ago, we were walking home from school, and I had told her about this shortcut. It was on an abandoned road, and a car came, and...." I couldn't finish. It was such a hard topic to speak about, and at least three quarters of the church was fighting back silent sobs.

"And I couldn't get her out of the way fast enough," I finished, hot tears streaking down my face. The bright headlights and our screams ran through my mind in an never-ending cycle, forcing me to wobble down from the pulpit. I almost fell on my face when I reached the last step, but Anna's mother caught me.

"Are you okay?" she asked me, her face wet with tears. I nodded, but she didn't believe me.

Remembering

When Anna and I were walking home, a large FedEx truck came soaring towards us. I tried to push Anna out of the way, but I didn't move fast enough. Her lower back was run over, and my legs were run over. I remember the FedEx guy stopping, grabbing Anna and I, putting us in his truck, and the world going dark.

When I woke up next, I was in a hospital room next to Anna. Our beds were only a few feet apart, but it felt like we were a million miles away from each other. She was out cold when I opened my eyes, and there were people just crowding me. Doctors, family, friends, and even the FedEx guy. My mom told me that we had been rushed to the hospital and put on life support, both of us. The doctors said that I would need a crutch for the rest of my life, because of how badly one of my legs had been damaged.

As Anna's father was telling us how long we had been asleep, - a week - Anna's heart rate machine made a long beeping sound. She had flatlined, and she was dead. People all over the room started weeping even harder, especially Anna's parents. It was all too much for me, so when I heard my little brother scream about my head lolling back, I just rolled with it.

Back At The Coffee Store

I opened the large mahogany doors of the bookstore, and I hobbled over to the counter of the coffee shop. Karen, the lady who had always been Anna and my server, walked over. When she saw me, her forehead wrinkled up and I saw a tear come down.

"The usual?" she asked, her tender voice cracking with every syllable. I nodded, trying to keep my eyes from where I had sat every time before, with Anna, but something kept drawing me to that spot.

"Mike," I heard Anna say. My head whipped around to our old table, faster than a speeding bullet, but no one was there. I turned back to Karen, who had my drink out in front of me, and grabbed it. I sat down at the farthest edge of the counter, and put my hood up. I sat my crutch up in front me, sticking out from in-between my legs, and sipped on my coffee. It tasted differently, like all the sweetness of the caramel had been taken out from it.

I put the money for the coffee on the old, dusty counter, took my crutch, and walked away. I walked out from the doors, and back down the street, only stopping when I saw a familiar figure sitting by her lonesome at my old table. I ran with all my might, barely keeping myself up, and stormed past the doors of the bookshop, once again.

"Finally, Mike. I've been waiting," Anna said, plain as day. I saw her there, at our table, an iced caramel mocha in her hands. She looked completely different from when I had last seen her. She had no scratches, and you couldn't even tell that she had been in the hospital.

Reunion

I walked over to her, tears streaking down my face, and I engulfed her in a hug. She felt warm, and she made me feel warm. I bounced her brown curls and I looked deeply into her golden eyes, trying to figure out if I was hallucinating.

"What happened?" she asked, pointing to my crutch. I told her about the accident, the hospital, and everything that had happened since. I told her about how I refused to ever walk home from school again, and how I pledged to never be outside after dark.

"Well, silly. I've been waiting. Didn't I tell you that I'd be here?" she questioned, making me think over our promise. I nodded, tears just streaking down my face. She then asked, "Do you want to walk again?"

I made a face that questioned everything I had ever known. I couldn't walk again. All the nerves in my left leg had been fried, and my muscles were too weak to support it. She shushed me, and told me to close my eyes. I did, and then I felt her warm hands on my thigh, and my crutch fell.

"Haha!" I exclaimed, so happy that I felt that I could do anything. I lifted her up in my arms, thanked her, and we looked into each others eyes. After a few moments, I put her down, and we kissed. We walked out together, hand in hand, and we went back down the street.

When we walked past the cemetery, she asked if we could go in. I told her that I was fine with it, but only if we stayed away from the streets, because it was getting dark out. As we walked past the narrow lines of gravestones, Anna gasped.

We saw a stone that read, "Anna Michelle Ryan, 10-31-2006 - 03-09-2023, Beloved daughter and girl-friend" She buried her head in my arms, and whispered to me, "They really thought I was dead?"

"Yes. I mean, you flat-lined in the hospital. Your heart stopped working. It was all my fault," I said, my masculine voice fading into a mumble. The moon was full as we walked home, and I held onto Anna's hand so tightly, not wanting to lose her again.

"Michael?" she asked, her voice dropping.

"Yes?" I answered.

"There is something I have to tell you."

"Then tell me."

"I have to go," she said. She looked up at me, her face becoming more and more pale, and streaked with tears.

"What?"

"I love you."

"Anna. What is going on?" I asked, practically begging to know what she was talking about.

"Do love me?" she asked, her voice fading away again.

"Yes, but why are you asking?" I said, holding her hand even tighter.

"Goodbye," she said, and she just vanished. When her hand disappeared, I fell on my knees. Then, the ground rushed up to meet me.

Realization

I woke up, but in a different place. I had fallen with Anna on the sidewalk near my house, and I woke up again in the hospital room. Anna's machine was still making the sound, but stopped a minute after I woke up.

"Mickey? Can you hear me? It's Mom," she asked, and I could tell her voice was full of tears.

"Yeah, Mom. I hear you," I answered.

"You went unconscious just after Ana's machine went off, and..." she said, not daring to finish.

"You thought you lost me?" I said, basically finishing her sentence.

She nodded, and my final realization came into my mind. It was a dream, and I had imagined it all. Then, I saw Anna's face in the window, while she was in the bed next to me. She smiled at me, I smiled back, and she disappeared for the last time. I started to quietly sob again.

"What's wrong," my mother asked me, but I just shook my head. Nothing was wrong. Everything was alright.