Betrayl

"I was once a living soul, and now I am a spirit.” I talked to my faded reflection in the mirror, trying to make myself feel better. “I can move through walls and doors and float through the sky. I can hear and see things that no one else can, and I can feel the emotions of those who are still alive. But most of all, I can haunt the living and make them feel the terror that I feel."

I floated through the halls of my old home which burned to a fire, I perished along with it. I’ve been here since I died weeks ago, and no one’s been here since.

At least I thought I was alone.

I felt a presence around me, though I didn’t see it, it was there. I paused, unsure of what to do next, then I heard a voice call out to me.

A familiar voice, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I slowly floated in the direction of the voice only to find a woman standing in the middle of an empty room, a room in my house that I didn’t even know existed. She was wearing a black dress, sort of like a funeral dress, except that wouldn’t make sense because my funeral was days ago, and I don’t even know this lady, though she seems familiar.

She held a lantern with a faint light in her right hand, and she held out her left arm towards me, signaling for me to come with her. I took a deep breath and answered her call, moving towards her. As I did, the light became brighter until I was standing in a ball of yellow and white. 

She took me through memories, my memories, though I could not choose which one I could visit, the woman chose them for me. 

Who is she?

She showed me them all, from me being in the hospital when I was born to the day I died. It was as if I was on the sidelines like on my soccer team, speaking of which, I should visit them sometime. 

Before I knew it, I was at the scene of the crime, well the night of it at least. Why would the woman take me here? It’s not like there’s anything here for me. 

My living self was inside of my old bedroom a day before it burned down, doing my physics homework peacefully with my best friend Cadence in the room.

“C’mon, Cadence, you should ask him out!” I said, closing my notebook and placing it inside of my bag. “I’ll help.”

“I want to, but at the same time I don’t.”

“If you don’t do it now, someone will eventually ask him to homecoming.” I pointed out. 

Cadence paused. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course I am! I’m your best friend, you idiot.” I said.

“Drea, do you think I should go for it?” She asked me.

“Obviously!” I stood up “You’re hot, he’s hot, it would be amazing! Just ask him!”

She sat in her thoughts for a while, contemplating whether or not to ask him. Eventually, without saying a word, she packed her textbooks into her backpack and headed to my bedroom door, slamming it behind her. From my open bedroom window, I could see her walking onto the driveway and into a car that then drove off. 

Was she mad? Why was she mad? 

If only I knew it then.

I remember not feeling like eating dinner. I was hungry, yes, but I didn't want to go downstairs. 

But I should have. 

After this, I saw myself go to bed at ten. Everything normal until 10:23 on the clock hit. Just as alarming as a school bell, and the realization of you being late to a strict teacher's class, the room filled slightly with smoke, then a small fire. I opened my eyes and could see the flames growing bigger. I quickly jumped out of bed and ran into the living room. I looked around and saw the fire alarm blaring and my parents shouting at me to leave the house. 

All in all, it was a terrifying situation that I will never forget, even after death. 

The fire only grew bigger and surrounded my bed, blocking all exits. I was terrified and had no idea what was going on. As the fire grew, I realized that I was trapped and that the only way out was to crawl out the window and onto the roof. I was shaking as I inched my way out the window, and then I was on the roof and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. 

At least I thought there was. 

Then the roof caved in. I heard sirens and screams as everyone saw me, saw where I was standing. The wind whipped through my hair, and eventually through my body.

Then I fell. My heart pounded as the wind threw me, the roof giving up beneath me. Fear and exhaustion hit me at once, and I remember almost feeling like I could fly, like I was weightless, but then the fear rushed back as the ground rushed towards my face like an exhilarating race.

I fell into the fire, all because of her. The flames danced around me as I scanned my surroundings as I tried to comprehend what happened. I didn’t even move, I didn’t want to. I was afraid that even one wrong move would ruin my chances of survival.

But that’s not what ruined it. She ruined it. This was all her fault. 

I saw her as I fell, standing on the sidewalk with my family, staring in my direction and smirking. I didn't realize why until I fell all the way down. Before my vision went hazy, through the shriveled and burned walls, I saw her. My body couldn’t respond before paramedics got to me before I passed out.

I saw Cadence holding gasoline and matches in her hands.