Chapter Text
I opened the door to my sister's room, the shadow dreadfully haunting her space. My throat tightened. My eyes wandered over the lifeless hanging body, rope burns around her once gentle and soft neck. I unwillingly let out a pathetic sound, tears falling down my cheeks no matter how much I tried to hold them back. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground, trying to stop my emotions from overwhelming me.
That was three weeks ago.
My mother never got over it, her little baby's body hanging, a pushed chair underneath her. She fell into depression and alcohol bottles flooded our kitchen.
I handled it silently — cried alone, stayed close to myself in school. I knew it was partly my fault, her death. In school, people knew that too. Their judgemental glares pierced through me. Students and teachers whispered behind my back, pity in one's eyes, hatred in another's.
I'd lost weight. That was one of the more noticeable changes. And my friends, the ones who stayed anyway, noticed it too.
"Ive, you good?"
"Fine."
"...Uh-huh. Sure."
I sighed. Ellie was always on my ass whenever I seemed off, especially after finding out what happened. On top of that, recently I haven't been able to look at her. There's always something behind her. A shadow, a mutated figure, something. It had black hair, brown eyes. It was around everyone my sister or me know, but no one mentions it. Like the heavy burden of guilt and her death was silencing us. I'd spoken up about it, but everyone looked at me weird — like I'm insane. Ellie shrugged it off as sadness. Kane said I needed rest.
"Just... Stop bugging me."
"No one's bugging you, you're imagining shit."
Ellie locked me in place with a serious gaze, not letting me out of the situatuon — so I slammed the locker in her face. I was late to class anyway. I still had enough manners to mumble a "see ya" her way, but got no response. I walked into class and sat in the back, pretending not to notice the teacher stealing glances at me. Instead, I put in my earphone and leaned my head on my desk, drifting off into sleep.
"Ivene!"
My eyes snapped up at his yell. I straightened up, my gaze wandering around the room before settling on him.
"...Right. Sorry, I zoned out."
"Not an excuse, but I'll let you go. This time."
Another silent sigh escaped me. All I focused on was the clock's ticking, impatiently waiting for lunch break. Thankfully for me, it arrived quickly. I grabbed my phone and earphones, walking out and into an alleyway I always went to. Kane was already there, smoking.
"Hey."
" Hey. How'd you get here so quick?"
"Skipped class. Much more fun than listening to that horse talk bullshit for forty minutes."
His words made me chuckle. He had that talent, making me laugh. Like how my sister laughed. I took a cigarette from him, joining him on leaning on some rusty railing.
"Didn't you get caught?"
"Yeah, but my dad didn't make it a problem."
Good for him, I guess. I let my eyes reach up to his face, taking a good look at his caramel skin, his soft brown eyes. And the color-muted figure behind him. I felt sick to my stomach everytime I saw it. 𝘏𝘦𝘳.
"...Kane. Do you believe me?"
"About what?"
"The figure. My.. Sister."
He went silent at the question. I expected a yell or him turning away, or leaving me behind, or calling me crazy-
"Yeah. I do."
...Huh? Not the answer I was expecting, hence why I just stared at him with confusion.
"You heard me. Everyone deals with grief a different way. Maybe yours is... Seeing weird shit."
"Ha, what a comedian."
I put my headphones back on, not bothering with him or the phantom anymore. I had to go to class anyway or else Miss fatso would yell at me. Again.