Chapter 4 - Less then a Second

Jessica

I still don’t get how he doesn’t sink through chairs and… he can touch some things but not others. I don’t think he gets it either. He’s upset, and hurting a lot underneath. Maybe he regrets jumping. I think he does. In fact I’m pretty sure he does.

 

Charlie

We’re sitting by the sea. Jessica’s next to me. The last glints of sunshine are streaked across the dusty sky and reflected onto the glassy water. The pebbles make sitting uncomfortable although we’ve spread a blanket underneath us. I don’t get this ghost business. I haven’t seen any other ghosts… I haven’t even seen my mum. I can’t be the only one! I won’t be…  

We’re not talking. But we don’t need to. I feel peaceful, very peaceful. There seems no need to disturb the night air. We sat up all of last night talking. I told her about my life. About my… jump.

 

My mum died 3 months ago. Breast cancer. She was an incredible woman. Everyone she met loved her. She took part in all these charity events, always thinking of other. She looked like me apparently. Her funeral was quiet and beautiful. But her death wreaked our lives. How long do you think it takes for someone’s life to go down the pan? The answer is it can take less then a second. The second she passed away I knew that there was no more hope left. I was right. Dad started drinking. Not small amounts either. He used to go to the pub each night and never come home. I had to go looking for him. I used to find him at the side of the road. His clothes were wreaked and he was lying in a pool of his own vomit. I had my little sister, Cat. I made sure that she went to school each morning, that she had breakfast, lunch and dinner. But because of dad it wasn’t safe. She got taken into care. She lives with foster parents now. I saw her every weekend and sometimes during the week. I didn’t go into foster care because I was 16. I could do what I want, technically. My sister was safe, that’s all that mattered to me. My dad was a useless drunk. So I jumped.

 

Tears were running down my cheeks. It was no better being dead then alive. I had to find my sister. Make sure that she was ok. That she was safe. Happy. I tried wiping away the tears but they wouldn’t stop falling. Jessica had noticed. She looked like she was struggling with herself. Glancing around she gingerly touched my arm, shivering a little. Then she touched my cheek with the back of her hand. I sighed. It was long and painful.

“It will be ok” She whispered. She let her hand drop, folded her legs and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees, looking out to the sea. It will be ok? I was dead and gone. But I trusted Jessica... dead and gone... I was dead and gone...

Author's Note

Thanks for reading

Reviews

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It was nice. Didn't seem as good as your last chapters though.