Ghosts of Alara

Ghosts of Alara

The Bridge

Ken stood on the bridge and stared out at the water. The moon reflected gently off its surface as it flowed softly beneath his feet. A subtle spring breeze blew whispers through the trees. It was a serene scene of peace; to everyone who didn't know its past.

He ran his finger along the rail. He could still feel the cracks from where they'd repaired it. He could still see where the old wood met the new; where it tried to hide the scars, to help everyone forget. But, he couldn't forget. And, in remembering, a single tear fell down his cheek and dropped into the river below. And, just for a moment, the wind blew just a little harder.

The party at Nate's house was alive and kicking. Music pumping, drinks flowing, bodies moving and, hormones raging. And, Erica was pretty over it all. She sat in the corner trying her best to look unapproachable while Ken drank and Sean mingled and chatted up girls. Out of the corner of his eye, Ken noticed and moved over to her.

"Smoke break?" He asked, just under a yell to compete with the music. Erica nodded and stood up. When she did, Ken nodded to the door. "Go 'head. I'll follow behind. You know how people talk." Again, Erica nodded and she left.

Outside, Ken looked around for Erica. He knew she'd avoid the crowds of dude-bros trying to hit on girls so, he looked to the trees. He found her and joined her.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Just not my scene," she answered. Then, her face softened. "How are you holding up?"

He looked away.

"It's fine. I'm fine."

Erica leaned down so they'd be face to face, her deep brown eyes finding his.

"Don't tell your boy Sean, in there but, I'm your best friend, Ken. Don't lie to me."

"I'm not. Swear. I mean, I'm not over it, sure. But, I'm fine, you know?"

Erica leaned back, satisfied. She nodded toward a drunk guy trying way too hard to look cool for a very uninterested girl.

"Think he has a chance?"

Ken looked over and scoffed.

"Pfft! Fuck no!"

They watched as the guy rattled off some tasteless pick up line. And, when the girl slapped his face and stormed off, they had to restrain their laughter as the poor guy held his cheek in disbelief. They gathered themselves and Erica turned back to Ken.

"It's a good thing you're not like them."

"Yeah..." Ken said, absentmindedly. "Doesn't really matter now, though, does it?"

Erica pouted, at first. But, she knew what he'd been through. So, she let it go. Instead, she tried a different tactic.

"Jeez, I gotta get up, early, tomorrow," she claimed, feigning checking the time on her phone. "You think Sean'd mind if you dipped out to walk me home?"

Ken snapped out of his haze.

"No, sure. I'll just text him, on the way. You have a coat or anything?"

"Nah. I got everything."

"A'ight, cool. C'mon."

He pulled out his phone and texted Sean.

[Yo, bro. Walking Erica home. Don't do anything stupid til I get back]

...

{haha, no problem, bro. Be safe.}

With that, Ken put away his phone and the pair left through the trees.

Ken and Erica laughed and joked as they walked until the tree line gave way to the clearing that hosted the river. They had been so wrapped up in conversation, Ken hadn't quite noticed the direction they were going. But, when she heard his laughter stop from a few paces behind her, Erica knew he'd noticed where they were. There before them stood the bridge. Erica turned to him. She took his hand and looked him in the eye.

"It's ok. I'll cross it with you."

He didn't reply. He just let her pull him forward.

On the bridge, they stood in silence for a moment. They both leaned on the rails and she watched him stare off into the moonlit water. She listened to the breeze rustle the trees. She cleared her throat to catch his attention.

"You ok?"

"...yeah..."

The wind blew just a tiny bit harder. Erica felt a chill up her spine and shivered. Ken noticed and started to remove his jacket. He placed it around her and she breathed deeply, as if she'd been holding her breath up until that moment. It was a shudder and an inhale, all at once, so sudden it startled him.

"You good?" Was his bewildered inquiry. But, when she replied, something was...different. Her voice was softer. It sounded different, yet...somehow...familiar. Also, her eyes - normally that deep brown - were ice blue. They reminded him of something; of someone. They reminded him of her.

"I've missed you..." The voice was haunting.

"What do you mean? We see each other every day."

"Come to me..." The eyes were enchanting.

He leaned in. He didn't think. He just felt. He felt her breath as he drew near. He felt his desire as her lips parted. He felt the shock as she pushed him off.

"Ken! What the fuck, bro?" Her voice was her own, again. "What are you doing?"

"I...you..." He couldn't wrap his head around what just happened. But, more than that, he was too distracted by her eyes. Not only had they returned to their brown colour, but they looked like they were bleeding. No. No, they looked like she was crying blood.

"Erica...your eyes..."

"Look, I trust you," she said, ignoring him. She hadn't noticed her crimson tears, yet. "So, I'm sure you didn't spike my drink or anything. But, I guess someone did cause, I can't remember how we got like this so, I'm just gonna go, ok?" As she spoke, she removed his jacket and tossed it to him.

"Eri-"

"Fuck," She mumbled as she wiped the tears she now noticed. "Yeah, I gotta go."

"But-"

"I'll see you in class, tomorrow." And, with that, she scurried off. Ken stood on the bridge and watched her flee from him. And, the breeze blew a little harder, for a second.

Sean pulled his convertible up to Ken's house and honked the horn. After a couple seconds, Ken emerged from his door, backpack in hand, and hopped the door into the car. He looked over to see a big grin on Sean's face.

"What?"

"So, you and E, huh?" Sean lifted his eyebrows repeatedly. But, he stopped when Ken's face went solemn.

"Knock it off, man. It wasn't like that, ok?"

Sean shrugged. "My bad," he said as he pulled off.

"Hey, speaking of, can we swing by her place? It's on the way, right?"

"Not really but, whatever. I got you." Then, Sean made a hard left and took off.

Ken knocked on Erica's door. He waited and knocked, again. He started to give up when her mother answered. The look on her face was one of pity and unrest.

"Oh. Hi sweetie. You're here for Erica?"

"Y-yes, ma'am. We figured she'd like a ride to school."

"Oh, honey, she's not going, today. She's not feeling well."

Ken swallowed hard.

"You, um...you think she'll be ok?"

"Yeah, we think it's just a stomach virus or something. It doesn't look too bad but, we just figured it'd be best to keep her home for the day and see."

"Ok"

"I'll have her call you when she's better. Or, I'll call your mother if she gets worse, ok, sweetie?"

"Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Potter."

"Mmm, no problem, sweetheart. You hurry along, now. Don't wanna be late."

"Yes, ma'am." Ken turned and scurried to the car. Sean waited until Mrs. Potter was inside, to speak.

"She a'ight?"

"Don't know. Guess we gotta wait and see."

Sean pulled off toward school, but Ken stared into the rear view.

Two weeks later, Ken sat in class with Sean seated behind him. At the front of the class, Professor Eliscard scratched some words onto the board - A quote saying, "Don't try to build a wall. Start with placing one brick." - before turning to face the class.

"Who can tell me who said this quote?"

A couple of hands went up, and Ms. Eliscard called on Ken.

"It was Will Smith."

"That's correct. And, can you explain what he meant by this quote?"

Ken didn't hesitate. It just rolled out of him.

"He was advising people not to get caught up in the overall task at hand. But, to instead focus on one part at a time, making sure they got that part right. Keep doing that, and eventually, all the parts would be right, and the task would be done before you know it."

He didn't realize all eyes were on him until he stopped talking. He sunk into himself until Ms. Eliscard broke the silence.

"Very well said, Mr. Night. Very well said."

The eyes returned to the board, all except for the pretty almond-shaped hazel pair belonging to Alicia Winters, which lingered on Ken for a moment longer before coyly turning away. Ken's heart stopped when Sean roughly slapped his back.

"Go for it, dude!" He barely whispered.

"I dunno..." was Ken's uneasy reply.

"Bro, that's Alicia Winters. She's, like, one of the hottest girls on campus and she's totally into you, bro!"

"No, I know. But, I dunno if I'm ready, you know. I mean...after the brid-"

"Aww, man, it's been weeks since that happened. And, look, Erica's fine." He pointed semi-subtly across the room to Erica, who nodded in approval. "See? She was only out for, like, a day, anyway."

"I wasn't talking about that, m--"

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Ms. Eliscard addressed the room, again.

"Don't forget the reading, starting on page 69. Shut up!" She cut in before any of the snickers and jokes could even start. "Read carefully. This section will be on the midterms. Enjoy your weekends."

The students filtered out of the room with Alicia taking her time gathering her books. Sean practically yanked Ken aside to finish their chat and Erica, seeing Ken's reluctance, walked over to stall Alicia.

"Ok so, if not that, what?" When Ken looked down, Sean knew the answer. "Dude. It's been over a year. Lana..." He measured his words, checked his tone. "Look, what happened happened. It can't be helped, now. But, it's about time to move on, man. I think she'd want you to be happy, bro."

Ken nodded, eyes still on the floor. When he looked up to see Alicia leaving and Erica approaching, he let out a sigh. He wasn't sure if it was regret or relief, but he felt it. Then, Erica cleared the air.

"Got you her number,” she said with a laugh as she handed him a slip of paper. "Cause, you definitely weren't gonna."

Ken took the paper slowly, his eyes avoiding Erica's.

"Thanks."

Erica lifted his chin until they locked eyes.

"Cut it out. We're friends. And, you deserve to be happy. You know that. She knew that. Stop beating yourself up and go date the hot chick."

"Exactly!" Sean piped in. "See? Even got the seal of approval from the resident female friend."

Erica chuckled. "Oh, is that what I am?"

Sean and Erica teased each other some more, but their voices slowly faded into mumbles in Ken's ears as he looked out the window toward the tree line. Then, he looked at the number in his hand. Erica tapped Sean so he'd notice and the two friends watched as Ken pulled out his phone and saved the number. When he looked up, both of them were nodding in proud approval. His eye darted between them.

"Shut up."

Erica took his phone from his hand and pressed the call button. Then, she shoved the phone up to Ken's ear and pulled Sean out of the room.

Ken listened to the dial tone absentmindedly. Until it stopped.

"Hello?" Her voice sounded as smooth as her skin looked.

"H-Hey. Alicia?" His was still finding its footing. "It's Ken."

"Mm, Hi, Ken."

"Hey." Steadier, now. "You wanna get a bite to eat, later?"

That night, Ken walked with Alicia along the tree line.

"I really had a good time, tonight," Alicia affirmed. While one hand played with her hair, the other held his.

"Yeah, me too, Alicia. It's really nice talking to you."

"You, too. You're so deep and sensitive. I gotta say, I was surprised." She held up her hands in surrender. "N-no offense!"

"Nah, it's cool," He replied, retaking her hand. "I kinda come off as a dope, I guess. But, that's just cause...I dunno. I guess it's just easier?"

She took both his hands and their eyes met.

"Well, you don't have to hide anything from me."

They lingered there, for a moment. Staring. Longing. Then, the idea hit him.

"I wanna show you something."

She snapped out of her haze as he gently pulled her toward the bridge.

When they got there, the breeze picked up, just a bit. Alicia shivered as she recognized the place.

"Isn't this...?"

"Yeah," his tone was reverent, but also solemn. "This is where Lana Heart ... where the accident happened..." He took her hand and ran it over the scars of the old rail. "This is where the railing broke..."

"You loved her. Didn't you?"

"Still do."

The breeze picked up, some more. Alicia shivered once more, then suddenly straightened. When he felt her hand on his cheek, Ken looked up and into those ice blue eyes. This time, he was sure. But, still very confused. Then, she spoke.

"Kennedy..." The voice seemed to be shared with Alicia's. "Kennedy..."

Ken stared in disbelief at the sound of his full name. "...Lana?"

"My love..." was her reply. "Come to me..." As she said this, the tears of blood began to flow. But, Ken didn't care. He couldn't resist. he leaned in close. Alicia's lips parted. Then, she started coughing, uncontrollably. Ken jumped back for a second as the trees swayed, violently. Then, regaining his senses, he grabbed Alicia's shoulders and held her up.

"Alicia. Alicia!" He called to her. "You ok?"

Alicia's hazel eyes cried blood into her hands as she looked up in confused horror. She didn't say a word. She just backed up with careful steps and hasty breaths. Then, she turned and ran off, in a fright.

"ALICIA!" he called out, once more. But, she was gone. Ken turned his attention to the water below, now still after the breeze had calmed. He had a million questions on his mind; a million things he wanted to say. But, only one word managed to fall out.

"Lana..."

Sean stood among a group of classmates in the hall. While they all murmured and gossiped, Sean feigned interest while checking his watch. When he saw Ken come bursting in the front door, he broke off to meet his friend, quickly pulling him out of sight.

"Bro, what did you do, last night?"

"Nothing!" He blurted, defensively. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"Alicia, man."

Dread filled his throat as he tried to resist it crawling onto his face.

"She ok?"

"Dunno. She didn't show up, today. Friends say she wasn't feeling good."

Just like with Erica, Ken thought, to himself. Sean continued.

"Bugged out part is, she says she can't remember parts of the night. One minute, you guys are walking all chummy. The next, she's crying blood and you're in her face, tryinna make out!"

Sean leaned in close and lowered his voice.

"Yo, between you and me...you give her anything?"

"NO, DUDE!" Ken whisper-shouted, pushing Sean away. "I... I don't think it was me."

"You think someone else drugged her?"

"I think it was Lana."

Sean stood back for a second. His face was all of surprise and disbelief.

"You... you think it was... Lana."

"I know it sounds crazy—"

"A bit, yeah."

"I think... fuck, it even sounds crazy in my head...I think Lana...was there."

Sean pinched his nose and took a deep breath.

"Dude..."

"Bro, she was there. Just like with Erica. Alicia had her eyes and the blood and the wind..."

"Dude, there's no way-"

"She called me 'Kennedy'"

Sean stopped in his tracks. Behind them, a girl in heavily Gothic clothes took interest and listened in, unbeknownst to the boys. Meanwhile, Sean tried to take in what he'd just heard. Eyes wide and lips tight, he held up a hand to his face before replying.

"You sure?"

"Twice. No one calls me that. No one knows that. Not even the teachers. No one knows it but you, Erica, my mom..."

"And, Lana," Sean finished.

The ring of the bell ended the conversation as it began the school day.

"Cover for me," Ken requested. "I gotta stop at my locker."

"I got you." Sean ran off to class.

As Ken started for the corner, the Goth called out from behind him.

"I think I can help you." Her voice was thin and strained, like if Britney Spears was a witch. Ken turned to place the voice. When she saw she had his attention, the girl continued. "If you're right about what you saw, that is."

"Hey...I don't want any trouble, here, um..."

"Name's Rachael. Friends call me Wraith."

"Fitting."

Rachael shrugged her face. "More than you realize."

"Look, I dunno what you're getting at but-"

"You think the spirit of your dead girlfriend possessed the body of your date. Think she did the same to your chick friend. You wanna believe it, but you also don't. That about sum it up?" Her tone was flat and certain, the entire time.

Ken nodded, solemnly.

"After school. Parking lot by the twisted oak tree. I'll drive."

"Um..."

"Or, you can keep feeding girls to your ghost girlfriend until someone reports you."

Ken sighed. "Fine. I'll be there."

"Good. See you then." She picked up her black spiked bag and walked off.

Ken walked over to his locker. He opened it, pulled out his books, then paused. Right there, on the back wall of the locker, was a photo of him and Lana. He stared at her pretty, smiling face. He stared into those ice blue eyes. And, he asked her, only half certain she couldn't hear him, at this point:

"What is happening?"

"Hey, you seen Erica?" Ken asked the girl in the hall. It was midday and neither he nor Erica had classes for a few hours. And, his meeting with Rachael was after that, so, he had time to kill. The girl, a known acquaintance of Erica's, shrugged as she answered.

"Pool, I think."

"Shoulda figured. Thanks."

Ken scurried off toward the gym.

Erica's freestyle stroke was flawless. She moved effortlessly across the Olympic sized pool in the back of the gym, while her music played from a speaker near the seating area. Ken watched as she landed on the pool wall with her feet, turned, and switched to a fully submerged breaststroke. She looked like a mermaid, the way she moved so gracefully under the water. He could barely do a doggy paddle, so he was always impressed by her skill. He walked over to the edge where she would end up, expecting to surprise her. But, when she surfaced, her sly face said his plan was foiled.

"Saw you when you walked in, doofus," She quipped. "How 'bout you make yourself useful, pass me my towel."

He hung his head in feigned shame and fetched her towel, tossing it to her as she rose to the pool's edge.

"It always amazes me what you can do in there."

"Everybody's got their thing. Sean knows cars, you can write anything like a pro..." She gestured to the water. "I got this."

This time, his shame was real.

"If I could swim like you, mayb--"

Erica interrupted him with a finger over his lips.

"Stop it. Don't do that to yourself."

He gently removed her hand from his mouth.

"I'm just saying...It's true."

"No, what you're doing is punishing yourself."

"A woman is dead, because of me!" He blurted out, raising his voice. "Me, Erica. It was my idea."

"Yeah, one that she went along with. And, there was no way either of you could've known about the crack." She grabbed him by the shoulders. "Look at me. It wasn't. Your. Fault."

He stared into her beautiful brown eyes for a few seconds. Then, he pulled away, turning his back.

"Then, why is she still calling out to me?"

Erica leaned back.

"I'm sorry, what?"

He plopped down on one of the benches.

"Lana. I think she's trying to reach me."

"...How?"

He tilted his head for her to approach, so she sat beside him.

"Ok, remember the night of Sky's party? When we walked to the bridge?"

"Yeah." She shuddered, a bit. "Still a bit fuzzy on that."

"Yeah, that's kinda my point. I think Lana was...like, in you, or something."

Erica ran a befuddled hand through her long dark hair. Several times.

"You...think I was possessed?"

"I know it sounds crazy. Sean said the same thing. But, I'm certain. I'm meeting with this Goth chick about it, after Hutton's class."

"Rachael Everheart?"

"Yeah, you know her?"

"All the girls do. She's into some... weird shit."

Ken's phone alarm let them both know it was nearly time for class. The pair rose to their feet.

"Yeah, well..." Ken started. "That's sorta what I'm counting on."

Erica placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Just be careful, man. Nothing good ever comes from chasing ghosts. Especially literally."

"I gotta know."

Erica nodded, solemnly. "Just don't lose yourself to do it."

"Ok."

Her arm lingered, a moment, before it fell to her side as she walked off. He walked the opposite direction. His eyes hung low as he left. As he walked, he muttered, to himself, "I gotta know..."

Ken tapped his pencil impatiently as the clock ticked on. While the professor carried on his lecture at the front of class, the only thing on Ken's mind was finding out what Goth Girl Rachael could show him, and if she could really help him talk to Lana. If he'd been asked two days ago if he believed the resident Goth could summon the ghost of his dead girlfriend, he would've laughed it off. Now, he was eagerly awaiting just that.

The bell rang and he quietly - but quickly - scurried out of the room.

In the back lot, he saw the twisted oak in the far corner. Under it, Rachael was seated with her legs crossed, reading from a black book. The dense shading that enveloped her stood in stark contrast to the bright daylight just beyond its border. Coupled with the isolation of the scene, it almost looked like she and the tree belonged to a different world, entirely; a world of perpetual darkness that sat just outside our understanding.

Man, all this ghost stuff was starting to get to Ken.

He approached and, without looking away from her book, Rachael addressed him.

"You ready?"

"...You didn't even loo-"

"Nobody comes over here. No one gets that close."

He thought on it, then accepted it.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

"Sure?"

"As I'll ever be."

Rachael shut her book, tossed it into her bag, and popped up.

"Cool, let's go. I gotta stop by my place. It's on the other side of town, over by Hawthorne house? But, I drive so, you can either wait at the bridge or come with. Up to you." She started toward her car.

"The old asylum?" He asked as he joined her, silently giving his answer.

"Yeah. Parents got the house cheap cause no one wanted to live that close to it. We thought it was ideal."

They approached her car, an all black wagon adorned with various stickers that ranged from nerdy and obscure to morbid and obscene. The license plate had a steel chain design frame.

"So... this..." He vaguely gestured to her attire. "Runs in the family?"

"You should be glad." They each got in. "Old knowledge tends to be best. Especially when dealing with the dead"

"I'll take your word for it."

"Gonna have to stop by your place, too. Need something of hers. Photo, piece of jewelry, hairbrush. Hairbrush is great. Old clothes..."

She stopped when he pulled the photo from his wallet. It was just of Lana, smiling slyly with a knowing look in her ice blue eyes. Her long blonde hair was bone straight as it fell to her shoulders. And her smirk exuded a calm confidence that defined her. It was a "you want me" face. And, it was dead on accurate. He handed it, carefully, to Rachael.

"It's my favourite."

Rachael took it, gently.

"It won't be harmed. You'll get it back, just as it is."

Then, Rachael pulled off, and exited the lot.

Ken opted to stay in the car while Rachael gathered her materials. He held Lana's photo in his hand and stared into it. Maybe, he hoped it would react, like in the movies. Or, maybe he just missed her face. Either way, the sound of Rachael slumping in and closing the door snapped him out of it.

"Ok. Let's go," Rachael said as she started the engine. She drove off with Ken barely making a sound.

They drove for a few moments before either spoke. Rachael broke the silence.

"Might make things go smoother if I know what happened."

Ken took a hitched breath. Then, he paused, gathered himself, and started again.

"Lana and I met on that bridge. She was walking home and I was on my way to get ice cream, over on McGee. I saw her and, I... I couldn't think. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever met."

He stared at her photo again for a moment, before realizing he was off topic.

"Anyway, every year, we'd go to the bridge at night and, like, make out and stuff. Talk. Sometimes, just stare at the stars. But, this year was different. See, she was a year ahead of me. She was crazy smart, like that. So, she was graduating last year, and she knew she'd probably be leaving town for uni. So... we talked it out and, she wanted to make the night special. Something we'd share that I could hold onto when she left. We waited til everyone was asleep and snuck out, so no one would, like, wander by and catch us, you know?"

He checked to see if she was following along. When she looked over with a curious face, he figured she was.

"The bridge was our spot, so it seemed like the right place to do it. So..., we did. And, it was better than I'd expected. I guess we kinda cheated, cause we both read magazines and watched videos when no one was looking; sorta secretly studying for it, you know?” For a moment, he lost himself in the memory, and a hint of humour seeped into his voice.

“So, it was good. But, it was quick. And, I wanted to show off for her. So, I picked her up and sat her on the rail.” The humour quickly died in his throat.

“I didn't know it was cracked. I guess some kids had had a fight there, about a week before? One kid slammed the other into the rail; cracked it with his head. So, when I sat her up there and we started...you know...going at it...We got caught up in it.” His voice broke. “I should've noticed the wood breaking. I should've realized something was off when she looked down. But, I was so into it and she seemed so pleased and--"

"Stop," Rachael interrupted. "Breathe."

He took a deep breath. In. Out. Then, he continued.

"My pants were at my ankles when the rail snapped. It was so fast. I never had a chance. I reached out for her but, she was already too far. And, I can't swim so...I just...watched. I watched as the girl I loved floated away to her death."

Rachael pulled over and turned the car off. Then, she turned to him and opened her arms. Ken hesitated, so she waved for him to come in. He leaned over into the hug. A couple seconds passed and he pulled away.

"Ok," he said with a sigh. "We can keep going, now."

"No need." Rachael opened her door. "We're here."

Ken got out and looked over the car. They were on the street that bordered the woods. The Bridge was just past those trees.

Rachael placed the final candle. She leaned back to reveal the 6 of them arranged in a sort of circle around her, nearly spanning the width of the bridge. Between each was a line drawn with chalk, forming a 6-pointed star shape, as well as a hexagonal perimeter. She held Lana's photo and, from outside the setup, Ken watched as she positioned herself to face him.

"Now, you won't be able to touch me. You gotta stay outside the ring or you'll disrupt the connection. No telling what that'll make happen."

Ken nodded, sheepishly. His eyes stayed fixated on the display at his feet.

"But, I should be able to channel her long enough to say more than a couple words to you." Rachael's eyes softened, just a bit. "Maybe, get you some closure."

Again, Ken only nodded; his eyes still downward.

Rachael nodded, in understanding. "Ok. Let's begin." She widened her stance, a bit, and straightened her back. "I call upon the breach, the gate where worlds divide. I call upon the soul trapped on the wrong side. I call upon Lana. With Ken here at my side. Here where your vessel fell, I offer you to use mine."

The wind blew a bit harder. Much harder. The water rippled, violently. The fires of the candles flailed in the wind as the trees danced in unrest. Rachael curled over in pain and Ken had to stop himself from reaching to help her, remembering the rule about the circle. The wind blew harder. The water ran faster. The candles burned brighter. Then, suddenly, it all stopped. Rachael stood, slowly. And, Ken looked on, intently. When she parted her hair, Rachael revealed those ice blue eyes. Her posture changed from the slumped apathetic stance he'd seen thus far, into the poised and graceful one he'd almost forgotten. It was her. And, as if to confirm, she addressed him, directly.

"Kennedy?" It was Rachael's voice, but Lana's manner.

"Lana." Kennedy could barely manage the name.

"I'm here. Come to me."

"I miss you, so much." He started to choke up. "I'm so sorry."

"My love..."

"I didn't mean to drop you, like that. I was just trying to be good for you. I should've held on."

"My love...come to me..." Rachael held up her arms, but shook her head, no, just slightly.

"I wish I could hold you. Just one last time." He stepped a bit closer. Again, Rachael shook her head. But, her arms remained extended.

"Come to me..."

"I'm not supposed to." He inched closer to the edge of the formation. Rachael also moved forward, her legs shaking as she stepped.

"Kennedy..." They each moved closer. Rachael's desperate face still held Lana's eyes as the blood started to flow and her head shook harder. Their toes were separated only by the formation's drawn edge.

"Maybe, just...one..." He reached out to her, and she to him. His hand touched her face. But, what he heard next shook him to his core.

"I can't...hold on...anymo--"

Blood flowed from Rachael's eyes. And, nose. And ears. Then, without warning, she fell to the floor. As soon as she landed, all the candles blew out, yet there was no wind. Ken dropped down beside Rachael and shook her lifeless body.

"Rachael?" He asked, timidly. "Wraith?"

She didn't respond.

"Rachael!?” He spoke louder, now, as he dialed 911 on his phone. "Rachael!?"

[911 what's your emergency?]

"My friend is passed out on the old Tanner River Bridge. Please! She's not moving."

[EMT's are on their way. Hold tight]

"Hurry." He dropped his phone and started CPR. "RACHAEL!?"

While he pressed on her chest and blew into her mouth, he was too busy to notice, the air was still. The wind didn't blow. And, the water didn't ripple And, the only sound in the night was his frantic voice.

"RACHAEL!?!?"

The ride in the ambulance was fraught with emotion as the EMTs tried to assess the situation. While one worked on stabilizing Rachael, the other questioned Ken.

"Do you know if she had any allergies? Any previous illness or injury?"

"No, I don't know. I dunno. It's like I said, she was just showing me some kind of goth art thing and, she just started bleeding and passed out. Is she dead?"

"No. She's breathing. See?" He pointed to Rachael's chest, rising and falling shakily, with each breath. "And, she has a pulse. So, she's alive. She's just asleep."

"Man, I hope she'll be alright."

"We'll do our best to see to that, kid. Don't you worry."

The ambulance roared through town on its way to the hospital.

Inside, Ken sat in the waiting area, twiddling his thumbs, and trying to figure out what to tell Rachael's parents when they got there. The nurse had called them as soon as they got Rachael into a bed. Ken had no idea how long ago that was but, it didn't really matter when he saw them come marching through the front door. He stood to greet them. The mother walked right past him toward Rachael's room. The father stopped at Ken.

"Breathe, boy," the 6' tall tattooed man in black said in a raspy voice. "Breathe. Wraith will be fine."

Ken looked up in disbelief. "You're not mad at me?"

"Wraith told us she was going to help you with something supernatural; something you didn't understand. We wanted her to find her nature so, we allowed it, so long as she was careful. But, we know about you, Ken Masters. We know you didn't hurt our girl, on purpose."

Ken sighed with confused relief. The two sat together and Rachael's father waited while Ken's nerves steadied. Then, Rachael's mother emerged. The stern look on her face reignited his fear. She first addressed her husband.

"The doctors will steady her. Then, you and I will cleanse her." She spoke with an air of control and certainty that suited her lithe but strong frame. Jet black hair framed a flawless face that was awash with irritation. "That foolish girl, dabbling with spirits," she hissed, under her breath. Then, she turned to Ken, who sat frozen in fear. Her face and tone softened, slightly. "You're the boy she wanted to help. Ken."

"Y-yes, ma'am."

"Well, your fallen lover lingers in my daughter. In her tumultuous sleep, my Wraith muttered of you."

"She did?"

"'Come, Ken. Come to me.'"

"Lana..."

"Yes. She repeated this many times. But, the next line, she only said once."

Ken looked on in anticipation.

"'You're mine, Kennedy. Forever.'"

Anticipation gave way to certainty. All at once, all the fear and confusion and doubt washed away. And, in their wake, resolve remained. Ken, in that instant, realized what he had to do. He rose and took the mother's hand.

"Tell her I'm sorry."

The mother saw the look in his eyes and knew. "I will."

Ken and the father exchanged knowing nods and, Ken was off.

Outside, Ken stood at a vending machine and submitted his coins as he dialed Sean.

[Yo.]

"Yo, bro, you still got them sleeping pills? My mom's having trouble and she says she's got a big day, tomorrow." He made his selection.

Ken heard Sean shuffling on the other end. [Yeah....I think...yup. Got'em.]

"Cool. I'ma just swing by and grab'em, ok?" The machine dropped the can of iced tea and ken retrieved it.

[Yeah, come by the window, dude. I'm beat. I'll toss'em out. You'll see'em.]

"Ok, cool." Ken pocketed the can and quickened his pace on the way to Sean's house.

Sean tossed the pill bottle out his window, watching them land in the grass before rolling over in bed. Then, his phone dinged. It was a text from Erica, continuing an earlier chat.

{Sorry. My friend, Angie called. Girl can talk her ass off. But, yeah, I'm sure he'll be fine. Rachael Everheart is weird, but harmless. Haha, maybe they'll hit it off! lol}

{That really what you want, tho?}

There was a pause.

{I just want him to be happy.}

{Yeah. Well, anyway, whatever happened with Rachael, I guess it's over. He's coming by to grab some sleeping pills for his mom. Said she's got some big thing, tomorrow.}

Another pause.

{That doesn't make any sense}

{What? Why?}

Erica climbed off her bed and looked over her banister. She could just make out half of the dining room table, where her mother sat talking to another woman. She confirmed her suspicion and went back to texting.

{Because, Ken's mom is sitting at my dinner table.}

Sean looked out the window to find the pills gone.

{Oh shit. I'm getting dressed. I'll be there in 5}

{Yeah.} Erica grabbed a pair of shorts and a shirt and bolted for the door. The adults saw her and her father shouted, "Hey, where's the fire?"

"Sorry dad, long story, gotta help a friend. Be back, soon. Love you, bye!"

She yanked her jacket off the rack and was out the door before any of them could protest. She ran to the sidewalk just as Sean came screeching up. She hopped in and they took off toward the woods.

Ken stood on the bridge and faced the water. He listened to the breeze and wondered if it was her. He watched the water ripple and could almost hear her voice.

"I'm coming, Lana," he muttered, to himself. He pulled out the can of iced tea and the bottle of pills. He just stared at them for a moment; his final hesitations playing out. Then, the wind blew harder, causing him to raise his hand to cover his face -the hand holding the pills. That was the last sign he needed. He poured out a handful of pills and tossed them in his mouth. He drowned them in tea and climbed onto the rail. He dropped the can and bottle on the bridge floor where the hexagram still sat. Then, he closed his eyes, and let himself fall into the river below.

"KEN!!" Erica shouted as she and Sean saw him fall from just beyond the tree line. They both ran forward and Erica quickly pulled ahead, removing her jacket as she ran.

In the water, Ken felt his body getting weak. He'd never really noticed how deep the river actually was. The cool water enveloped him as the encroaching darkness swallowed him.

Then, he saw her.

Clear as a cloudless sky, her blonde hair flowed in the water. Her pale arms stretched out to him. Her ice blue eyes welcomed him. There, at the bottom of the river where he'd last seen her, Lana awaited him. He gave himself to the cold and the dark, allowing her light to be his only guide. He could hear her, now, clear as day.

"Come to me...My love..."

The darkness thickened.

"I'm here...come be mine..."

The cold dulled to numbness.

"...Forever..."

Lana's welcoming eyes were all he could see as the world around him faded. Then, all at once, there was only darkness.

Erica sprinted to the riverbank and, without hesitation, dove in. She swam like a fish, jetting toward Ken's lifeless body. The water ebbed and flowed with unnatural force, but Erica squinted her eyes and fought the current. She found Ken, grabbed him, and pulled him toward the surface. As soon as she turned, she felt something grab her leg. She turned to face it and, couldn't believe her eyes. She saw her - Lana - as if she was flesh and blood, holding her ankle. She held Ken in her arms and glared into the eyes of his ex. Lana's eyes darted between Erica and Ken, desperation of her spectral visage. The absolute certainty in Erica's eyes challenged the spirit. So, Lana challenged back.

"...Forever?"

Erica's eye's softened. With one ethereal word, Lana's true intentions where made clear. They finally understood each other. Erica nodded in affirmation and, Lana released her grip. Then, she faded away into nothing, and Erica swam for the surface.

As soon as he could see them, Sean reached in and pulled Ken out of the water. Erica followed and, while Sean started chest compressions, Erica pinched his nose, parted his lips, and breathed into him. After several rounds of this, Ken coughed to life; water spurting from his mouth - and, some of the pills came up with it. Erica let out a choppy laugh of relief as Sean sat back to rest. When Ken opened his eyes, Erica was still leaning over him.

"W...wha...Erica?"

"Yes, stupid," She joked, tears raining from her face. "You didn't have to dive to your death to find the girl who loves you, doofus."

"Erica..."

"She's where she's always been. Right here."

Then, before he could protest or accept, Erica planted her lips on his. She kissed him hard and held him close. After a moment, his arms weakly wrapped around her as she dug into him. Beside them, Sean sat back and simply nodded in approval.

"About damn time."

Erica finally released her lip lock and stared into Ken's eyes, for a moment. Then, he started to try to move and his friends helped him to his feet. Once standing, Erica checked him to make sure he was ok. She touched his face and neck and head the way a mother looks for a fever. Once she was satisfied that he was ok, she reared back and punched him in the chest.

"Don't ever do some dumb shit like that, again?"

Ken stumbled back, a step.

"I'm sorry. I thought--"

"You thought wrong," she said sharply. Then, her face softened again, and she held his face in her hands. "Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

With the two of them facing each other, the wind blew gently at Ken's back. That was all the sign he needed. He looked Erica square in those deep brown eyes.

"I love you, too."

"And, I love my bed!" Sean cut in, killing the moment. "So, can we all get in the car so I can get back to it?"

The trio laughed together as they turned and made for the car. Behind them, the water's surface slowly calmed. And, the full moon shined brightly in a clear night sky.