Ghost Eyes

The end of the day. An entire day of work and she proudly walks out of the police station with neatly tied brunette hair, carrying as much energy as when she went in. Melissa was always like that, when she loves something, nothing can make her bored of it, not even for a second. I do wish she loved more things like she does her work. She never admitted that she concealed a hatred for her last job. I’m happy I could give her this gift- I know she only joined the academy due to my death.

She never left my sight since that day- well, that’s not completely true- I do also look after my other special girl. Tomorrow is her first school day. I'll have to keep an eye on her. I know how hard the first day can be. Melissa knows it too, she has been drowning in stress for a week; the first thing she took out of her locker was a pack of gum and chewed them all like it was her first meal of the day. It doesn't take long for them to lose their bland taste. Eventually, she checks on our girl as she pulls out her phone on the way to the parking lot.

"Hi Mum," her voice is usually quite deep to assert dominance, but she never puts on that facade with family. "How's everything? Is she nervous for tomorrow?"

"Everything's lovely." Maybe because I'm from a rural part of England to me her mum- Eleanor- always seemed to have a sort of 'posh' British accent. "We've been playing games, like match the cards. I'm knackered, she's giving me quite the struggle. She will be the student with the best memory in her year."

"To be fair Mum, how hard can it be to win against a sixty-year-old?" While she takes out her car keys, I see something move inside her car- the arm of a man- hidden behind the driver's seat. "Ok Mum, could you please pass it to Ellie."

"Hi Ma'!"

"Hi, Sweetheart." The sound of the door closing brought a flinch upon him. "Are you nervous for tomorrow?" I get a glimpse of the man's knife as he slowly pulls it out of his pocket.

"No, Nan says I'll be the most smart girl of the school."

"Yes, ya' will be!" She casually puts the keys in the ignition and turns on the engine.

"Nan's saying fo' you not to talk with me when you're drivin'."

"I'm not." She laughs, and the man stands a bit straighter.

"She sayn' she can hear the vrrm vrrm."

"Ok, fine. I'll see ya' at home darling. Bey, Sweetie."

She hangs up the call and looks up to the mirror to see the man quickly trapping her hair with his big bear hands, as she tries to open the door, but he's able to bring both her arms above her head and holds them with one hand while bringing the knife to her throat.

"You scream and I'll kill you." He cut off her shirt with the knife, she tries to fight it and the bastard brings back the knife to her throat. "Don't move, b*tch." As he pulls his hand, she bends forward and bites his hand deep, her teeth scratch his bone and disarm him. The knife tumbles next to the seat. He stiffly moves forward as he tries to reach the lost blade, she frees her arms and grabs his shirt by the chest and hits him- head to head. He gets dizzy from the hit and again she attempts an escape, but his fist strikes her face, and again. I try to give her strength. It's the only thing I can do. He grabs her throat with both hands. "I can't trust you now!" She tries to reach the knife next to the seat but it's too far. She won't reach it! She can't even see it, I try to tell her: more left, further, further! She's almost there. "Now you have to die."

With a struggle, she finds strength to say what could be her dying words: "You too." She immediately engages the gear and moves the car briskly through the park and crashes into a street light- they both fly out of the window!

Their bodies just lay there, dying the floor red. I know she's alive. Her soul has not yet joined me, neither has his- I will personally escort him to Hell if need be. Now, I can only wait and hope that someone will hear the silence of my cry for help.

*

The voices around me are dead whispers failing to arouse my attention, my only focus is on her face, illuminated by the light of the young morning. She's resting so peacefully, being purified by the whiteness of the blanket embracing her.

Please, don't give up, you're going to be alright! I won't leave you until you 're awake. Remember? 'Until death do us apart.' Not even then.

"It seems someone is waking up," said the Doctor as she gets closer to the next bed, where He rests. "No, sir, don't get up yet. You need to rest."

"Where am I?"

"You're in a Hospital, sir. Can you tell me your name?"

"Ralph. My name is Ralph."

She then proceeded to ask several questions about his identity and what happened.

"Sir, do you remember what happened last night?" Ralph's eyes rapidly searched the room, he tries to contain his grin in seeing Melissa sleeping next to him.

"Yes, me and my girlfriend were... having fun, you know? And she accidentally stepped on the throttle."

"Your girlfriend?" Says an old man in a bed in front of him. "Aren't too old for her? What are you? 50?"

"Mr Johnson, please."

Ralph looks around the room to see who else is in it- just a nurse on her way out.

"I apologise for him. I should also inform you that we contacted Miss Campbell's mother, she said she's coming today."

I can hear his cracking voice whispering "Miss" and then responding "Oh... That's good to hear. Hum... could I be left alone with my girlfriend? This was very emotional and I want to... express myself." He starts getting up.

"No, no, sir. You need to rest, please, just relax, we'll take care of her..." A beeping sound interrupts her. "I have to leave, please, just rest." Not even a second after her disappearance into the empty corridor and Ralph starts getting up.

"What are you doin', you inbred?" Said the old man "Get back to bed. A kiss ain't wakin' her up- she ain't sleeping beauty."

"What would you know about waking things up with your old m*nge." He closes the curtains around Melissa's bed and cautiously pulls the pillow from where her head lays.

I reach her pale hand and try to imagine the smoothness of her skin, with a desire for her soul to hear my words: 'Seeing your beauty everyday suppresses my grief, not the beauty of your now grey eyes or of your tender hair, but the beauty I fell in love with- your passion and fighting spirit. You're not going to let it end like this. You're going to fight for justice, you're going to fight for you, you're going to fight for your daughter!' I believe my words were heard as I see her fingers twitching as if sparks of energy were running through her arm.

Ralph holds the pillow near to her face, the whiteness of the pillow swallows her nose. The sound of the curtains being pulled banishes the deadly white cloud from her skin.

"I was just fluffing her pillow!"

"Hello Mr Hancock," Said an old doctor with a frown sharply carved in his mouth, "Having women problems again, I see. Please go back to your bed. You know, most people I meet are very forgettable, even when they're dying they can be very monotonous; but you and your idiocy will always persevere in my memories. Please go to bed." Ralph finally complied. "Just last week I was laughing about your situation." He gives a mocking smile. "First, you're mysteriously stapled in the genitals and now, you had a car crash while trying to be 'playful'." A group of nurses comes in and starts taking Melissa's bed away.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Calm down, Mr Hancock. We're just taking her away to ask her a few questions about what happened when she wakes up- it was my suggestion."

"I told you what happened!"

"I have no right to doubt you, but seeing that you're on the sex offenders register and how last time your story was... dubious, to say the least... I find it better if no misleading factors influence her memory, to gather the best recall of what happened." Ralph stands up again. "Mr Hancock, go back to bed!" Says the doctor while blocking Ralph's way to her bed.

"This is not your job! You can't do this!... Hey! She's waking up." He pushes the doctor out of the way and grabs the bed.

"Where am I?"

"You're in a hospital, Miss Campbell, we're just going to take you away to ask you a few questions. Actually, can you tell me if you do know this man?" He leans forward to hear the answer while Ralph tries to pull his head away from her view.

"Miss who?" She asked- leaving the room in complete silence, soon interrupted by the doctor.

"Do you not recall your name?" She shook her head. "Can you recall anything about yourself? Address, family, friends..." She repeated her answer.

Ralph leans forward and caresses her cheek. "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll help you remember, sweetheart."