| The curtains flapped in the breeze that passed through the open window in my room. I hugged the blanket closer and shivered as I got up to close it. My steps towards the window were slowly and carefully planted. As I was shutting the window paine, the wind whispered my name eerily. "Isssabelllle..." I jumped back in surprise, the blanket falling to the floor around my feet. The tears returned to my eyes as I pleaded, "No, no more Alex!" The low grumble of the wind through the opening crack caused goose bumps to spring up on my flesh. I turned around and ran down the hall to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. As I stood at the sink, turning the faucet on, I looked up at the reflection in the mirror. My appearance surprised me; I was almost unrecognizable with the droopy bags under my eyes and pasty white color of my skin. My hair was disheveled and limp. You could see the fear and sorrow etched in all my features. The past few days alone were too much to bear. Maybe I should have gone out a few times to hang out with the group at the Crashdown, but I was still too depressed to socialize with anyone. It was too soon after we all found out Tess had been the one who killed Alex, and I just couldn?t face Liz and Maria. Michael had stopped by, but I wouldn?t let him inside to see how bad I had gotten. I promised I would try to meet them at the Crashdown tomorrow, though. I was really considering it ever since all the strange things have been occurring. Alex was everywhere I turned, whispering my name, haunting me with his image as he looked after the accident. I shuddered at the thought. I quickly scooped up the hot water that had been filling the sink and splashed my face a few times to try to calm down. But nothing helped, I still felt like I would never be sane again. After turning the nob to cold, and splashing my face with the freezing water, I blindly grabbed for the towel and scrubbed my face dry. As I lowered the towel from my face and looked back at the mirror, I wasn?t the only reflection in it. I whipped around to see Alex standing there in the shower, the dry blood caked onto his forehead. I gagged and held back a scream as I rushed out of the bathroom and to my parent?s bedroom. I picked up the phone on their night stand and dialed the number to the hotel they were at for the week for a conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The phone rang and rang until the room?s voice message came on. I was going to just hang up and call some of the group, but I hesitated, and decided to leave a message. "Mom, Dad, this is Isabelle... I just wanted someone to talk to because I?m so lonely in the house, but I guess I?ll talk to you later and try to get a hold of Max. Ok, well, bye, I love you." I let out a shaky sigh as I hung up and dialed Max?s cell number. Halfway through the second ring the phone went dead. I picked it up and tried again but not even a dial tone could be heard. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I noticed the room getting colder. Fear wrapped around my heart as I dashed out of the room. I was so dizzy with fear I tripped over my own feet, and struggled to keep my balance, right at the top of the staircase. My arms flung wildly as I worked on trying not to fall head first down the stairs. I thought I had finally gained back my balance, when I felt a strong pressure on the small of my back, that caused me to totally lose my balance, and go tumbling down the stairs. I could feel the impact of every bump as I tumbled down the stairs, but I didn?t feel the pain from them until I slammed to a stop at the wooden floor at the feet of the stairs. The loud crack of my skull as it hit the ground shot an unbearable pain down my neck and spine. I couldn?t move, I just cried as I felt the hot blood soaking into my hair. I looked up at the blurry figure that appeared by my side. I squeaked, "You pushed me?" more like stating a fact rather then asking the figure a question. As my vision began to turn to black, I saw the figure bend his head to one side and smile an eery grin. As my mind began to shut down, the last realization I ever had was who the figure was. Alex. Then everything went black for the last time. *** Max walked briskly to the front door with a knot of worry in his stomach. An hour ago he felt this rushing pain fill his head while he was driving through the desert. He sensed it had something to do with Isabelle, and he rushed home to see if she was okay. He tried calling around six times but the answering machine picked up for each one, only fueling his worry. He turned the doorknob, calling out, "Isabelle, where are you? I tried calling like a hundred ti-" Max froze in place at the end of the entryway, his eyes glued to the sprawled hand peaking out from around the corner . He turned that corner with dread, collapsing to his knees when he saw the horrible sight at the foot of the stairs. "Isabelle!" Max shrieked in panic. "Come on Isabelle, talk to me," Max cried as he tried to figure out what to do. Isabelle was sprawled in an irregular manner, her arm tuck awkwardly under her back and leg twisted sideways. The dark pool that surrounded her head made Max gag, as he rushed to the bathroom to throw up. He felt his face drain of color, and his cheeks soaked with tears. He didn?t waste any time and grabbed all the towels he could find. But when he got there he couldn?t get himself to wipe up the blood. His mind screamed at him to check her pulse and try to heal her, NOW. He obeyed, and found that she had no pulse. His heart wretched in pain, as he continued trying to heal her, hold his hand against her sticky forehead in a grimace, and placing his other hand on her heart. He tried to concentrate on Isabelle with all his might. But nothing happened, he couldn?t make a connection at all. Which meant.... "Nooooo!" Max cried angrily, throwing his hand out towards the living room, causing all the windows to explode into little pieces, and the furniture slam into the walls. The furniture splintered into pieces, wood fragments flying dangerously in every direction. Max watched with hurt and anger as he did this to the furniture, until he snapped out of it when he saw Alex standing among all the flying debri. He saw Alex stare at him in a disturbing manner, then Alex grabbed at one of the large splinters of wood that flew by next to him, turn it around and throw it toward Max with amazing force and speed. Max didn?t even have time to react because of his state of shock and grief. He didn?t have time to put up the protective force field to save him from the splinter traveling smoothly through his chest like a stake. Max blinked, completely in shock at what just happened. Then his eyes filled with a hot burning liquid, and his sharp pain faded as fast as it came. Max collapsed on top of Isabelle, his eyes still open with a shocked expression permanently frozen on his face. Max?s last words were gurgled as he slipped into darkness. "Why, Alex?" Then, the phone rang, and the answering machine picked up. Max?s world was black, but he could still hear the answering machine message as he was fading away. "Hey Max, its me Liz. I tried you on your cell but it was turned off, but anyways, I just wanted to call to let you know I?ve missed you these past days and hope you return in time for taking me out to dinner like you promised. So, I?ll see you tonight, ok? Love you!" -beep- . Max?s world went silent, the last words he heard being Liz?s. *** The Evans? moved out of their house immediately after Max and Isabelle?s funeral services. The Evans? couldn?t understand how such an awful thing had happened. Liz, Michael, Maria, Kyle and the Sheriff were blown away with shock and grief as well. It was very difficult for the whole group, knowing they would never be the same ever again. Liz had convinced the Evans? that Max and Isabelle had wanted to be cremated, which they were. They released Isabelle and Max?s ashes out in the wind on top of an outcrop of rocks in the desert, which, unknowingly to the parents, were where the pods were hidden. No one ever bought the Evans? home, It lay there like an opened tomb, where Max, Isabelle, and Alex?s unsettling presences will preside for eternity. When people passed by the big empty house, they can feel in the very depths of their souls that the house WAS haunted. |
| "HAUNTED" BY: CYBERGRL_1 Rated: R |