NOTE: Semi-songfic, based on "Breathe" By Anna Nalick. Enjoy!
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Melinda woke late at night to the sound of someone crying. It sounded like a girl, she speculated in her drowsiness. She slipped out of bed, following the faint sobs. She made her way down the stairs, only to be greeted by a ghost. It wasn't just any ghost, Melinda thought, she was beautiful. Melinda approached the woman, the sobs wracking her body.
The spirit looked up. "Just," She sniffed, shaking her head. "Just…don't say anything." She sunk against the wall, landing on the floor. Melinda lowered herself next to her, keeping quiet. She watched the woman, how her lips curled in, desperately trying to control herself. The woman leaned her head against the wall, taking a deep breath. "I've always loved to sing, did you know?" She laughed bitterly. "But my parents wouldn't have it. I was going to become a lawyer, just like the rest of the family. So one day I had it, I bought a bus ticket to anywhere but middle of nowhere, Idaho, and due to my cosmic luck, the bus drove right off a cliff. Boom, there goes my chances of doing anything." She turned her head to Melinda. "May I sing to you? Just this once, I'd like someone to actually hear me." Melinda smiled, nodding.
"Two AM and she calls me, 'cause I'm still awake, can you help me unravel my latest mistake? I don't love him, winter just wasn't my season." She sang elegantly, staring into space. Melinda loved this song, but was entranced by how the woman sang it. After a while, she had fallen asleep, unintentionally, of course. "And I feel like I'm standin' in front of the crowd, 'cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud, and I know that you'll use them however you want to. There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout, cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out," The ghost paused, was that light for her? She stood, resuming her song. "These mistakes you've, made you'll just make them again, if you only try turning around. Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable, and life's like an hourglass, glued to the table. No one can find the rewind button now, so sing it if you understand, and breathe, just breathe, woah breathe…" Her voice faded out and Melinda awoke.
"Just…breathe." She stood, heading back up to her room, soon falling asleep in her husband's arms.