Charlie's Ghost.
It is the morning after Ruby and Brax gave consent to turn off Charlie's life support machine. Ruby hasn't slept a wink and has left Leah's at sunrise for a walk on the beach to clear her head. The sun is low, and the waves are crashing on the golden sand. The day seems normal but everything has changed. Ruby was deep in thought about the past 24 hours, and finds herself having walked up to Barrenjoey lighthouse. She takes a seat on the rocks close to the cliff-face and looks out over Summer Bay and the sea.
The wind feels stronger here, and Ruby is welling up.
"Why?" Ruby speaks out to the horizon, her voice breaking with despair.
"Nobody can answer that question Ruby" Charlie was sat behind her, and placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder. She was wearing her Police uniform, ready to start the day at work, just like she was two days ago when she was shot.
Ruby turned around to respond, not questioning Charlie's sudden appearance.
"I have a lot of questions though"
"That's the ironic thing about life, we live like we know the answers and we plan everything out like we can see the future, but nobody stops to ask, what if?" Charlie replied.
"what? What if your mum is shot in her home? What if a drug dealing gang moves to the bay and destroys everything I thought was true? What if you find yourself up on a cliff on the day you're burying your mum and you just want to carry on walking off into the sea and never come back" Ruby's voice had now risen, " how ironic is that Charlie?"
"It isn't" Charlie's voice was still calm, "it's just the way it is. And I don't like seeing you like this, you're my precious little girl"
Ruby Turned back round to face the bay again, it was unusually quiet for the early morning, there would usually be surfers out, and residents walking to work.
"You called me mummy at the hospital"
"That's who you are, I should've called you that all this time" Ruby had calmed down, and she was drying her eyes now.
"Its ok, I know you love me." Charlie said
"I love you so much, mum, please you cannot leave me" Ruby pleaded
"Ruby" Charlie stroked ruby's long hair back as the wind was blowing it in her face, "you have to let me go, you have to move to the city and live the life we talked about"
"That life was our life" ruby exclaimed, the tears were rolling down her cheek, "what am I going to do?"
Charlie started wiping the tears from under Ruby's eyes and said, "You're going to go home, get showered, and bury me. You're going to my brave girl. I'll be watching Ruby, I'm here for you."
"What about Brax?" Ruby stood up and turned round. Charlie was gone. There was nothing but the wind in the grass.
"Charlie!" Ruby shouted back towards land. "Charlie!"
Ruby's Phone beeps.
She glances down, and reads a text message she just received from Leah
Where are you? Are you ok?
She put the phone back in her pocket, took a deep breath and headed back for the bay.
This would be the place where Ruby would come to speak to Charlie in future. This is their place now. Nobody between them, just the two of them, the sea, and the sky.