Title: You Haunt Me

Summary: Missing his deceased wife, he goes back to their old house and relives the memories of the days they spent together. Inspired by an Anberlin song, "Haunting".

Language: English

Rating: K

Genre: Romance/Tragedy

Characters: Whichever McFlyer you would like it to be. ;)

Author: Marsha

Author's Notes: When I first heard "Haunting" by Anberlin, I was inspired to write a standalone and after weeks of planning and hours of sitting in front of the computer, replaying the song over and over, I wrote my very first standalone.

Disclaimer: I do not own McFly or anybody. This is purely a figment of my imagination/creativity/whatever you will.

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Up on this hill, in this uncanny house,
The wind makes this place creak, the lights they are flickering.

I drove into the driveway of our old house. The place where we used to live… The place where we shared our joy and our sorrows together… The place where you fixed my shattered dreams… The place where we… loved…

A tear ran down my face as I sat in the car facing the house and I quickly brushed it away. I missed you. After all these years, I still missed you. I looked at the house, the house though old and dusty, held so many wonderful memories till that one fateful day.

The moon she is lurking, the clock it stopped working,
At a quarter past three.

I switched off the engine, opened the car door and stepped out, eyes still fixed upon the house. I couldn't take my eyes off it. My heart held a sense of longing. I had to come even though it was almost midnight. Past events had been playing on my mind for so long that I needed to revisit, relive it if it was possible. Without turning away from the house, I took a flash light from the car, switched it on and walked towards the porch.

There's something dancing here in the shadows,
And I wish it were us.

It felt like I'd been brought back to that very last day as I stood on the porch. I looked to my right; there I was, sitting next to you on the porch swing. I was singing to you one of your favourite songs and stroking your hair. It was one of our "carefree days" as you liked to call them. You looked beautiful, just like you do everyday. I smiled sadly and went over to the front door. I pushed it open. It creaked and suddenly, a gust of wind blew past. The chills got to me and I pulled my jacket tightly around me as I continued to walk into the house.

Past the hallway, into the dining area, I saw myself at one end of the table and you at the other. You had cooked a feast to celebrate the success of my career. All that wonderful food, the wine and the laughter, I loved how you took care of me. Everything was perfect, more than anything I'd ever asked for when I was a little boy.

I turned away and walked up the stairs, some of the boards were broken and I had to avoid stepping onto them. I remembered how you walked down those very same stairs in your lovely evening gown one night. I felt so much pride and joy. You were gorgeous, and I was lucky to have found you, to have had you with me, to have married you… to have married you…

You haunt me baby, you haunt me here tonight.
You haunt me baby, you haunt me here tonight.
Tonight.
Tonight.

I continued my way up the stairs with it creaking under my weight. I got to the top landing and as if my feet had a mind of its own, I was brought to our old bedroom. I shone my flash light around, taking in everything; every bare wall, every crack, every line, every dust, every single little thing in the room. My eye caught onto something on the floor that reflected the light from the flash light and shone. I carefully walked across the creaking floor towards it. I stared down at that little piece of photo frame facing upwards. I bent down and picked it up. I looked at it and smiled as another lone tear rolled off my cheek.

Can't get your memory, off of my mind.
Just want your heartbeat, on top of mine.

In the picture, was us, on our honeymoon. We were happy, happy that we were finally married after going through so much to be together. You were radiant, just like a new bride should be and I was grinning so wide I thought my teeth would fall off. That honeymoon was one of our favourite memories.

There's something dancing here in the shadows,
And I wish it were us.
You haunt me baby, you haunt me here tonight.
You haunt me baby, you haunt me here tonight.
Tonight.
Tonight.

I took the picture out of the frame, kept it in my pocket and put the frame back on the floor where I found it. I turned around and saw a shadow move. I shook my head and looked again. It was gone. My heart cried out and longed for you. For your presence once again, for everything to be back to the way it once was.

I looked around the room again as memories came flooding back to my mind. I looked to where our bed used to be. I'd woken up and you were still fast asleep. You were so beautiful, like an angel. I watched you as you slept, as your chest rose and fell from your slow breathing. I thought of how lucky I was for the billionth time since I met you. I reached over and pushed a stray strand of hair away from your face. You stirred and woke, smiling at me. I smiled back as you snuggled into me. Another perfect morning, another perfect day, and it began with you, as it always does.

Up on this hill, in this uncanny house.
Your spirit I can't see, but I still believe,
I can feel your breath on me.

I walked over and lay on the cold parquet floor. As I lay there, tears flowed free. I missed you. Every single part of me missed you. Every single part of me longed for you. I would do anything to have you back, back in my arms where you belonged. As if my silent wish came true, you were suddenly walking towards where I lay and you lay down next to me, in my opened arms. Your arm wrapped around my waist, your head lay on my shoulder. You smelt just like you always did, like fresh flowers from the garden you made me let you have. You wiped the tears away from my face and kissed me on my tear-stained cheek.

You haunt me baby, you haunt me here tonight.
You haunt me baby, you haunt me here tonight.
Tonight.
Tonight.

I was about to hold you closer to me, to hold on to you forever. That by holding you, everything would be the way it was again. How I would wake up with you next to me, how you'd be there for me to hold, to touch, to kiss, to love forever. Yet, the moment I moved, you disappeared… just as mysteriously as you appeared…

"NOOO…!!!" I sat up and screamed as loudly as my lungs would let me. I had lost you once and I lost you yet again. For so long, your memory lived in me… but I… I believe… I… believe that it's time to let go now.

Up on this hill, in this uncanny house.