Chapter Three: Ghost

Dear Diary,

There is no story as chilling as a ghost story. Why is it that ghost stories are always intertwined with stories of romance and heartbreak? We, as human beings, can't seem to let the ones we love go. To us, death is just a new beginning. It can't be an ending. If it was, how could we keep living? No. Those we love must always be with us, even after a tragedy has occurred.

It was almost ten o'clock, and Eve was stretched across her new bed, writing in her small green notebook. The bed was extraordinarily fancy. It had a canopy, made of delicate golden lace, with comforters and pillows made to match. The sides were a deep brown wood, that were glazed over so that they shined in the light of the chandelier above.

The walls of the room were papered in a dark green floral print, and against the wall opposite of the bed, sat a large wardrobe. Of course it was still pretty much empty. Leo had said they'd go shopping in the morning.

Beside the wardrobe, were the doors to the balcony. Eve had them wide open, even though it was raining outside. The balcony was covered, so no rain made it inside to touch the dark wood floors.

Eve was staring out the opened door, when a small movement caught her eye. Setting the notebook aside, Eve jumped off the bed and walked out onto the balcony. It really wasn't that big. Just wide enough so that one could stand and peer over the balcony, which is what Eve did.

Eve scanned the street, trying to find the cause of the movement. After a few moments, she spotted it. A man sat in front of June's house, the same one she had met earlier that day. The man named Neal.

Neal sat on the curb of the street, his shoes resting in the rain ditch, as the water pushed by. He was staring at his hands, which were cupped over his knees. His dark hair dripped into his face, covering his eyes that Eve had loved.

Eve felt bad for him, he looked so lonely and sad. She waited underneath the covering of the balcony, waiting for Neal to get up and go inside. But he never did.

Poor thing. Eve thought. Her caring side took over her reason, and she ran back in her room. She dug out her traveling bag from the wardrobe, and found her large, red umbrella. Then, she quietly snuck down the stair case. She could hear Derrick and Leo speaking somewhere. Arguing? No. They wouldn't argue would they?

Eve made out the front door with out being seen. Then, opening her umbrella, she began to walk down the sidewalk.

She stopped about ten feet from the motionless man, watching him, unsure of what to do next. Then she approached him.

"You shouldn't stay in the rain for too long. You could get sick." Eve whispered. She angled her umbrella, so that it covered his pale face as well.

Neal looked up in surprise. Eve could see that his eyes were red.

"What are you doing?" He growled at her.

Eve sighed and shrugged. She sat down beside him, making sure that the umbrella was still propped over both their heads. From the curb, the houses around them seemed even taller. They towered over Eve, making her feel trapped and closed in.

"You shouldn't be sad. It's a lot easier to be happy." Eve told him, staring into his blue eyes. It was the only thing she could think of.

Then, Neal did something Eve hadn't expected. He laughed. A true full laugh, and his contagious smile spread across his face.

"How old are you?" He asked her.

"Sixteen."

"You're very wise for sixteen."

Neal turned and looked down the other side of the street. Eve could still see the water dripping down his neck, even though she had him covered with the umbrella.

Eve glanced down at the water running at there feet, drenching their shoes. Then, something caught her eye.

"Neal?" She whispered. He turned back to her, a look of distance clouding his eyes. "What's with your anklet?"

"It's a tracker." Neal laughed, smiling at her. Eve smiled back, but he looked away.

"Who's tracking you?" She wondered.

"The FBI." He didn't look at her that time. Eve had to listen closely to hear his voice over the now pounding rain.

Eve waited for him to say more, but he didn't. Instead she began to listen to the rain. The way it hit the umbrella almost sounded musical, and it began to hum through her head.

"You should go inside, Eve." Eve looked up and met Neal's eyes. There was no question to the statement. It was a command.

Eve hesitated for just a moment, watching Neal as he turned away from her once more. Then she stood, and slowly walked back to her new house. Once inside, she kicked off her shoes and crept up the stairs. She could no longer hear Derrick or Leo's voices. They must have gone to their own rooms.

Eve darted to her still opened balcony, and leaned over the railing once again. She could still see Neal sitting on the curb, all alone.

"You should go inside, Neal!" She shouted through the rain.

Neal looked around frantically in confusion, then spotting Eve, he began to laugh. He stood up, and began to walk back toward June's house, and even from a distance, Eve could tell he was smiling.

"Do you believe in hallucinations, silly dreams, or imaginations?
Don't go away cause I feel you this time.
Don't go away cause I need you there this time."

~Angels & Airwaves