Wednesday, September 6
I had a hard time getting out of bed the morning after Nikki died. I had woken up several times during the night from horrifying nightmares that I couldn't remember after opening my eyes. When my alarm finally went off, I just stared across the room, letting the noise fill the air. Thinking….always thinking…
Nikki didn't just die. She was murdered. Someone had reported a suspicious figure sneaking into a building around 8:30 last night. When the police arrived, the figure had already fled the scene, but not before lighting the building on fire. They were able to put out the fire before it got out of hand, but Nikki was already dead. She was killed before the fire was even set.
I didn't understand why this was happening. Why would someone kill Nikki? Who on earth would do such a thing? Was it just some blood-thirsty psychopath? Or did someone hate Nikki enough to actually kill her?
There were too many questions. Too many mysteries. Too many thoughts. I've never liked mysteries, but now more than ever I wished I just knew the answer.
Eventually, I pull myself out of bed and turned off the alarm, my ears ringing from the noise. I walked through the motions of the morning in a daze. Brush your teeth, take a shower, put on clean clothes, grab some toast, I did everything like it was a normal day. I didn't look at behind me, but I knew those three shadows watched my every movement. A constant, burdening reminder that it was not a normal day.
I grabbed my phone on the way out the door. There were no new notifications, but when I unlocked the phone, I noticed that I had some unread messages. I went to bed without checking to see if I had any other messages last night, so I wasn't that surprised to see that I had a text from last night. It was from a number my phone didn't recognize, but I knew who it was after reading the message.
"Hello, David. This is Gail Nummer from school. I just wanted to apologize about what I said earlier. It wasn't right of me to make assumptions and it seemed to really bother you. I don't know what your relationship with Max is, but from what I've seen he's an excellent young man. I should have never suggested otherwise. I'm sorry."
I bit my lip as my fingers floated over the screen, searching for the perfect words to respond with. I didn't really know what to say other than "It's fine, no worries". I wasn't well versed in texting etiquette, but such a short response felt rude somehow.
Glancing at the top of the screen, I noticed that it was a lot later than I thought. In fact, if I didn't leave right now, I was going to be late.
I'd have to text Gail back later, I thought as I shoved my phone into my bag. Maybe I'd see her today at school. Then we could talk in person.
I slung the bag over my shoulder and ran out the door, not daring to look back.
I managed to slip into the classroom before the bell rang. It was evident from the student's facial expressions that some of them were disappointed that I had showed up, hoping for a moment that they wouldn't have to have class today.
Fortunately, I was used to keeping a smile while trudging through tough situations. The kids in my American History class seemed unbothered by the death of their fellow student. Perhaps they didn't know about it. Maybe they did and just weren't that interested in talking about it. A murder like this was bound to be on the news by now - unless someone was trying to keep a tight lid on the case. I doubted that anyone would be able to keep the press away from this story, though. Especially in a town like this, where barely anything happens.
The students may not have been shaken up by the event, but I sure was. Hopefully they didn't notice my smile falter every now and then. I had to keep smiling, though, for their sake. If an adult couldn't stay mentally stable at a time like this, how were they expected to?
By the time the bell rang again, I was completely on autopilot. Looking back, I couldn't tell you a single thing that happened. Of course, I know I was talking about American History but besides that, it was all just a blur.
I straightened out the desks a bit before I left the classroom. It was about time to eat, so I searched through my bag for my lunch as I walked through the hall. I normally prepared a sandwich beforehand and stuck in a cooled container that was in the front pocket of my bag. But today, when I opened the front pocket, the container was gone. It didn't take long for me to realize that in my rush out the door, I had completely forgotten to prepare lunch.
That left me with two options: eat at the cafeteria or eat out somewhere. Pulling out the schedule again, I confirmed that I had plenty of time before my next class to go pretty much anywhere to eat. It was just annoying, since I only budgeted a little money to spend on going out. Oh well, I had a little wiggle room in my budget for circumstances like this.
I put away the schedule and began walking a little faster, now having an actual destination, when I heard footsteps behind me.
"Hey, David, wait up!" a familiar voice called from behind me. I stopped to turn around and saw Devin, the english teacher I spoke with yesterday.
"Oh, good morning, Devin!" I greeted him. I noticed a couple of guys walking slowly behind him.
"Davey, my man, what're you up to?" Devin said, catching up to me. Something about him seemed a bit off.
"I was just about to head off to lunch, how about you?" I asked, ignoring the fact that he just called me "Davey" even though this is only the second time we've spoken. The guys behind him circled around to be beside him. One of them was rather tall with tan skin and sun-bleached hair that was more suited for a surfer than a teacher. His light brown eyes were filled with life and hope, unlike the other man whose grey eyes looked like they had seen the worse of the world. This man had messy black hair, like that kind you'd get from not brushing your hair after waking up. But judging from those dark circles, he hadn't slept in awhile. The blond gave me a warm smile, which I returned. The other was kinda unresponsive and barely acknowledged me at all.
"Sweet, we were just about to do that too!" Devin said. The smiling man gave Devin a nudge. "Oh yeah, these are my buds, Lucas and Doug. Luca, Douggo, this is Davey."
"Lucas Wissenschaft, it's nice to meet you David," Lucas, the smiling one said, holding out his hand.
"Nice to meet you too, Lucas," I said, shaking his hand. I held my hand out to Doug. "And you too, Doug."
"Pleasure's all mine," he said in a surprisingly kind voice and shook my hand. His hand was cold, like he was as dead on the outside as he was on the inside.
"Be careful with Luca here," Devin said, slinging his arm around Lucas' neck. "Take your eyes off him for one second and he steals your wallet
"I think you're getting me confused with yourself," Lucas laughed, slipping out from under Devin's arm. Devin stumbled a bit as he shifted his weight to stand on his own.
"Maybe you should drive Dev there," Doug suggested quietly.
"Where are y'all going to eat?" I asked absent-mindedly.
"Oh, there's this little place called McCanner's that's a few minutes down the road. We always eat there on Tuesdays. Want to join us?" Doug offered. I was about to decline, as I was used to doing with offers like this, but then again I was on my way to eat out as well. I didn't see any harm in joining them.
"I'd love to! Thanks for the offer," I said.
"Hey, the more the merrier, right?" Doug said then turned back to Luas and Devin. "That cool with you?"
"I don't see why not," Lucas shrugged.
"Of course Davey can eat with us!" Devin said.
"Wow, it has been a while since anyone's called me that," I said quietly to myself. The other guys didn't seem to hear me.
"Let's not just stand around and talk about it, though! I'm hungry! Let's go!" Devin exclaimed, pumping his fists in the air before making his way down the hall. Lucas smirked and followed him to the car with me and Doug close behind.
It only took us a few minutes to get to the place, just like Doug said. Lucas drove Devin. Doug and I each took our own cars and just followed. The restaurant wasn't too busy and not too empty. It was one of those places where you ordered and then took your seat and the waiter would bring you the food. It didn't matter much, though, because the three made a beeline to the bar as soon as we entered. I followed them and took a seat at the end. The menu was on the wall above us. I looked it over and was disappointed to see they mostly served sandwiches. I hadn't realized how sick I was of sandwiches until I thought I had the chance to eat something else.
Lucas and Doug casually ordered, probably getting the same food they do every week. Devin took a bit more time to look at the menu before deciding on ordering a strange sandwich that had every dressing in the restaurant on it. He also ordered a beer, which Lucas and Doug raised an eyebrow at.
"Don't you have more classes to teach today?" I asked.
"It doesn't hurt to be a little tipsy while you teach," he shrugged.
"I think you're already a little tipsy, Dev," Doug noted.
I ordered the soup of the day, which was some sort of squash soup I've never heard of before. It looked good, and plus it was reasonably cheap.
"So, I know that Devin teaches English. What do you two teach?" I asked.
"I teach Biology and Chemistry. Kinda the science guy around here," Doug answered. "And Lucas teaches-"
"Algebra and sometimes Trig," Lucas interrupted. "You know, the fun maths."
"There's no such thing as fun math," Devin said, his expression turning sour. "Those two words shouldn't even be used in the same sentence."
"What do you teach, again? Literature?" Lucas asked, ignoring Devin.
"History, actually," I said.
"Oh right, because Johnny finally retired," Doug recalled.
"Was he the last history teacher?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I don't think he ever taught anyone anything. The dude was ancient!" Devin laughed.
"At least you don't have much to try to live up to," Lucas chimed in.
We talked for a little bit more and were eventually brought our food. I took a careful sip of the soup, and was amazing to find that it tasted even better than it looked. I was beginning to understand why these guys went here every week.
Lucas inhaled his sandwich. I was surprised that he didn't break a some sort of record as I watched him chow down on the thing. Contrastly, Doug picked at his sandwich, as if he didn't really want to eat it at all.
Devin touched his food even less than Doug, ignoring the sandwich completely and going straight for the beer. He downed the bottle in a couple of minutes and ordered another one. I saw Lucas and Doug give each other uneasy glances.
"Hey, buddy, maybe you want to slow down a bit?" Lucas said.
"I'll be fine!" Devin announced. "I'm no lightweight."
"I don't doubt that, but it is only 12:30," Doug noted, tearing a piece off his sandwich and eating it.
"It's five o'clock somewhere," Devin said in a sing-song voice.
"Yeah, but it's 12:30 here," Doug said quieter, sounding a bit annoyed.
"Come on, Dev, last beer," Lucas nudged Devin. "For the kids?"
Devin growled, "Fine, for the kids."
With that, Devin slumped over and hit the ground with an unsettling thunk. I stood up quickly, not quick enough to catch him though. Lucas did the same. He and Doug kneeled down and slung Dev's arms over their shoulders and lifted him up.
"You okay there?" Doug asked. Devin slowly opened his eyes and took a breath. I let out a sigh.
"You gotta stop doing this," Lucas said.
"He does this often?" I asked.
"Well, not often per say. He's just prone to passing out when drunk," Doug explained.
"Is he going to be okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I doubt he's gonna be teaching this afternoon," Lucas said as they helped Devin into a sitting position.
"I'll take him home," Doug offered.
"But his class-" Lucas interjected.
"I can just teach it," Doug shrugged.
"I thought you were the science guy," I said.
"Yeah, but I double majored in journalism. Besides, it's just one class," Doug said.
"Well, if you're going to cover his class, I'll drive him home," Lucas decided.
"No, it's good, I got it," Doug declined.
"Come on, dude, let me handle this one. Besides, I'm already done eating," Lucas insisted. He leaned down the pick up Devin again. "You ready to go, Dev?"
Devin muttered something in response, but I couldn't understand it. Lucas nodded and helped him stand up.
"I'll see you later," Lucas said.
"See you later," Doug waved them goodbye and Lucas helped Devin out the door. Doug took his seat at the bar again and I followed suit.
"Is he really going to be okay?" I asked once they had left.
"Yeah, he'll be fine. Lucas will take care of him," Doug reassured me. "Sorry about all this, I swear this isn't normally what Tuesday lunch is like."
"I should hope not. And it's completely fine," I said.
"Devin isn't normally like this either. I know it may seem like it, but he isn't an alcoholic or anything," Doug said.
"Is something going on with Devin?" I asked. Doug picked out his sandwich more, pulling off another chunk and looking at it.
"...You got the news last night, right? About the murder of a student?" he asked. I took a short breath and nodded. Doug didn't seem to notice my extreme reaction. "Devin was really close with the girl, um…"
"Nikki," I said.
"Yeah, Nikki," Doug nodded. "I don't know all the details, but I think Dev was an old friend of her mom's. He really wanted that girl to go to school here, and was so happy when she did. He's really torn up about about her death. I've never seen him like this."
"Wow, I had no idea," I said.
"Yeah, I mean, I knew that Dev knew Nikki, but I didn't realize how much she meant to her until now," Doug said. He looked at the piece of sandwich that he had pulled off for a moment, before eating it and hanging his head to stare at the ground. I looked back at my soup which was getting cold.
So Devin knew Nikki. It hadn't occurred to me that other people would be as bothered by her death as I was, which seemed a bit silly to think in retrospect. Of course there were people who cared about Nikki. She was a sweet girl with a kind heart - like a bright ray of sunshine.
"It just seems so unfair," I accidentally said aloud.
"Hm?" Doug looked up at me. I took in a breath and tried to collect my thoughts a bit.
"Nikki...Nikki was just a kid. She didn't deserve…" I began, but couldn't find the right words.
"To die?" Doug finished. I looked at him and gave a sad smile. Doug just sighed. "You know what they saw, bad things happen to good people."
My smile dropped again. "Good people…" I echoed quietly. Doug looked me over and pursed his lips.
"Did you know Nikki?" he asked. I felt my muscles tense a bit. Of course I knew Nikki. But after what happened at Camp Campbell, I didn't want anyone to know I had any connection to that event. I could lose my job if that got out. But I couldn't just lie.
"I guess. She was in a my class," I finally said.
"So you just met her yesterday?" Doug asked.
"Kinda," I bit the inside of my mouth, hoping he wouldn't press further.
"Kinda?" he repeated. I opened my mouth to say something, but shut it again. He must have picked up on my hesitation. "Sorry, just listening to you talk I thought you really knew her or something."
"I...um, knew her when she was really little, but not for a long time," I admitted.
"Oh okay….sorry," Doug apologized.
"It's fine, really," I shook my head. "Why don't we just talk about something else?"
"Um, sure. Did you hear about the new ideas about alternate universes?" Doug asked.
"Alternate universe?" I repeated, surprised at the strange topic. "Uh, no, not really. I don't really keep up with that field."
"I don't normally, but with the recent death and all, it just got me thinking. There's still a lot of things we don't understand about the world, you know? And when scientists do experiments, it just makes things even more confusing. So there's this theory floating around that our universe is just one of many universes. Do you follow?" Doug stopped to take a breath. I could tell he was really excited about this stuff. I nodded and he smiled more. "One of the theories is called the Many Worlds Interpretation. The basic idea is that anything that can happen will happen and already has happened, just in alternate universe. For instance-"
He motioned to my soup. "There's a dimension where you ordered mushroom soup instead of whatever that it. There's a dimension where you ordered a salad instead of a soup. For every possible thing you could have ordered, there's a dimension out there where you did."
"That's a fascinating idea!" I did my best to smile.
"Yes, but it can also be very disturbing, but that's not why I've been thinking about it a lot," Doug said, the smile slipping off his face. "The thing is, if the Many Worlds Interpretation is true, then there's a universe where Nikki didn't die last night."
I felt my smile freeze on my face and my hands tighten into fists. A universe where Nikki was alive? Was that possible?
"Could we….would there be any way to get to that universe?" I asked carefully.
"Not with our current technology. Even if we could, what would we do? Steal Nikki from that dimension?" Doug shook his head. "It's best not to think about it."
"I guess you're right," I sighed. I picked up my spoon to take a sip, but found that the soup was now cold. Doug laughed nervously.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be so depressing all the time," he apologized again. He stood up and pulled out his wallet. I did the same, but as soon as I got out my wallet, Doug held up his hand. "Hey, don't worry, I got it. It's my day to pay. And besides, it's the least I can do for bringing you down like a total jackass."
"Thank you, but you don't have to-" I began.
"I know, but...I want to," Doug said. He put down a couple of dollars and signalled the waitress. She walked over and wrote up the check, giving Doug back the change. He seemed happy, but I couldn't help but feel guilty for not paying. I would have to pay next time. Once Doug had put up the cents, he turned his attention back to me. "Well, I guess I've got to teach a class this afternoon. I'll see you around?"
"Sure, see you later!" I said.
And we went our separate ways.
I drove back in time to head over to the classroom 223 to set up for my World History class. As I set down my bag and looked over the empty classroom, I wondered if Max was even going to be here today. After all, his best friend just died. I had purposely avoided thinking about Max in relation to Nikki's death all day. I just couldn't bare the thought.
But I couldn't avoid it forever, especially with the clock ticking down the beginning of the class.
The students shuffled in about seven minutes before the start of class. Billy and Edward showed up first again. I half expected Edward to start antagonizing me about Nikki's death, but he seemed kinda off today. Maybe Nikki's death had affected him just as much as everyone else.
Delilah and Nerris showed up next. I guessed they were making sure they got here on time in light of yesterday's close call. Delilah was talking to Nerris in the same way she was yesterday, but Nerris seemed to just blankly stare ahead and only responded to Delilah in short sentences. Neil, Dolph, and Preston walked in next. The three of them conversed quietly, laughing nervously every once and awhile. It was pretty clear that they were all disturbed by Nikki's death, but none of them wanted to bring it up.
Erin and Tabii came in and were too busy chatting to notice the tense atmosphere. They took their seats and the front and pulled out their phones, texting and chatting somehow at the same time. Sasha and Ered strolled in soon after. Their faces were emotionless and generally cool, so it was hard to tell what they were thinking. However, they seemed to be able to read each other pretty well as they made their way to the back of the room.
It was almost time to start class now. Just a few more minutes. There were only two seats empty. Nikki's and Max's seat. The two seats were right next to each other. I stared at the seats, and for a moment, I could have sworn I saw the two of them sitting there. Max had his arms crossed with his black headphone and blank stare, and Nikki was sitting next to him, leaning towards him, her desk threatening to fall over, with a big smile on her face as she talked loudly about some random topic. Despite Max's overall deadpan expression, I could see a bit of light in his eyes. It was like even with everything he's been through, and continues to go through, being able to be there with his friend make it all a little better.
But then, I blinked and the seats were empty. My throat began to hurt as I fought the urge to cry. No, not here. Not in front of all these students. I had to be strong for their sake. With that in mind, I forced a smile back onto my lips.
A universe where Nikki was alive…
I turned to check the clock, but my eye was caught by Max walking into the classroom. Just like yesterday, all chatter died down the instant that Max stepped into the room. Except today, it was for a slightly different reason.
It suddenly occurred to me that some people may suspect Max to be the one who killed Nikki. The thought alone made my stomach churn. A couple of kids looked downright afraid of Max now, though Max's expression hadn't changed at all from yesterday. In fact, he was wearing the same blue jacket and a similar grey shirt. The only thing that was different was his headphone, which had been swapped out for red ones.
"Hey, Max, I wasn't expecting to see you today," I greeting him, breaking the silence. He didn't respond, but after a moment he stopped and looked up at me.
"You...weren't?" he asked slowly. He seemed confused. Preston shook his head and stood up.
"Max, we're all very sorry about what happened. No one would have blamed you if you had decided to stay home today," Preston exclaimed, attempting to throw his arms around Max who quickly stepped out the way. He looked even more uncomfortable than he did before.
"Uh...I don't...follow," Max mumbled. I saw his shoulders tense and his head lower. The students gave each other glances and began to whisper.
"Max….don't you know?" Nerris asked. He gave her a blank look. Nerris looked back down, hiding her face behind her hair. "Nikki….she's…"
"Nikki is dead," Delilah said, loud and clear. Everyone stopped talking at once and looked at her and then at Max. Max's mouth dropped open a bit. I saw his shoulders tense even more before they dropped completely. Max shut his mouth, going back to that deadpan look.
"Oh," is all Max said before he made his way to his desk. The students watch him sit down and then they all looked back at me.
"Well then," I began, clearing my throat. "I suppose all of you know about your fellow classmate's passing. It was a tragic event, but….we can't let her death get in the way of your education. We must continue on, for Nikki's sake."
I started the lesson, not going as much into depth as I normally would. Not only was it only the second day of school, but all the students had a personal connection to a student that recently died. There was no way they were going to retain any of this information, but I still had to try.
The period passed uneventfully. No one spoke about Nikki again and I did my best to keep an upbeat attitude. It was relaxing to teach, in a way. It gave me something to focus on, so my mind didn't wander off to Nikki. I didn't have time to entertain such thoughts when I was talking about the nomads of ancient times.
Once bell rang, the kids all shuffled out of the room. I saw a couple of students say goodbye as they went opposite directions down the hall. Others just pulled out their phones and paid no attention to the others as they left. Max slipped out at some point, but I actually didn't see him leave. He must have a secret tactic.
I thought everyone had left, so I walked back behind my desk and began gathering up my notes. That's when I heard someone clear their throat. Surprised, I looked up and saw Delilah standing near the doorway.
"Sorry for bothering you after class," Delilah said, walking closer to me.
"Don't worry about it! I'm here to help. Did you have a question?" I asked with a bright smile.
"Not really. I just wanted to talk about something," she said cryptically.
"Oh, okay then," I said. "What did you want to talk about exactly?"
"Well, it seems that a lot of people here think that Max killed Nikki," Delilah began. I frowned at the revelation. So it was true. Delilah began to pace as she talked. "Which is just awful. Max doesn't deserve to be treated so poorly for something he had nothing to do with."
"I'm glad you trust Max. He's a good kid," I told her.
"Yeah, after all, Max isn't responsible for this at all," Delilah said. Then, she stopped and turned to look me in the eye. "Because you're responsible for it."
I'm...responsible?
It took me a moment to process what she said. Then another moment to try to figure out how to respond. How do you respond to someone accusing you of murder? Before I could say anything, her serious expression changed to a more smug look and then she burst out laughing.
"I'm just kidding!" she laughed. "Sorry, Nerris says my jokes come off as more threatening than funny."
"Heh, sorry I just wasn't expecting that," I laughed nervously.
"But in all seriousness, it's really stupid for the other kids to think Max did it. I mean, sure 'it's always the quiet ones' but Max really loved Nikki," Delilah said, spinning around to look out over to Max's and Nikki's seats.
"He did care a lot about her," I agreed. Delilah leaning her head back to look at me. She closed her eyes and let out a breath, then spun back around and walked up to me.
"I want to try to become Max's friend, but Nerris is really scared of him," Delilah admitted. "Nerris is kinda my only friend. I normally turn to her whenever I have problems, but, obviously, I can't talk to her about this. That made me kinda stuck because I didn't know what to do and didn't know anyone that I could ask for help. But then I thought, hey, doesn't Mr. David know Nerris and Max? So I thought I'd ask you!"
"Oh, I see," I nodded. "Ask me what?"
"How can I get Nerris and Max to be friends?" she put her hands on my desk and leaned closer to me. I took a step back instinctively, but kept smiling.
"Hm," I said. "There was a time when I could offer an answer to that question, but now…."
I sighed. "Max and Nerris have changed so much since they were my campers. I feel like I don't know a thing about them anymore."
"Really?" Delilah pushed herself up. "What was Nerris like back then?"
"Oh, I don't know if she'd want me to tell you if she hasn't already told you herself," I said.
"Aw, come on! I promise I'll study for all my test if you do!" Delilah begged.
"You should already study for all your test, it will help you get into college," I automatically said. Delilah rolled her eyes.
"Really, though, Ner-ner wouldn't mind. I've seen her baby pictures before!" Delilah insisted.
"Well, alright," I shrugged. "It's not that interesting, though. When Nerris went to camp with us, she was really into Dungeons and Dragons. She always wore elf ears and a wizard's hat."
Delilah giggled. "Elf ears? I'd like to see that!"
"She also wore glasses and braces back then," I told her. Delilah snorted.
"Stars, Nerris was such a nerd!" she laughed. "Ah, that's why I love her."
"She was a happy little camper," I said.
"What about Max?"
"Oh. Max wasn't that happy of a camper."
"That's not that hard to believe. I swear, I've never seen the dude smile even once!"
"Well, it wasn't that Max didn't smile much, he just seemed to be in a constant state of rage."
"Rage? From our little emotionless sociopath?"
"I wouldn't call him a sociopath. Just, jaded. Even back then. I tried to help him see how much fun camp was, but I never got through to him. I don't blame him, though. If anything, I regret not doing more to help him. Max has had a hard life."
"Haven't we all?"
"Not all of us. Some more than others. I guess Max just has some sour luck. But it's not my place to tell you. Maybe...just try talking to him? I'm sure one day he'll tell you himself."
"Alright, well I'll wait until that day. Thank you, Mr. David," Delilah grabbed her bag.
"Anytime, Delilah," I waved her out the door.
I had a hard time falling asleep that night. I just couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened over the past two days as I stared at the blank wall. I didn't dare turn around, for fear that I would see those three figures watching me in the distance.
I had done a good job of keeping myself occupying during the day, so my mind didn't turn to those figures, but here in the darkness with nothing but my thoughts, there was nothing I could do.
Those four words that Delilah had said kept popping back up in my head. Even if she meant it as a joke, that dead serious look she gave me gave me chills.
"You're responsible for it."
Was I responsible?
I mean, obviously I didn't kill Nikki. I didn't kill anyone. But, too many people had died around me for it to be coincidence. What if, somehow, it was all my fault. Like my present was a bad omen that caused children to die. It seemed selfish to think, but it would make sense.
When I was a kid, my best friend had died. His name was Jasper, and I still remember what he looked like, what his voice sounded like, what his room smelled like. I wasn't directly responsible for his death, but I still felt like it. It's why his ghost seemed to follow me, even when I had blocked the whole thing from my memory.
When I was a young adult, a camper that I was responsible for died. His name was Neil, and I can still see his unmoving body the first time I saw him again as he was pulled out of the river. Even though it was just an accident, I felt as guilty as I would have if I pushed him in myself. His ghost seemed to join Jasper in his quest to torment me until I join them.
And now, Nikki was dead. At least she was finally reunited with Neil.
So was I responsible? Was there something I could have done to prevent these deaths? Was their blood on my hands.
I didn't want to think about. I pulled the pillow over my head and began to count slowly to myself. I focused on the numbers, focused on my breathing, focused on anything but the ghosts that inching closer my bed, silently begging me to join them.
I must have fallen asleep eventually. When I opened my eyes again, light was beginning to pour into my room. I sat up sleepily and looked at the calendar in front of my bed. Huh? Did I forget to mark it yesterday?
The calender was on the September page, and the days 1 - 4 had big X's on them. 5 and 6, however, were still empty. Well, besides the big "FIRST DAY OF NEW JOB" written on the 5th.
I shook this off a simple mistake on my part and went about my day, trying not to think about Nikki. I got up, took a shower, got dressed, the usual. I made sure to actually fix a sandwich today. I doubted the guys were going out today, and I didn't want to be stuck without lunch again.
Once I was ready to head out the door, I took my phone off the charger. As the screen turned on, I saw that I had a missed call from Gwen. Oh right, she had tried to call me a couple of days ago. It must be important if she called twice. I would have to call her back.
I looked at the time, but stopped when I saw the date underneath the time. It was a smaller font than the time, so I had to hold it close to my face to see it. Hm, that's odd. I thought. It said…
Tuesday, September 5
