Chapter four
Black water. Cold. He was sinking, choking, drowning. He fought the water but it was everywhere, burning his lungs, freezing his stomach, pulling him down, weighing him down like icy hands. Icy hands. He clawed at them, untangled his arm, his legs, pried them off his face, his head. Free, he swam, broke the surface but still couldn't breathe, struggled to the bank. Mud. He couldn't get out. The water claimed him again and he fought harder, broke the surface again. Digging his fingers into the mud and sparse grass, he dragged himself up onto the stony ground, collapsed coughing, vomiting, water erupting from his mouth and nose. Through the splatter of water on stone, he heard nothing but his lungs wheezing and his heart hammering, but through the darkness, he saw him. The Tall Man.
Keller woke with a gasp and looked around. He rubbed his face and then noticed something every odd in his room. Something that wasn't right. Someone was sleeping in the bed next to him. He looked to his left, the ghost girl was watching him, and her eyes had some faded color to them. He waited for her to go like she did a week ago, but no such luck. She gulped very loudly in the darkness.
"Who are you?" she asked. Keller sighed and shook his head. He was working too hard. There had been a ton of kids missing lately.
"Keller." he answered her.
"Killer?" she hissed.
"NO. KEL-ler. Who are you?"
"Myself."
"Do you have a name, myself?"
"I…"her eyes looked past him and she began to disappear. She was now sitting on the edge of the bed next to him, her back to him. Her hair looked wet. "Brook…lyn." she whispered.
"Your name is Brooklyn?"
"No. I died at the Brooklyn…in the water. I think."
"You drowned?"
She turned to look at him.
She looked so afraid.
"HE killed me. He kills them all. Except for the ones he haunts. He tortures them."
With that she was gone, and the alarm clock was ringing.
