Nick's POV
The day went on and I spent all of it getting to know Annie. I ended up sitting at the head of her bed and she was sitting between my legs, I'd stroke her hair and she'd drop in and out of sleep, but I knew she needed it to get better. Joe and Kevin came in sometimes but Zoe, Tash and Lexi had cleared off soon after their arrival.
The day sped by and soon enough my parents were here to take me and my brothers home.
Like I wanted to leave.
"Nick, you're recovering too." My Mom had said.
"But, Mom," Was the only argument I'd been allowed to contribute.
"Nick, we have a tour to plan, and only 3 weeks left to plan it." My Dad added softly. He was right, as per usual. Did I really want to leave now? It is a world tour.
"Okay." I agreed, looking forward to going back to my Nick-shaped bed.
"You can come back tomorrow." Dad told me. I nodded once, not breathing a word. I'd only be interviewed later by Kevin and Joe. I walked, limped, out to the car without meeting any of my families gaze though feeling their curious eyes burning me where I walked. It was almost patronising when Dad tried to help me into the car, only bringing back memories of what happened last night. I looked up into the night sky, wondering whether the jerk that did this to Annie was seeing the same stars, the same spheres of fire burning billions of trillions of miles away.
Why would he have such reason to do that?
Mom told me the CSI were analysing the clothes that Annie and I had been wearing last night to find traces of finger prints that weren't our own. I wanted the guy to be punished, yeah, but I didn't think it would take this much to get to that conclusion.
He must be as slippery as a rubber duck in the bath if they hadn't found him; it's the CSI we're talking about!
It was almost murder! Almost… maybe attempted is a better word.
Dad had told me that only a couple of small-scale magazines had discovered what happened last night, though most of the National Newspapers will probably know by morning.
This might actually ruin my career.
Joe and Kevin are fine! Then again they did get drunk at a club…
That night, Dad, Kevin, Joe and I sat round a table, discussing things for the tour while Mom amused Frankie and kept him out the way. I really couldn't concentrate on anything to do with the band and my ankle throbbed from walking without caution to the car at the hospital. Though I do wish I could have stayed longer.
I was slumped over the table, my chin resting on my hands. I soon moved so my ear was resting on my arm. I fell asleep.
I woke up a few hours later with a blanket gently laid over my shoulders. I shrugged it off and stretched my arms above my head as I yawned. I noticed everything was dark; I looked over at the large kitchen clock. 1:15am. Great.
"You awake Nick?" Someone asked, my brain was too sleepy to register who it was.
"Yeah." I said, standing up, seeing Annie sitting on the couch, waiting for me. She was pale and the bruises around her neck were noticeable in the dark. She was wearing a hoodie with the sleeves rolled up and the scars on her forearms were more emphasised. Her ankle was in a cast and resting on the coffee table. Then I felt someone breathe on my shoulder.
"Boo." They exclaimed. I screamed and jumped backward, away from him. "Remember me Nick?" he asked. It was the guy from outside the club. "I tried to kill Annie but you got in the way. I'm going to get her Nick, then I'm coming for YYYOOOOOOUUUUUU!" He sounded like he was trying to be a ghost from some old movie, but it was still creepy in the dark of the firehouse. Annie collapsed on the sofa and I rushed to her side. Her heart had stopped beating. A transparent white figure rose from her chest. It was her in some sort of ghost form.
"You killed me Nick. If it wasn't for you I'd have died that night, I wouldn't have had to live through all that pain before I, inevitably, died. Feeling guilty?" She was taunting me.
"No. No I tried to save you!" I exclaimed, pleading my cause.
"What would I have preferred? To live in pain, or to die a quick death. Doesn't matter. I died anyway." She was right up in my face, her usually gentle features hard, her eye brows lowered and an evil smirk rested on her face.
"Please, no," I sounded unbelievably desperate and pathetic, but I was being ganged up on by the ghost of my dead girlfriend and her murderer; what was I supposed to do?
"If you weren't there Nick, Annie's Mom wouldn't hate her. If you weren't there Nick, she wouldn't have had to move to Seattle. If you weren't there Nick, her parents wouldn't be suffering the loss of their only child." The Murderer taunted.
"No! I only tried to save her! Out of kindness!" I screamed. "No! No! No!" I called. Annie's ghost had faded back into her body and the murderer was coming towards me with a small knife. He was running at me, pointing the knife straight at me. I screamed and the knife hit me.
I screamed again and jerked awake. I looked up at the kitchen clock; 1:15 am. A blanket draped over my shoulders.
"Nick you awake?" A voice asked me. I was too scared from my nightmare to register who it was. "Nick, are you ok?" Macy. What was she doing here so late? "Nick? Nick!" Macy exclaimed. I blacked out.
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