The Clouds Project 2
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Austin puts his hands on the top of the table slowly and then looks over the table barely letting his head past his hands. He stands up and looks at me.
"Austin?" I ask.
"How...how are you here? You're supposed to be dead."
"I am."
"Then how am I seeing you? I'm dreaming. It has to be a dream. That's all it is: a dream. I mean, you couldn't be possibly standing in my kitchen talking to me and I couldn't possibly talking to you because that's impossible. Ghosts don't exist and neither do you. You're just a pigment of my imagination." He keeps pacing back and forth in front of me. "But how could-why would I be dreaming of all the people to dream about, you?"
"Great, thanks."
"Sorry." He then raises is eyebrows. "But I only met you once. And that was the day you died."
"Austin! You're not dreaming."
"But then how can I see you?"
"You might need to sit." He sits down on the chair. "Well, when I died it was all white. I didn't know what happened to me until this man appeared."
"Was it, you know, The Man?"
"No, it wasn't The Man. It was Jake Smile, my social worker of some sort. I don't know he just helped me. He is letting me get a new chance at life. When I was human my life was down falling. He showed me my future if I never died. It was terrible. I was everything I wish I could never be. My death was an accident. I wasn't supposed to die."
"How is that possible. If you weren't supposed to die how come you never survived. Like, never died but went into the hospital or something."
"I don't know, I think it was because my accident was so bad that there was no chance for survival. But that all can be fixed if I help you."
"Help me with what? I'm fine."
"Are you? With everything going on, are you really fine?"
"Yes, now can you please leave?"
"I can't. Not until you go to sleep tonight."
"Can't you just turn invisible or something?"
"I don't get that ability yet. I'm just a newbie so I don't have much power."
"What ghost are you if you can't be invisible?" I shrug my shoulders. "Well, if you don't mind I'm going to practice." He stands up.
"Practice what?"
He sits in front of a piano on a piano bench, "The piano."
"You're a pianist? I never knew that."
"We only knew each other for like, five seconds. And I'm not a pianist, I'm a singer. Remember?"
"Oh, right. In the Senior meeting you said that you wanted to be a singer."
"Yeah, and I'm still trying." He starts playing a song.
"What Hurts The Most"
I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm OK
But that's not what gets me
What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was tryin' to do
It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
But I'm doin' It
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
Still Harder
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret
But I know if I could do it over
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken
What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say (much to say)
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do, oh.
What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say (to say)
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do
Not seeing that loving you
That's what I was trying to do
Austin finishes his song and then sets his head on the top of the piano. "It's okay."
He turns around, "I wrote this song because of what happened to my dad."
"I know what happened."
"You do?"
"I'm informed about my clients."
"Oh. Since you are a musician, do you want to play a song?"
"Were."
"What?"
"...were a musician. I was."
"Oh sorry.."
"Don't apologize. What is is what is. And I don't think I can. I mean, I'm dead, I don't even think I can have physical contact with objects. I don't think people can feel me either now that I think about it."
"Never know unless I try."
"I'm scared." Austin tilts his head. "I mean, if I try and realize that I can never play music again..."
"Try, see what happens." I smile and sit next to Austin.
"Okay, but you start playing first." He does. He plays something extremely beautiful. I start to think of a nice piece to go with what he is playing. I set my fingers on the piano keys but not letting enough pressure to press them down just yet. I can feel the keys. That's a good sign, right? I slide my fingers across the keys when Austin stops playing. "You're turn."
I press the keys down and start playing the song. Austin joins me and I start laughing because of the amazement. "It works. I can play." I get real into the song when Austin's hand touches mine. I stop playing. "I feel that. I can feel that. I can feel people!" I smile. I give Austin a hug and he hugs me back.
"That's awesome."
"Yeah it is."
"It's like eleven right now. I think I'm going to go to sleep."
"Okay. Good night." I sit on the bench and smile. After Austin is in bed and asleep I quietly walk into his room. I watch him sleep when I hear a strong ringing in my ear. It didn't hurt but it was more like an warning or invitation. Must be Amonia calling me to go home. I disappear and see white again. I look around and I'm back to were I was when I left. I look around and find Jake talking to someone. She had really curly hair. She is short and wearing leopard pattern clothes. I thought people up here wore white clothing of their choice. I walk up to Jake and that girl, "Hey, I'm back."
"Hey, Ally. How was the first day?"
"It was more like an hour but it was alright. He seemed pretty cool with the fact that he knew me already and that he could see me."
"You guys know each other already?"
"Yeah, I met him the day I died. Is that a bad thing?"
"No. Well, yes if you guys knew each other personally or knew each other for more than a week. But since you two didn't know anything about each other it's okay. If you did then we would have to assign you a new client."
"Oh. Who is she?"
"I'm Trish." She smiles.
"How come you don't wear normal clothes like everyone else around here?"
"That's because I'm not like everyone around here."
"She's apart of The Clouds Program. Just like you, Ally." Jake says.
"Oh, so you're helping someone too?" I ask Trish.
"Yeah, someone in Miami. His name is Dez. I just started a week ago. Im helping him out from a loss of a friend. He won't trust me enough yet to tell me who though. That's what I'm telling Jake about."
"And it's all about time, Trish." Jake explains to Trish. "Soon enough he will trust you. He's just not used to you. No client is used to a ghost in thief life especially during the first week. This could take weeks. Maybe even months but he'll trust you."
"Okay. Well, I'll be home."
"Bye, Trish. So Ally, what's up?"
"I have some precautions."
"Okay..."
"Well, we have contact with the Earth. How come?"
"Well, because you can comfort your clients and connect to them. It helps a lot of you can physically be with them. It also helps them from going crazy."
"Yeah, okay. I get that but hasn't their been any complications before? Can't other humans find out about us?"
"Well, humans have had their wonders. You know about them. Doors moving when no one is home or mysterious footstep sounds. They even made ridiculous TV shows about us. But no one really knows for sure."
"So all of those supposed hauntings aren't really hauntings?
"They are just apart of The Clouds Project Program."
"Wow. Talk about childhood ruined."
"Anyways. Is that all?"
"Yes. Um, where do I live?"
"I'll show you to your place." Jake walks me to where I live.
"So I live in apartment?"
"Exactly."
"Cool. An apartment without pay. I can dig it."
"Have a good nights sleep."
"Thanks."
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