Austin stood there watching the conversation between Trish and Dez. His eyes flickered back and forth between his two friends as they were speaking - or debating - with one another at a distance they thought he couldn't hear.

"We should tell him about it." Dez decided.

"What's the point?" Trish suddenly got a defeated look on her face. "She's no concern to him."

"Trish, he's our friend now. That means she's his friend, too." Dez said. Austin arched his eye brows, he'd never seen such a caring look in Dez's grey eyes before. "Besides, what's important to us, should be important to him."

"You know how I get when I go in there..." Trish mumbled insecurely, crossing her arms behind her back and looking down at her feet as she used her toe to play with some dirt on the ground.

Dez nodded his head, "We've known Austin for two weeks now, Trish. He'll be supportive of us."

By what Austin was hearing, he knew that something was up and it was serious. The topic seemed to bother Trish to a level of vulnerability he'd never known she had and it brought on a thoughtful, caring attitude from Dez that couldn't go unnoticed.

"Yeah, Okay." Trish finally agrees.

Austin feels his insides twist uncomfortable. He's a little bit nervous by what he's about to hear. It seems too serious to be taken lightly. It's something severely important to them and he realizes that as they slowly walk back over to him.

Trish and Dez exchanges glances. Dez nods at her. Trish looks at Austin who gives her his full undivided attention. "Austin," Trish breathes, "Dez and I want to take you somewhere."

He bites back a witty comment because he really feels like now is not the time. "Alright, Yeah, okay."

He gets inside Trish's small car to which Dez complains is too small for tall people and Austin agrees as he has to hunch over in the backseat. Trish laughs at their torment all the way to their destination. Austin is not going to be surprised if Ally randomly shows up there, too, after all, she shows up wherever he is.

He'd talked with Ally a few times over the last week and she still really annoyed him with her constant showing up and disappearing. He just wanted a day where he wasn't nervous that he was being stalked by her. He's pretty sure she's one of the creepiest girls he's met considering she'll show up to any place he is, even when he doesn't tell her where he's been going.

Trish pulls into a parking lot. A hospital parking lot. Austin's face softens at the building. He wonders what they're doing here and decides that this is definitely why Trish seemed so reluctant for Austin to know whatever it is that Dez wanted him to. He felt something like pity tug at his heart.

"We're here." Trish's smile was wobbly and weak. A side he'd never seen before.

The trio stepped out of the car and headed inside the building. Austin hated the smell of hospitals. The scent of cleaning and disinfectant always made his stomach feel sick. Trish clenched her fists. It was just the very vibe of the building that made her feel like crashing to the floor and weeping. Dez, however, never felt bothered in the hospital, but there was a weight behind his eyes, too.

Austin followed them into the elevator, refusing to ask questions. Trish and Dez rambled softly to one another, cracking small jokes to lighten the tension in the enclosed space but it didn't seem to work because Trish still sighed and Dez still tightened the tension in his shoulders.

Austin followed them down the hallway, right into the Intensive Care Unit. Trish's footsteps were slower and neither Austin or Dez wanted to rush her. It was obvious how difficult this was for her. Austin followed silently behind them until stopping in front of a large door.

Trish slowly turned and looked at Austin with a weak smile and slight happiness in her eyes. "Austin," she said, "We have somebody we want you to meet. Come inside." Trish pushed the door opened and Austin held his breath, wondering what he was going to see exactly.

He heard the sound of several machines. Heart monitors, respiratory monitors. etc. He was quiet about stepping inside the room. Trish immediately felt her chest tighten but for once, she wasn't a blubbering mess. She was starting to get used to this.

Austin peered at the body on the bed. A frail girl with pale skin and dry lips laid there motionlessly. Her brown hair was slightly greasy and she had tubes taped over her mouth, her chest lifting with shallow breaths that created noise towards the respiratory monitors. The heart monitor was level with annoying beeps.

Austin suddenly felt like he was imposing. When Trish and Dez gathered around the girl's bed, he decided he should as well, to show his support. He got closer and took a look at the girl. His eye brows pulled together. He looked up at Trish and Dez who were staring down at the girl longingly.

Austin swallowed thickly. He stared for another moment and his head started to spin. His face paled and he tried not to shout out a profanity. It was...It couldn't be...No, it wasn't...

"Austin," Trish swallowed, "This is our best friend. Her name is Ally."

Oh, it was.

He stared at them for a moment as the dizziness faded and he prayed the color came back to his face. Trish's eyes watered but she didn't let them fall. Dez was strongly silent. Austin looked back down at the girl. He'd just seen Ally this morning, there was no way that she could be here in this bed. It's the wrong Ally.

But it's not and Austin knows that. The woman in her bed is absolutely Ally Dawson. The one girl who has been annoyingly stalking him ever since he'd gotten here. She looked so delicate and fragile laying there with all those tubes connected to her. She looked so different connected to heart monitors, the respiratory machines, the catheter, and the IV bag.

All Austin knew how to do was stare down at her - more like gawk. He took in deep, slow breaths trying not to panic. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what was happening to him. He had gone crazy.

Trish swallowed. "A few months ago, she was out at night alone and she...she got attacked. They don't know who did it...But now she's in a coma. She has been for the last three months." A tear finally fell down Trish's cheek. Austin looked at her.

He suddenly recalled Ally telling him about how she hasn't been attending school for three months, that her friends visit her, and last but not least: the comment she made about Trish and Dez as if she knew them.

Because she really did know them.

He saw a movement from the corner of his eye and glanced over his shoulder. The tingle ran along his spine again because he had looked just in time to catch a glimpse of the long, brunette hair turning out the door. He didn't follow her. Of course he didn't. He was confused, curious, and scared pretty much senseless.

Austin felt lightheaded. He started to understand the tingle in his spine now. He shook his head, biting his lip. He waited a few minutes before dismissing himself and leaving his friends to grieve over Ally's current condition.

x

He found her the next day.

She was modestly sitting on a vacant picnic table, reading one of those books again. Austin felt hysterical as he marched up to her with wide eyes. He stood at one end of the table, reaching over and snatching the book from her hands. He threw it down on the table.

"Hey!" Ally shrieked, scowling up at him.

"You're a bloody ghost!" he howled, accusingly.

Ally gave him an unmasked look. "I prefer conscientious."

"Conscientious?" Austin repeated, bewildered. Ally gave him a pointed look and nodded her head. He stepped back, running his fingers through his hair. "But you're not..."

"Really here? No." Ally interjected bluntly.

Austin took a deep breath, "God," was all he muttered.

"I'm not that either." Ally said with wittiness. Austin looked at her and shook his head. At least she looked better like this rather than on that bed. The image was still burned in his mind.

"But you're...I don't...How...What!" Austin shrieked.

Ally let out a breath, "Oh, boy." she mumbled. She sighed and looked at him, straightening up. She was finally serious with him for the first time, ignoring the fact that Austin might run home terrified or even pass out with this new information. "Look, Austin, They can't see me." she said, "But you can. I don't know how and I don't know why, but you can."

"You mean...You mean...Nobody else sees you?" Austin asked. Ally shook her head. "But I do?" Ally nodded. He felt really lightheaded again. "How - I mean -"

"I already said I don't know." Ally replied.

"So," Austin stopped and looked at her, "You've been following me because...I can see you..." Austin pieced together.

Ally grew a timid look and nodded her head. "Yes." She grew wild-eyed as she blurted, "But only because it's never happened before! And when I found out you could see me, I got curious!"

"This isn't...This isn't happening." Austin shook his head.

"You should try being more open-minded." Ally chirped. Austin glared over at her. "But if you're going to be open-minded, you should probably not talk to me in public...It makes you look like a complete loon."

Austin shook his head. He swiftly took a seat. "I don't understand, Ally. How is this happening?"

"I don't know either, Austin. I've told you that." Ally said. "I don't even know how me being a ghost is a thing - or having a conscientious or whatever." she shook her head. "All I know is I woke up like this one day. I sat up on the hospital bed and when I looked down...I...I was still there, but I wasn't at the same time. I don't know. I tried talking to people but then I realized nobody saw me."

"Are there other...ghosts like you?" Austin gulped.

Ally nodded her head. "Yeah. But they're all kind of weird." Ally replied, "They're pretty angry. They don't like people much."

Austin took a deep breath, letting what she was saying sink in. "I can't believe this."

"Austin, you have to help me!" Ally shrieked. He looked at her alarmed.

"Help you? With what?"

"Getting this to stop!" she exclaimed, "Getting me back inside my body so I can wake up! You need to find out-"

"Whoa! No! No, no, no!" Austin refused, jumping up from the table. Ally looked at him with wide eyes. She hadn't expected him to refuse. He'd seemed like such a nice guy."I'm not helping you. I shouldn't even be able to see you!"

"Austin, you're the only one who does!" Austin could see the plead in her eyes but it didn't faze him.

"No, I'm not going to help you. It's weird, Ally. This whole thing is weird. My friends best friend who is in a coma is now a ghost who I can see and talk to! How would they react?"

"They won't know." Ally replied.

Austin shook his head. "You're on your own."

"Austin, I've been following you around for this very reason-"

"Ally, I'm not helping you." Austin said, firmly, in a tone she'd never heard him use before. He backed up a couple steps, shaking his head. "I hardly know you."

"You saw Trish and Dez. They're destroyed. You mean, you're not going to help me and just let them suffer like that?" Ally questioned. Austin never replied. "Austin, please...My time is running out." Ally pleaded. "If I die, I stay like this forever. You can't let that happen to me. My values, my morals, my everything goes away and I become just like the others. Angry, mortifying, vengeful. You can't let me become like them! You need to help me!"

"How am I supposed to help you? I don't know if you've noticed, but this is out of my control." Austin replied.

Ally sighed, lowering her head. Austin watched her, feeling something tug on his heart. She looked up at him. "Then at least don't let me die without my justice. I don't know who...who attacked me. I did...but I just...Everything is fading. I forget more and more every day. It's just bits and pieces now. You need to find out who did it. That's all I ask, that you just find out who did it. I'll find another way to get back to my body."

"You said...You said your time is running out?" Austin questioned.

Ally nodded. "Yes. It's like a clock." Ally replied, "You heard about the Grim Reaper, right?" Ally said, the corner of her lip tugging up.

"You're kidding me.." Austin breathed.

Ally shook her head. "She's actually really nice," Ally said, "She kinda fooled me when she met me. She just said when my time is coming I'd know. I never knew what she meant until about three weeks ago." Ally elaborated, "The clock stands still until you start really dying. Three weeks ago, the countdown started."

"Do you know how long you have?" Austin questioned.

Ally nodded. "Halloween."

"Oh, of course." Austin said, humorlessly.

"Austin," Ally sighed.

"Look, I'll do it." Austin said, "I'll try to find out who did this to you. I can't guarantee you'll live but I'll at least make an effort to put those criminals behind bars."

Ally smiled, "Thank you so much, Austin!"

"What do I do about Trish and Dez?" Austin asked.

"They won't believe you." Ally said, "I mean, who would? You hardly believed me with proof."

Austin nodded in agreement. "So...I just...keep this to myself?"

"Yes." Ally replied. She then grinned a sly smile, "I'm your little secret."

"This is so weird." Austin moaned.

Ally laughed, melodically.

x

there now i posted twice tonight. have a good one!