SHALLY

I have not turned on the light even though it is evening already , now the bed-lamp glowing soft orange since yesterday.

Then there's a thud sound on the door , I feel like someone pouring cold ice down my throat on my chest .

"I am sorry , I am sorry , Shally ," I tell the picture on the wall , she is smiling there , her hair flying around her face , a special moment I had captured myself when she was off to visit the beach with others.

But somehow the smile looks oddly blank now.

[B]"JOHN ! JUST OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"

I almost choke in relief , tripping on the baseball bat that's lying on the floor and throws open the door . The light outside momentarily blinds me.

" Why the heck you take so much time to open the door ?," Ryan, roughly shoves me inside, he slams the door shut , his eyes and nose sticky and red ," Ed is dead , they found him the same place by the storm drain."

I blink, I have never seen Ryan cry before.

"Same place means where Shally -,"I start but he interrupts again," And now Ali is missing too."

He storms into my bedroom , unlike Ali , he doesn't complain or yank the curtain open and put on the lights saying," You can't live like this !" when he has come in the morning.

Yes, Ali is better than Ryan , better than even me . He was the best among us after all.

" Don't you see ? It's Shally !she won't forgive us," I have always known that , that Shally will come back for us, I have seen it in her eyes , when we have gagged a handkerchief on her mouth and dragged her through the mud , I have seen the red veins rise in her wet eyes .

I pour my head on my palms ,"She has come back to kill us ."

" Just shut this freaking nonsense before I kill you too," Ryan thrashes his phone into my hand, it shows a number ," I don't believe in 'ghosts' , John. This is the contact number of Aria , you know who Aria is ?"

Ofcourse, I know who Aria is .I have known Shally for two long years , I know pretty much everything about her, like her friends, her home address , her birthday , her favourite colour , her blood group , the size of her bra ..... yes , I have been madly in love with Shally Johnson for last three years . But I was the shy type , you see , never got to really ask her out .

So obviously, I know about Aria Grace , she has been my Shally's roommate and her for a year in the B.DT boarding school .I should have Grace's number too , somewhere in my room , but after Shally is gone , it's been a mess for me every where.

" I don't believe in ghosts but," Ryan taps the number ," I know thay someone is watching us."

Ofcourse, ofcourse.....

Ryan leaves me with his phone to go to the washroom , probably to wash away the sleep from his face.

I let the phone ring , and then a deep voice picks up ," Hello B.DT Boarding School , A.S.Parker speaking , how can I help you ?"

"I am looking for Aria Grace ."

A long pause, I realise that I am staring at the group photo again- at Shally in it...

And Ryan is taking an awful long time in the washroom.

" I'm sorry but can I ask who are you ?"

I lick my lips , preparing for a lie," Well , we - I mean, me and Aria were in the same chemistry department last year before she transferred to B.DT , we have a gathering this weekend- for old friends but we can't reach her through the last contact number she gave us."

"I see," A.S.Parker sighs softly on the other side of the phone, I can tell that she is annoyed , it's almost lunch break time , already ," I'm sorry , son , didn't you hear ? It's all over the news , about Johnson-"

"Yes, yes,"I know about what happened to Shally , I remember it more than anyone, even Ryan.I remember every second of it.

How I had been following Shally the whole day , and how suddenly Ryan , Ed -their group caught Shally all drunk and drugged , how Ali invited me to join when they noticed me , instead of beating me to death .

I told you he was the best of us.

But I have apologized later ..... to Shally's picture , a thousand times- that I'm sorry Shally , that day I have lost my mind Shally , it was just that there was a rumour that you had a boyfriend and I was so hot , Shally.

"Well,Grace has been close to Miss Johnson-that poor girl . She moved to Alaska two weeks ago. I don't know if I'm allowed to give her family's contact number but I can ask them on behalf of you ."

I am still looking at Shally in the frame on my wall , a half-moon smile on her face that has turned her eyes almost into thin lines , so that the white portion is absolutely gone, leaving what looks like dark voids.

"Son , do you need-"

"John."

The whisper is all I hear , I turn to look at Ryan, he is standing outside the room, at the dark corridor that leads to the washroom.

[BI]I can't see his face, the corridor as dark as Drea's eyes - Ryan looks bone-white in it.

Suddenly I regret turning away from the picture , I feel like someone has crawled out of it and is standing behind my back.

Ryan is looking at my direction with a pale face , eyes wide. I can't even blink, as if anytime Shally will breath cold sigh on my neck.

It's then when Ryan starts running , selfishly leaving me behind.

"Wait!," I run after him,into the dark corridor.

My heart pounds louder , I don't stop. I feel like two feet is following me , if I stop , if I turn, I'll see 'her' face and dark void like eyes .

I shove Ryan away to reach the door first, but my hands are shaking so much that I can't open it .

" Why, fucking why?," Ryan is crying," Please let me go !," and then I hear Ryan running towards the.... washroom ..? For a moment I would have run out the door , but Ryan will be all alone, cursing I pick up the baseball bat .

"Ryan!,"I hush to the darkness.

Nobody answers.

I tip-toe towards the bathroom. A chill passes through me when I see a silhouette move, I can almost hear Shally's voice now...

I came for you

I scream and bash the bat on it's head- again and again," I am not afraid of you!" I shout , somewhere Ryan is shouting too , my blood boils, I gotta help Ryan,"Let Ryan go!," I tell her again and again , as I hit her head , until she stops moving and I am choking in the smell of blood and metal.

Thud ! Thud ! Thud !

I start sobbing at some point , as I finally notice Ali, watching me from the other side of the washroom , with a splitted head, his eyes unblinking- a glassy stare.

He has been like this since the morning.

I pick up Ryan's bloody face," Look ! I killed Shally, I am sorry , Ryan . But look ! I killed her again , I am sorry that I couldn't save you ."

I crawl away from my friend's body.

Shally has now killed Ryan, too.

She has come back to kill me , I always knew that she will....