THE AWAKENING

I should be dead, but I'm not. The words spun inside her head as though on repeat, like a broken record refusing to die. Not dead, not dead, not dead. She slowly sat up, blue eyes blazing as she looked at her surroundings. It was a dark alley, and the first thing she noticed was the blood. Blood clung to the walls and floor nearby, staining the once beige walls red and dark. She was surprised to feel alright. She remembered feeling an incredible pain before passing out, but now she was awake and as right as rain. She stood and stretched, feeling as though she had not moved for years, her joints creaking a little and popping. Someone was nearby. They were scrubbing the walls with almost desperation, as though trying to do it as fast as possible. "Excuse me, where's Danny?" Ellie asked, stepping forward to where the person crouched, but they simply ignored her.

Ellie cleared her throat and tried again. "Excuse me!" again, she was ignored, as though her voice wasn't carrying the few centimetres to where the man scrubbed. Ellie hesitated, then reached forward and tapped the man on the shoulder. Her fingertips passed through it as though he wasn't there, and Ellie gasped, taking several quick, frightened steps back. "You're a ghost!" she exclaimed, and again the man did not respond, using his sponge to scrub as hard as he could, the dark stains bleeding off the walls. She slowly turned and walked to the door, a feeling of fear rising inside her as she grabbed for the doorhandle. Again, her hand passed through, as though it were simply a projection. A sob caught in Ellie's throat, and she put a hand to her mouth, the panic rising like a tidal wave. I'm a ghost, she realised.

The door opened, and a police officer stepped out, a tired-looking man with lines under his eyes. "How's it coming, Josh?" he asked, his voice worn, and the man scrubbing turned to him and shrugged. "It's blood. It won't be a quick job," he murmured, and the police officer nodded before headed back inside. Ellie seized her chance and slipped in before the door shut, and her eyes widened. There was Danny, talking with several police officers, his eyes red and puffy from hours of sobbing. Ellie rushed over to Danny, and hugged him, but she passed through him and faceplanted onto the floor. She groaned, the shock of pain running through her body as she rose and turned to them. "Rachael…a friend of mine…chased him away. I hear she's being treated for injuries in hospital…but I want to know who murdered my little sister!" he almost shouted, making Ellie jump in surprise.

He really couldn't see her. She ran her hands through her hair, the panic setting in, more certain than before. The hospital, she thought, now turning away from where Danny was speaking to the officers. What If there's someone there who could help me? Ellie wondered, and she started toward the door almost purposefully, as though she knew exactly what to do. "Yeah, Rachael," a voice said, and Ellie stopped and turned at the sound of Rachael's name. One of the police officers was slowly nodding. "She chased him all right. Haven't you checked the news?" the officer asked, not unkindly, and Danny shakily shook his head. The officer pulled out his phone, typed for a few moments, and then presented the screen to Danny. Ellie hurried over and stopped behind her older brother, peering over his shoulder at the phone.

It was a news report, one of several being broadcasted apparently. From a helicopter perspective, she watched as two shapes raced across the streets of the city on motorbikes, police cars trying to catch up from several streets away. Ellie watched, interestedly, and then one of the figures turned a corner and just…stopped. The second rider, Rachael Ellie thought, came around the corner in pursuit, and swerved to avoid them, then crashing onto the ground and rolling. The first figure did nothing for several seconds, then took off again. The helicopter pursued them, but then they managed to disappear amongst the city streets like a ghost. When Rachael fell, Danny sucked in his breath, as though it pained him greatly to see Rachael injured. The officer put his phone away, and then lightly patted Danny on the shoulder. "Do you think you know anyone who could have done this?" he asked kindly, and Danny shook his head.

"No," he muttered, then he turned and briskly walked out, Ellie following closely behind. She had known Danny for many years. They had been close…so she knew him very well. Why did he lie? She wondered thoughtfully as she followed Danny to his car. He opened the door and got in, the engine starting. Ellie could almost sense that he wasn't going to go to the hospital immediately, so she did the only thing she could. She climbed atop the vehicle and sat on the roof, knowing there was a low chance the wind would be able to blow her off. The car started moving, and she sat back. Somehow, she knew it was going to be a long ride.

***

It was a short while before they arrived, and Ellie was awakened when the car came to a sudden halt. As it turned out, even ghosts needed sleep. Although the question of why was among the many questions Ellie wanted answered. She slid off the car roof, the cool breeze somehow making her elbow-length hair flap in the wind gently. She watched as Danny slowly approached a front door of a small house, his short spiky blonde hair seeming to glow in the night as he rapped his knuckles against the oak. Ellie waited, wondering who Danny could be possibly wanting to see at this late hour. Sounds came from inside the house, and then the front door opened. A skinny teenager, who looked to be about eighteen, stood in the doorway, a vest thrown over his muscles torso. "What the hell do you want?" he groaned when he saw Danny.

"Remember that night…two weeks ago…when you said if I were disrespectful to you again, you'd come after my sister, Baxter?" Danny whispered, and the boy, Baxter, rolled his eyes. "Yeah…You should really stay out my way," he said after several quiet moments, and Ellie watched as Danny clenched his fists. The pieces snapped together inside her head. She now knew why Danny was here. Baxter's eyes suddenly widened, and a smirk appeared upon his face as he stared Danny up and down. "Someone got to her first didn't they?" he murmured, and then he laughed loudly…cruelly. Ellie could sense Danny was about to snap. He was fit and muscled, but would he be a match against Baxter? "Danny, no!" Ellie found herself screaming, but of course they could not hear her. "Danny, don't!" Ellie screamed desperately, mentally begging either of them to realise she was there. No one did.

Danny suddenly charged forward and tackled Baxter around the middle, both of them crashing into the hallway walls. Baxter pushed Danny away and raised his fists, a murderous expression upon his face as Danny swung through the air. Baxter blocked the hit easily and struck back, although Danny was much faster than he looked. He ducked under the blow easily and rose, uppercutting Baxter in the chin. Baxter staggered back, and then bounced on the balls of his feet, fists raised. "Now it's on," he growled, and he approached. Danny ducked again and then charged into Baxter, sending him skidding back. Ellie watched in both fear and awe as the two fought, and deep down she knew it was all her fault. Suddenly, Baxter gripped onto Danny tightly, turned and tossed him across the floor. Danny skidded along the tile before almost immediately leaping to his feet.

Baxter was upon him in seconds, and Danny backed up, kicking out at the last second. Baxter caught Danny's outstretched leg and twisted, flipping Danny through the air. He landed with a hard thud onto the floor. Danny coughed in pain and began getting to his feet, yet Baxter was there again, gripping Danny roughly and then tossing him against one of the walls. Danny grunted in pain, and Baxter went again, grabbing Danny by the torso, turning and throwing him through the air. Danny landed onto a small round table back-first, and Ellie could see the pain apparent on his face. He was hurting. Badly. Baxter then appeared atop Danny and threw his fist forward, punching Danny across the face. The two struggled, and Danny managed a kick against Baxter's stomach. Baxter stumbled back, and Danny sat up, coughing and wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

Baxter snarled, reached forward, gripped Danny by the front of his shirt, turned and once again threw him, this time against the wall. He gripped Danny fiercely, wrapped a hand against his neck and lifted him up, pinning him against the wall by the throat as he struggled, his feet barely skimming the ground. "Give me one reason…not to end you right now," Baxter whispered, glaring into Danny's eyes. "Do it…like you murdered my sister!" Danny hissed, and Baxter's eyes slowly widened. He took a step back and released Danny, both of them coughing and panting. "I didn't kill your sister," Baxter whispered, but Danny was full of too much adrenaline, fury and grief to hear him. He looked up and struck his right fist through the air. It collided with the side of Baxter's head, and Baxter staggered, his eyes wide with pain. Danny went again, this time uppercutting Baxter in the throat.

Baxter couldn't talk, coughing and spluttering, and Danny charged with a scream. He caught Baxter around the middle with his shoulder and sprinted forward, practically carrying Baxter across the room. A smash filled the house, and Ellie ran forward in horror as she saw them. Danny had tackled Baxter into the window frame, except when the glass smashed, the bottom was still covered in large spikes of glass. Baxter lay back first on the window frame, several shards of glass impaling his stomach and chest, and on top of him was Danny, who wore an expression of incredible surprise and worry. "Baxter…" Danny murmured, but it was too late. Baxter didn't move, his eyes glasslike, almost identical to the shards that pierced him. Ellie stared in utter disbelief and horror. "Danny?" she whispered, but she did not know why she bothered. Of course, Danny couldn't hear her.

As she stared, Baxter stood from the window frame, the wounds apparently healed. He looked around for a few seconds, and then his eyes focused on Ellie…and narrowed. Before Ellie could do anything, he was upon her, gripping her by the throat and slamming her against the wall. "Who are you…what are you doing in my house?" he hissed, and Ellie struggled to fight him off, kicking out desperately. Baxter's eyes narrowed further, but he stepped back and released her. "I'm…Danny's sister," Ellie said slowly, and Baxter raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why are you here?" he asked, and slowly Ellie pointed. Baxter turned, and let out a gasp. There was his body, still impaled against the window frame, and there was Danny, sobbing into his hands. "He…killed me," Baxter whispered before turning to Ellie, his mouth falling open. "I remember…he said you were dead…so this is what…. our spirits?" he murmured, and Ellie nodded in confirmation.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," she murmured. Suddenly, a bright light flashed across the room, and Baxter looked up. The roof seemed to be cracking open, piece by piece, until the tiles and ceiling had peeled back to reveal the sky above. The sky itself was cracked open, revealing a bright white light that seemed to be directed at them. No, Ellie realised, they're directed at Baxter. Baxter stared up at the split sky, mouth opened, and then his eyes widened. Ellie couldn't hear anything, but Baxter was slowly nodding his head as though hanging onto words that were invisible to her ears. Then, Baxter turned to her, a sad expression upon his face. "It is my time to go…" he murmured, and Ellie went forward, either to tell him something or hug him, she did not know. Before she could, however, Baxter's features slowly changed. He was becoming transparent, fading out of existence.

She stared, and then dropped her gaze as Baxter let a warm smile appear on his face. "Find him…the one who killed you…find him and make him pay," Baxter said, his voice somehow amplified in his fading moments, "I will, Baxter, I will," she murmured. Baxter nodded, and then he slowly disappeared completely, his silhouette momentarily visible before that too disappeared. Ellie remembered something from when Danny visited the local church. Something in Latin the priest said when he finished speaking about anyone who had recently died. "Ave atque vale," she whispered, then she thought for a moment before adding in a quieter voice the real meaning, "Hail and Farewell."