Chapter 1: Cyrus is Back

Cyrus looked up at the brightly shining sun and sighed in contentment. The day went peacefully and the sound of the waves created a calm and soothing atmosphere. He laid his head back against the folding chair and let the sun's rays warm his light creamy skin. There were no worries, no anxiety, no signs of any feeling of distress or hurt or even pain on his handsome face and he was content with how his life had turned out.

There was a sudden invincible tug on his hand and he sat upright in surprise, staring intently at his hand. His heart felt the tug too and immediately he was showered with an invincible deep feeling of sadness. It overwhelmed him to the point that tears blurred his vision.

No. What was it!

What was trying to pull him away from this place? This serenity? This feeling of pure happiness and bliss? He shook off the feeling that threatened to engulf his senses and lied back down, closing his eyes in a futile attempt to block out whatever was interfering with his tranquility. He could feel the quick thumping of his heart against his chest and his hands clenched involuntarily.

Please, come back. The soft whisper drifted by with the wind as if calling to him.

Cyrus's eyes fluttered open and he turned his head, searching for the person who had spoken. Who was that, he wondered. Was somebody there with him? As far as he knew, that place was his safe haven. No one else knew about it.

So who could have said that?

It was just his own imagination he concluded and shut his eyes again in attempt to block out whatever was happening.

Please, don't leave me, Cyrus. The voice called out to him again before being swept away with the wind.

His body instantly felt a chill and now he felt the tug again. However, this time the pressure was much stronger. The voice seemed to be calling him towards a black hole, to a place where he didn't want to go just yet. As hard as he tried to hold on to the life he had come to know, Cyrus felt his time there had drawn to a close.

It was like those theatre curtains he thought, descending down slowly to signal the end of the play. The call was much too strong a pull for him; he looked around fondly at the place where he had come to call home. He took in the beach where he would sit for hours on end just to enjoy the view of the beautiful rolling waves and the various different sea birds that greeted him as they flew by. The small cottage that he had personally built and been living in will now look desolate and empty without him.

His strength was waning and he knew he would have to let go soon. With one last longing look Cyrus released his hands and was pulled into the black hole. Few minutes later he found himself staring up into a very bright light.

*****

Hannah sat in the chair beside her little twin brother's bed. Well, he wasn't so little anymore but to her, he always was.

She looked completely worn out with messy hair and black circles under her eyes. Her hand was holding on tightly to the younger sibling's hand.

It has already been five years and her brother had still not awoken from his coma. He had grown into a very handsome young man. His light brown hair was long, swirling down to his neck and falling down near to his eyes. Hannah knew his brother hated those buzz cuts all his friends had and she made it a point to keep his hair nicely trimmed and his face clean shaven. She missed seeing her brother's big and mischievous green eyes and the dimple that would only enhance his attractiveness to girls.

Cyrus was too nice to turn away the countless number of girls who had tried to court him and Hannah made it her job to scare away the lovesick young girls and even some of the girls in her class from trying to date her baby brother. He always hated how she always held her three minutes earlier entrance into the world over his head but she enjoyed teasing him about it. To her he was and always will be the baby of the family.

Why did this have to happen to someone who shone so brightly?

Big droplets of tears fell out from Hannah's eyes and she laid her head down on the crook of her brother's neck and sobbed.

"Please wake up, please," she whispered softly, her tone betraying her anguish. Today was the day Hannah was told that the plug would be pulled. The doctors had told her that her brother was already healed of his injuries but he was still refusing to wake up. It has been five long years and she had exhausted all her money to pay for her brother's bills. She had gone through her parent's insurance money and even her own trust fund and since the hospital was pretty expensive things were getting harder. Her debts were beginning to pile up, she had already lost their house, her job, her fiancé and now she was living in some run-down apartment in the city. She couldn't keep asking the doctors to keep her brother on life support where there was no confirmation of him ever waking up. Hannah was unable to make ends meet as it is. Her mind had given up but her heart was still holding on, still hoping that her baby brother would wake up and everything will go back to the way it was.

Hanna didn't hear the doctor come in. Dr. Greg Daniels had been looking after her brother ever since the day he was brought into the Braden City Hospital. He was also the one charged with the task to carry out what was required. Pulling the plug.

"Hannah, it's time," Dr. Daniels told her, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

She stood up reluctantly, her tears now an endless cascade as she realized that she was going to lose her brother forever. She wouldn't get to watch him fall in love, get married and even experience the joy of parenthood. Was she going to experience everything by herself? With no family by her side to share her sorrow and happiness with? She felt as if her heart was being torn apart into little pieces inside her chest and she couldn't do anything about it.

"Please, come back," she muttered repeatedly as if praying, hoping her brother would hear it. Dr. Daniels was writing something on his clipboard. Formalities it seemed. Hannah knew it would be any second now before he turned off the life support system and her heart squeezed inside her.

"Please, don't leave me, Cyrus. I don't think I can bear being alone," she begged again, her heart in her throat as fresh new tears slid down her reddened cheeks.

Dr. Daniels was shining a light in Cyrus's eyes. It was procedure she thought. He began to remove the drip and the tubes that were connected to him. Hannah turned away when Dr. Daniels finally turned off the switch, she couldn't witness this. She heard the heart monitor flatline and her whole body started to tremble as she realized that the only family she had left was now gone. Even when her parents died Hannah was relieved because she still had Cyrus despite his condition. But right now she truly felt all alone. Dr. Daniels gave another comforting squeeze on her shoulder but she was far beyond comfort now as a heavy sense of loss overtook her and she dropped to the ground in a dead heap.

She could feel Dr. Daniels rush to her side and saying something but she was too distraught at her loss. She could faintly hear the heart monitor beginning to beep again and the look of surprise and confusion on the doctor's face but her eyes were getting heavy and the darkness slowly overtook her.

*****

Hannah stirred feeling discomfort at the sheet that covered her. Her head hurt and she tried to make sense of her location. The memories from before she passed out flittered through her mind jolting her upright on the bed. She felt a biting sensation on her palm and turned to find an IV sticking in her arm.

She was about to take it out before she heard footsteps approaching and looked up to find a familiar face. "It's good to see you awake, Ms. Fonteyn," Dr. Daniels was standing in front of her, his hands comfortably tucked into his coat pockets.

"How long was I out?" she questioned, not liking the feeling of a needle being stuck in her arm and suppressing the need to pull it out in front of the doctor.

"Five hours on the dot," he stated. "You are exhausted. Wait what are-"

Hannah was already pulling the tube off her palm and trying to get off the bed. She ignored the sting in her hand. "I have to get to work. I need to take care of the hospital bill and everything else…" she paused and gulped as she pulled on her jacket. "This place brings me nothing but memories I wish to forget."

As she made for the door Dr. Daniels called out to her to wait, she stopped, trying to regain her composure because she could feel tears starting to blur her vision. She needed to go somewhere and grieve and she wasn't going to do it here. Without turning she asked, "What is it, doctor? If this is about the bills I promise to sort it out as soon as I can." Her mouth clamped as a whimper nearly escaped and she gritted her teeth.

"It's not that, Hannah." Hearing her first name being called out by the doctor sounded weird so she turned around, confusion marring her beautiful face.

He took a few steps towards the next bed. "There's someone who wants to meet you," he said, a gentle smile on his lips and pulled back the curtains that separated the beds. Hannah gasped as the patient beside her bed was revealed. Cyrus looked up from a book he was reading and offered her a small weak smile. She stood there with what felt like a lifetime taking in the person who she loved more than herself.

As it registered in her mind, Hannah ran towards her brother and gave him a tight hug. She couldn't stop the tears from her eyes from spilling out in pure joy. She even caught a glimpse of their doctor wiping a stray tear away from his eye too. He gave her a big smile, nodded in understanding and walked out, leaving the two siblings alone.

"I-I-how…" she didn't understand and her words jumbled. "Your heart stopped…I heard…I am so sorry I tried to…" more tears gave way as she sobbed.

Cyrus gave her a strained smiled as he squeezed her hand and sat up weakly. "Its okay, Hannah. The doctor said my heart started beating on its own a few minutes after he switched off the life support. He said it's nothing short of a miracle."

He looked around the hospital room and back to his sister. Hannah looked older to him. There were hints of hard lines on her face and she wore no makeup. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun. That was odd. Hannah always took great care in looking after her appearance. Her frame was tiny and frail, she looked completely worn out and exhausted.

Cyrus placed a hand on his sister's cheeks who was watching him with eyes overflowing with emotion.

"You look tired," he croaked out, his voice hoarse from not speaking for so long.

Hannah laughed. "Oh it's the new look today, don't worry, it's a trend." She said and poured and poured Cyrus a glass of water.

Cyrus's frown remained as he gulped down the water greedily and ended up into a coughing fit.

"Ssh, slow down you dork," Hannah told him with a worried glance as she rubbed his back.

Cyrus nodded and began taking small sips. He couldn't help but think that there was something missing. He could feel it. He grabbed Hannah's hand. "Where are mom and dad?" he asked, his demeanor anxious and hopeful. "I thought they'd be here. The doctor didn't say anything much to me when I asked him. Are they at work? Of course they are. It's only 2 o'clock now."

Hannah's expression dropped. She took a deep breath and placed a hand on Cyrus's hand refusing to look into his eyes. "Cyrus," she began her throat beginning to feel choked up. "Mom and Dad…they…they died in the car accident five years ago. You were the only one who survived," she said softly looking at him. There was a heartbreaking sadness in her eyes.

Cyrus frowned again as he stared at Hannah's unwavering gaze. They died five years ago? That didn't sound right. "So…" His mind refused to come to terms with it. It was a joke. A lie. It couldn't be right. They couldn't be dead. The idea was utterly absurd. But, if they were alive, wouldn't they be here? He looked at Hannah again and saw no signs of untruth, it reflected only sadness.

Hannah nodded slowly at her brother, hating to have to overwhelm him with the news but she had no choice. Cyrus was bound to realize it sooner or later and it was best to let him know now. "Yes, Mom and Dad are gone and you…you've been in a coma for five years. You're twenty three years old now, love."

***

Have you ever felt as though you had missed a very crucial part of your life? A time where you should have been at the prime of your life, living your dreams and being the best that you can be without any problems or hindrance whatsoever? The regret and the miserable feeling of not doing things you wished you could have done, saying what you wanted to say or just the plain desire of experiencing something new at a certain point in your life. That was how Cyrus felt now. He had missed five years of his life. Five really long years.

How was he going to make up for that?

Couple it with the fact the he had even missed his parents funeral took a great deal of little strength he had left since waking. He had asked to have some time alone to gather his thoughts and was grateful that Hannah and the doctor had understood.

Cyrus turned on his side and closed his eyes, his teeth clenched tight that he felt his jaw grow numb. The grief, it was too much to bear. How did anyone in the same situation as him cope with losing so much. It would have been better if he had not woken up at all. The pain was unbearable and he couldn't help but grieve silently for his parent's death, his sister and everything he had missed out on because of that car crash. His heart twisted in his chest and he brought his knees up to his chest folding himself into a fetal like position as he cried himself to sleep.

Cyrus stayed for eight more months in the hospital before Dr. Daniels pronounced him physically and mentally fit enough to be discharged. His movements were awkward since he hadn't used his limbs for so long. He felt different from who he was five years ago. Considering he was comatose for that long it would surprise him more if he didn't feel different at all. Cyrus knew he had grown much taller; he towered above his sister at 6'3. His hair was still like the way he had kept it before, thanks to Hannah. His vivid green eyes which used to twinkle and shine had a more of a hollow and dead look to it now. His usual carefree attitude was replaced with a bland expression.

Hannah talked the whole ride home. She was chatting about this and that and Cyrus knew she was just trying to catch him up to what has been going on. He gave her a grateful smile. He had wanted to give up the day she told him about their parents but after thinking on it he realized Hannah had sacrificed so much for him. Being able to keep him on life support for five years spoke volumes of how much she loved him and he was going to repay her, he would make sure of it. The taxi finally came to a stop towards a run-down looking building.

Cyrus stepped out and looked up at the building. It could be much worse, he thought.

*****

One Year Later

The two couple was happily kissing against the wall. The girl giggled as the guy pulled her soft body roughly against his. So immersed were they in sucking each other's faces they didn't notice a figure cloaked in dark clothes come in and stand next to them. The guy smiled in obvious triumph as he kissed the girl before him.

Tonight is the night, he thought happily.

He opened his eyes to see the beautiful girl he had successfully wooed from the bar downtown. He took in her beautiful blonde hair and her perfectly curved figure. He was running his fingers down her arm when his peripherals caught something. His mind froze in terror and he opened his mouth and let out a scream.

The girl looked at him weirdly and then turned to what he was staring at. As soon as she did she gave an equally high pitched scream and turned to run towards the stairs. The sounds of her stumbling down and tripping could be heard from where the two stood and later the loud bang of the entrance door signaled her departure from the building.

Cyrus pulled down the hood of his raincoat, turned and looked at his neighbor. One couldn't blame Trevor, the neighbor from reacting the way he did. Cyrus looked like the living dead, literally. His hair was messy and dripping, covering bits of his face. His eyes looked sunken and dead. And it didn't help that he always wore that blasted worn out black raincoat and walked in a sort of hunched posture. Trevor was suddenly wary of him. He never really did get a good glimpse of his weird as shit neighbor since the day he moved in a few weeks ago and he must admit that he was curious. But seeing his neighbor now made him curse his own curiosity.

Unable to stand the silence after that earlier show of cowardice Trevor spoke. "Um, hi," he volunteered, his disappointment and disgust at himself obvious in the way his eyes darted around the corners.

He watched perplexed as his neighbor's lips stretch into a small smile as he acknowledged his greeting before it set back into their original thin line. His grim expression did not invite further conversation and he wasn't looking to extend their interaction either.

"Um, bye," Trevor told him with an awkward wave and walked slowly towards his apartment. After a few short steps he turned back and found his neighbor picking out the trash and sorting them. His brows furrowed. He wanted to smack himself in the face. He was scared of a man who was rummaging around trash. How gutless was that? No, anyone could have reacted the way he did, he thought to himself, trying to soothe his bruised ego.

Another lonely night, he said to himself and went into his apartment.

*****

Mrs. Wendell, the landlady called out to Cyrus who had just finished sorting out the trash and was about to take it outside. "Cyrus, hey Cyrus. Room 502 just moved out this afternoon. You need to get it cleaned right away." Mrs. Wendell was fifty three years old, with graying blond hair and a haggard face that belied her nice temperament.

Cyrus felt a shudder run through him at the mere mention of the room and dropped the half full garbage bag he was carrying. "Room- room 502?" he whispered, hoping he had heard it wrong as he turned and searched Mrs. Wendell's face.

"Yes. I am really at a loss on why people who come to live there for more than a year. They always keep moving out. Maybe it's a curse or something, I don't know," the landlady muttered to herself as she looked blankly into the far distance. "Be sure to empty that room of any personal items. Okay?"

Cyrus nodded reluctantly, not really warming to the idea of going to that room. However, he had no choice. This was the only job he had and he couldn't argue with the benefits that came along with it, for example, the free rent he needed after telling Hannah he needed to be independent. His whole body was starting to become overwhelmed with anxiety but he bravely pushed it off and went up to his room at the rooftop after discarding the trash.

He quickly got the keys and made his way down to level 5. As he walked towards the apartment a foreboding feeling crept up his spine. Something felt really wrong. He took a deep breath and inserted the key, twisting the knob hesitantly. The only sound he could hear now was his own erratic breath and the loud creaking of the door as it opened. Whoosh! He had been running a personal errand earlier and was really tired.

He took one tentative step inside when suddenly the hairs on his hand stood on end and he felt the familiar cold feeling when one of them showed up. Cautiously, he glanced around the room and found nothing. The sky rumbled loudly and a flash of lightning gave a slight illumination to the small apartment. He felt the wall and switched on the lights, reluctantly he took another step in and quickly began picking up the pieces of garbage that littered the floor. The room was in a state of disarray as if someone had upped and left in a hurry. A bunch of half empty bottles littered the floor and clothes were thrown carelessly on top of the furniture. The kitchen still had dirty dishes and Cyrus flinched as he saw a cockroach crawl out of the sink. The lights began flickering slowly before increasing and blowing out completely, leaving Cyrus in total darkness.

"Damn it!" Cyrus muttered, a feeling of dread surged through him and he gritted his teeth. That was when he saw it. Bony pale hands. They were clawing their way out from under the bed. He stood still, more transfixed than frozen at what was unfolding right in front of him. He heard a sickening crunch as a head came out slowly and stared up at him. The eyes were bright and vividly yellow, unearthly like all of them, slit right down the middle like a cat's eye. His clothes were torn and raggedy creating a hollow look. The face looked ghostly white and the mouth seemed to be torn apart and hung into tiny clumps and pieces. Cyrus watched as it opened its mouth and let out a spine chilling scream.

Cyrus bolted out of there as fast as his feet could take him, his earlier dread now overtaken by the fight or flight response. The latter has always been his most preferred choice and he wasn't changing it anytime soon. The sounds of his feet hitting the floor pounded into his ears and he could feel it following close behind him. Not walking, not running, but floating with its arms outstretched trying to grab onto him. It was a person. A dead one. How else can he explain seeing him in that state? The lights blew out sparks and switched on and off as he ascended, the thunder was rumbling so loud that Cyrus could hear the crackling sound of a thunderbolt as if he was in the sky.

He stumbled on a step and fell cursing as the sharp edge struck his knee. His heart beat so rapidly in his chest he thought it was about to pop out. No, he had to keep running. Cyrus got up with a wince and continued up the stairs. The entity was still following him. Without looking he knew as he ran up the stairs that the lights were mysteriously turning off as he ascended and the rest of the building below him were completely covered in darkness. At times he would wonder how clueless or ignorant the people who lived in the apartment building were. Of course he knew most people would just chalk it up to electricity failure, somebody pulling a prank or some other stuff. But many things have been happening since he has been here and nobody has ever said anything about ghosts or comment on any weird thing happening.

He made it safely onto the very top of the building, the roof, where his small apartment stood and quickly jumped inside while pulling the door close behind him. There were cloves of garlic's on a string hanging on his door and a layer of salt were spilled around the entrance to his home and on the window ledges. His hand held on tightly to the doorknob and he could feel a rough force trying to pull open his door.

"Go away! Leave me alone," he shouted, his fatigue and the exhaustion from running causing his voice to tremble. The door kept on being shaken violently.

"I said, go away!" Just as the words left his mouth the door stopped shaking. He quickly looked out the window and his gaze met nothing but darkness. His eyes swept around the room. Finding it empty, his heavy breathing began to slow and he sank to the ground in relief and utter exhaustion. The adrenaline surging through him slowly ebbed away and he shook his hand to rid it of its trembling.

It was raining heavily outside and Cyrus closed his eyes. A shiver crawled up his spine and his eyes fluttered open to find the apparition standing right in front of him.