Psychic chapter ten

Charlotte's POV

I cried for a long, long time. I don't how long, just that I felt completely and utterly alone. I cried so hard, my whole body shook. I wished I had some kind of explanation for my life. What did I do to deserve this?

I heard a scratching noise. Still bawling like a baby, I stumbled to the door and opened it for my cat. Lucinda mewed and rubbed against my leg as if to say: "You're not alone. You have me, remember?" 

I sunk to the floor and buried my face in my knees. I sobbed good and hard with my pet trying her best to comfort me by purring and licking my ankles. I wept for a long time. Finally, I exhausted myself and ran out of tears.

 "I think I'm going out of my mind. Somebody tell me what I did to deserve this!" I pleaded in a whisper, then slipped into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

David's POV 

It was eight o clock and I was supposed to be doing homework, but I couldn't focus. I was replaying the whole afternoon in my head, trying to find an answer to explain everything. I wanted to help my friend. Besides, I may or may not have really, really liked her.

Why was she always so scared, always looking around like something was out to get her? I agreed with John and Cassie that she must have anxiety, but what was she worrying ABOUT?

I decided to get a coke to help me think. Caffeine calms my mind for some reason.

When I came out of my room, I found my sister watching a movie on minimum volume. The Sixth Sense. She turned to me, about to say something, but I cut her off.

 "Sara, there's no way in hell Mom let-" I stopped short.

I swear that in that moment, time stopped. The Sixth Sense. THE SIXTH SENSE. On the TV screen, Cole was looking behind himself nervously. I'd seen that look before. That look like you were experiencing something terrible, and nobody in the world could help you. 

My sister glared at me. "Well? You wanna finish that statement?" 

 "Um, nevermind. Just, nevermind." I turned around slowly and went back to my room, feeling dazed.

A voice in my head told me a was being stupid. I was thinking like a second grader. It's not that I didn't think there wasn't the slightest chance that these kind of things existed, but what were the chances? Then again, life was nuts. I sat on my bed and put my head in my hands. "My God, this is absolutely insane." I said into my fingers. I wasn't a skeptic, but I also wasn't a full believer. I had never given much thought to the supernatural. 

 I thought about Cole. He was always nervous. He had a tent full of religious statues, and ran to the nearest church when he saw a ghost. He was prone to sudden outbursts.

I thought about Charlotte. She was always nervous. I remembered suddenly that she always wore a crucifix around her neck. She had thrown up on me. Maybe she saw something. And then, during the drive home, she was short with me the whole time. That wasn't really an outburst, but it was understandable it she was seeing ghosts.

My mind was running wild. I didn't sleep well. All night long, as I lay in bed, my mind argued with itself. I'd think I was being stupid and ridiculous, then I'd think "But what if?"

Charlotte's POV

I woke up in my bed. Mom just have put me there. Everything that had happened came flooding back to me. Lucinda was asleep on my stomach, and I didn't want to get up. I heard footsteps, so I closed my eyes and pretended to be sleeping.

Soon I felt a hand gently shaking my shoulder. "Charlotte, it's time to wake up, honey."

There was no use keeping my pretense. I knew my mother knew I was the world's lightest sleeper. Without opening my eyes, I said: "Mom, I really don't feel like I can handle school today." I didn't have to be looking at her face to feel her sad smile, and her hand on my forehead.

 "I know, sweetie." She said. "But you don't have a fever. You may have been sick last night, but you're not now. If you feel sick, you can call me, okay?"

 I didn't answer.

 "Don't think about life in the next hour or two, just think about what you have to do right  now. Right now you need to have some breakfast." She kissed my head and walked out of the bedroom. After a moment, I followed.

I ate my breakfast in silence. I got dressed and packed up my bag for school, then say on my bed, just thinking. I didn't want to deal with schoolwork, or jerks, or even my friends. I felt bad about it, but I just didn't want to talk to anyone. I took a shaky breath. Then I heard my mother.

 "Charlotte, you need to get going now if you want to be on time to school!"

 Slowly, I got up. I put on my backpack and walked downstairs, where I took my time hugging Mom goodbye. I got on my bike, and pedaled fast and hard, because I could see storm clouds gathering. It was actually pretty therapeutic. 

That didn't stop the rain, though. First it was just a drizzle, but by the time I was about halfway to school, it was storming pretty hard. And then, well, I think you know.

That's right. Stella. Red hair, redder blood. The girl just appeared beside me on the sidewalk. I would've screamed, but my throat was too dry. I was thankful for that.

I tried to take deep breaths. Stella didn't seem to move, she was just there, no matter what. Silent tears began to run down my face.

When I finally arrived at school, I was choking back sobs. I got off my bicycle. I was about to chain it up, but instead just crumpled to the ground. I just couldn't do it anymore. Anyone who saw me ignored me, except Stella. She stood in front of me and stared.

Her eyes were green as emeralds. Her hair was the color of fire, and wildly curly. The wound on the side of her head gushed blood. It ran in streams, soaking her hair and dying her body and clothes bright crimson.

I put my face in my hands, then, after a moment, raised it. Stella was still there. Still staring at me.

 "Why?" I whispered. Unintentionally raising my voice, I said to her: "What do you want from me?"

 Then I saw David. He was standing about ten feet away from me, and had just seen what happened.