The Dangerous Beauty of Silence- Chapter Two

True to my word, I appear in the house the next day after wondering through the town all night. I stalk behind Derek silently, going completely unnoticed. When he sits down at the table for breakfast, I take the seat next to him, relieved when I don’t fall through it. The rest of the household doesn’t notice me, although, when the woman I presume is Derek’s mother passes by where I’m sitting, she comments on how cold it is. A smirk forms on my face and Derek glares at me, silently warning me to act well.

There is a creak on the stairs and I turn to see Lizzie coming down. She rubs her eyes, yawning hugely.

“I had a funny dream last night…” She says in her high, childlike voice. “There was a girl with really pretty red hair… She didn’t say anything, she just watched me.” Lizzie pauses, “Her eyes were really sad.” She adds as an afterthought.

I feel, rather than see, Derek’s sharp glance in my direction. Lizzie continues to get breakfast, pouring herself some cereal and eating it before going upstairs again.

“Get ready quickly, Lizzie!” Her mother calls after her. “You have school today!” She turns to Derek. “You don’t. Make sure you get all of your homework done and get something to eat.” Derek nods in acknowledgment. “Good boy.” His mother says, ruffling his hair for a moment before planting a quick kiss on his forehead. He flushes a deep red, knowing I’m watching him.

I wait patiently, silently observing the family. Derek’s father, a bulky man with thinning hair, is flustered, looking around the room as if he’s trying to find something he has forgotten. The mother is the soft one, babying both of her children. She’s very touchy-feely, often simply laying a hand on someone’s shoulder. Lizzie is sweet and quiet, looking up to her brother often with adoration showing plainly in her eyes.

Soon, they all leave, so it’s just Derek and I alone in the house.

“Why can you see me when no one else can?” I blurt out immediately.

He shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve always been able to see ghosts.”

“I’m not the only one?”

“Not by a long shot.” I’m not sure whether to be afraid or relieved.

“You never answered my question last night.”

“No?”

“I asked you what I look like.”

“Oh. Yeah, um, I did hear you. I drew a picture to show you.” He jogs up the stairs and comes back down a moment later, a piece of paper in his hands. Wordlessly, he hands it to me.

It’s a full-figure drawing of a girl with flaming orange hair and sad sapphire eyes. She’s wearing a white dress, with a deep V-neck. The skirt flows down her body, ending mid-thigh. A pointed chin and high cheekbones decorate her face. Light eyebrows arch above her eyes, crinkled slightly together to give her a faintly confused expression. Everything about this girl is pale and washed out, save the eyes.

I look up at Derek. “This is me?” He nods in affirmation. I stare at the drawing a moment longer before breaking out into a grin. Derek steps back, startled.

“What?” I ask him, confused.

“Your…” He doesn’t appear to know what to say, “Your colors came back.”

I don’t have anything to say to that. After a long pause, I finally voice the question that has been nagging me in the back of my mind. “Why am I here?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know if everybody ends up as ghosts. Or if some go to Heaven, some go to Hell, and some stay in between. I really don’t know anything. The one thing I am sure of though, is that you’re dead.”

I absorb this for a moment. “Where am I?”

“You’re in Fort Myers, Florida.”

“The beach?” I ask, surprised. He nods. “Sweet!”

I run out of the house, traveling through the walls, without a single word to Derek.

Being dead seems to have its advantages. I make no sound, I travel through walls, I’m invisible, and I never get tired or sore. I fly along the road, watching the tropical trees flash by. The smell of salt water fills my nose- I can still smell things, which is a relief- and I listen to the squawks of seabirds overhead. Soon, the sound of waves and children laughing become audible.

I step onto the white sand of the beach. It’s rather odd, looking behind me and seeing no traces of a person ever walking there. Suddenly swept up in a sudden wave of joy, I sprint along the beach, my hair flying back this time, probably due to the movement being caused by myself. Once I get to a heavily populated area, I slow down to a walk. As I pass by people, they shiver. When I accidently touch someone, they gasp.

I sit by the water, letting it lap over and through my feet. It’s peaceful, as nobody is in this area. At least that’s what I think. There is a faint sound behind me, and I turn to see a little girl, probably about eight years old coming up behind me. But what really stuns me is the fact that her eyes are trained on me. Me, not the ocean in front of me.

“What are you doing?” She asks me shyly.

“Enjoying the beach.”

“I like the beach,” the girl says simply, “My mommy brought me here so I could find shells and play.”

“Eliza? Sweetie? Who are you talking to?” It’s the girl’s mother.

“My new friend….” She trails off, not knowing my name.

“Linnette.” I say.

“My new friend, Linnette!”

“Honey, there’s no one there.” The woman is starting to look concerned.

“Yes, there is! She’s sitting right next to me!”

“Eliza, are you feeling okay?”

“I feel fine!”

“Eliza,” I whisper, “She can’t see me because I’m a ghost.”

Eliza’s round face pales and she reaches out to touch me. Her hand touches me momentarily before being completely repelled by some unseen force. The girl’s eyes shine with unshed tears. She runs, sobbing, back to her mother. The two of them leave.

I sit there for a long time watching the sun set. Once there is only a small sliver of it left, I hear someone approaching behind me. Derek takes a seat next to me.

“Someone saw me. A little girl.”

Derek doesn’t look surprised. “It’s possible. I’m fairly certain I’m not the only one out there that can see ghosts.”

I say nothing, but a solitary glistening tear leaks out of my eyes and slides down my face. It drips off of my face, falling straight through the water, without a single ripple.