I think this chapter turned out okay. I hope you enjoy it.
“So, do you know what the guy looked like?” Jordan asked, crossing her arms.
I shrugged. “He was an adult. He was male. That’s all I know,” I said.
Jordan sighed. “Do you have any idea when he’s planning to, you know,” she said. I shook my head. Maybe I could go into his dreamscape? I wondered if I still had the ability to go into people’s dreams now that I was technically alive. It was probably impossible. Plus, even if it was, I had no idea how I’d find a silent place. Everything was so loud here. It was a big contrast from the Afterlife. Everything there was so quiet, so peaceful.
“Jordan, honey, can you come down? We’re eating dinner,” I heard a female voice (her mom) yell from downstairs. Jordan looked at me. “Coming!” She looked at the door, and then at me again. I gave her a nod. “Go.” “What will you do,” she asked. I shrugged. “JORDAN!” Jordan opened the door and left without another word. She either didn’t want to miss her mom’s food, or she was afraid her mom would come up and find me up here. Probably the latter.
I looked around. Jordan’s room was just like it was in her dreamscape, except it had a bookcase in the corner. I looked at the books. They weren’t books I remembered as a kid. Not surprising.
When I lived, most books I read were realistic, usually about family and finding one’s self and whatnot. Jordan’s were not. Her books consisted of books like Harry Potter, Mysterious Benedict Society, and comics.
On her desk were random papers. I picked one up. It was a math test. Her grade? 70. God, in my family that would be seen as terrible. Maybe it didn’t matter to the Pensies, but it still made me wince.
She had earbuds on her desk as well. I had headphones as a kid, but earbuds, well, they didn’t really exist yet, and if they did no one ever told me about them. I put one in my ear and music blasted into my ears. I quickly took it out before it burned my brain.
It was pretty boring up here for me. I wondered if I could go downstairs and ask the Pensies for dinner. I was starving. In the Afterlife, you didn’t really need to eat. But since you couldn’t get any fatter (probably one of the best parts) many still liked to eat food. However, getting hungry wasn’t a sensation I was used to. My stomach growled at me. It hadn’t done that in years.
I climbed out the window and down the fire escape. It seemed strange to have a fire escape on the side of a one-family house (even if the house could fit 3 families), but I guess when you’re rich you can do whatever you want.
I suddenly noticed some men coming over to me. They weren’t exactly men, probably 16, but they had mustaches and were 6 foot 5, at least. They both were wearing striped pants and white button-up shirts, but not fancy shirts, dirty and ripped up shirts.
“What do we have here, Tanker,” One said in a heavy Boston accent. Tanker shrugged. “Some stupid kid thinking he should be in our territory,” Tanker asked. He sounded like he wasn’t used to saying such long sentences.
“Look, guys. I don’t want trouble. I was just leaving,” I said. The one I hadn’t gotten the name of stopped me. “Little late now, kid.” I rolled my eyes. “What, you think your threatening? I’ve met people who would make you look like a puppy.” They didn’t like that.
Tanker was the one to punch me first. He punched me right in the stomach, knocking the air right out of my chest. Next, was the other guy. He punched me in the face. He didn’t look it, but he was strong. I fell to the ground.
I touched my cheek. It wasn’t much, but I was bleeding. The “threatening” guys began to kick me so I couldn’t get up.
“Hey!”
It was Jordan. She came over to me. Her parents were behind her. The guys ran off. I didn’t know why they seemed so afraid. Jordan helped me up. “Are you okay,” she asked. I nodded slightly. Her mom looked at the cut on my face. “Come with us,” she said.
They led me into their house and to the bathroom. While going, we passed Jordan’s brother and his friend doing…honestly I had no idea what. They had guns (obviously fake, though I almost jumped out of my skin) and were in a fort made of pillows and blankets. “What’s going on,” the brother asked, getting out.
“Nothing, just helping a kid out,” the dad said. We made it to the bathroom, the younger kids behind us. The mom sat me down and took out a hand cloth and wet it in the sink. She began to dab at the cut.
I began to get some Deja Vu from when I was alive. I remembered when I fell off my bike. My mom saw it immediately and cleaned it up for me and gave me a band-aid.
Jordan’s mom did the same, except instead of mickey mouse band-aids like my mom had (which I’m thankful for since I’ve definitely outgrown those) she had normal ones. She smiled a mom smile. “So what happened,” she asked.
I told them that I was walking around when those two guys found me in their alleyway. I said nothing about how I was dead last night, or that their daughter was going to die.
Speaking of Jordan, she wouldn’t look me in the eye for some reason. I wondered if she was worried about her life since it was in the hands of someone who got beat up in an alleyway by two weirdos who looked like sailors. I honestly couldn’t blame her if she thought that.
“ Do you have a home,” the dad asked. I wanted to lie and say I did but no words came out of my mouth. Jordan’s dad came to a conclusion. I was a homeless orphan.
Jordan’s parents went to talk about something in the kitchen. I tried to talk to Jordan, but she stopped me. “I need to talk to them.” She left me alone with the two younger kids.
“So, do you believe in ghosts,” the brother asked. I shook my head instantly. He sighed and turned to the other kid. “Told ya.” I didn’t know why but the other kid looked familiar. Like I had seen him before. But that was impossible. Right?
“What’s your name,” the kid that looked familiar asked. “Alex,” I said. The boy smiled. “I’m Will. This (he motioned to Jordan’s brother) is Henry.” I smiled slightly and nodded. The adults and Jordan came back.
“Listen, kid,” the dad began. “We’ve decided that if you wanted you could stay with us.” I was speechless. These people were inviting me into their home, just like that?
“Why,” I asked.
“Because you could get hurt alone out there,” the mother said. I was surprised by their kindness. I didn’t know why. “So,” Jordan asked. I nodded slightly.
“Thank you,” I said.
Both parents shrugged. “It’s the right thing to do.”
What does this mean for Alex and Jordan?
Why won't Jordan talk to him?
Will Henry and Will become more important?
You'll have to wait and see! 😏