LOOK FOR ME IN THE PAGES OF THE BOOK I GAVE YOU AS A GIFT
-We have to get there, Brandon, we have to make it," we kept running, almost over the bridge. We looked at Chico in the distance, he was now smiling and watching for anyone passing by. As we got closer he looked at us.
-They're back! Guess who saved a little bird from being hunted by a cat," he told us.
-Excellent, Chico, keep it up! We can't talk now, see you later! -Brandon says to him.
-All right, if you need any help I'll be here! -he replied behind our backs. We still had a long way to go and I was feeling more or less tired.
-Come on, what's wrong? We have a long way to go.
-I feel tired," I answered, pausing a bit.
-Tired? Dead people don't get tired, Sam," he says.
I looked at him blankly.
-Well, I feel tired, like I've run a marathon.
-Sam, wait... -He says, "Do you see that man over there? The one in black.
I did look at him, in the distance was that guy, he looked like he was waiting for someone or something.
-Yes, I see him.
-He's a damned man," he tells me, "he's not a good person," he takes me by the arm and makes me hide behind some bushes.
I was afraid.
-What are we going to do now? -I ask him, "I need to get to Jay as soon as possible," I pout. I don't want Jay to die.
-We'll get there, Sam, I promise, only that guy is bad. Really bad. I need to find a way around him so I can get to Palm Springs.
-What if we go through the woods?
He hesitated.
-We don't know what we'll find in the forest. I've never been in there so I don't know how to get to the other town. Sam, I'm sorry, but the only way is to go along the beach.
-There's a river on the beach, Brandon, are you sure we're going to make it across the river? It's deep and the current could take us out to sea.
-We're dead, we won't drown.
-But we'll be delayed further. Let's go through the forest, I know the way as Jay and I used to hike there -I got nostalgic remembering the times when Jay used to take me to the forest, to our secret place where we could be just me and him.
-All right, let's go.
We walked deeper into the basque, trying to make as little noise as possible with the leaves falling from the trees. Spring had passed but the dry leaves were still on the ground. I had come this way more than once, I knew well how to get to Palm Springs fast.
-If you run it will be much better," Brandon tells me.
I caught my breath and started running, anything to get to Jay. We crossed some huge rocks, a small river until we reached a wide road.
-Where to now?
-We have to go straight ahead, then we'll find a gate made of wires, we'll get in there.
-You know these places well.
-For Jay," I said.
-You really love him, don't you?
-Yes, I love him like I never thought I would love anyone. Jay came into my life at the right time. He saved me. We went through a lot but we are together which is the important thing? -I smiled, but my smile faded, "or we were together. Not anymore," I felt such sadness in my heart.
-I'm sorry," he tells me, "I'm also sorry for telling you that he would get over you in a few months and forget you. I said it without thinking. When I was a freshman in high school I met a girl, she lived in Saint South, she was the prettiest girl I had ever met. I had the courage to propose to her, to my surprise she accepted. We were boyfriend and girlfriend for months, we were together all the time, I felt great. I felt... happy. Her name is Adhara, I used to call her Addy. When I passed away... I went back to school to check on her and try to communicate with her like Jay is doing with you, but days later she was happy, like nothing, like she didn't miss me. She met another guy and they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Today they are about to graduate. She's still with him. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if he hadn't died, would he still be with her? Would we be together? Graduating. But I don't know.
Now I understood why she said she didn't believe in that love thing. It would be the same if Jay did the same thing, if he was like it didn't matter if she was there or not. Like he wasn't affected at all by my death. And I understood that. I felt sad for Brandon.
-Brandon, if that girl did that, it was because she wasn't really in love with you. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. True love doesn't replace you just like that and even less if you would be dead. If she really loved you she would have mourned you for months or years, but she replaced you in days and she was happy. You don't deserve to suffer for someone like her. It served you well to realize that she wasn't for you.
-And now you're going to tell me that I'll find the one," she sniggers.
I kept quiet.
Brandon was very mature for his age. By any reckoning, he was already 19.
-Maybe," I said, "There are loves that go beyond death. Life surprises you sometimes, or fate in this case.
-Maybe.
Further on, down a small hill, we found a man sitting on the ground Indian style, he was making some kind of stick house in the ground. He was a soul.
He was wearing a shirt and pants, but they were half torn and dirty. He was also dirty. And then I got scared because I knew who he was.
We were entering the dead man's hill. That's what we called this spot because here they had buried a man who twenty-five years ago had been found dead in the waters of the sea. No one knew where he was from or where he came from. He was not from Saint South, not from White Pain, not from Palm Springs and certainly not from Plant Green. He was a total stranger. The townspeople came to bury him here since no one claimed his body. And now he was there. He had always been there. The times I passed through here alone or with Jay he had been here. Maybe he watched us, maybe we walked over him. Maybe he said something to us. But we didn't notice.
-Wait... that man," I pointed with my chin.
-Who? -Ah, Harold, don't be afraid of him. He's a friend," he stepped forward, "Harold!
Harold?
I followed him.
Harold looked up and smiled, standing up. He was more or less tall, thin and black-haired. He didn't look so scary to me now.
-Brandon! What are you doing in these parts? You've never been here before.
-I'm helping a friend of mine," she introduces me. Samantha.
Harold looks at me.
-Samantha, I know you," he says, "sometimes you come by here, alone or with a boy.
-Yes, apparently all the dead people know me," I cross my arms.
-It's not personal," Brandon intervenes, "it's just that we're always here, you just didn't notice us.
-It's obvious," I almost laughed, "we're in a hurry, we have to look for Jay.
-It was good to see you, Harold, but we have to get to Palm Springs," Brandon tells him.
-I understand, did you manage to catch that fish?
-Not yet, Harold, but Sam will help me tomorrow.
-Yeah, that's me.
-Now that I remember, Sam, Jay? -Is that the boy you were hanging out with?
-Yeah, he's my boyfriend.
-He's in the same place as always, he's very sad, he was even crying and talking to himself. Now I understand why -his voice faded away.
-Jay is in the same place as always? -I asked a little euphoric.
-Yes.
-Wait, how do you know that's our place? -I looked at him with my eyes fixed on him. He scratched the back of his neck a little nervously.
-Sometimes I do my morning run," he replied.
-Come on, Sam, we have to find him," Brandon grabbed my hand so we started running. I would talk to Harold another time. The only thing that mattered was getting to Jay.
We went through the wire gate, ran down those lonely roads until we reached the same place where Jay always took me. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw him sitting on the same log, reading a book and wiping away some tears. It was the book I had given him. It made my heart small to see him like that.
For a moment I didn't think she was dead, for a moment I thought she was alive. I approached him and sat down next to him.
-I'm here, Jay, I promised you one day that I wouldn't leave you and I won't. I'll always be with you. I will always be with you. Even if you don't see me," I put my hand on his shoulder, thinking that maybe he would trespass, but I was surprised that he didn't. My hand stayed there, on his shoulder, but what surprised me the most was when Jay immediately turned to me, looking straight into my eyes.
-Sam?
What?
A HEART BROKEN INTO A THOUSAND LITTLE PIECES-Jay? -I cried out, feeling hopeful that maybe he could see me. His face was so close to mine that I could smell his perfume. I could feel him. How I missed the smell of him. I loved when he frowned, loved that confused look on his face. It made him look so good.But this wasn't the case, I was getting distracted, Jay was looking at me...or through me.-I'm not Sam," said a voice behind me. I tensed at that moment. I remained static in the same place.What was she doing here?-What are you doing here? -Jay sputtered, wiping away his tears.-Your brother told me you were here," she replied.Leah: Jay's ex-girlfriend.I had had a lot of doubts about whether Jay was completely over Leah, they had broken up years ago but...us women are always thinking things. Jay had opened his heart to me and told me that he no longer had feelings for her.However, I...-Can I sit down? -Leah asks.I stood up the moment I noticed Leah sitting down, so I stood
CLING TO MY VOICE SO THAT YOU MAY FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO MEI felt the sea breeze on my skin, felt the wet sand on my feet. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the atmosphere. Of being in the sea. Of still being able to smell it. The night before had been a complete nightmare but today I woke up a little calmer, I mean, I had cried a lot of tears last night.Today I would let the sea comfort me.I was on the beach, punctual to the time I had arranged to meet Brandon, waiting for him. I honestly didn't want to remember yesterday, I wanted to forget that I was dead, that I would never talk to my friends, to my family again. I wanted to forget that they would move on and I would be stuck here forever.At least I would be 21 forever. -Sam, you came! -I hear Brandon's voice in the distance. I turn to look and raise my hand in greeting.-I told you I'd come! -I walk over to him.-How are you? -he asks me.-Well, I'm... neutral," I answered, "how can I help you today?-Well, really all we hav
NOR TILL DEATH DO US PART-I think the rain is slowing down," Brandon stands up and stretches a bit. We were more or less wet, my hair was a mess but my mind was just thinking about things. Ugly things about Jay and Leah.-Shall we go then? -I ask him, trying to stop thinking about bad things.We'd been here a long time.-I think so.-Well, well, who do we have around here? -A voice behind us makes us immediately alert. I stand up and back up a little. It was a man in his late forties, he had a beard and looked like a castaway. Apparently he had been here for a long time.-Who are you? -Brandon asked him.-You don't know him? -I whispered. Brandon knew almost all the... dead people.-I had never really seen him before, since he had never come to this part of the beach before.-I'm Lalo, I've been lost here for fifteen years, I crashed my boat on those rocks over there," he pointed to some rocks in the distance. And indeed, there was a small boat in pieces.-I hadn't heard of you," com
TOGETHER FOREVERTo say that I didn't like seeing Jay in that situation, there in front of me.... dead was strange to me. Jay doesn't deserve to die. He doesn't belong here. Especially not because of me. He still has a lot to live for and I wouldn't condemn him to a life where he doesn't advance at all. He also has his goals, his dreams to fulfill.-Sam! -He hugged me so tightly that if it were any other case I'd say I was short of breath but I wasn't. So I hugged him too. I hugged him because I missed hugging him, I missed feeling him, feeling his arms around my waist, feeling his scent, feeling his skin with mine.-Jay," I tell him, "I missed you so much.-Sam, please don't leave me again. Don't leave me alone again. -His words were pleading. It broke my heart to see him like this.-Jay," I pulled away from him, "do you know where you are?He looked at me in confusion.-I don't know, the only thing that matters is that you're back," he hugs me again. As much as I wanted to hold him
DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY, YOU JUST HAVE TO FIGHTAs I leave my grandparents' house and intend to go to my own, I notice something. The same man is in front of my door. The same one from yesterday and today. The guy dressed in black. Brandon said he was a condemned man and he's probably looking for me to take me into the dark.I hid behind Gertrude's rose bushes so he wouldn't see me.What was he doing here, how did he know I lived here? Now I wouldn't be safe even in my own house.-I know you're in there, Sam, you can come out," the boy said. I frowned immediately and was filled with terror, what had he said? And how did he know my name? Apparently he had been doing a lot of digging. I stand up straight and let myself be seen, keeping my distance in case there would be a need to run, of course.The guy is tall, still wearing black and wore his black cap. Having him around is quite attractive to be honest. But that was not the case.-Who are you?-The question here is: who are you?-I as
MONSTERS LURKING IN THE DARK-Sam? Are you here? -I hear Brandon's voice downstairs. What's he doing here? Jay was still lying in bed, his eyes closed as he clung to my pillow. Maybe he's asleep. I stand up ready to go to Brandon but part of me didn't want to leave Jay, I just wanted to lie down next to him and that's it.-Sam, I need to talk to you!-I'm coming, Brandon! Wait a minute! -I hesitated to leave but finally turned around and walked out of my room. As I walk down the stairs I see Brandon standing there, when he looks at me he walks over to me. -What's wrong?-It's just that... Well, Lalo doesn't want to go back to his place of death. He says he won't be separated from his daughters now that he could see them again. It's dangerous for him to stay here, far from the place where he died.-Maybe being in his daughters' house nothing will happen to him, he will be safe there, don't you think? I mean, he won't get out of there.-You don't understand, it's as if you were going to
THE SCHOOL THAT WAS ONCE A CEMETERYFear.It is that fear you feel of what you don't know, of what may or may not be real. Fear often saves your life, but other times it prevents you from living. In this case we are talking about a somewhat real fear. Since I have been here in limbo, I have not seriously thought about it.I am dead.I am trapped between the living and the dead.I see dead people who passed away many years ago.But I have realized many things and regret things I did or didn't do in life. There are more important things than worrying about what I'm going to wear today or they are sure to talk bad about me. That's not worth anything, it's not worth wasting time like that. There are more important things like love, being brave, facing fears, saying what you feel, being yourself. These are difficult things but they are the main thing.-Sam! -I turn to my left, I see Brandon coming with flashlights and such. I was sitting in front of my house, looking at the neighborhood ki
REMEMBER ME EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER-What are you doing here? -I spat. It couldn't be that wherever we went he was there. And now I think it's not a coincidence. I rather think he is following us.-This is... my job," he said. He was wearing a black cap that prevented me from seeing his face completely, more than it was half dark," the question here will be: what are you doing here? Sam, you're out of your place of death. As are you, Brandon.-We're not afraid of you," Brandon says, stepping in front of me like a shield.-Well, you should be, kid," the guy faces him. I'm feeling a little scared now.-Stop it! -I get between the two of them, "What's your name? -I turn to the guy, "Look, I don't know who you are or what you want from us, but we're here because I need answers about me, about what happened to me. That's all. We are not hurting anyone, can you let us work? -I told him as calmly as possible.-I know that very well," he folded his arms.-Then what do you want fr