‘I-I found him dead…in his house-’

I hung up the phone right then and there. He can’t be. Shakily, I dropped the phone on my bed and ran my fingers through my hair. I took my hands out of my hair and looked at them. Shaky. I can’t stop it. The phone began to ring again.

***

The ringing telephone snapped me out of the spell my shaky hands had me under. I saw the black phone ringing to the right of my office desk. I reached over to it and grabbed it. I put the telephone to my ears.

‘Y-yeah?’

‘Come to my office.’

‘A-alright…’

I hung up the telephone and looked back at my shaky hand. Why won’t this go away? Damnit…why…why William, why? I sighed, standing up, and walking out of my cubicle to the office.

The boss had his hands folded on the table, staring into space. Then a knock on the door brought him back to reality. He looked up at the door, leaning back up to show good posture.

‘Come in.’

The door opened, revealing me. The boss sat in his chair behind his desk facing the door. He furrowed his eyebrows at me, at my appearance.

‘Have a seat.’

I walked over to the chair and sat down. He could see my face, the face of no sleep, no preparation. It’s everything other than presentable.

‘Do you know why I called you in, Joseph?’

‘No…’

I rubbed my pants. It didn’t help. My shaky hands were still unsteady. But this time, my heart started running marathons. He looked at my hands, then at me. It wasn’t very subtle. Too open, too clear. I put my hands in my pockets. He can tell. Damnit, just say what you need to.

‘Your mother called. She told me everything.’

I sighed, looking down. Why, just why?

‘L-look, I-I’m fine-’

‘I advise you to take the day off-’

I shake my head.

‘N-no. I told you, I’m okay.’ I said, putting my hand up.

‘I get it. Your grieving-’

‘No!’

My raised voice as I stood up caught him off guard. Anyone would only yell at him when they want to get fired.

‘I-I told you I’m fine!’

‘You’re not fine! Look at you! You’ve barely gotten any sleep! You’re a mess!’ He gestured his hands to my whole attire. No point in hiding what was easily told. ‘Go home, Joseph! Go to your mother!’ He continued.

I looked away from my boss. I wanted to say it, but I couldn’t. I ran both of my hands through my hair. Just say it!

‘I…I..! I…don’t…I…’

Damnit. What has happened to me? My boss is looking at me like I’m crazy. Am I crazy? It’s not me, it can’t be. It’s this feeling that I never had, nor wanted.

‘Go home, Joseph. If you don’t, you’re fired.’

His voice quieted. I looked at him, my hands slowly dropping to my sides.

‘Go.’

I looked down and clenched my fists, my breath shaky. I turned around and walked out of the office, slamming the door. The boss looked at the door, sighing as he rubbed his forehead.

***

The vibration in one of my pockets awoken me from my slumber. My head hurts, my stomach aches. I let out a groan. I lifted my head and looked around my house. It looked like someone had robbed it. Glass bottles, and what seemed to be…wine on the floor. I turned to the front door and saw my shoe stand knocked over, with my shoes scattered about. Then what caught my eye? A hole in the wall above the knocked-over shoe stand. I furrowed my eyebrows before realizing what I did and how it got there. Damnit, so much for forgetting. It just…. it just keeps coming back.

As I remembered everything, the feeling started coming back. I shook my head, trying to push it away, but it won’t. As I felt the vibration persisting in my pocket, I stood up and patted my pockets before taking my phone out of my left pocket. I looked at the contact and saw my aunt calling. I pressed the green call button and put the phone to my right ear.

‘Hello?’ I said groggily.

‘Come over to your mother’s house. Now.’

I sighed. Even if I did forget, I couldn’t change what happened.

‘Alright-’

She then hung up immediately. I brought the phone down in front of my face, and could already tell what’s gonna happen.

***

She rubbed her sister’s back as she cried and cried, hugging her slightly as she looked up to see lights shining behind the living room curtains and the sound of a car. She stood up immediately and looked at her sister.

‘I’ll be right back.’

Her sobbing sister nodded.

She then turned around from her sister and walked to the door.

I parked my car in front of the house before taking the key out of the ignition lock. I opened the door and got out, closing the door and locking it by pressing the lock button on the key fob. I walked to the house with my head down.

She looked through the peephole and saw me walk up to the house. She then unlocked the door and walked outside, right to me.

She met me halfway.

‘Where were you?! I called you like, 5 times!’

I looked at her, then looked back down as I spoke.

‘Uhhh…I…I was…’

I rubbed the left side of my cheek with my right hand, still looking down, my left hand in my pocket. She then leaned in and smelt me. She then furrowed her eyebrows and gave me an intense stare.

‘Have you been drinking?’

I hesitated.

‘I…um…’

‘You were drinking. Your mother was in there crying, bawling her eyes out, and you were drinking?!’

I stayed silent, looking down, and putting my right hand in my pocket. So this is it. This is shame. The shame I felt packed into this unnatural feeling made me even worse.

She then crossed her right arm under her left, using her left hand to rub her forehead. I could tell she realized she couldn’t get mad at me.

‘Just go.’

I looked up, my eyes widening as she calmed herself down and moved aside to let me walk into the house.

‘She needs you now more than ever.’

I blink vigorously at her before slowly turning my head away from her and walking. I walked up the three steps and went past the door. There my mom was, seated on the couch, staring away from me, through the window, sobbing. I could see that her eyes were slightly red. I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say. I’ve been avoiding these situations all my life, and here it is, right in front of me.

‘Mom…’

She turns her head to me. She looks at me. I look at her. She begins to cry again slowly, and I can see her trying to smile. This gets to me. My heart begins to drop as my breath gets shaky again. Oh man, why? Just why? I have to hold it back. She then opens up to her arms, closing her eyes. I stand there for a few seconds before walking over to her and sitting down, facing her. I hesitantly open up my arms, too. As I lean in, she immediately hugs me. Her hands that are around my back grips my sweater. I slowly hug her back. My breath gets shakier as I think about him. I grip my mom’s shirt, trying to hold it back. Cmon, don’t do it. Don’t, please. Just don’t cry.

A week later.

I bought one of the bowling lanes, but I didn’t use it to bowl. I just sat on the sofa that faced the rest of the people. Everything was happy and bright. People cheered whenever they got a strike. One guy pointed at the scoreboard, laughing as he then pointed at what seemed to be his friend. That made the corner of my mouth tug, but I quickly retracted it. I turned my head right, looking at the bowling lane. I can’t believe I’m imagining what it would be like if he was still here, and we went here. I’m getting sappy, too sappy. I shook my head, turning my head forward and bringing it down. Why did I even come here? I’m a small black stain on a white T-shirt here. My eyes start to droop. I should go home, but this tiredness is kicking in me. Soon enough, my eyes would fully close, sending me into a deep sleep.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours. Soon enough, the T-shirt began to get stained all over, hiding the one black stain with all the other ones. The employee behind the desk grabbed his keys, getting ready to leave. He sighed as he saw that I hadn’t woken up yet. He left from behind his desk and walked over to the last lane on the left. Once he reached me, he patted my shoulder, waking me up.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

‘Hey. Hey, buddy.’

I jumped slightly as I woke up, looking up at him

‘Didn’t mean to scare ya,’ He chuckled. ‘We’re closing. Well, technically, we’ve already closed. Either way, you gotta go.’

I barely nodded as I stood up and walked to the door. He followed behind me as we reached the door. Once we were outside, he locked the doors, turning to me before I could leave.

‘So, what happened? Did you get stood up or something?’

I stopped moving, my back still facing towards him.

‘Something like that…’

The employee chuckled, putting the keys in his pockets, and walking up next to me with his hands in his pockets.

‘Yeah. It can get like that. I got stood up too. I was supposed to go to the movies with this girl. I got prepared and everything, and I had already paid for the tickets. But, when I got there, she didn’t come, and the movie was about to start. I knew I couldn’t leave, would been a waste of money! So, I just went inside the theater and sat down in my seat. As I looked around, it was only couples cuddling and holding each other. And here I was, with an empty seat next to me, watching a movie alone. Acting like I was fine with being all by myself.’

He sighed, smiling.

‘But that taught me something.’ He took his hands out of his pockets.

I looked over at him. What has that taught him? He stood up and watched a movie all alone. That has to be embarrassing, sad, and heartbreaking.

‘We think we got everything together, then BAM! Life punches ya in the face.’ He said as he smashed his right fist into his palm.

He looked over at me with a smile.

‘But I kept pushing.’

I nodded, looking away from him.

‘Alright, I gotta go.’

He said before patting my shoulder and walking off, leaving me all by myself.

***

‘William, just like his father, was a kind and compassionate man. He too lived by the Words of God and lived his life to the fullest. But all that came to an end…’

He’s dead. Here, his casket lay in the six-foot-dug hole with him inside of it. Next to Dad’s grave. It’s too familiar. A strange sense of déjà vu hit me as I heard my mom crying right next to me. People of a close relationship. Friends, distant families. When it was my father. It was my brother. Now it’s my turn, it’s my turn to not cry. I looked down, looking away from the grave as I clenched my fists, holding everything back.

‘May he rest in peace and dance with the angels of heaven with his father.’

They then threw dirt into the hole, filling it up slowly.

***

I walked down the paved line leading to the gates. I had my head down as my hands were in my pockets. I was alone with my thoughts. Forced to think about it, think about him. As I reached the gates, the cemetery worker opened it for me, letting me leave. My car was black. That’s it, it was a black Ford Contour. I went inside and started it up. The radio began to play. My hands tightened around the wheel as I sighed. I took a deep breath, shaking my head. I then drove. As I was driving on the highway, the radio then played its 5th song. Breathe. Breathe by Pink Floyd. The song had a strange feeling about it. William always played this song, but…when he was alive, I didn’t have any feelings towards it. But now, there’s this feeling I have now. It fueled the unnatural feeling, making my breath shaky, and my heart beating like someone pressing a key on a keyboard fast. I just wanted to go home.

***

As I stopped my car in front of my house, next to the sidewalk, I didn’t go in. I instead took a deep breath, exhaled, and turned my head to my house before getting out of the car and walking towards it. As I went inside my house, opened, and closed the door, I turned forward and walked a few steps before I couldn’t hold it in more. I dropped to my knees and cried, dropping my head also on the floor like I was praying. My chest heaved in and out. My shaky breath going all out for being held in for so long. I sobbed, and I sobbed to no end. I lifted myself, only to see a tiny puddle of my tears on the ground. I wiped my left eye with my right hand before looking at it. Damnit. Why, just why? I banged my hand against the floor. Then I did it again, and again. Why? Why do I have to feel this way?! I don’t need them! It’s temporary! It does nothing, so why am…I…feeling it? No…this has to be something. Something that brought itself in me. I never believed in ghosts…but what if…no. Ghosts can’t be real, they can’t! No, it has to be my brother. I can’t feel sadness, because it’s useless to me. I’ve never felt sad when my dad died, but William did. William let his emotions run through him. I don’t.

Yeah, that’s it. It’s William’s ghost—no, ghosts don’t exist. His spirit, attached to me, is making me feel like this. His unfinished business. Now my unfinished business. I stood up, sobbing, wiping my tears. I can’t get the cops involved, but I can use them.

I need to call her. She was there. I searched my dress pants pockets before taking my phone out of my left pocket. I pressed the power button, waiting for it to load up. As It did, I immediately looked for my mom’s name and called it. A few sniffles came from my nose as I put the cell phone to my ear.

***

Mom was taking a walk down memory lane, through the scrapbook full of pictures of William, herself, Joseph, and Kulleus. She sighed with a smile on her face as she slowly, taking her time, looked through the scrapbook. Saving each moment as if it were her last. Then the phone next to her on the dining table began to ring. She grabbed it, looking at the contact. As she sees who it is, she picks it up.

‘Joseph. I was just looking through the family pictures.’

She said with a smile as she touched one of the pictures with William smiling widely at the camera while holding cotton candy.

‘Mom. Were you questioned by any detectives?’

‘Hm? Yeah. I was.’

‘D-did they ever give you something? Like a number, or business card?’

She stayed silent, furrowing her eyebrows.

‘I…think so. Actually, yeah. One of them gave me a business card with their number on it.’

‘Okay, that’s good. Do you remember where you put it?’

She shook her head.

‘No. But I’ll check my dresser. I usually leave stuff there.’

‘Okay, do that now…p-please.’

‘Alright.’

She then got up from her chair and walked to her bedroom. As she went in, she instantly checked the dresser, which was full of earrings, perfume, necklaces, and other kinds of jewelry. As she scanned the dresser, she saw something white and rectangular in between the perfume bottles. As she pulled it out, it was indeed the business card.

‘I found it!’

‘Alright, good.’

I didn’t know whether to thank her or not. It’s not like it would help, it’s nothing- well, it’s not nothing.

‘Wait, Joseph! What’s this all about? Did you figure out something that can catch the person who murdered William?’

‘I don’t know yet. Just get some rest, okay?’

Her eyebrows raised before she smirked.

‘Joseph…are you…worried about me?’

I sighed.

‘Look, now’s not the time.’

‘Alright, alright.’

Her smirk faded instantly.

‘I just hope you found something that’ll help those detectives.’

I nodded.

‘It will. I’m gonna get a notepad and you’re gonna tell me the phone number, okay?’

‘Okay.’ she said, nodding as she sat down on her bed, looking at the business

***

The detective himself is sitting at his desk, clicking his pen with a document file open on his desk. His flip phone on his desk began to ring, knocking him back to earth. His eyes dart over to the flip phone before leaning forward and picking it up. He studied the number. It could be her. He flipped open the phone, the phone automatically answering the call.

‘Hello? Mrs. Devellis?

‘No. Her son. Other son.’

The detective raised an eyebrow. ‘Joseph?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I’ve been looking to have a word with you.’

‘Same here.’

The detective leaned back in his seat, looking at his pen.

‘I think it would be better if you answered my questions first, though.’

I sighed, looking down. ‘Whatever you need to say.’

The detective leaned forward, resting his right elbow on the desk and tapping his pen against the picture of William on the document in the top right corner.

‘Do you know if William had done anything? Piss someone off? Maybe cause a grudge against him?’

I shook my head. William was a kind of jokester in school, but he wouldn’t take it too far…sometimes.

‘No. Not really.’

The detective nodded before placing his pen down and resting his hand on the desk.

‘Okay. What school did you go to?’

I furrowed my eyebrows at this. This just got personal.

‘Uhm. Pullinor.’

‘Graduating class?’

I began to tap my foot against the floor tile.

‘Uhhh…I think ‘81- why are you asking me this?’

‘You didn’t hear?’

I raised an eyebrow. When he asked if I didn’t hear, I knew what he meant, or so I thought. I was never the type to watch the news; waste of time. But this caught my attention slightly.

‘No. Hear what?’

The detective sighed, leaning up.

‘Before your brother’s murder, there was a break-in at your school. Two were dead. The principal, and a teacher. The culprit took a file containing your graduating class and removed all the data from the school’s database. My guess is that they’re targeting whoever was in your graduating class, or they’re targeting multiple people in that class.’

My eyes widened as he began to tell me what had happened. Oh, man. Could I be next? No way, I’m not dying until I kill this guy myself. Wait, I remember having a school yearbook somewhere in my room. Probably under my bed. Unconsciously, I began to look at my room, which was behind the couch, to the left, behind a door.

‘Hey, you happen to still have your school yearbook, right?’

That snapped me out of my thinking state, moving my eyes from the door to my room, to the couch.

‘Oh, uh…No. I don’t.’

The detective leaned back in his chair, picking up his pen back and bringing it to face.

‘You sure? Your mother told me that you and your brother shared the same yearbook until your brother let you have it.’

I scoffed.

‘I threw that away like ten years ago.’

‘Hm. Why?’

I then smirked.

‘Found it meaningless.’

He then smirked.

‘Not surprised. Well, call me if you find anything.’

‘Alright.’

As soon as I hung up, I dashed to my room, opened the door wide, and dropped to my knees. I moved my left hand under the right side of the bed, searching for it. As I felt nothing, I looked under the bed, seeing nothing but darkness. I lift my head, looking around my room. Damnit, where did I put it? My eyes then land on the black cylinder with black stripes around it on my dress. I smile before getting up and grabbing it. I dropped back on my knees and bent over like I was praying to look under the bed. As I finally see the yearbook backed up against the wall, the spine of the book facing me, I put the flashlight down before getting up and quickly running out of the room to the closet behind the dining table. Searching through the closet, I take out my broom and run back to my room, not bothering to close the closet doors. With the broom in my right hand and the flashlight in my left, I reached my whole arm under the bed, placing the broom under the bed; “Shit,” I said to myself as I dragged the broom out from under the bed. I looked up and at my bed. As I began to think, I said shit to myself again as I realize something. I stood up, letting go of the broom and flashlight before walking over to the left edge of the bed and pulling it out. I exposed the yearbook as I did so, letting myself reach over to pick it up. It was dusty with dirt all over it, so I wiped it off and walked back over to where the flashlight was, opening and looking through the book as I sat down, legs crossed. I grabbed my flashlight and pointed it at the book, revealing the photos of the staff and faculties. As I went over one page, there it said “Class of ‘81.” But this was just the first page. I turned to the next page, then to the next page was the last page. There are three rows of 10, then there are three pages of the people in my class. The culprit can’t track down all these people by himself. Then again, there’s a chance this is not a one-man job. Also, these people could be all over the world. I began to think about what the detective said. Maybe they are targeting multiple people. Why remove all the yearbook databases unless to stay ahead of the game to lessen the chances of getting caught?

Maybe it’s only a certain amount of people. But still, that doesn’t help a lot. Then my eyebrows raised high. Unless I start with a person that’s most likely to be targeted. I then scanned the second page until I reached the third page. I then saw him. William’s best friend.