Chapter 11: Soul Castle

      “So, Molly, how did you, uh, you know, die?” I asked.

            Molly’s face looked shocked, like she did not know how to answer. Maybe she didn’t remember either? “Well, I, uh, only died I few months before you did, actually.”

            “Really? When?”

            “January 1^st. I was in a car crash.”

            Even though Molly did not tell me much about her death, I still felt horrible. I mean, she was my best friend. Knowing that she died really hurt me, even though she was right in front of me. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” was all I could manage to say.

            I had begun to tear up. “It’s okay,” Molly said. “I’m not even going to bother to ask what happened to you.”

            It sounded weird when she said that. It’s not that she sounded rude, but it was almost as if she was trying to be cold. I laughed nervously. “Why not?”

            “You’ve been to the ‘movies’ here right?”

            I was starting to get suspicious. “Yes, I’ve been,” I replied.

            “Well, on your birthday I decided to check up on you.”

            ‘This is it,’ I thought. She probably knows what happened to me! If she knows, she would tell me. “Do you know what happened to me,” I asked anxiously.

            “Uh, yes.” She answered.

Molly sounded nervous. “Well?”

            “Well, what,” Molly snapped.

            “Well, can you tell me what happened? Can you tell me how I died? I do not remember a single thing from that day.”

            “I can’t tell you,” Molly sighed. “What do you think happened?”

            “Well, I know it was my birthday. Um, did I happen to get stabbed in my heart?”

            “Yes, it was your birthday. You had the red ribbon in your hair. What makes you think that you were stabbed, though?”

            “Oh, I don’t know, maybe the big scar over my damn heart!”

            I was starting to get frustrated. She knew how I died, why the hell won’t she tell me? “Yes, you were stabbed,” said Molly.

            “Could you at least tell me why I have all these bruises all over my arms? Was I hit or something?”

            “Let’s just say that you weren’t hit. Honestly, that’s all that I can tell you. Have you been going to therapy?”

            “I went today. I’m scheduled to go every other day.”

            “Okay, that’s good,” Molly smiled. “So, what do you want to do?”

            “I’m actually kind of hungry. Do you want to go get some food?”

            Molly nodded. We walked to the Rec Hall in silence. We were not use to being around each other.

            My best friend is keeping a secret from me. Why would she do this? She is keeping an unquestionable important secret. She won’t tell me how I died. Shouldn’t I know? Apparently I shouldn’t.

            “What do you want to eat,” Molly asked as we walked into the Rec Hall.

            “Hmm, pasta. What about you?”

            “I’m not hungry. Once you get your food, I think I’m going to leave. I have some stuff to take care of.”

            “Oh, like what,” I asked.

            “Um, just some stuff that I can’t really talk about.”

            “Um, alright. I guess I will just talk to you later then.”

            Molly walked away. Wow. I could not believe that she just left me like that. It was the first time we saw each other in a while, and she just left me.

            I wonder if everything is okay with her. She is not acting like she is fine. She won’t tell me though. Did I do something to upset her? Is she not happy to see me? I won’t know until she tells me.

            As I was eating, I saw some people staring at me, and they were whispering. It was starting to make me feel a little uncomfortable, so I turned away. When I turned back, they were not there anymore. I looked in front of me, and, what the hell? One second ago they were sitting at a table across the room, and now there was one girl standing in front of me, about to sit down. She looked taller than me, her hair was short and curly, and her eyes looked like two almonds. As she came closer, she had a very distinct smell that followed her. It wasn’t bad, it was actually quite pleasant. She smelt like berries. She looked quite young as well.

            The girl smiled at me, and said, “Hi.”

            “Uh, hi,” I muttered.

            “I’m Airabella, what’s your name?”

            “I’m Leah,” I replied.

            “You okay,” She asked.

            “No,” I said dryly.

            “What’s wrong?”

            “I’m dead, and only sixteen. What do you think?”

            “I died at fourteen. You don’t see me complaining now, do you? There is nothing wrong with this place; it’s amazing!”

            “If this place is so amazing, then why won’t they tell me how I was murdered?’

            The girl was starting to piss me off. She is dead, and happy? Why would someone be like that? She smiled at me, “They won’t tell you, because they want you to remember yourself.”

            “Wouldn’t it just be easier if they told me,” I snapped.

            “It’s better for you to remember.”

            “Whatever,” I said.

            “So, anyways, what happened to you, Leah? Why are you here,” asked Airabella.

            “All I know is that on the day of my sixteenth birthday, I was murdered. Someone decided to stab me in my heart.”

            “Oh wow! I’m sorry that happened.

            “It’s fine, what happened to you?”

            “I fell down a stairwell or something.”

            “Ouch! That has got to hurt. You said you were only fourteen?”

            Airabella nodded. “That’s terrible, you were so young,” I began to stop feeling sorry for myself, and started to feel sorry for her.

            “It’s okay. It was my time to go, I guess. Now I am here, and everything is fine,” She smiled.

            “Wow, it’s amazing that you have such a positive attitude about all of this.”

            “Your stay here will be much better if you have a good attitude as well.”

            I laughed. “Okay, I’ll reconsider the attitude adjustment.”

            “That’s great! So, who’s your roommate?”

            “Her name is Molly May. Do you know her?”

            “Hmm, sort of. Well, I know of her.”

            “She is my best friend,” I smiled. “We knew each other when we were alive. What’s your roommate’s name?”

            “That’s so cool! My roommate’s name is Megan.”

            All of a sudden I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Leah, we gotta go,” said Molly.

            Molly scared me, I had no clue she was right there! She looked quite worried. “Where do we have to go,” I asked.

            “You’ll see when we get there,” she answered.

            “Uh, okay? Well, bye Airabella. It was nice to meet you.”

            “You too,” Airabella said with a smile.

            Airabella was a nice girl. It’s so sad that she died. She would have lived a long and wonderful life. I wonder why Molly is so upset. “Are you okay, Molly,” I asked as we were walking out of the cafeteria.   

            “Yeah, sorry I rushed you out of there so quickly. I’m keeping track of the days, and it’s almost midnight. So, we should go to bed,” Molly answered.

            “Okay, do you know what the date is?”

            “June 1, 2008.”

            “Wow, I’ve been dead for almost a month. How long till we get to the room? Maybe I’ll be able to sleep tonight!”

            “It’s right over there,” Molly pointed to our door.

            So, it has almost been a month since I was murdered. I have checked on my mother, she does not hate me! Turns out I am exhausted, and I actually might sleep tonight! I am really happy that Molly turned out to be my roommate. I just wish she would be more open with me, like she used to be. I guess dying must have changed her.

            However, it won’t change me anymore than it has. I will not let my emotions take over. I will find out what happened to me. I will find out who killed me.