Lainey Archer had always seen the shadows. They would morph and mold into the monsters of her nightmares, watching her as she sleeps, and surrounding her when she’s awake. Schizophrenia. That’s what the doctors called it. Her parents keep telling her that she’s “different.” But broken is more like it.
It had been two years since she’d seen them. Two years that she had been able to feel normal. Two years that she had finally been happy. She thought it was all finally behind her. Until Wren.
Wren Dolan was the perfect image of what every girl wanted to be. She was outgoing, smart, popular, wealthy, and most of all, she was stunningly beautiful. Her shiny dark hair never had a single strand out of place, and her blue eyes were a deep crystal blue, surrounded by thick long eyelashes that looked as though they belonged on a porcelain doll. Everything about Wren was pleasant, she had a way of making you feel like you were apart of something bigger. Every problem melted away when you were around her. Not only was Wren the definition of feminine perfection, she was Lainey’s best friend. Wren was the only person who truly knew how to accept Lainey, how to bring back some sense of normal into her life, and show her that there was someone out there who could understand her. The two of them looked similar enough to be sisters, Lainey had brown hair as well, just lighter in color, and blue eyes, that were deep, and very beautiful, but for some reason everything about Wren was more alluring. Maybe that was why she was murdered.
It was rainy, the day that everything happened. Rain wasn’t unusual for the small town of Port Orford, Oregon, but on that day, the rain seemed darker, colder. The air surrounding the town was bitter and melancholy. It was like the weather was warning the town of the upcoming catastrophe. Lainey could remember the exact moment that it happened.  She felt the empty,cutting loss, before even knowing why, or what had happened, she only knew that something was painstakingly wrong.
12 times. That’s the number of times she was stabbed before the monster that killed her felt satiated enough to stop.  He left her for dead, bleeding and gasping for air, utterly alone, with nothing to remember him by but searing pain, and a single white feather, matted and stained crimson by her blood.
Lainey awoke two weeks after the murder, in the middle of the night, to the soft angelic sound of a young girl humming. She pried open her eyelids, heavy with sleep, and blinked a few times to clear the blurriness clouding her vision. Standing there in front of her, was Wren. She was singing an eery yet somewhat familiar song. “I could say it but you won’t believe me, dead hearts are everywhere.”  She looked up suddenly and stared at Lainey, a sad smile crept across her beautiful face. “I’ve missed you,” she said, a dark melancholy tone in her voice.
“Wren? No no no no no, you’re dead, I know you can’t be real,” Lainey felt as though all air had escaped her lungs.
“It’s me, L. I’m really here.”
“No! This is all in my head, my schizophrenia must have come back, or maybe I have PTSD, but you can’t be real, it isn’t possible. I was at your funeral, I cried for days, I--”
“I need your help Lainey. Stop talking and listen to me for a second”
Lainey quieted, Too stunned, and emotionally stressed to think. “What do you mean you need my help?”
“I want you to help me find whoever killed me, and stop him, I want justice L.”
“I don’t know how to catch a killer! You can’t possibly expect me to--” She stopped talking suddenly as wren let out a heart wrenching scream, and coughed wildly, gasping for air, red liquid visible at the corners of her lips. Pools of blood began to form along her slender torso, staining her white blouse a dark shade of red. She managed to choke out a few final words. “My journal. Please L. Help me.” And then she was gone, leaving Lainey alone in her room.
She didn’t sleep much that night. She had to help Wren, even if it was all in her head, even if she didn’t know anything about her friends killer, she knew that Wren deserved justice. My journal.  Wren’s words played over and over again in her head, as she tried to figure out how she was going to get it, and what could possibly be in it that could lead to her catching Wren’s killer.
Early the next morning Lainey was already dressed and ready to leave. She is going to go to Wren’s house to see if she can get her journal. She skipped breakfast again, Lainey never ate anymore, maybe a nibble here and there to keep her satisfied, but other than that, she had no appetite. Her parents had also found it best to keep her home from school for a few weeks. Ever since the murder her parents walked on eggshells around her, terrified of doing something to break her. It drove her crazy.
She drove her car, taking the familiar twists and turns to her best friends house. She knew  the route all too well, she could get there with her eyes closed, but driving there now was different. Painful. The ache she felt inside was the worst pain she'd ever known. She missed her friend. And even if the vision of Wren she'd seen wasn't real, it felt good for her to see her again, to feel like her best friend was still with her.
Lost deeply in thought Lainey arrived at Wren's house. It seemed lifeless now, she couldn't help but think as she stared at the average looking house in front of her. It used to have so much warmth to it, like she could call it home. Now it's just another house, on another street.
She walked up to the giant painted black door, and knocked a couple times. At first there was no answer, so she waited awhile and knocked again, the second time she heard feet scuffing across the floor towards the door. The door opened and Wren's mom appeared. Her face was similar to Wren's and just as beautiful, but it looked worn and sad. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, and her hair in a careless messy bun.
"Lainey, hello dear, how are you, what can I do for you?" Her voice seemed strained as she tried to throw a cheerful tone into it, but it came out sounding tired, and empty.
"Hi Mrs. Dolan, I was just wondering if I could sit in her room for a minute. I miss her, I just.... I just need to feel close to her"
"Of course you can Lain. Come in."
Lainey walked through the doorway she’d walked through hundreds of times before, this time she felt nervous. She hadn’t been in her room since the accident. She had barely managed to make it through the funeral, the thought entering the same room that she’d made so many memories in, terrified her. She followed silently behind Mrs. Dolan, up the stairs, and to the door at the very end of the hall. Her door still had the same wooden W on it, that had always been there. She had painted it herself when she was about 6 and never took it off her door. The feeling of heavy nostalgia hit Lainey like a brick, making her nerves feel even more on edge. She opened the door, and stood on the very edge of the bedroom. Everything looked the exact same as it had when Lainey had been there. Wren never had a single thing out of place. Her room was painted a light gray color, and picture collages and string lights covered her walls. Her bed was covered in throw pillows, every one perfectly placed, and topped off with Mr. Wilford, Her stuffed elephant that she’d had since she was a kid.
Lainey entered the room, breathing in the too familiar scent of her best friend. “ Nothings changed. I mean I don’t know what I expected to see, but for some reason, I didn’t expect it to look so familiar,” Lainey whispered, as she took in the scene before her.
“I haven’t been able to set foot in here. I keep wanting to pack up her stuff, but doing that feels too wrong, like I’m trying to forget her,” Mrs. Dolan said in a hushed tone from behind Lainey. “I’ll give you some time to be alone, tell me if you need anything.” She gave a soft smile and silently left the room.
Lainey took one final look around, and began her search. She carefully opened the drawer to her side table and sifted through its contents. Nothing there. She tried the dresser, and then under her pillow, and in between her mattress. Still nothing. She didn’t know where else she should look, until it hit her. Mr. Wilford. Wren used to hide her favorite most precious items in him. She picked up the stuffed animal and unzipped the zipper that ran the length of his back.  Inside was the old brown leather journal that Wren kept her deepest thoughts in. It was tattered and worn, some pages were folded, others ripped out, the journal definitely looked like it had served its purpose. She carefully opened up the pages, and flipped through until she found a page, that had been bookmarked by a white feather. A feather exactly like the one that had been found with Wren’s body.  She read the perfect handwriting written on the page.
Dear Diary,
Today I met someone. He’s charming and so totally cute! I think we might have a connection. He was definitely hitting on me hardcore, but whether that was just him being a player, or him being actually interested is still debatable. I’ll work my magic, and see what I can do(; He’s so brooding, and mysterious. I likey. More details to come soon. Kisses! XO
-W
Lainey read the words, hearing the sound of Wren’s voice in her head. She flipped to the next page and continued reading.

Dear Diary,
So mysterious guy is so totally into me. He took me out to dinner and a movie, and was so sweet! He opened my door for me, and was a perfect gentlemen. He even gave me a beautiful white feather. It’s no rose, but something about it still seemed romantic in its own way. It’s unique. The only downside to the night was that he kept disappearing , and talking to someone on the phone. Kept telling me it was an acquaintance of his. I guess that just adds to the cute mysterious thing he’s got going on!(: Kisses! XO
-W
How could Wren have a boyfriend and not tell her about it? She continued reading.
Dear Diary,
Hunter and I have officially gone on 11 dates, tonight will be date number 12! He's been acting a little strange lately though, he hides his phone from me, and will leave randomly while we're hanging out, or cancel plans we've had for days. I'm beginning to think he's cheating, but I don't want to jump the gun, you know what I mean? Anyways, more to come, I'll update you later! Kisses! XO
-W
The next page Lainey read was different than the rest, it didn't have her usual opening and closing,  and the handwriting wasn't Wren's usual neat and perfect handwriting, it was sloppy like it was written in a rush, and it was more of a note than a journal entry.
829 E Terry lane, to whoever finds this, that address is where someone's going to find a dead girl tomorrow. The man who killed her, his name is Hunter Berkley, I'm scared I'm his next victim, and I just have to make sure there's one person out there, whoever it is that finds this, that knows the reason why it is I was killed. I can't go to the police, he is close to majority of them, and I don't know who I can trust anymore. Hunter was my boyfriend, he'd been acting strange, and so when I saw him with another girl I followed him, I didn't know.... I didn't know that he was going to kill her, i didn't know that I would watch her final moments of life pass by her, while hunter smiler as the life drained out of her, I just didn't know, I want to forget, unsee everything I've just witnessed, but I can't. I need someone to be able to get justice for the girl, and for the others. All the murders in town were him, he committed them, and I'm next. He knows I saw, he pretends he doesn't , but it's just a matter of time. Please help me.
Lainey couldn't move, she couldn't even breathe. Hunter Burkley, the name was one she'd never heard before, it's not anyone she knows. She'd forgotten about the murders. 8 seventeen year old girls had been stabbed and left for dead. It was one of those things that you never imagined could happen to you, and so you just ignored it, pretended it didn't exist. There's no way Wren could have been involved in all of this. Lainey flipped through the pages trying to find anything else that could help her, but the rest remained empty and void of life. "I need to go to the police..." Lainey whispered to herself. She gathered the feather and the journal and ran as fast as she could. She didn't stop to talk to Mrs. Dolan, Or to take in any final memories of Wren, she just ran as fast as she could to her car. Her hands were shaking as the car roared to life, and she backed out so fast she almost hit a trashcan. It didn’t take long for her to get to the police station, about 5 minutes. Lainey turned off the car and rushed inside. “I need to talk to an officer right now, it’s important!”
“Miss, please calm down, tell me what happened,” a mousy woman with brown hair, and glasses said, trying to calm Lainey down
“No, you’re not listening to me, i need to talk to an officer, now!”
“Okay,” she shot a glance at an average looking man in a police uniform, and motioned for him to come over.
“What seems to be the problem?” The officer asked.
“I know who killed Wren, and those other girls, you have to find him, you have to--”
“Follow me,” he signaled her to follow as he turned and walked down a narrow hall, and into a cramped office. She followed him and took a seat in the chair across from his desk . “Okay now tell me again what happened?”
“Wren was dating this guy and she watched him kill one of those girls that have been murdered around town and--”
“ And how exactly do you know all of this?” The officer had a questioning tone.
“I read about it in her journal”
“And do you have this journal with you?”
“ Yes! It’s right here” she pulled out the journal and opened to the page with the feather, “He gave her the same kind of feather that had been found on her body when she was killed, and she writes about everything, everything she saw him do, please, you have to stop him.”
He took the journal and scanned the pages. “What made you think to look through her journal, how do I know you didn’t write this?” He gave her a disapproving look.
“What?? No! That’s her journal, it’s her handwriting and everything, she’s the one who told me--” Lainey stopped herself, realizing the words that were about to come out of her mouth.
“She told you what?”
“Nothing.” Lainey turned away, hoping he’d just avoid the subject.
“If you know something, you have to tell me.”
She thought about it for awhile, considering the weight of her next words. “Do you believe in ghosts?” The words made her feel even more stupid as they escaped her lips.
He looked at her for a moment, confused but in thought. “I do,” he said hesitantly “Are you telling me you saw her ghost?”
“ I don’t know what it was, but she told me to find her journal.”
“Mmhm….” The officer looked deep in thought for a moment. “Okay, I’ll tell you what, I’m going to put this journal into evidence, and I’ll make sure everything is done to find whoever did this. You head home now.”
“Thank you so much officer…” She hesitated “I don’t think I ever got your name.”
“Luciano. Tyler Luciano.” He walked up to her, shook her hand, and ushered her out of the room.
As Lainey walked to her car she thought about her experience with Wren. A ghost. The thought of it was too weird. Not that Lainey knew for sure what she had seen, a ghost seemed like a very surreal option. She got into her car, and began to drive home.
“I knew you’d be the only person who could help me” Wren was sitting in the passenger seat, she began playing with the radio station, settling on some folky-indie song that Lainey had never heard before. She was wearing a different shirt than she had been the time before, this one was a blue striped sweater, accompanied by black leggings, boots, and a white scarf. Any sign of the injuries that she had the last time they had met was gone.
“Leave it to you to dress up, even in the afterlife,”  Lainey should have been scared or surprised to see her, but it had felt like a normal day joking with her best friend sitting next to her, like they also used to. Except for the afterlife part, that still was too weird.
"Yeah, well what can I say, death looks good on me," she winked, and gave Lainey a small smile. "I've missed you L."
"I've missed you too," she paused for a moment before she spoke again, "I found your journal, Wren. It's not fair, you were just in the wrong time, wrong place, this shouldn't have happened."
"I know.." A flash of pain shot across her face, but it had come and gone so fast it was Lainey couldn't tell if it had actually ever even been there. When she looked back to Lainey she had the same mischievous smile that she had always worn when she was alive. "Would it help if I said that he had killer good looks. I loved him to death." She laughed to herself, but it was a forced laugh, a sad laugh.
"How can you joke about it? How did you even meet him?"
"He rescued me. I was texting and wasn't paying attention, I forgot to check for cars when I crossed the street, he got to me and pushed me out of the way before I became road kill. Ha, ironic isn't it? He gave me my life just to take it away." Tears started to form in her eyes, and she was fighting so hard to keep them back. "I.....I never thought he could ever be capable of doing the things he's done, he'd always been so kind to me, and he was always random acts of kindness for strangers."
"Wren I--" Lainey stopped, she didn't even know what to say. "I'm sorry."
"Oh no no, darling, it isn't your fault, and besides, sorry won't change what happened, the only thing we can do now is stop him, and keep him from doing what he did to me to anyone else."
"The police have the journal, they're going to help find him."
A look of terror swept across Wren's face. "NO! Lainey you shouldn't have gone to the police, they can't be trusted!"
"What are you talking about? They're the police, it's their job to--"
"Hunter has connections within the police force, that's why I never went to them! When we were dating he would always make phone calls and leave in the middle of a date, at first I thought it was because he was cheating on me, but I discovered later on that he was talking to cops, when I confronted him about it he said he was helping them with a case they're working on, and the subject was never brought up again." She looked deep in thought for a moment. "After I saw what he did to that girl.... I managed to take his phone, I wanted to find more proof against him before I went to the police. There were texts, from officers, saying that they'd dumped the bodies, or destroyed evidence that had been brought in. They're working with him Lainey, covering up the murders, who knows how many other girls have been killed and those monsters have covered it up.” Wren was shaking, whether it was from anger or fear, Lainey couldn’t tell. “Lainey, be on guard, if the police know, then Hunter might find out you’ve been looking into this, you could be in danger.”
Lainey felt her throat tighten. “Do you think he’d come after me?”
“ I don’t know L, but I wouldn’t put it past him. Please be careful, one of us deserves to live a full lifetime” She reached out her hand as if she were about to touch her, but stopped herself and retreated her hand back onto her lap. “I need to go Lain, be safe.”
“Wait--”
Lainey turned to stop her, but she was already gone. She hadn’t even realized she’d made it home and had pulled into her driveway. Letting out a sigh, Lainey turned of the car and headed inside, lost in thought. What was she going to do if Hunter came after her, he’d killed plenty of girls, how was she even going to stand a chance?
“Lainey dear, can you come here for a minute?” It was her mother’s voice, coming from the kitchen. Lainey headed toward the kitchen, and sat down at the kitchen table. “Hey mom, what’s up?” She looked at the worried expression her mother was wearing, she set the phone she’d been holding in the counter, and turned to face Lainey.
“I just got off the phone with a police officer.”
Lainey felt her stomach twist into knots, and tried her best to hide her anxiety. “Really? What did they say?”
“Lainey, why didn’t you tell me you were seeing things again? You’ve been so good for two years. I know Wren died, and that it’s been really hard on you, but you can’t go around telling people, especially law enforcement, that you see her ghost. People will start to think you’re crazy--”
“I’m not crazy mom!”
“Oh honey, I know that, but other people don’t. This is probably just some form of PTSD but I’m not taking the risk of your visions coming back again, The officer I spoke to suggested a facility that can help, it will only be for a few months--”
“No! I’m not going to some crazy person hospital! I’m fine mom, please, you can’t listen to the officer, it was just a momentary lapse, I’m fine, I promise.”
Her mother thought for a moment, “Only if you promise that to tell me, if you see anymore visions.”
“I promise.” Lainey got up, and retired up to her room. How could she have been so stupid? Why would she tell some stranger that she’d never met that she saw her dead friends ghost? He probably suggested that facility so that she could be locked up and out of the way, of their cover ups. He knows I’m so close to getting Hunter.
She changed clothes, and climbed into her bed. She could feel the sleep weighing heavily on her eyelids, and it didn’t take long before she let the sleep carry her away.
She was standing alone in a dark alley. The bricks were moldy and the whole thing reeked of garbage and week old chinese food. The air was heavy and ominous, it made her feel lonely and afraid.
“NO!” The scream rang out, piercing the deafening silence. “Please Hunter, I’m not going to tell anyone, I promise!” The voice was shaky and and terrified…. and Wren’s. Lainey broke into a run, down the alleyway, as she followed the sound of the cries. She ran for awhile until she was pulled back suddenly by some invisible force. It felt as though a leash or chain had been tied around her waist and was keeping her from going any further. She looked up and saw the gruesome scene playing out before her. Wren was on the ground, crawling backwards to get away from the figure that approached her. Her body was bruised and beaten. Lainey called out her name, but she couldn’t hear her. The shadowy man approached Wren, he spoke, but the words came out muffled and undecipherable. The man advanced on Wren and raised his hand, the dim light glinted off a silver blade. Lainey knew what came next, she closed her eyes and turned away, the sound of Wren’s screams filling the air.
“Wake up Lainey! Now!” Lainey’s eyes fluttered open. Wren was sitting up next to her on the bed, shaking her awake, terror and worry written all over her face.
“Wren? What’s wrong?”
“Lainey, he’s coming.”
Lainey’s heart dropped, she was frozen with fear. “No.. Wren what do I do?”
“Listen to me L, you’re going to be okay, we don’t have much time, you need to be ready. Go to the kitchen, and grab a knife.”
“But--”
“Now Lainey! Just trust me.”
Lainey silently obeyed, she went to the kitchen grabbed a knife and returned to her bedroom. “Now what?” Her voice shook, and she could barely get the words out.
“Now you give me your phone, go back to sleep, and hide the knife under your pillow. I’m going to be here with you the whole time, I’m not going to let him hurt you L.”
“What about my parents?”
“They’re gone, an officer called them and told them they needed to go to the station right away.”
The realization that she could actually die tonight overwhelmed her. Lainey opened her mouth to speak but a crash sounded from downstairs.
“Get in your bed now!”
She stumbled to her bed, stashed the knife under her pillow, and threw the blankets over her head, wishing so badly that they could shield her from what was to come. She heard the footsteps, each one making her heart beat a little bit faster. The door handle turned, painfully slow, and the the door creaked open, followed by more footsteps. Her hand slid to the knife hidden underneath the pillow, she had the knife almost fully in her grasp, until suddenly the sheets covering her head were ripped off of her. Sharp pain shot through her body as she was yanked by her hair off the bed and thrown onto the hardwood ground. She felt warm blood dripping down the side of her face. She must have hit her head, but the pain was drowned out by the fear she felt coursing through her body. She had lost her grip on the knife, and it had flown across the room, there was no way for Lainey to reach it, no way for her to protect herself. She was going to die.
“Do you know what a feather symbolizes, Lainey archer?” Hunter was standing over her, his face was hidden by the shadows, but white feather was visible in one hand, and a dagger coated with a layer of dried on blood in the other. “It symbolizes spiritual evolution, and communication with spirits. Kind of fitting for you, don’t you think? Considering you think you can talk to the dead. My buddies at the station told me everything. The journal, the supposed “ghosts” that you see, you should’ve just stayed out of it.” He kicked her side as hard as he could, she let out a scream as she heard the crunch of her own ribs and felt the stabbing pain flood her body.
“You weren’t even my type, I mean sure, you fit the age criteria, but I’m very picky about the girls I kill. You wouldn’t have to die if you would’ve just stayed out of it. But you’re a liability now, I gave you a chance at life, you could’ve gone to the facility, no one would believe a girl who’s been to a mental facility, you did this to yourself.”
“You’re a monster, you killed innocent girls, you killed Wren, for what? For your own sick game?” The words came out of her mouth as a raspy whisper, each one sending out a jolt of pain. He looked at her, intrigued, and let out an amused chuckle.
“You’re pretty mouthy for a girl who is about to be murdered, normally they just beg for their lives.” He looked at her for a moment. “I’ll tell you what, I’m going to let you live long enough to hear the answer to that question.” He gave her another kick and she let out another cry of pain. “That was just to make sure you don’t try anything. Now, to answer your question, it’s not a game to me. They all had it coming to them. They were untrustworthy, they’re all liars, or cheaters. I tested them, every single one and they all failed, none of them were capable of love, I would just prove it, and once they failed, the consequence is death. It’s their fault they died, not mine. The only one who has ever passed my loyalty test, was wren , now her, I was in love with--”
“You don’t get to say that! You killed her, you don’t know what love is!”
Hunter shot her an icy glare, Lainey was prepared for another kick to her ribs, but he just continued on with his story.
“I never wanted to kill Wren, she was perfect, but she got nosey, like you, if she would’ve just minded her own business, we could still be together. But once she saw what she saw, nothing would ever be able to go back to the way it was. I would rather she died, than to have her leave me. And liabilities just aren’t an option, no matter how much they mean to me. Her death was special, it was symbolic, the feather, the number of stab wounds -12, because she was my 12th kill- It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do” He stopped and looked at Lainey like a dog about to receive a treat. “ Luckily for me, you mean nothing, so your death will be easy for me to do.”
He advanced towards her, his face was finally visible as he stepped into the light shining through her window, his hair was a deep shadowy black, and his eyes were the brightest shade of blue Lainey had ever seen, but they were empty and cold. His face was twisted into a sickening grin. She tried to get away but the broken bones and bruises kept her from being able to get very far. She wanted to scream but her voice got caught in her throat. He grabbed her hair and pulled her up, turning her so her back was facing him, he was holding her so she couldn’t move, and brought the blade up to her neck. The cool metal stung her skin, and she felt the warmth from her blood as the dagger began to drag across her skin. Lainey closed her eyes and readied herself for death. A sudden scream and then a loud thud sounded behind her, the grip around Lainey loosened and then let go all together. She whipped around to see Hunter’s body lying face down on the floor, the hilt of the kitchen knife visible sticking out of his back. Wren stood, hovering over the boy’s body.
“Is he…” Lainey couldn’t get the final word out of her mouth.
“Dead?” Wren finished the sentence for her. “No, Not yet at least, I didn’t stab him anywhere important, as much as I wanted to,  and as much as he deserves it, but we don’t kill people. You should call an ambulance before he bleeds out though. I can only do so much with a phone.” She waved her hand and Lainey”s phone flew to her feet.
“How did you do that?” Lainey’s voice was still broken sounding from the wounds she’d sustained.
“Being dead has its perks, hurry up and call an ambulance, I’ll explain to you after.”
Lainey did as she was told. When she got off the phone she noticed the recording that had been made on it. She hit the play button. Hunter’s voice sounded through the speakers, it was a recording of the conversation he’d been having with her earlier. “What is this for?”
“It’s evidence. It has the confession to the murders, and that the police department is corrupted.  Give the recording to the FBI, it will be enough to put both Hunter and the dirty cops away for a long time.”
“How were you able to use my cell?”
“Don’t question my cell phone skills L, not even in death.” She gave Lainey a wink. “Thank you, Lainey. You did it, you  helped get justice for those of us who died by his hand, and saved the lives of whoever else that nightmare decided to kill. I always knew you had it in you.” She gave Lainey a smile, but this time the smile wasn’t sad or fake, it was genuine. Lainey returned the gesture, but winced in pain as she did so. Wren walked over and kneeled down next to her. “Let me help.” She placed her hand over the wounds, a comforting warmth swept over her, and all the pain she’d been feeling disappeared . “You’ll still need to go to the hospital, but at least now the pain is gone.”
“So what, you die and suddenly you become some kind of superhero.” Lainey teased.
“Like I said being dead has its perks.”
“So what happens now?”
“Now I move on.”
“Move on? To where?”
“I’m not totally sure, but I can feel it, wherever it is. I’ve accomplished everything I needed to, now I need to go forward, and so do you Lainey. You’ve got a long life ahead of you, make the most of it.”
“I don’t want you to leave again Wren, I’m going to miss you, it isn’t fair, you should be living this life with me.”
“I’ll miss you too L, but you’re strong, I know you’re going to be okay. And I’ll be watching over you, I’ll always be with you, whether or not you can see me. It’s time for me to go now. Goodbye Lainey.”
“Goodbye Wren.”
Wren turned and began to walk toward the open door.
“Wait! Wren.”
The girl turned and looked at Lainey, “Yes?”
“Is this all in my head? Are you real, or am I really crazy?
Wren let out a small laugh and waved goodbye one final time, before turning and walking out the door.