32

After a moment of hesitation, Elizabeth nodded. She made a commitment to him by saying, "I won't be long."

Elizabeth sneaked around the side of the frame home, which had flaking paint and a crooked mailbox that was labeled "Honeycutt." No one saw her make the move. The latch on Matt's window had been broken. Boy, she reprimanded in her mind, who was careless. Don't you realize that anything may perhaps sneak its way in? She made a gentle effort to open it, but of course that was all she could do with it. Her path was obstructed by a barrier that she could not see but described as feeling like a gentle wall of compressed air.

She hushed, "Matt," as she spoke. Even though it was dark in the room, she could make out a silhouette on the bed. It was 12:15 according to the digital clock that had digits in a light green color. Again, in a hushed tone, she called out "Matt."

The figure seemed to be moving. "Uh?"

"Matt, I don't want to put you in any unnecessary fear." She attempted to rouse him up gently rather than shock him out of his wits by using a soothing tone in her voice. "But this is Elizabeth, and I wanted to chat about something. Only need is that you come to me and ask me to join. Could you just let me in?"

"Uh, please come on in."

Elizabeth was astounded by the fact that he did not sound surprised at all. She didn't notice he was still sleeping until she was far beyond the window sill before she recognized it.

She was hesitant to go too near to him, so she hushed, "Matt. Matt." The room was suffocating and unbearably hot due to the heater being turned up to its highest setting. She could make out a bare foot poking through the pile of covers on the bed, as well as a head of blond hair on top of the heap.

"Matt?" She approached him with trepidation and put her hand on his shoulder.

That elicited a reaction from them. Matt shot straight up and whirled around after letting off an intense grunt. When his eyes met hers, they were wide and stared at her in complete surprise.

Elizabeth noticed that she was attempting to make herself seem insignificant, harmless, and unthreatening. She retreated, pressing herself up against the wall. "I apologize; I did not want to scare you. I am aware of how shocking it is. But are you going to speak to me?

He didn't say a word; he just kept looking at her. His blond hair was dripping with perspiration and looked like the feathers of a wet bird. She was able to see the beating of his heart in his bare neck. She was the


I was terrified that he might suddenly get up and rush out of the room.
After that, he let his shoulders fall back, slouched down, and began to gently close his eyes. He was

I was terrified that he might suddenly get up and rush out of the room.
After that, he let his shoulders fall back, slouched down, and began to gently close his eyes. She hushed, "Yes," in response to his response.
"You're dead."

"No. I'm here."

"Those who have passed on cannot return. My father did not make it back."

"I didn't truly die. I have recently altered. In a sign of his continued rejection, Matt's eyelids remained closed.

Elizabeth was overcome with a chilling sense of helplessness at that moment. "However, you wish that I had passed away, don't you? "I'm going to go right now," she murmured.

The expression on Matt's face broke, and he began crying.

"No. Oh, no. Oh no, Matt, please don't do that! She was overcome with emotion and found herself cuddling him while fighting back her own tears. "Matt, please forgive me; I have no excuse for even being here."

He wailed, "Don't go," pleading with her. "Don't go away."

"I won't." Elizabeth was defeated, and her tears landed on Matt's wet hair as he stood there. She apologetically said, "I never intended for you to feel any pain from me." "Not ever, Matt. I never intended for any of those things, or any of those times, to do you any harm. Truly..." After that, she did nothing except hold him and cease talking.

After a bit, his breathing became more calm, and he sat back, wiping his face with a clutch of sheet as he did so. His eyes were careful to avoid hers. There was a look of not just humiliation but also mistrust on his face, as if he were preparing himself for something that he feared to happen. His expression was quite telling.

"Alright, so it seems like you're here. "You're living," he remarked in a crudely translated manner. "So, what is it that you desire?" Elizabeth was completely taken aback.
"Come on, there has to be something," the speaker pleaded. "What exactly is it?"

Elizabeth choked back more sobs as they began to bubble up in her eyes. "I suppose that is what I deserve. I know I do. However, just this time, Matt, I don't want anything at all. I've come to apologize, to tell you that I'm sorry for the many times—not just for that one night—that I've taken advantage of you. I am concerned about you and am concerned if you are in pain. I believed that there was a possibility that I might make things better." She broke the prolonged hush with the statement, "I suppose I will go now."

"No, wait. Hold on just a second. Matt repeated his efforts to clean his face with the linen. "Listen. That was an idiotic move, and I'm a jerk to boot-"

"You are a gentleman, and everything you said was absolutely accurate. If you had any sense, you would have instructed me to go take a walk a long time ago.

"No, I'm a foolish jerk. Because you are not dead, I really ought to be jumping for glee and bashing my head against the wall right now. I'll get to it in a moment. Listen." Elizabeth stared at the situation with a touch of astonishment when he gripped her wrist. "I don't care if you're the Creature from the Black Lagoon, It, Godzilla, or Frankenstein all wrapped into one. I'm not afraid of you." I just-"

"Matt." In a state of panic, Elizabeth covered his lips with her free hand.