A Typical Ghost Story Preface My name is Jonas Sean Parali; I’m 18 years of age, single, tall, skinny with chocolate brown hair. I drive a 1995 Volkwagen Passet, license number THH675. I was born in Sterling, Virginia. All this I know. I know I’m at this moment perfectly sane, that it is not me that’s me that’s gone mad, but something else, something utterly beyond my control. I've got to speak quickly. At any minute the link may break. This may be the last thing I ever tell on earth - the last night I ever see the stars. Chapter1 "Yo Jonas! You coming to my party later?" My best mate, Isaiah, called to me from across the crowded school hall, strutting toward me. "Naw..." I called back, grabbing my black-and-gray-checkered headphones from my locker. Isaiah already behind me. "Aw... You sure, man? There'll be booze..." His tone got lower as his sentence progressed. "Really, I'm sure, I have LOADS of homework to do. I'm already failing geometry," I replied, thinking of the numerous excuses I had used to cover up for not having my homework done. Once, I had even stooped so low as to blame my dog on eating it. Problem is, I don't even have a dog. "I can't throw a party without my best mate! Come on, man, think of all the chics that'll be there. I even contacted those girls from Sweet Delight that you liked so much," My cheeks flushed with blood when he mentioned them and that night. Although it was tempting, I still had homework to do and a grade to improve. "Not tonight," I looked down to hide my blush, adjusting my headphones onto my ears and hitting play on my iPod. Dubstep immediately blasting in my ears at a bloodcurdling volume. Isaiah, almost as immediately, peeled them off my ears. "Forget it, I'm kidnapping you," Isaiah concluded. He slammed my locker door shut, grabbed my hood and dragged me out to his car. I went resentfully, but not with struggle. Once I was secured in the passenger seat, we were off toward Isaiah's house. I think I even left my homework in my locker, but that didn't matter. Soon, I was drunk as hell and hitting on chics in the most revolting manner. By the time I came to, that night, I was already behind the wheel. In the middle of what looked like some woods. Was I in Isaiah's Cavalier? The frame kinda seemed like it... I was distracted almost to long to notice a man dressed in a long, dark overcoat and a fedora. He was carrying a cheap, old briefcase with his right thumb pointing straight up. "HOLY...!" I yelled as I jerked the steering wheel when i did look up to see him standing almost in the middle of the road. As I did that, I crashed into a nearby tree. "Agh....****!" I yelled, calling out a few more swears before stepping out of the car to observe the damage. Isaiah was not going to be happy. I had hit the tree square on. I was lucky to be alive. The tree completely totaled the hood of the Cavalier and a branch or two had crashed onto the windshield. Shards of broken glass laid everywhere around the front of the vehicle, decorated with red, chipped-off paint. Drunk as I was, I ran for it. I didn't feel like being responsible for a serious car crash. I ran until I was winded. I had to bend over, with my hands on my knees. Gasping for air. I was out of the woods now, I was in a park. Maybe if I was more sober and it wasn't so dark, I would have recognized it. I suddenly felt tired... Maybe if I just slept a little...
Chapter 2 "Dude, where did you go Friday? Me and the guys were searching all over for you. One of us almost got busted by the cops," Isaiah started rambling as soon as I set my lunch tray down next to him at school the next Monday. "I dunno, I woke up on a bench in Vatican Park though," I answered truthfully, trying to recall everything that had happened that night. "Hm..." He thought for a moment only to shake his head a bit, "Anyway, have you seen my car anywhere? It's not in the driveway. If you drove it home, fine, but I'll be wanting it back." A twinge of guilt traveled down my spine in the form of shivers as I remembered what I did to his car. "Nope, haven't seen it," I lied, trying to keep a straight face as I felt a blush of shame creep around the edges of my cheeks. "Okay, maybe John has it..." He turned around to speak with the friend on his other side. Isaiah was the typical, blonde, athletic playboy. I, on the other hand, was more reserved. When I'm sober anyway. I skimmed through the array of students going through their usual lunch routine. Although I have a terrible discomfort for the hobby nowadays, at that time I liked to people-watch. Back then at least, it gave me a sense of comfort knowing that I was the watcher and not the watcher. Something -or rather someone- caught my eye. It was a man in a long, dark overcoat and a fedora leaning against the far wall. Fresh drops of rain rested on his shoulders and the top of his hat. Was it raining outside? My heart skipped a beat when I realized who he was. He was the man from that last Friday night. Was he stalking me or something? Although his eyes were concealed by the shadow of his fedora, he seemed to be eerily staring right back at me, sending the chills up my spine. "Hey, dude," I tapped Isaiah on the shoulder, attempting to grab his easily divided attention. "Yeah?" He turned back to me, obviously irritated by the mysterious disappearance of his car. "You see that man over there? In the overcoat and fedora? Doesn't he look suspicous?" I pointed at the man. "What man? There's only a wall..."
Chapter 3 The next day, I came to school early. I had seen the man on my way home from school the previous day, still giving off his eerie aroma. He even took a couple steps toward me and waved his hand in attempt to grab my attention when I stopped at an intersection. Why was he following me? Why couldn't Isaiah see him? Was i simply going crazy? These questions were only outlines of the numerous questions I kept cooped up inside of my head. If I was smart, at that time, I would've talked to someone about it and possibly kept myself completely sane, but, being the prideful human being I am -or was,- I kept it all inside myself, bubbling, waiting to overfill my vulnerable mind and collapse it into a state of chaos. But, at that point in time, I didn't know the dreadful consequences. I slipped in front of my locker and quickly opened it. Without stopping, I walked to my first class. "Jonas!" A voice called behind me, "Jonas, wait up!" I turned around to see my friend-and long time crush-, Benji running toward me on her long, slender legs. She was particularly tall for her gender, so she bouldered down any unsuspecting Freshmen in her way. "What's up?" I asked once she reached me, feeling the irritated glares from the fallen underclassmen. "You dropped a paper," She grinned, handing me a salmon sheet of paper I recognized as my half complete accounting assignment. "Oh, thanks," I replied, taking the paper. I tried to not look back into her brilliant green eyes, which was surprisingly challenging by the way they pierced you. I was just afraid I'd loose my cool. In fact, now that I look back, I think I was just starting my paranoia that day.