Written by: Nick Long
The doctors will tell you that Richie McDermott was a troubled kid. He wasn’t a trouble maker, but the injuries and illnesses he would come up with in order to avoid the outside world were enough to concern his parents. For an entire year Richie had been claiming everything short of insanity to keep his parents from making him leave his room. Most days they saw through the farce, but that didn’t stop him trying with everything he had to stay holed up in his safe space. How could he tell his parents that he was seeing things? And not just anything. Horrific, unspeakable things. He learned quickly that you don’t. If you tell adults you see things that aren’t there, generally you’re on the express train to the loony bin. Richie knew he must be crazy, but he’d seen enough movies to tell him that he didn’t want to go to that place.
The first time Richie saw them was after his 11th birthday. His parents threw him a medieval birthday party fit for a king. They got him a horse ride as his gift. He was going to ride just like the noble knights, and he couldn’t contain his excitement. He ran up to the horse so quickly that he scared the beast. As it whinnied and reared up, it knocked him in the head with its hoof. He was medically dead for 3 minutes and in a coma for 2 months before he finally came through. The doctors called it a miracle, but Richie considered it a curse.
His parents were overjoyed by his recovery, but when they wheeled him out of the hospital he saw a truly horrific sight. The man looked like he stepped out of a black and white movie. The gashes and blood all over his body were the only parts with any color. The blood trailed down his arm so thick that it could've been confused with paint. Without a second thought Richie rubbed his eyes, bewildered by the scene before him. Sadly this wasn’t a trick of the light. Richie was terrified.
“Is somebody going to help that hurt man?” Richie said as he pointed at the ghostly man.
“What man sweetheart? There’s nobody over there,” His mother nervously expressed.
“The man with the blood and cuts all over his body! He’s right there!”
Richie was getting panicked and started to raise his voice. This caught the attention of the blood soaked man. He turned his gaze on Richie and a wide grin appeared on his face. Now that the man had turned, Richie got a look at his stomach and noticed a cut deep. The mystery man broke into a sprint, heading right toward Richie with a bellowing scream of joy. The scream was deafening, which caused Richie to hold his ears and scream. His parents were frantic, but there was nothing they could do. The shadow man made contact and Richie instantly collapsed. Richie would never remember what happened before he passed out.
Three years had passed since that horrible day. It altered the course of his life far more than people would let on. It was Richie’s 14th birthday and he was too afraid to leave his house. He tried to go to school, but day after day he would pass out from some unknown source. The only thing that Richie could recall was the terrifying faces of the dead as they smiled and ran at him. His parents didn't understand why he was constantly coming up with excuses to stay inside the house, but knew his near death experience was slowly eating away at his sanity. Richie’s parents took their time in trying to bring their only son back, but every parent eventually loses hope and seeks help for the ones they love most. His lies about all forms of illnesses under the sun was painting a picture that his parents couldn't avoid any longer.
It was a sad day, but one Richie saw coming. He walked into the mental hospital with his head on a swivel. Where would the next ghost come from to infect his mind even further? The male nurse was built like The Hulk and had the personality of a sunflower. He slowly walked Richie to his new prison cell, as Richie saw it.
“Here’s your room buddy. If you need anything just ring that bell on the wall. Meals will be served three times a day and therapy is everyday at 2pm. We will come and retrieve you 15 minutes before your designated time for meals and therapy. I’ll give you some time to get situated before showing you around the rest of the facility. My name’s Wallace by the way.” The hulking nurse explained as he pointed to the name tag on his uniform.
“Thank you Mr. Wallace,” Richie said as he walked over to this bed.
“You’re very welcome Richie,” Wallace said as he made his exit.
Richie laid on the piece of plastic covered in cheap sheets that was now his bed and looked up at the ceiling. He thought about all the moments where he passed out and could only remember the horrific smiles of those shadow people. He laid there a long while, afraid to explore this unknown place, but even more afraid to find shadow people lurking around every corner. Richie could feel his life slipping away from him. How many years had been wasted because he was too afraid to face his fears? He was done faking illnesses and being treated like a troubled kid who just didn't want to go to school.
Richie looked up at the ceiling fan high above him and began to cry. How could it be that his life was a constant cycle of fear and excuses? He was in perpetual motion just like the fan he was staring at. He wiped his tears, but new ones kept appearing faster than he could wipe them. The young boy sat in his new room, alone, despite the second bed that seemed to be claimed already. The belongings on the bed seemed to belong to a girl, but he couldn’t see why a girl's things would be here. Did they have co-ed rooms? Richie wasn’t particularly excited to share a room with a girl, but he seemed to have no choice on the matter. He pawed at the remaining tears on his cheeks and unpacked his suitcase.
A couple of hours passed before Wallace, the muscle man nurse, made his return. Richie got up from his bed with a newfound determination in his heart. He would get better and live his life.
The building was white. White walls, white floors, and white nurses uniforms. Richie guessed it helped keep the patients calm.
“So, Riche, tell me about some of your hobbies. What do you like to do for fun?” Wallace inquired.
Richie thought for a while, “I used to love knights and the medieval times, but I haven't thought about that in a long time.” Richie was visibly upset by the thought of that fateful incident. “Now I just play video games and read books in my room.
“Well, lucky for you, we have a library onsite. Let's head over.”
The two walked the hallways until they made it to the library. Small talk was minimal, but Richie appreciated Wallace for trying. The library was the size of his new room, but was packed from wall to wall with all kinds of books. Richie smiled for the first time since entering this new reality of his.
“You can come down here whenever you want and read as long as it's before curfew, Wallace explained as he looked at his watch. “It’s getting pretty late, so let’s get you some dinner and back to your room before curfew.”
Richie was given a ham and cheese sandwich, corn, and some apple sauce. He was escorted back to his room and thanked Wallace for the tour. The door was shut and locked for curfew, so he just walked back to his bed and began eating. The food was subpar, but he was hungry from this emotionally taxing day. Richie looked over at the second bed, but to his surprise it was emptied of all the girly stuff he had just seen. This made him feel a little bit better. He wouldn’t have to share a room with a girl.
Now that the shadows of the night had begun to dance around his room, he was feeling less confident about his fearlessness a few hours ago. The night reveals a lot about a person. Your innermost fears become larger than life when you’re a child living in a constant nightmare. Just as Richie began to calm himself, he saw a small Chinese girl no older than himself walk into the room. The only problem was that she walked through the locked door. Richie immediately hid under his covers. How did she find him? What did they want with him? Why could he never remember what they did to him after they touched him?
“Hey! You! Where’s my stuff?” The girl yelled.
Richie was too afraid to speak. Apparently hiding yourself under your covers didn't actually make you invisible. Stupid childhood beliefs.
“Don’t make me come over there and rip those covers off your head!” She threatened.
Richie steeled his nerves and spoke up. “I don’t know. Some nurses must’ve taken them away while I was getting the tour.”
“Figures. Try to kill yourself one time and they take away your belongings. I’m happy it didn’t work in case you were wondering, newbie,” She grumbled, clearly not realizing the terrible truth that awaited her.
Richie slowly poked his way out of the blanket, but only enough for his head to be freed. This next part wasn’t going to be pretty, so he wanted to be prepared to hide before she made him pass out.
“What's your name?” Richie thought he should learn it before giving such bad news.
“It’s Mei. Mei Lee. What’s your name?”
“Richie McDermott. Nice to meet you.” She leaned in for a handshake, but Richie backed away.
“You seriously still don't believe in cooties, right?” She mocked. “And why is your head glowing blue?”
Richie took a deep breath. “Okay. I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re dead Mei”
“That’s not funny, Richie. Don’t be stupid,” Mei said with a hint of fear.
“I’m being serious. Ghosts have been haunting me for three years. They run at me and touch me, which is why my parents sent me here. They think something’s really wrong with me. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”
Mei stared at him for a long time. She wasn’t ready to believe that she succeeded in ending her life. She slowly moved to her old bed and sat down without it moving an inch under her. She began to weep. It was a cry from the depths of your soul that no living being could hope to produce. Richie just sat there and let her feel those emotions. He couldn’t quite explain it, but he thought he knew what to do next. It was like somebody was whispering in his ear something he had been desperately trying to tune out. Maybe this was why he could never remember what happened after a shadow person would touch him. He didn’t want to believe it was for good.
Help her. Send her home.
Richie looked at her with a newfound sense of purpose. Something he hadn’t known in a long time. Mei was still crying on her bed, so Richie got up from his and began to approach her. He wasn’t sure what he’d say or do, but he knew he had to do something.
“Wanna know why I'm glowing blue?” He said softly. “It’s because I have the power to send ghosts to heaven.”
“Heaven? You want me to believe that some mentally insane kid sends ghosts to heaven?”
“I can’t tell you for certain what happens after these ghosts touch me, but there’s a reason they do it. If you want, you can touch my hand.” Richie explained.
“Won’t you pass out?” She questioned.
“It’s okay. It happens a lot. I’ll sit on the bed first.”
Richie walked the rest of the way to her bed and sat down beside her. They sat there in silence for a long time. Richie was exhausted, but didn’t want to rush Mei on this. It was her decision to make.
“What’s it like when a ghost touches you?” Mei asked shyly.
“Well, I don’t really remember. I used to think they were trying to hurt me, so I’d run away. It wasn’t until tonight that I figured out what was happening,” Richie explained. “If I'm being honest, I just pass out. There isn’t much pain at all. I usually wake up after a few minutes with a numbness where they touch me.”
“I’m scared to go. I wanted to escape the pain of living, but now that I’m here, between this life and the unknown, I realize just how much I want to live.” Mei’s tears became a flood.
“The beautiful thing about this situation is that you aren’t invisible. I see you. I won’t forget you Mei. You showed me that this is a gift. Your soul will live with me forever, no matter where you go.” Richie was embarrassed by his feelings. If only he showed up a day sooner. Maybe, just maybe, he could’ve saved her. Maybe they could've been something more.
“I’m ready,” Mei said, “Do I have to touch your skin?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Put that blanket over yourself and hold out your arms.” Mei asked.
Richie wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but he followed her orders. With Richie under the blanket and his arms open wide, he was suddenly overtaken by this comforting force. Mei was hugging him. Without hesitation he held her in his embrace. These feelings he had for her were overwhelming. He began to tear up, but calmed himself in an instant. She let go of him and stepped back. He took off the blanket and saw her standing in front of him.
“Now I'm ready. Can I kiss you?” Mei asked as she looked down at the floor.
“Uhm, yeah I’d like that,” Richie explained with a red face. He sat down on his bed.
Mei walked over to his bed and sat next to him, “Thank you Richie.”
“No, thank you Mei. I’ll never forget you.”
Mei and Richie leaned in for their kiss. The moment their lips touched, Mei looked up.
“I’m going home.”
“Safe travels Mei.”
Richie fought his body long enough to watch her disappear before collapsing onto his bed from exhaustion. For the first time in his life, Richie felt the numbness on his lips and remembered what happened before he passed out.
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