The Skeleton In The Sea

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The steering wheel shatters my ribs, the agony screaming louder than the freezing saltwater rushing into the car.

Four years ago, right at this moment, I am clawing at the window until my fingernails tear off, gasping as the ocean swallows me whole. High above me, standing on the cliffs edge, Charlene isn't horrified. She is smiling.

She spins around, throwing herself into Julians arms as his headlights cut through the dark. "Julian! She's lost her mind! Melody drove off the edge herself! She tried to kill me!"

Julian doesn't even glance at the abyss where I am drowning. He just looks at the road with eyes cold enough to freeze the ocean. "Leave her," he spits, his voice carrying over the roar of the waves. "If she wants to die, let her die."

Well done, Julian. You just signed two death warrants.

Because what you don't knowwhat you will never know until its too lateis that the corpse sinking into the dark isn't alone.

I am carrying your child.

Chapter 1

Maybe I couldn't let go. Maybe that's why my soul refused to cross over. I stayed tethered to Grandma Evelyn.

But Alzheimers is a cruel thief. It keeps stealing the memory of my death from her.

Today, the fog in her mind thickened. She wandered into the park and forgot the way back.

The stubborn little lady sat on a bench, muttering to herself. "Its okay if Im lost. Melody will notice Im gone. Shell come find me."

I was right there. Hovering inches from her.

She was so close to home, but my voice was just wind. I couldn't guide her. I couldn't point the way.

The sun began to dip below the horizon. Shadows stretched. Panic clawed at my chestor where my chest used to be. I darted around her, frantic.

Shes nearly eighty. She wouldn't survive a night out here alone.

Finally, Evelyn seemed to sense the danger. The park was emptying out. She stood up, her legs shaky.

She grabbed the arm of a stranger passing by. "Excuse me, have you seen my granddaughter, Melody?"

Usually, this works. A stranger talks to her, realizes shes confused, and calls 911. The police take her home. Safe.

But fate has a twisted sense of humor. She grabbed the wrong person. She grabbed Julian.

Julian looked down at her, his jaw tight with impatience. "Where is Melody? Why are you out here by yourself? Its late. She just dumped you in the park? Let me guess, shes off with..."

He bit back the rest.

But I heard it loud and clear in the silence. With some other guy. Some trash.

See? Ive been a corpse for four years, and his hatred hasn't faded a single shade.

Evelyn didnt catch the venom in his voice. Her face lit up. "Julian! You haven't come over for dinner in so long. You know I make the best lasagnayour favorite. Come over tomorrow for your birthday."

She patted his arm. "You young people need to work things out. Melody is a good girl, she just bottles things up. She went out today to buy your birthday present. Said she wanted to give you a surprise tomorrow."

My heartif it still beatwould have stopped.

Her memory had reset to that day. The day we were still madly in love. Before the world shattered. Before his childhood friend came back to destroy us.

What a tragedy.

Julians lip curled into a cold, ugly sneer. "Grandma, stop the games. Its not funny. Melody and I broke up."

"Shes buying a gift? Please. Shes probably buying it for whatever guy shes sleeping with now."

She looked so fierce, so protective. It was adorable.

I reached out. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, to tell her it was okay. My translucent hands passed straight through her shoulder.

Four years. Youd think Id be used to being a ghost by now.

Julian laughed. It was a harsh, barking sound. He clearly didn't believe a word she said.

"I told you. We are done. If she put you up to this little act, Ill let it slide. Once. But do not mention her name to me again."

Just then, Donna and another neighbor from our complex walked up. Their eyes went wide when they saw Evelyn. "Evelyn? Honey, why are you still out here? Did you forget where you live again?"

Donna turned to her friend, lowering her voice to a stage whisper that cut through the air. "Poor thing. Its tragic. Just her and the granddaughter, right? But the girl died four years ago. Now shes all alone in that big house."

Yeah. I died four years ago.

Chapter 2

Four years ago. His birthday.

I was at the mall, giddy with excitement, clutching a gift bag. Then I saw them. Julian and another woman. Walking together. Too close.

I stumbled out of there, feeling like my soul had been hollowed out. Then my phone buzzed. A DM from a stranger.

I opened it. A photo. A girl. She was wearing a mans white dress shirt, sprawling on a hotel bed. The sheets were a mess.

Below the image, a caption: They say childhood sweethearts always win. Do you think you can compete with history?

I knew that shirt. I recognized the top button. Id stitched it back on with my own hands.

I remembered it vividly because I used a specific, intricate cross-stitch Id learned from a DIY influencer. A tiny, hidden flower.

Julian never complained about it. He wore that shirt to board meetings. He told me it was our mark. Our secret symbol of love.

And now? That symbol was draped over another womans body. That was the moment I learned the truth.

Love is cheap. Its bargain-bin trash.

Back in the park, Julian went rigid. A storm of emotions flashed across his face. Shock. Confusion. Anger.

Finally, he choked out a laugh. "What did you say? Melody is dead? You're lying, right? Melody put you up to this."

His eyes narrowed, dark and dangerous. "That woman is a master manipulator. Shes the queen of gaslighting."

Donna and the other neighbor exchanged horrified glances. They tightened their grip on Evelyn, backing away from him.

"Who is this guy?" Donna whispered, loud enough for him to hear. "Is he a psycho? Seriously. Who jokes about death? Thats just sick."

The commotion seemed to jolt Evelyn. Her mouth opened, her lips trembling as the memory clawed its way back to the surface.

"Yes... that's right. Melody... Melody isn't here anymore..."

Julian stood there, frozen. He looked ridiculous. A statue of arrogance cracking under the weight of a truth he refused to accept.

I didn't stick around to watch him crumble. I drifted after Donna and Evelyn as they walked back to our apartment complex.

When Evelyn stepped inside and locked the door, I felt a wave of relief. Thank God Julian didn't follow us.

But the memory of my death had shattered Evelyns fragile peace. The lonely little old lady sat on the sofa, her hands shaking as she traced the frame of my photo. Tears dripped onto the glass.

"Oh, my sweet girl. You were so young. Why did you have to go before your grandma?"

My heart acheda phantom pain in a chest that no longer breathed. I floated over, trying to wipe the tears from her cheeks. My fingers passed right through her skin.

"Grandma, I didn't leave," I sobbed, my voice silent. "I'm right here. Melody is right here."

She couldn't hear me. She couldn't feel me.

The sharp ring of the doorbell shattered the heavy silence. Then, his voice. Muffled by the wood, but unmistakable. "Evelyn, open up. It's me. It's Julian."

Panic spiked through me. No. He can't come in.

If he comes in... if he starts digging through my things... I couldn't bear to think about what he might find.

Evelyn was slow to react. She turned her head toward the door, confusion clouding her eyes again. She was processing.

Outside, Julians voice grew louder. More desperate. "Grandma, let me in. Melody, I know you're in there! I thought about it. How could you be dead? This is just another one of your sick pranks to get me here."

"Well, I'm here now! So stop the act! Open the damn door!"

He started pounding. A rhythmic, angry thudding that shook the frame.

Rage flared inside me. He was screaming. He was going to scare Evelyn.

The Julian I knew wasn't like this. He used to be gentle. He used to treat Evelyn like she was made of glass. He never raised his voice.

Now? He was practically trying to break the door down.

"Get away from here!" I screamed, though no sound came out. I charged at the door.

As a spirit, I passed straight through the wood. I saw him there, face twisted in anger, fist raised to pound again.

I swung at him. I put every ounce of my hatred into that punch. My fist passed through his jaw like smoke.

I swung again. And again. Screaming. Crying. But I couldn't touch him. I couldn't hurt him. I couldn't even make him shiver.

I was powerless.

Chapter 3

"Yes! I am lying to you!" I screamed at his face, my voice silent and desperate. "So leave! Get the hell out! I hope I never see you again!"

Crash.

A sharp noise from inside the apartment cut through my rage. Panic spiked. Evelyn.

I phased back through the door, terrified shed fallen.

She was safe. Just sitting in her chair. But the picture frame had slipped from her hands and hit the floor.

She blinked, looking like shed just woken up from a long nap. She bent down, her joints creaking, and picked up the frame.

Her thumb brushed over the glass. Over my face. "Got a little dusty," she murmured. "Melody loves this photo. Thank goodness it didn't break."

Yeah. It used to be my favorite. Because Julian took it.

I wanted to tell her: Not anymore, Grandma. Thats not the one I love now. The one I love is right next to your hand. The selfie of us.

Evelyn stood up, trembling slightly, and placed the frame back in its exact spot. She stood there for a moment, a soft, vacant smile playing on her lips.

I sniffled, fighting back phantom tears. I don't know if her Alzheimers is a curse or a mercy.

Look at her. The disease is active today. Shes forgotten her Melody is dead again.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The door shook.

"Coming, coming," Evelyn chirped. She shuffled to the door.

She opened it, and there he was. Julian. His face was a storm cloud. "Where is Melody?"

He didn't wait for an invite. His eyes darted around the living room, scanning every corner. Hunting. He was looking for me.

Evelyn is obsessive about cleaning. Since the diagnosis, Ive watched her scrub the same spot on the floor until the wood groans. She cleans the house twice a day sometimes.

The only thing that hasn't changed is the layout. For four years, this apartment has been frozen in time.

"Is that... Julian?"

The memory loss made her so innocent. So trusting. She waved him in, eager. "Come in, sit down. Melody... Melody went out. Yes, she went out."

She frowned, looking toward the dark window. "But where did she go? Its dark. Shell be back any minute. That girl never stays out overnight. She says she sleeps better when shes here with me."

Julian didn't hear the love in her voice. He only heard "she went out."

His lip curled. The cynicism in his eyes was toxic. He was mocking me. Mocking us.

But he didn't snap at her. He just brushed past her, heading straight for the hallway. Straight for my bedroom.

I couldn't stop him. I just floated beside him, watching the disaster unfold.

He twisted the knob. The door swung open, revealing a sanctuary of soft pinks and creams.

Evelyn designed this room. She sewed those blush-colored curtains by hand, stitch by painstaking stitch.

I loved this room. Even as a ghost, I spent hours here, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Too bad souls don't need sleep.

Julian stepped inside. He didn't look at the curtains. He didn't look at the bed. His gaze locked onto the desk.

There it was. The framed photo of us.

Surprise flickered in his eyes for a split second. Then, the mask slammed back down. Cold. Cruel.

"You have another man, don't you?" he muttered to the empty room. "So why keep this? Is it a trophy? Do you look at it and laugh about how easily you played me?"

He walked over to the desk. "Melody, listen to me. The biggest regret of my life... is loving you."

He grabbed the frame. He didn't just remove the photo. He ripped it out.

Riiip.

The sound was violent in the quiet room