• Vol. 04
  • Chapter 06
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Haunting 101

“Now listen carefully, Billy. What you learn today is very important.”
Billy looked up and nodded.
Who would’ve thought you’d still have school when you died. He took in the sight of the teacher in front of him. A skeleton, none the less. The head of a deer, antlers and all, with the body of a human. It bemused him. Dead, and he still had to learn. Haunting 101.
“Why am I here? I’m dead, aren’t I? Why do I need school?”
“Yes, Billy, you’re dead, but you still have much to do and I am here to help.”
“I don’t get it,” Billy said shaking his head.
“Your death was unnatural and there is only a small window of time for revenge. You don’t want him to get away with it do you?”
“No,” Billy shouted, slamming his hand down on the desk in front of him. A loud boom echoed around the room. “Very good,” Ms. Antlers said. “Your anger is powerful, you’ll need that.”
Billy shook his head. “Mom always said anger was bad, that I had to let it go cause it would eat me up inside.”
“Your mom was right, but in this case, you’re going to need your anger and I believe your mom would agree. She's suffering Billy, look,” Ms. Antlers said, pointing a bony finger towards a screen to her right.
It flashed and Billy saw his mom. She was sitting on his bed, tears flowing as she sobbed into his favorite shirt. Something moved behind her and he saw him, his murderer.
“He’s still there?” Billy shouted.
“Yes, he is. No one knows what he’s done, not yet anyway. Are you ready to take revenge, Billy? Are you ready to put right the wrong that has been done?”
Billy looked up, his eyes filled with tears as he nodded.

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Haunting 101

“Good, then let’s begin. I need to you focus Billy, focus really hard on that man, on what he’s done. Remember every little detail, the sounds, the smell, the words he spoke. Can you do that?”
Billy frowned. “I don’t want to remember. I don’t want to think about it.”
“You must. It’s the only way.”
Billy took a deep breath and cast his mind back. He was in the cabin. The smell of dust filled his nostrils and he struggled not to sneeze. He looked around taking everything in. The rope was hung by the door, the hunting knife clean and sharp sat on top of the large wooden table in the middle of the room. He shivered, it hadn’t happened yet.
“Good, very good, Billy, keep going,” Ms. Antler whispered as she watched his recall his nightmare, the moments before his death. “You’re nearly there now, just a little further.”
Billy exhaled. “I can do this. I can make him pay and free my mom.”

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