Chapter 32

"Okay, phone packed, charger packed, got my purse and bags. Ready to go." Asia took a deep breath and started walking to the door. "See you later Major, I'm off." The node kicked into action. 'See ya.' The door clicked and Asia was on her way.

Outside of the hotel she called for a nearby taxi, got in and asked the driver to take her to Nowhere. "Hell no! No way am I going anywhere near that haunted place." The driver swung his head around and looked her dead in the eye.

"Okay sir, could you please take me as far as you feel safe to take me." She tried to have as innocent a look as possible.

"Alright fine, but it'll cost you extra." He started driving. "So why on earth would a young girl like you actually wanna go to that place? If you don't mind me asking."

"Well, truth is, I used to live there." The man burst out laughing, almost taking his eyes off the road.

"Sweetie, everyone who's ever lived there died, all got killed by a freak child who massacred the entire town. It's just one big haunted wreck now."

"What happened to her? The girl I mean." Asia asked curiously.

"Girl? How'd you know it was a girl?" He poked his head round to her.

"Oh I don't know. When you said it, I just imagined a young girl, all cold and alone." Asia looked at her hands on her lap.

"Can't believe there's still people who have sympathy for that demon. I mean killing an entire town, the hell would ever side with that kind of monster."

"Yea, you're right." Asia stared at her hands longer. "You're right."

About two hours passed...

"This is as far as I'm taking ya. And that's generous. $72 please." He held out a card reader. Asia tapped her card, got out and walked on, with her bags in tow.

The driver sat against his car looking in Asia's direction. His face started to warp and melt and drip off to the floor like hot wax. Major's face appeared under it. "So this is the place you call home, eh Asia." He smiled and hopped back into the car and drove off.

Asia still had a few kilometers to walk before she reached the town of Nowhere. It was a really hot day and she was struggling in the heat big time. She took a quick break for a drink of water before continuing on her journey.

She reached the town by sundown. It was grey, the entire town had an undertone of grey to it. The buildings were all intact, and the town was completely filled with ghosts of the people she had killed.

Many of the ghosts recognised her, despite her not being there for many years, she still had the same hair colour and style, the jet black hair, tied into two downward ponytails.

"Go away, we don't want your kind here." An elderly lady shouted at her from behind. She was short with a lightly wrinkled face, she looked clearly younger than her voice suggested. She wore an all grey outfit, a jumper and a maids skirt of the bottom. "Haven't you caused us enough trouble. You kill the entire village and now you just show up again like you're welcome here."

Asia turned her head around with a shocked face. "Miss Monclave? Is that you?" Her eyes began to well up with tears.

"Yes it's me, don't get all teary around me young lady. You took everything from me. You have no right to cry." The woman stared at Asia with an angered expression. She waltzed up to Asia. "I'd strangle you if I could, you took my son from me. My world. If you hadn't been born, Johnny would still be here in the town. But he's not, he's in the city, in a gang. Selling drugs and harbouring guns. Letting his life go down the drain. That kid had big dreams. He was one of the best Football players in the state. He would've made nationals and the league if you hadn't been born. You took that dream away from him. It was all your fault!"

Asia looked into her hollow eyes, which were also welling up with tears of anger and sadness. She shrugged her shoulder, pretending not to care and walked on, balling her eyes out.

She walked through the town, all eyes on her. People watched closely as she walked through the town she once called home. "Psst. Over here." Asia's attention turned to an alleyway in-between two houses. A young ghost boy was standing in the shadows of the alley. "Come quickly." Asia jogged down the alleyway to reveal the kids face.

"Marty?" Asia looked at him with a surprised face. "It's really you, but how."

"Don't you remember? I died, in that crash. Ten years ago." He smiled at her.

"I know, I know but how did you turn into a ghost? I didn't kill you." Asia sat down opposite him.

"I dunno. You're asking the wrong guy here. All I know is that I'm here now." The kid had a broad smile, gingery, curly hair and a ton of freckles. "I know everyone in the town hates you, but they actually don't mind the outcome. Most people weren't all badly affected by the ghostly thing."

"If they're not that badly affected by what I did then why do they hate me?"

"Its not what you did, it's what you didn't do and someone else did."

"What do you mean?"

"They didn't want to die but you did that. After that you just left everyone, to rot and live their lives in a wrecked ruins. Someone came along and fixed that. He gave them purpose and a reason to keep existing."

"So that's why. That's why I'm hated."

"I don't know how you are surprised. People who kill others aren't popular. That's just how it is. I know you didn't mean to, but others just don't get that the same as you do. I know your hurting. I know you need help."