Are You Dead Yet?

A Story by Hallow

Bing.
My phone and computer simultaneously sing of a message. With bleary eyes, I check the clock. The sky was dark, but it was only 6:30 in the evening. Christ, I hate daylight savings.
Ignoring my phone, I collapse in front of my laptop. As I drag the mouse to a red "one" icon, anxiety settles into my bones. Shaking my head, as if it would shoo it away, I feel my blood run cold at the picture of the person who messaged me.

Mallory Barrett.

What does this b***h want?

Innocuous, all her message said was, "Hey, I'm sorry it's been so long."
I paused, eight years of bitterness welled up inside me. Eight years of silence. Eight years of kindling to the fire.
I closed the message. What was the point in entertaining her? After she just left? She was like a ghost in the foggy evening. Not even a seance would bring her back. Why bother trying to give her the satisfaction of a reply?

Bing
It was like she could read my mind. Another message popped up in the preview, "I don't expect you to forgive me."

A strangled half laugh half bark escaped me. At least she was still smart.

"Ashy-bear, I just needed to talk to you again."

Persistent. Another really annoying, but somewhat endearing quality of hers. My nickname brought back a flood of memories. Laughter and teenage antics. Violently, I took my hands and shook my head. No, she doesn't deserve my response. She is a ghost, and she should stay dead.

Bing.
"Thats okay. I deserve that. I'll just....say what I need to. I just wanted you to know how much I miss you. You were my best friend, and just disappearing like that was horrible of me. I'm a terrible friend, and a worse person. I just....didn't want you to live your life without knowing how important you were to me. How much I adored you."

Blind fury made me start typing before I could rationally think, "You're right. You really do have some f*****g nerve thinking you can waltz back in a turn my life upside down again. Forget it. You're dead to me."
My finger slammed the enter key. Tears stung my eyes, but nothing fell.

Bing.
Hot rage fueled me until I realized it was my brother who had sent me a funny video.
Slowly, I let out the breath I didn't realize I had in a chokehold. The silence loomed in my room. The shadows seemed deeper than they did ten minutes ago.

With a strange sort of indignation, I opened Mallory's message again. It had been read. Triumph made my nostrils flare, but a strange guilt laid on my shoulders like a heavy scarf.

I closed the computer without bothering to turn it off. No ghosts were going to haunt me tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bright light invaded my dreamless sleep. The snow made the world seem so pure and hopeful. A new blanket had fallen last night sometime. The fresh snow rejuvenated the hills of days old white into a winter wonderland. Letting my gaze drift briefly to my computer, I shook my head. "Absolutely not, it's coffee time." I took my phone to the kitchen with me so I could mindlessly doom scroll.

Fate, however, had other plans this morning. Three sips and two short videos in, my phone rang. My brother. Again?

"What's up? You never call this early. Aren't you at work?"

He sounded tired, "Yeah, I am. We got a call from some hunters about a body. We have to wait for next of kin to identify it, but I'm pretty sure it's Mallory."

The house was warm, but all of a sudden I felt nothing. "No, wait, really? Are you sure?"

He sighed, "Its hard to be sure. Frostbite got her pretty good. It seems like she's been out here for a few days. A couple animals look like they tried to eat her, but, I don't know. I've never seen anything like this."

My heart skipped. "A few days? No. That's impossible. She literally messaged me last night. Like, over and over again until I blew up on her."

Cautious skepticism colored his tone, "Asher, are you positive? When we moved her there was grass underneath. We didn't get much snow last night, but two days ago we had that big one come in. The girl was damn near covered. The hunters only found her by tripping over her foot."

"I'm positive! I'll screenshot the messages!" My heart was hammering in my chest. This was all impossible.

"Please do, and I'll put them with the paperwork. We could have a murder on our hands if that's the case. I'm going to let you go, the coroner just got here. Love you, bro.

"Love you, too."

I flew to my room, phone in hand, and ripped the lid open on my laptop. Dead. I groaned, and plugged it in to turn it on. My leg jumped in anticipation as I sat for a lifetime. F**k this, I'll just check my phone.

I tapped away until my messages popped up. I saw my brother's from last night, and a new one from another close friend, but no Mallory.

"What the actual f**k." I scrolled down until I saw her name. The last message was one I sent to her six years ago.

My computer had finally loaded up. I went to my messages there. It was the same thing. Tears spilled out without my permission. What in the world was going on? I know I spoke with her last night. I know it was her.

A melodic tune came from my phone. An unsaved number was calling.

"Hello?"

"Thank you. I'll miss you. I hope you forgive me," Mallory's strangled voice came over the line. As if she hadn't drank anything in days.

"Is this a joke?! It isn't funny!" I was screaming without meaning to.

Click.

I'll be damned. I called the number back.

A cheery older woman's voice came over the line,"Pine County Coroner's Office, how may I help you?"

"Someone just called me off this number pretending to be Mallory Barrett. Do you realize how messed up that is?"

"Sorry, dear, who? It's just myself, oh, and the cornoner actually just pulled up. I'm not sure who called you, but it wasn't someone from this office."

The pit in my stomach grew, "Yeah, sorry. It probably was. Bye.

"Have a nice da-" Click.

I sat in stunned silence. The world seemed to freeze, literally and figuratively. They always say things can change in an instant. Safety is never guaranteed, and the world doesn't care about your perception of reality. Life really has an adorable way you to the bone.

I whispered into the still air, "Mal, what in the world happened?"

Bing.