"Mia! Mia, get back here!"

I ignore Elizabeth's calls as I run down the school hallway late at night.

"Mia! Just tell me what happened! Come on!"

I scoff silently as I continue to run. How in the world am I supposed to know what happened? It's not my fault I saw what I saw. And I most certainly didn't want to see that. It was disgusting. I can still taste the bile in my throat. No, I didn't actually throw up, but I was pretty darn close.

I burst through the front doors of my high school and into the cool California air. The wind blows through my hair as I keep sprinting, heading nowhere in particular. Just get away. Anywhere away from him. I'm not sure if what happened was entirely his fault, but what else could it be? Stuff like that doesn't happen to everyone. And if you would've asked me yesterday - or even an hour ago - I would have told you that it's impossible. Nothing like that happens to me.

Obviously, I was dead wrong.

•••

FLASHBACK

I groan, "Remind me again why I let you sign me up for this?"

Elizabeth giggles, snapping the marker shut, "Oh, come on Mia. It's not that bad."

I glare at my best friend before looking around the room. Streamers were hung from the ceiling and we just finished the poster that covered the whole whiteboard. 'Happy Birthday, Mrs. Fieres!"

Confused? Here, let me explain. Mrs. Fieres is everyone's favorite history teacher, especially Elizabeth's. Why? Because she's her sister. Well, by marriage. So, technically, they're sisters-in-law, but really? Who cares? So anyways, it's Haley's - Mrs. Fieres' - birthday tomorrow, so Elizbeth decided that we should decorate her classroom for her.

Don't get me wrong, I do love Haley like a sister, but honestly, I know that she is not going to like this when she gets in in the morning. She's just not that kind of girl - well, woman, I guess, seeing that she's 22 years old. So here I am, twirling around in Haley's chair, staring up at the ceiling.

Ever since I met Haley, which was the first day of school, I immediately knew she was somehow related to Elizabeth, because not very many people have the same last name. So, I talked to her after class and we just became instant friends. She's always insisted that I call her Haley - except during class - so I always have.

"Can we go now?" I ask, knowing full well how childish I sound, and look at this current moment. I mean, seriously, what 17 year-old girl spins around in a chair?

"Okay, okay, Miss Bossy." Elizabeth steps away from the poster and looks at it. "Not too bad, Mia. You did a good job."

I laugh, "We both know that I really did nothing to help you, right?"

She rolls her eyes as she grabs her art bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "Let's get out of here. I'm starving."

"I told you you would be if you skipped lunch to buy supplies. And did you listen? No," I say, pretending to be moody as we walk out of the room, locking the door behind us. Yes, you heard that right. Elizabeth, somehow, has a key to Haley's classroom. Don't ask me how.

"How about pizza? That sounds really good right now," Elizabeth says, completely ignoring my comment.

I shrug, following her towards the exit. "Sure. Pizza's good with me." Truthfully, I'm not really hungry. I mean, it's barely six o'clock. Who eats that early? I normally eat around seven, and sometimes eight. Besides, she usually consumes most of the pizza anyways.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps down the hallway. Behind me. Coming closer. I quicken my pace to walk parallel with Elizabeth. I try to shut out the noise by humming a song that I hardly know. It works and I become focused in trying to remember the words.

Until someone speaks.

"Hey! What are you two doing here?" a male voice questions from behind us.

I stop walking, but don't dare to turn around, silently begging Elizabeth to do the same. She doesn't get my message and she turns to face him, a smile present on her face.

"Hi, there. We were just walking around."

"That's against school rules. All students are supposed to be off the property by five thirty. What are you doing here?" he asks again, and I can tell he's frustrated.

Elizabeth opens her mouth to respond, but I beat her to it, finlly turning around, "So, aren't you supposed to be off the property then?" I rake my eyes over his face. He's most definitely a student.

His face flushes, obviously not expecting that answer. "I have my reasons," he says, completely avoiding eye contact with me.

"And so do we. So, we'll be seeing you later on, maybe." I give him a mock salute as I turn around pulling a frozen Elizabeth with me.

When we round the corner, Elizabeth breaks free from her trance and looks up at me, her jaw dropped. "What was that, Mia?"

I shrug, absentmindedly twirling the ends of my hair between my fingers. "I don't know. I just told him off," I pause before adding, "in the nicest way possible."

Elizabeth scoffs, "Yeah, sure. That was totally the nicest way possible." She chews on her lip for a moment, obviously thinking something over. She eventually nods her head. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

My eyes go wide as my legs betray me, not following after Elizabeth as she turns on her heel and starts walking again. Soon enough, however, I'm right next to her. "Eliz-"

"Stop," she says, cutting me off. "I'm going to talk to him, and since you seem so eager, you're coming with me." Elizabeth grabs my arm and I'm forced to walk with her back down the hall. "Hello? Random boy?" she asks, not having to talk loud since the halls bounce her voice between its empty walls. "Hello?"

"What?"

We turn to find him standing behind us, somehow. He's frowning, clearly annoyed that we're still here.

Elizabeth starts talking, but as soon as I lock eyes with him, the world starts spinning. And no, not in that kind of way where he's just so handsome that I can't think straight. That did not happen. It was just... weird. I soon felt dizzy and I fell to the ground.

A scene plays in my head, one that I wish I never saw. At first, I can't tell what it is exactly, but it soon comes into focus and I hold my breath. Voices fill my mind as I realize where I am. A hospital. Of course. I've always hated hospitals. Ever since my mom died five years ago after being involved in a fatal car crash.

My attention is brought to the main doors as a stretcher is brought in, a body lying on it.

A man.

He appears to be in his mid-forties, but I'm not positive. I look at his face and recognition flows through me.

It's him. The guy that I locked eyes with right before fainting. I don't know how I'm so sure of myself, but I just am. I know that it's him.

The scene shifts and I'm now standing next to a hospital bed, the man lying on it. I stare at him curiously. He seems so peaceful. So happy. Calm.

A rapid beeping sound fills the air and nurses flood into the room. It only takes me a second to realize what the noise is. His heart beat. And I can only assume that it speeding up so dramatically isn't a good thing.

The nurses scramble around trying to fix whatever is wrong with him, but before they are able to, the beeping stops and is replaced by a continuous sound. Everyone takes a slow step back, their heads hung low. I already know what has happened. I knew the second the heart machine played it's tune.

He's dead.

A second after I come to the conclusion, the picture clears from my mind and I'm laying on the floor at school again. I blink slowly, adjusting to the light. My head throbs slightly and I wince. Two figures are huddled above me. Elizabeth and him.

Both have concern clearly etched onto their features, but as I look at him again, I see something hidden in his eyes. Something unreadable.

"Are you okay, Mia?" Elizabeth asks, tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

I nod hesitantly, sitting up.

"What happened?"

Mystery man pulls back slightly as Elizabeth asks the question. "I-I-I..."

And I start running.

•••

And there it is! First chapter of Visualizing Death is finished! :D Yeah! I hope you all liked it!

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