I froze as I snatched my hand away from their grasp. No one could touch me. I could only touch them since I was the ghost.

"Who are you?" I asked in a shaky voice through the darkness.

"Aaly." The woman said in a breathy voice as if she was crying.

Aaly.

There was only one person who ever called me that and my eyes stung as I realized what this meant.

"No," I said as I shook my head. "No."

I was in complete shock. It felt like my world was crashing down, I felt my knees become weak as I fell to the floor again. The woman reached out to me and grabbed me before I completely crumpled on the floor.

She held me in her arms as I cried and my heart ached more. I had been in her nurturing arms countless times before but I never wished for it to be like this.

"Mom." I cried.

She held my head onto her chest and caressed my hair as she sobbed along with me.

"Shhh, sweetie it's okay." She said, although her voice betrayed her.

Before I fell asleep she had been with John and my grandmother and now she was here with me. I didn't know how it was possible. All I knew was that she was dead along with me, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to see or touch me.

"How?" I asked.

"Him." She whispered as she pointed to a figure in the dark. I couldn't make out their entire form but I did not doubt that it was the man in black.

He was standing with his back to us just looking down at something.

"That's why you didn't want me to turn on the light?" I whispered.

"No." She said softly as one of her tears fell onto me.

I didn't understand what she meant but I remained quiet alongside her as we watched the man.

A phone began ringing in the room and our heads snapped to the source of the noise. The man walked to the phone and picked it up and a moment later, Lizzie's voice echoed through the room.

"Mom, I'm at grandma's." She said.

The man remained looking at the screen with the light illuminating his white mask.

"Mom?" She called, her voice echoing through the lifeless room.

My mom began sobbing and I held her tight as we watched the scene in front of us. Maybe we could do something but right now we were both paralyzed.

I couldn't help but feel like this was my fault. Maybe I could've stopped him instead of hiding in that closet. If I had hurt him, maybe I could have prevented all of this.

"Mom, what's going on?" She asked in a more crazed voice.

A moment later we hear the call hang up but within a minute later, the phone rang again.

"Hello!" Lizzie yelled. The man remained quiet as he tilted his head and looked at the screen.

"Mom, if you're there the police are on their way." She said.

With those words the man's spiritless form became lively. He threw the phone onto the floor and ran out of the house through the kitchen door.

My mom and I slightly relaxed and stood up slowly. When I was on my feet she pulled me into a tight hug.

"I've missed you." She said sadly. I buried my head into the crook of her neck and breathed in the same scent I had loved all my life. I cried softly as I hugged her back.

I missed the contact but this isn't what I wanted. I wanted her to live, to marry John, travel the world. I wanted her to do the things she couldn't do because she was taking care of us.

She and John deserved-

John.

"Where is John?" I asked suddenly.

"He went to go get the rest of his things from his house." She said as her voice broke. "He's going to come back-...to this."

It was my turn to now comfort her. I held her in my arms and rubbed her back soothingly.

"When Lizzie said she felt like you saved her...was it true?" She asked.

"Yeah," I admitted.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for everything sweetie, I should've listened to you."

I couldn't hold a grudge against her. She paid for her mistake with her life and I wouldn't punish her more than that. This was the opposite of what I wanted to happen to her.

"It's okay, Mom."

We were interrupted from our moment with the sound of keys unlocking the door.

My mom and I stepped aside as we watched the door open. Through the darkness and slight light outside, I could see John. My mother must've noticed too because she began crying beside me.

He carried large boxes inside and set them on the floor to the side of the door. Throwing the keys on top of the boxes, he groaned aloud and stretched.

"Evelyn, I'm back! I'm going to get the rest of my things." He said.

Tears flowed down my face and my head throbbed as I anticipated what was about to happen. He had no idea and he sounded so happy, which made this a million times worse.

My mother ran to the door to touch it but her hand fell through it.

"You want to close it?" I asked as I walked to her.

"I don't want him seeing this." She sobbed as she attempted but failed to close the door.

"Here." With my new learned skills, I honed in my strength and shut the door, locking it as well.

"Thank you." She said softly.

We remained silent in the dark living room and a few moments later the doorknob began shaking.

He rang the doorbell a couple of times and knocked at the door. "Evelyn, open the door!" He called for her.

My mother cried into her hands and my heart reached out to the both of them.

I moved to the curtain beside the door and watched John pat his pockets for his keys but come up empty. He moved away from the door and walked to the police car in front of the driveway.

I scoffed as I saw the police officer that was supposed to protect us. My blood boiled at his irresponsibility. He was here to protect my family, yet my mother died on his watch.

Officer Hardy stepped out of the car and walked alongside John to the house. They were laughing together and engaging in friendly banter as they walked to the door.

I saw Officer Hardy reach down to the door and pick the lock and less than a minute later the door swung open.

"Thanks for that. I don't know how that happened." John said.

Officer Hardy laughed and shook his hand. "No problem sir."

"Could I get you something to drink?" He asked as he flipped on the light in the house.

"Please."Officer Hardy stepped in with John and before John could walk to the kitchen, his stepped faltered and he screamed as he ran towards the living room.

The next few moments went by quickly. Officer Hardy pulled out his walkie and yelled into it. "419!" He shouted our address quickly into the walkie and I froze as I heard John screaming and crying.

I didn't dare tear my eyes away from the door and I was paralyzed to my spot.

I was snapped out of my daze when I saw something in my peripheral. I looked out the window next to the front door and saw the hooded man standing across the street.

He was just standing there and watching. As if this was a show, a show that he directed and produced. It was sick.

Adrenaline coursed through my body and I moved to the door to go to him. Before I could make it out the door my mother grabbed my arm.

"No, don't." She said.

I turned back to face her to say something but my eyes landed on the bloody mess behind her.