Page 13
Story: Rules for Vanishing
NICK (4:41 pm): I mean INDIVIDUALS OF VARIOUS GENDER IDENTITIES.
MEL (4:44 pm): Don’t bother. I’m not going. BECAUSE NONE OF IT IS REAL. Becca’s gone. She’s dead or she’s shooting up in a flophouse or whatever, but she’s not in the woods and she’s not the prisoner of some stupid ghost from an old urban legend. You’re all delusional if you think she is for even a moment. You should do yourselves a favor and admit that so you can move on.
TRINA (4:45 pm): See you guys tonight?
ANTHONY (4:46 pm): Yeah. See you.
NICK (4:46 pm): I’ll be there. Ciao, bitches.
PRIVATE MESSAGE: ANTHONY/TRINA
ANTHONY (4:47 pm): Trina, what did you need to talk about?
TRINA (4:47 pm): I
TRINA (4:47 pm): Fuck I really don’t know how to say this
ANTHONY (4:48 pm): Are you okay? What’s going on?
TRINA (4:48 pm): I found out something and I don’t really know what to do
ANTHONY (4:49 pm): Do you want to call? Or come over?
TRINA (4:49 pm): No. I don’t know.
TRINA (4:50 pm): I have to go
ANTHONY (4:51 pm): Wait
TRINA (4:52 pm): I have to go. Chris*is home.
4
WHAT DO YOUwear when you go to meet a ghost? What do you bring?
Every time I went into the woods before, I didn’t bring anything more than a flashlight or a granola bar. I never had any hope of finding a sign of Becca. It was more about getting away from home, from town, from every other living soul. I never thought about what would happen if it was all real. If there was a road to walk down. Rationally, I still don’t believe in ghosts, in roads that vanish. But I’ve begun to operate as if it is true, and that is close enough to believing.
In the end I dress warmly, with layers, and pack a lunch box, some water bottles, and a bunch of protein bars. I bring along my heaviest flashlight and extra batteries, Becca’s camera, a change of clothes, and the notebook. And, of course, a key. I wait until I’m sure my mom is asleep, leave the note I’ve written on the kitchen table, and walk out.
If I vanish, I want her to know exactly why. Not like with Becca. Maybe it’ll help. Maybe it won’t. But at least she’ll know why I’ve gone.
The duffel bag digs into my shoulder as I beeline for theforest. It’s a cold night, though at least it isn’t raining anymore. The sidewalk gleams under the streetlamps, and I think of black ice, surfaces that look solid until they plunge you into the depths. You could fall forever through darkness like that.
My phone buzzes with a message notification. I hold it facedown for a moment, convinced it’s Anthony telling me he’s staying home, destroying my chance at this before I even get to the woods. I flip the phone over in my hand and thumb the button to bring the screen to life. And nearly drop it.
One message, it says. From Becca.
I unlock the phone with shaking hands. And stare. The message is from a year ago.
Hey. Going to be out late. Don’t worry. See you soon.
She sent that a few days before she disappeared, some night she was out with Zach. Why am I getting a notification for it now?
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13 (Reading here)
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125