Ruby's Ghost Read Free Page A

the first place?
    The noise continued. The wailing of sirens a reminder that life was fragile. Maybe he wasn’t dead yet and they’d be able to save him. She bit her lip and said a quick prayer that he was being looked after by the paramedics, then she got back into bed but left the light on and kept her back to the wall, just in case.
     
    Tate opened his eyes. More lights. Blue and red. Where was the dark-haired woman? Where was he? Was he outside? He could’ve sworn he was just in a bedroom. It had looked a lot like his old room, only different—the furniture was wrong. It had been the woman’s room. His head hurt. He closed his eyes again.
    “Tate, you’re okay. I’m so glad you’re with me now.” Ruby’s voice dragged him back and prevented him from sleeping. “Take my hand,” she urged, her voice only a whisper. She looked different, paler.
    “What happened?” He tried to lift his hand but couldn’t move. Everything hurt and he was tired. Too tired. Better to sleep here.
    “Tate, you need to come with me now.” Her words echoed and she glanced around like she was about to panic. What had her so worried? When he didn’t move, she pouted. “Tate, we can still be together. It will be okay.”
    The words jolted him. He didn’t want to be with Ruby anymore. “No.”
    They’d broken up. Didn’t she remember? He blinked then she was gone and there were other people moving around him, their faces blurred in the bright lights. What was going on?
    Someone bumped him, and rolled him onto his back. There was a howl like an animal in pain. Then he realized it was him making that noise and he couldn’t stop. Why wouldn’t everyone leave him alone? He needed to close his eyes and rest.
    “Tate Cooper?” Light shone in his face.
    He blinked and tried to turn away, but pain gripped his body and twisted, tearing like something was trying to rip his head from his body. Every jolt made it worse. People were doing stuff, pulling on his limbs. Ruby reappeared at his side. Her lips were moving, but he couldn’t hear her—she was getting fainter. He tried to smile and tell her he was fine.
    He wasn’t fine. He couldn’t sit up. Straps held him down. Someone else was talking to him, but he didn’t understand a word. He tried to speak, but even that was hard as his throat was raw.
    “Ruby?” Where had Ruby gone? She was just there.
    “She’s being looked after. Is she your girlfriend?” the woman asked.
    “No.” He closed his eyes. She wasn’t. Not anymore. Everything hurt, and he felt raw inside and out.
    She touched his face. “Hey, buddy. Do you remember what happened?”
    Tate forced his eyes open. “Going home.”
    “On your bike?”
    He grunted. The woman squeezed his hand and then he was being moved again. Lights sped past. Faces loomed over him. Shadows formed and fractured as everything blurred, then there was only one bright light and they let him close his eyes.

Chapter Two
    Tate jolted awake. He was cold, really cold, as if every cell in his body was slowly freezing. His teeth locked together as he tried to stop them from chattering, and his hands were clenched in fists as if he was getting ready to fight. Fight what? At the edge of his hearing was a buzzing just loud enough to be annoying but quiet enough that he couldn’t work out what it was. His memories were jumbled. He should remember something, but he didn’t know what.
    He eased up, expecting to be in his bedroom, yet knowing he wasn’t. Around him there was nothing. Well, not nothing, because mist was something, and there was ground beneath him. He stood up. The mist slid and solidified into vague shapes before scattering again. Through the mist he thought he glimpsed walls, or was it trees, or people? It kept changing. His chest tightened as he forced himself to be calm. This had to be a dream. All he had to do was wake up. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes he was still here and the mist had