My Ghostly LoveLife: The Ghost Of The Dunes by @GingerC

(HORROR/ROMANCE)
1

"Come on, Bobby! Don't be a chicken!" I hissed over to my older brother.(He's 19 & 11 months, I'm 18 & 10)
"Come back here, Kris!" he shouted angrily.
"Shush!" I whispered,"You'll scare away the little rabbit family I've found!"
"You'll scare them first: with your face!" he laughed. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and snapped a picture of the kittens (baby rabbits) suckling. I quickly dashed of; I didn't want to frighten them. As I scampered away, I caught sight of a dark haired man.
"Hello!" I said, cheerily.
"Hello!" he answered back.
"How are you?" I asked.
"Excellent," He turned around. He had a very short beard but not quite stubble, dark red eyes and tousled dark brown hair. He was quite handsome. Red eyes? Seriously? I thought.
"Are those contacts?" I asked. I saw that he was thinking.
"Yes," he said after a long period of time," Do you like them?"
I nodded.
"Great for Halloween!"
"All the better to scare you with," he laughed. We both did.
"Well, goodbye...?" he smiled.
"Christina. You?"
"Danny."
"Will you be back tomorrow, Danny?" I asked.
He pointed to his binoculars.
"Rabbit spotting," he replied. I beamed.
"Me too! I'll come and join you tomorrow," I said. He beamed back.
"See you then, Christina!" he replied before running into the thick undergrowth.

2
"Did you guys have fun?" Aunty Jane asked.
"A ball," Bobby grumbled.
"Yep!" I smiled. I switched the TV on and 'Fake Britain' was on. I was instantly glued. I loved a good police-involved show.
"What is this load of-?" Bobby began before Aunty Jane sat down.
"I don't think so, Bobby. This is a good show to watch. It makes you aware of what idiots are trying to trick us with," she pointed out.
"Yeah, yeah," he sighed. Aunty Jane rolled her eyes. I giggled quietly.
"Anyone up for some of those cooked snail things? " Uncle Hugh asked. His joking smile played on his lips.
"Hugh!" Aunty Jane cried.
"Ugh!" Bobby exclaimed.
"Poor little snail," I said.
"Yeah," Bobby and Aunty Jane said in unison.
"Well, I'll put the dinner on so get ready!"

I lay in bed, lying still.
Clonk, clonk. Clonk, clonk.
I sat up. What WAS that noise?
Clonk, clonk.
I opened the curtains and-
"ARH!"
There was a man standing by my window but half his face was burnt. The other half had been sliced. He had been shot in both shoulders. Twice. I only knew one thing about him and that was that he was dead. A ghost.
"Shush. You killed me and now it's your turn to burn," he moaned.
"But I don't even know you! Who are you?!" I shrieked. A beam of moon light struck his face, revealing his true self. He had a dark beard that wasn't quite stubble but wasn't Dumbledore style, he had tousled dark brown hair and red eyes. I knew who he was.
"What happened to you?" I asked. Why do I care so much? I wondered. There was the urge to hug and console him. To push away his fears.
"I am Danny. Danny Stones. Why don't you remember me?" he asked.
"Because I didn't kill you," I whispered sympathetically.
"I'm done with your games!"
"I'm telling you the truth! Please, believe me!"
"Who are you then?"
"Christina. I met you earlier today, on the dunes over there," I said, pointing at the dunes north west from my small caravan-bedroom window. He climbed into my room.
"What's happening to me?" he asked with a shaky voice. I hugged him, I couldn't help it!
"Don't worry, you're safe here," I whispered.
"With you."
"No-one can hurt you now. I'll love you. I'll love you better than anyone! I'll be there for you! I'll keep you safe," I whispered gently. I squeezed him. He seemed like a human. And he was mine.

I woke in the morning on my front. On the floor. I got up and was about to get back into bed when-
"Good morning."
"Ar-! Oh, it's you," I giggled quietly whilst twiddling with my hair. Embarrassing! He reached up and held my face in both hands and looked at me with fascination. His burns and slashes were no longer on his face. They were gone. I closed my eyes. I wanted to make this moment last forever and ever. We held hands and leant in closer and-
"Oh!" Aunty Jean gasped. The sound of glass shattering echoed through the caravan.
"Oh shit," Bobby groaned. Bobby, oh Bobby. What are we going to do with you?
"BOBBY!" Uncle Hugh yelled. I shielded my ears.
"HOW COULD YOU?! THAT WAS JEAN'S FAVOURITE VINTAGE PLATE!!"
I peaked out of my room. Uncle Hugh's face was red. His veins were bulging. He looked at me.
"You're late," He hissed angrily.
"I know you're mad with Bobby but don't take it out on Chrissy," she said with a soothing tone. She placed her hand on his arm as she spoke. I came out fully.
"Don't worry. I understand his anger. I live with Bobby. I experience this shouting match everyday thanks to Bobby's clumsiness," I reassured her.
"Oh! Who is this young chap?" Aunty Jean asked. I froze. Is he behind me? I thought, Duh, that's why she's asking!
"This is Danny. Danny, meet Jean, Bobby and Hugh. Jean, Bobby and Hugh, meet Danny," I said whilst hugging Danny closely. He kissed the top of my head.
"How did you two meet?" Aunty Jean asked.
"On the dunes, six months ago."
"How old is he?"
"Twenty and half a month. Don't worry, miss, I'll take good care of her."
"If you say so."
Danny smiled and walked back into my bedroom.
"No misbehaving, please!"
Danny and I burst out giggling. Aunty Jean peered round the corner. This set us of and soon came the hysterics. She jokingly raised her eyebrow. Danny and I rolled on the bed laughing.
"Like I said, no misbehaving."

It was night. I lay still when suddenly Danny grubbed my wrist and twisted it violently. His face was scared and burnt again.
"Die," he moaned.
"Stop! Stop!" I yelped. The pain of his grip hurt, the twist made it excruciating.
"How come I let you live? Why aren't you dead? Why didn't I kill you?"
I pleaded with my eyes. My vision was misted.
"You're gang, where are they?"
"I don't have one."
"Don't lie!"
"But I don't have a gang!"
"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!"
"Please, don't hurt me! I don't wish to harm you!" I blurted out quickly.
"BUT YOU DID! DON'T LIE TO ME! I CAN DO THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T, NOW!" he shouted.
"STOP, STOP, STOP!" I yelled in a tone half angry, half sad and tearful. He was taken back.
"I MET YOU ON THE DUNES TWO DAYS AGO! HOW CAN I HAVE KILLED YOU?! HOW CAN I KILL YOU IF I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU?!" I screamed. (Please Note: My Aunty & Uncle & Bobby had gone to Padstow ( We're in Perranporth, Cornwall (NOT PART OF THE STORY: it's a great place. You should go there (Perranporth intended. And Rick Steins food is great. Yep, been there, done that, got the t-shirt) (PART OF THE STORY: It's 12:34)) I started to sob.
"You love me?" he asked.
"Yes," I cried. He hugged me.
"I'm sorry. I just don't know what's happening to me."
"I know two things."
"Oh, yes?"
"You're dead."
"The other thing?"
"I want you."

I yawned and rolled over and BAM! I hit something. Something slightly hard but slightly plushy.
"Uhm," someone grumbled. I opened my eyes but my black hair was all I could see. I ran my hand up and down the surface. It was warm. It was soft. Something touched me and something ran the length of my torso. I liked it. I dusted my hair away from my face. I saw his face. His perfect face. I reached up and kissed him. We sat up at the same time and my hands were soon all over his face and neck. His doing the same.
"I love you," he said.
"But guess what you tried to do last night." I broke away from him but he wouldn't let me go. I settled for sitting in front of him with his arms around me and my hands on the back of his neck.
"Did I try to kill you? Again?"
"You flipping well tried but I told you to stop and I told you that I loved you and you stopped. But you shouted loads."
"I'm sorry," he apologised.
"Apology accepted," I giggled as he kissed my cheeks over and over again. And then I remembered my age. And his. I pushed him away gently.
"What?" he asked.
"Are you really twenty?"
"Yes. I died a week after my birthday."
"What a horrible belated b-day present," I sighed.
"I'm fine with it. It got me you."
He kisses me until I thought that what I was doing was wrong. Which wasn't very long. About six seconds.
"Look, I love you and all that but this is just plain dirty. It's wrong. An ADULT kissing with a TEEN. No, it's just wrong. I-I-I can't," I told him.
"Is that the whole story? Is that what's bothering you?"
"I don't mind giving you a peck on the lips. I don't mind you giving me a peck on the lips either but other than that..."
"Okay," he said, he was clearly disappointed. Seeing that he was sad, I kissed him but only once. I just wanted- no, NEEDED- him to be happy. I kissed him.
"Happy?" I asked. I stood on my knees so that I was taller than him.
"Very. Kiss me once more," he smiled. I pushed him down. I pulled the quilt on top of us so that we were covered.

I checked my clock. 10:23. Phew, I'm not TOO late, I thought. I nestled back to my comfy spot which was on Danny's chest. His bare skin was being touched by my hands. I had my top on. He didn't. He only had his trousers on. And of course he had his boxers on. I pulled away the quilt and stretched but was quickly pulled down again.
"Wait," I said as I stroked his hair. I grabbed my phone. I checked my texts.
'Cris, r u ther?'
It was from Cayley. Sent an hour ago.
'Y'
I waited.
'Wanna hang? Wit moi n Ben?'
'Y. Where?'
'The beach'
'Gr8. Picnic?'
'Y'
'B thr'

I quickly got dressed and dashed out the door with a picnic basket in one hand and Danny's hand in the other. We ran down to the beach. Luckily it was 25 degrees out and I'd remembered to pack my bikini. My candy pink, bust-lifting, super hot one. When we reached the beach, Cayley and Ben (her boyfriend) had all ready set up a small tent but it was big enough for two queen-sized beds. I dashed in and dumped the picnic basket outside and took of all my clothes. I heard a zip. I looked towards the tent opening. Danny was there. He lent over me but I pushed him away. He sighed. I finished putting my bikini. I ran out of the tent and dashed into the sea. Cayley and Ben followed suit. Danny ran in, too, and embraced me tightly. He never let me go.
"I lost my mother in the rip currents. I'm not about to lose you," he would say.
"How old are you, Danny?" Cayley asked.
"Twenty."
"Bit old don't you think, Cris?"
"I love him and that's all that matters," I said.
"Cute!" Cayley said. I kissed Danny to prove it. It lasted longer than I intended. We kissed like Bella and Edward at their wedding. I liked it. But I stopped. What was that dragging feeling?
"Ar-"
Ben was sucked in.
"Ben! Ben? BEN?! BEN, COME BACK TO ME!" She wailed as her arms searched the water.
"Ben! I love you! Come back!" I peered into the water. So did Danny.
"He's gone," he said solemnly.
"No. No! NO! YOU LIAR! HE'S NOT FU-"
"He is dead," he insisted. She shook her head and waded back to the beach.
"They took him in. I need to get you out of here. It's not safe here anymore. I need to keep you safe," he said.
"Who's they?" I asked as I pulled him closer.
"Not now," he said as he scooped me up and ran towards the beach.

I sat I the tent with Cayley and Danny. I sipped a warm Heinz© Tomato Soup. Danny had his arms around me. I was perched on his lap.
"I lost him, I lost him. Benny, Benny. He's gone, he's gone. Forever, forever," she sobbed. I wrapped my arms around her.
"Apparently, he wasn't the one, Cay," I whispered gently.
"I think I know just the one for you," Danny said. I smiled.
"You always find a way."

We walked home, hand in hand. We whispered 'I love you''s and 'what a wonderful day''s. We reached my door.
"I've actually got a 'home'," he told me.
"Where?" I asked. He only pointed up. I instantly knew what he meant. I felt rain on my head. It started raining heavily within a few minutes. We kissed a little before I was called in. I hugged him and ran in. What a lovely day.

I yawned and stretched. My door swung oped and then closed. My covers lifted themselves of me and dumped themselves on the floor. Suddenly, I was being pulled in different directions. Then three figures appeared. Three girls. A Blondie, a red-head and black haired girl. They all wore pleated, grey mini-skirts and lily-white blouses. They also had necklaces with hearts on. Blondie had a ocean green one, red-head had a green one, too, and the black haired girl had a sky blue one. Their heart colours matched their eye colours.
"Hello," the blonde growled.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm Olive," the blonde replied.
"I'm Victoria," the red-head replied.
"And I'm Heather," the black haired girl finished.
"And we're in love with Danny," they growled.

I screamed and ran out if the caravan. I carried down towards the beach and then instantly regretted it. People said that it took ten minutes to go down and an hour to get up. In other words it was very, very, very steep. People stared at me, the crazed girl in neon-orange zebra-print bra's and neon-orange jogging bottoms. The ones that are thin and compliment your shape. I ran faster and faster before collapsing in a heap on the sand. I lay there, gasping for breath. My throat was warm an so were my lungs. I saw Danny not to far from me. Then, for some reason, my stomach felt weird. Like 'blargh' sort of weird. I coughed into my hand and felt a warm, wet substance. I pulled my hand back and saw blood.

I stood up and ran as fast as I could to the edge of the sea so that I could wash my hands. I got to the waters edge when I suddenly doubled over and coughed more blood up. Heather and Victoria reached up from the water and grabbed my arms.
"We knew you'd do that," they said.They pulled me tugged, trying to pull me in. Olive appeared behind me and tried pushing me as well.
"Danny!" I yelled,"Danny!"
He rushed to me. He tried to pull them away. I relaxed, knowing that he was there to save me. He grabbed the two girls and shoved them aside. I relaxed more. But that was a wrong move. Olive was behind me and she pushed me in. I stumbled and ran to keep me up right. I tripped when my foot fell into a hole. The water was up to my waist when I was walking so I was completely under now. I tried to get up but a breaker (it's when there's a wave and it rears up and then crashes down) forced me down. I saw the 'drop off' and two girls appeared. Heather grabbed my wrists whereas Victoria grabbed my ankles. The dragged me down. I struggled and struggled and then Danny came. I was running out of breath fast. He swam towards me and broke their hands away from me. As soon as he had a good hold on me, he pulled me towards the surface.

I then remember lying in bed at the caravan. I opened my eyes.
"Hi," Danny said.
"Hi," I replied as I sat up. I stood up and walked over to him before seating myself in his lap.
"Those girls won't be bothering you anymore," he told me. I smiled. I wanted to have a relatively normal holiday. Let's just forget that my boyfriend is a ghost.
"We need to discuss things between us, iron out the creases as it were. How will we deal with these spooky goings ons?" I asked him. He nodded.
"We'll go to the beach, shall we?" he said in a joking way.
I, however, was not joking at all when I said," We shall."
11

Danny set a small fire and we huddled up next to each other.
"Is there a way to 'kill' them?" I asked.
"Yes. If they have something personal that they were wearing when they died. We could then burn it," he replied.
"Say they had a lover-" he stared at me"-that gave them something and they wore it? All the time?"
"Like what?"
"A necklace."
"Yes. Yes! YES! You are a GENIUS!"
He hugged me and we laughed like we never had before.

I sat on the beach in the early morning. No one was there. They'd come for me. 14 minutes later they did.
"What are you doing here little girl?" they chorused. I walked towards them. I stopped, inches away from them. I drew in breath and then....
I snatched their necklaces and dashed off. They ran after me. I loved the feel of the danger. I jumped into the caravan and dashed over to the fire place.
"NO!" Olive screeched. I stuffed the necklaces into the fire. I watched Olive, Victoria and Heather. They started to writhe around in pain. All of a sudden, their eyes turned into fiery balls and their toes and fingers started to burn until their was nothing left of them.

It was late. I wasn't scared at all this time of the night ahead. Danny and I had something planned.
"Chrissie?" Danny asked. I got excited.
"Yes?" I asked, unable to hide my excitement. He pounced onto me. We kissed passionately.
"I love you," he gasped.
"I love you, too," I gasped back. I unbuttoned his shirt and traced his hard six pack. He put a forest green heart necklace around my neck. He kissed my neck and shoulders. He pulled back and got down one knee.
"There is nothing I won't do for you, Christina, because I love you. You are my life. That's why I ask you now, will you marry me?"