"Liam."
"Hey."
"Liam, wake up."
"Liam."
Liam stirs in his sleep. He hears someone calling his name, but the weight of exhaustion keeps him pinned to the mattress.
He rolls onto his side and settles again.
"LIAM!"
The voice explodes right beside his ear.
Liam's eyes snap open.
He turns his head and finds a twelve year old boy inches away from his face.
Too close.
Liam jerks upright and jumps out of bed. He deliberately looks anywhere except at the boy.
The boy grins.
"See? We both know you can see and hear me, Liam."
He tilts his head playfully.
"Stop ignoring me. I don't bite. Isn't that what you used to say to me?"
His smile shifts.
Sharp.
"Before I died."
Liam flinches and squeezes his eyes shut. His breathing turns uneven.
He does not want to see the expression that follows.
The boy's face softens, but Liam misses it.
