Free Ghost Time by Courtney Eldridge

middle of the night, when he can’t sleep, and I’ve never asked where, because it’s private, you know? That’s probably how he found this place.
    Here, he said, leading me around this old brick wall, reaching these steps, leading down into a cave or something. There’s a tunnel here, he said. Did you know that? he asked, and I shook my head no. Don’t be scared, he said, squeezing my hand, and I said, I am—I am scared, not wanting to go down there. I’m right here, Cam said, and then he reached into his coat and pulled out a big flashlight. I’m here, he said, and you stay right behind me, okay? I nodded yes, but I couldn’t even speak, I was so afraid. Imean, who knew what was down there—there could be people, stray dogs, anything.
    It’s blocked off about a hundred feet in, he said, pointing the flashlight down the tunnel so I could see it wasn’t very deep, the space. They built all these tunnels back when the town was a military base, then closed them up when they built the new rail line. But if you could get through the wall, I bet it would lead all the way to the river. Every time I come down here, I imagine what would happen if you could walk to the other side, only to find yourself in some other dimension, a parallel universe. Or what if it took you back in time, this tunnel right beneath some small town, he said, and I shivered. You okay? he said, and I nodded yes, but I was trying to breathe, while my eyes adjusted.
    I wanted you to see it, because I was thinking maybe you’d think up a story, he said, and I said, A story about an old tunnel? And he said, Yeah, maybe a story about a group who go underground, tunnel rats who discover other dimensions. Like The Twilight Zone , but with teenage kids. Think about it, that’s all I’m saying, he said. Could be good, you know? It could, I said, but tell me, what was the first thing that came to mind when you imagined reaching the other side of the wall, the other dimension? Cam shook his head no, he didn’t think of anything, but right away, I did—I saw it—I knew.
    Cam knew I saw it, too, because he goes, That’s why I brought you down here, Thee. What do you see on the other side of the wall? And I told him. First thing I thought of was a street, some main street in a small town that’s covered with this film, like snow, but maybe four inches thick, right? But you don’t knowwhat it is, and it sort of looks like confetti, like there’s been some victory celebration, Super Bowl, who knows what. When you first see the street, it’s a perfectly tidy, pretty main street, except then you see this strange trash, all over, and then you see that the street is littered with the corpses of every balloon every kid in the world has ever let go of by accident. You know how kids always wonder what happens to balloons, where they go? Well, that’s where. Not just balloons, either. Every soccer ball, baseball that’s ever gone over a fence and been lost. Or through it, I said, smiling at him.
    Is there more? he said, and I said, Don’t know. I’d have to draw it first, and he goes, Then draw it, Thee, and even in the dark, I could see he was smiling, so pleased. All right, I will, I said, because I liked that idea of a town just past this brick wall, a town identical to ours, but with a main street littered by tons of balloons and balls, and what would that town be, you know? Like what was the story of that town that had to be the graveyard for all those things that kids miss so much? I better get you home, Cam said, holding up his hand for me, again. See? Told you, nothing to be afraid of, he said, and I took his hand, smiling at how scared I’d been, but not completely convinced.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2011
    (FOUR DAYS LATER)
    3:10 PM
    God , I wish I’d had my camera with me. Seriously, when we walked into her room, I swear Melody Knox was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. Like the kind of pretty that makes you catch your breath—that’s how I felt,