The Speaker

     A loud crash woke me. My mp3 player had fallen from my bed and landed on my hardwood floor. The fall had pulled the headphones from my ears. I growled, rolled over and to tried to sleep.

     I suddenly shivered, aware that my blankets were at the foot of my bed. I pulled them up to me, and tried to get warm. Although I was bundled up, I was still shuddering.

     Why was it so cold?

   The weatherman said to expect the hottest summer South Dakota had ever seen. Even at night, there was no way the temperature was below 70 degrees.

     I slowly rolled over to my ride side and was immediately unable to move. I was not alone.

     Near my bedroom door was the boy from the news. He was not standing, or floating in the air as I half expected my first encounter with a spirit to appear. He simply glided swiftly, to the left and right staring at my wide eyes.

“Don’t scream,” he whispered.

     He looked the same as his picture on the news. His shaggy hair fell just below his ears. He was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. The color of his clothes, hair, and body was all the same- ash blue. The only change in color was his eyes, a pale cinammon brown.