Ghosts - part 2

Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog :) This is part two of a little story I'm writing. For anyone who is new here, I would recommend you start at part one and work your way through. Happy reading!

People who believe in ghosts coming back to the land after their bodies have died are considered crazy. I've never questioned that; not until this moment.
One of the white shapes surrounding Peter looks at me. Its eyes are a bright, piercing blue and as they meet mine, my head seems to split with pain, as though the ghost is looking into my soul rather than my eyes. I force myself to clamp my mouth shut, but it is too late. Peter has heard my scream.
When he turns to look at me, he goes paler than the ghosts. He yanks open the window and grabs my arm, pulling me inside from the tree branch I was perched on.
"Belle, what are you doing here!" he yells, sounding angry and afraid.
"I had a fight with my mum," I whisper, my voice shaking. "I wanted to see you."
Over his shoulder, the white shapes of the ghosts are fading, but my head is still aching.
Peter is shaking so hard that he has to sit down. His head falls into his hands and he is breathing fast.
I crouch down beside him. "Peter? What's going on?"
He looks up at me, and there are tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Belle. I should have been more careful. It's all my fault..."
"What's all your fault? What just happened?"
But Peter doesn't even seem to hear me. He's mumbling and muttering under his breath like a madman. I can't make out the words, but the frenzied tone is all too clear.
"Peter?" I say hesitantly.
His head snaps up. "Yes," he says. "Yes, that's it. If they can't find you, they can't have you. That's it. If I can find a way to confuse them, separate us, they won't be able to follow you. You'll be safe..."
He doesn't seem to be talking to me, so I remain silent, waiting for him to explain what he is on about.
Finally, he looks up at me. "We can't see each other any more, Belle. They'll follow the link and find you. It's too dangerous. You can't come here again, ever."
It feels as though my heart has dropped out through my feet. Never see Peter again?
"Look, Peter, I don't know what's going on, but I'm scared and confused and I need my best friend right now," I say firmly. "Telling me I can never see you again is utterly ridiculous. You had better start explaining what's going on right now."
He looks torn, agonised in a way I have never seen Peter. He is always so sure of himself. Before I can say anything else, he is leaning forward and kissing me on the mouth. I freeze in shock. How many times have I imagined this? I never guessed the circumstances would be quite like this.
"I'm sorry," he whispers.
Then there is a sudden pain at the back of my head and everything goes black.

I wake up to a throbbing in my head. Groaning, I put my hand to the back of my skull to find a large bump under my hair. I push myself on my elbows and look around, frowning. I am lying on a mat of pine needles, seemingly in the middle of the forest just outside town. How did I get here?
Sitting up, I gasp as the memories come back to me. The ghosts. Peter kissing me. Peter knocking me out - for that must have been the blow to the back of my head. I can see him in my mind's eye, dragging me here, thinking he is protecting me from something, though I have no idea what.
I stagger to my feet. I need to get back to town, to talk to him, to find out what's going on. It takes me a second to get my bearings, but once I do, I realise I am actually very close. I have only been walking for a few minutes when the trees start to thin and I can see the first of the houses.
Whatever Peter is hiding from me, it ends now. I take a deep breath, and head for his house. Whether he wants to or not, he will give me answers.

To be continued