Reverse This Curse

Chapter Two

Erin’s heart thundered so fast, she literally thought it was about to burst from exertion. Her lungs seized and burned and the edges of her vision greyed.

And she stood staring wide eyed at the boy who had died in a car accident a month ago.

Her jaw worked though her vocal chords appeared to have gone on strike.

“Are you going to eat that?” he asked, pointing to the muffin in her hands.

His voice seemed to speed time back up again and she could suddenly hear the blood pounding in her ears.

Erin lost her grip on the muffin and it dropped to the floor as she stumbled backwards, grabbing onto the edge of the kitchen table for support.

He frowned, looking at the cake on the floor. “Such a waste. It was chocolate chip, too. My favourite.”

He stopped then, eyes slowly widening as he looked back up at her, realisation dawning on him.

“You…you’re dead,” she whispered, frozen in fear, too terrified to even blink.

“You can see me?” he asked, seeming to ignore Erin’s obvious statement.

Shaking, she ran for it, running from the kitchen to the living room where Caleb was watching TV. She slammed the door shut and backed away from it, not taking her eyes from the door.

“What are you doing?” Caleb asked, making her jump and scream in fright.

“There’s a ghost.”

Erin turned slightly, panting heavily, keeping both the door and Caleb in her line of vision. Her brother simply stared with his grey eyes as though his sister had grown another head.

“There’s a ghost in the kitchen,” she whispered and he sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Not you! I swear, I thought you were going to be normal!” he exclaimed, referring to the fact that their family and their mother were victims in a family curse. Put simply, they were psychics.

And now apparently, so was Erin.

She looked at the door, cautiously, screaming again when Jake appeared through the door.

“I’m dead. Like a door can stop me,” he drawled.

Erin stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, hands held up in front of him as he slowly approached the terrified girl. “I just want to talk to you. You’re the only person who can see me.”

“Caleb,” she whimpered.

“Just talk to it,” he instructed, never moving from the sofa, though he was still half turned towards her.

Jake peered around Erin at Caleb. “That’s your brother? At lease he’s not 9 and annoying.”

Erin ran then, unsure what else to do. Instead, she ran upstairs, slamming the bedroom door behind her.

Instead of being safe in her bedroom, Jake appeared through the door, looking around inquisitively.

“Love the photos on the wall downstairs by the way,” he offered casually, still not looking at her. “You were such a cute kid! Look at you!”

He looked at her then, studying her with his piercing green eyes. She studied him in return, certain now that she wasn’t dreaming.

“What are you doing here?” Erin asked, voice a little stronger now that she no longer felt like she was about to collapse.