The Boarding School

Chapter 12: Nightmares

I looked around again for another escape route and sighed in relief when I saw there was a fireplace. I looked up the chimney and frowned instantly. It was a fake fireplace. I got on my hands and knees and moved the wood around until I saw the ground. Nothing. Then I looked up and laughed at my stupidity. There was a door right in front of me. I opened it and saw a staircase that led down. It was a bit frightening. I walked down the creaky steps that led to another door. It opened up to my room. I didn't know my room had another door in it because it was in the back of my closet behind my clothes. This could come in handy sooner or later.

My alarm clock said it was 3:07 a.m. It would've been around noon in Ohio. Maybe I should call and ask about Sara. My mom didn't work on weekends so she should be home. I grabbed my phone off of the nightstand and dialed my home phone. While it was ringing I sat down on my bed and prayed she answered. My mom knew more about my dad's side of the family than he did. She was really big into genealogy so at their wedding she didn't have to be introduced to anyone. She might have read my dad's mind when was walking over to their table. I'll have to ask.

She answered on the second beep like she usually did. If you answer on the first ring you're waiting for someone to call like a needy puppy. If you answer on the second beep your not as needy or as attention-hungry.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, Mom, it's Lena," I said. I was now pacing back in forth because I usually walk all over the house when I'm on the phone, but I can't do that now because the old creepy guy from the office would yell at me.

"Lena! How are you? Wait, what time is it there?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"I'm a but shaken up to tell you the truth," I said honestly.

"Why, honey?" I knew what she was doing right now just by the tone of her voice. She was pacing around the house like I do and she was cleaning everything in sight because that calms her down whenever something bad happens.

"Well," I started, "I had a creepy dream involving my doppelganger pushing me off of a cliff because I couldn't guess her name soon enough. When I woke up, I was in a strange room that connects to my room. I tried to get out, but I couldn't find the door. On my search I found old class pictures. One of the girls name was Sara Rollen. Sound familiar? She was in my dream. She looks like she could be my twin. Oh, and, my room is the one she had."

The line was silent. I was afraid something happened.

"Mom?" I asked, "Are you there?"

"Yes, sweetie, I'm here. I just need to process it all. What time is it there? Shouldn't you be in bed?" she asked.

"Mom, I can't sleep when my relative from the 80's is trying to push me off of a cliff because I didn't want to play the guessing game," I sighed.

"Honey, Sara was your father's sister. She had troubles in school so your grandparents sent her to Hilton. She went missing her senior year and was found dead," Mom told me.

"What do you mean she was troubled?" I was confused. I didn't know if she meant behavior troubles or supernatural troubles.

"She was different. She could see things that weren't there. She could speak to them, too. They thought she was nuts and didn't want their side of the family finding out about her so they sent her there. She was brilliant in school, but she saw the other side."

"She could see ghosts?" I was amazed at what my family was capable of.

"Yes." she answered

"She looks exactly like me. It's like we're the same person. Also, what did Grandma and Grandpa do when she died?" I asked. I wasn't tired at all anymore. I needed to know what happened.

"I don't know why you guys look alike. Sometimes people look like their family members more than others," I think she was opening a bag of chips when she said this.

"Not like that. We look like the same person, I'm not kidding you. I'll send a picture of her to your phone right now," I went back into my closet and pushed my shirts to the side and looked at the door. I didn't want to go up again at this hour, but I needed to show my mom.

I ran up the old, creaky steps that felt like they would collapse any minute and opened the door at the top of the staircase. After I crawled through the fireplace, I walked over to the shelf with Sara's senior picture. I took the picture of it and sent it to my mom's cellphone.

"Lena?" I heard a voice call from my room. I turned pale again. Who was in my room?

"Mom, I sent it, but I'll call you back later," I ended the call and practically bolted through the fireplace and down the steps. From behind my shirts I could see Bonnie, Charlotte, and Elly standing by the door.

"Hey, guys," I smiled.

I sat down on my bed and acted like nothing happened.