Seeing New

Chapter One

Seeing ghosts is nonsense. Not real, it can't actually happen. Though that was not the case for Evelyn Sanders. It was late at night when she first heard the footsteps of something familiar, something or someone she knew. She remembered the footsteps, but from where? Evelyn got out of bed and flipped on her lamp, "Hello? Mom? Is that you?" She said, though no response was given, only the footsteps getting louder, closer to her door now. Evelyn took a step back fearing what was gonna happen. Was there a robber in her house? Was she being robbed? Or maybe one of her friends pulling a prank on her? She reached over to her bedside table where her phone was plugged in and looked at the time. One in the morning, none of her friends would be this cruel pulling a prank at one in the morning. So, who was it? The Footsteps got louder now reaching the outside of her door, but Evelyn didn't see anything standing outside her door. That's when she saw a dark figure with a light green outline pass through her door. Evelyn gasped when she saw who it was. Her grandma, the one who died three days ago, whose funeral was earlier today. But how was this even possible? She must be dreaming, having another nightmare or something. "Oh dear Evelyn, what are you doing up so late?" Grandma said, "You look like you've just seen a ghost dear, come here and tell me what's wrong." She said walking over and patted Evelyn's bed. Evelyn hesitated, not knowing why she hasn't woken up yet. Why was her dead grandma sitting on her bed asking why she looked so scared. "Uh Grandma? What are you doing here?" She asked hoping to get a straightforward answer. "Oh sweetie, your lamp was on, I just came to check on you, it's quite late you know. Are you having nightmares again?" Grandma asked. "No no Grandma," Evelyn said, moving closer to her grandma. "I mean here, alive, you're dead, you're  supposed to be dead." Evelyn said, a small hint of fear in her voice. "Dead? No, I can't be dead dear, what are you going off about?"
  "Never mind Grandma, sorry."
"Don't go spreading lies dear," Grandma's tone rising with anger, "It only gets you in trouble, you hear me!? It only gets you in trouble!" Grandma was now reaching toward Evelyn with an undead hand. "LIARS GO TO HELL!" She said, now griping Evelyn's Arm, pulling her closer to her dead Grandma. "HELL!"

Evelyn screamed and shot up right in bed, breathing short. "You alright Evelyn?" Her mom yelled from downstairs.
"Yeah all good just saw a huge spider!" She yelled back. Evelyn rubbed her face trying to forget the nightmare she woke up from. It's been forever since she had a nightmare about first seeing dead people. Especially the very first time. It had been two years now since that first encounter with her grandma. She'd gotten better at hiding her fear, and even making a few friends in the world of the undead, though she still had occasional nightmares like this one.

After a few minutes of sitting in her bed Evelyn got up threw on her robe and headed downstairs to get some breakfast. On her way down she passed by her little brother's room checking to see if he was still sleeping. She smiled when she saw him sitting on the floor playing with some new toys he just got for his birthday. Evelyn continued walking down to the kitchen where her mom was still cooking some bacon to add to the great breakfast feast they had every Monday morning. 
"Morning sunshine," Her mom said. "How was your sleep?"
"It was alright I guess." Evelyn said, sitting down at the counter. "Everything alright hun? Are you having a nightmare again?" Her mom asked turning around to face her. It's amazing how well her mom knew her, even though she wasn't even Evelyn's real mom. None of her current family was, she was adopted when she was just a baby. Though she looked just like her adopted mom. Both have long red hair and green eyes, though Evelyn's face was dotted with freckles, and was a lot shorter than her mom. "Yeah I had the one about grandma again." Evelyn first told her mom about her encounter with her grandma, but she dismissed it for a nightmare that just kept recurring. Her mom was overworked and overtired at the time Evelyn told her mom, she and her adopted dad had just started fostering her now adopted baby brother at the time, and assumed she was having nightmares to subconsciously gain some of their attention back.
"Oh I'm sorry sweetheart, was it just the one last night? Or do we need to call the doctor again and get him to prescribe those pills again?" Her moms tone sounded worried, more than usual when Evelyn mentioned her nightmares.  "No that's okay mom, it was just the one last night, I will let you know if I have more though. Need any more help with breakfast?" Evelyn asked. "No that's okay Ev, could you go get your dad and brother though? It's pretty much ready." Her mom said. Evelyn nodded and got up from her stool. She figured she would check the office first because that's where her dad usually would be, even though it's only seven. "Dad?" she asked, knocking on the open office door.
"Yes cupcake?" Her Dad answered, waving her in. "Oh I was just coming to let you know breakfast is ready, whatcha workin on?" Evelyn asked, motioning to her dads newest animation. "Oh you know just the usual, fun little side projects keeping me sane from my day job." Her dad laughed. "Tell your mother I'll be right out." He said, smiling his goofy toothed smile at her. She and her adopted dad didn't look as alike as her and her adopted mom. Her dad had thin black hair, and a goofed up smile from knocking his teeth out playing rugby when he was younger. "Will do dad, be quick though or I'm stealing your bacon!" Evelyn laughed as she walked out of the office and upstairs to get her brother. "Joshhhhhhhhhh?" She said pushing open the already cracked door. "Hey bud! Breakfast time!" Her younger brother smiled up at her, dropping his toys and putting up his arms asking for a piggy back red from his older sister. Evelyn reached down and put Josh on her back, holding him securely as they marched out of his room and downstairs. She and Josh had a pretty close relationship, Evelyn had been fifteen when her parents decided to foster Josh, and Josh grew very attached to her and her super long hair, longer than her moms at that point.

As Evelyn and Josh got to the table her mom and dad were already plating food up. Evelyn put Josh in his high chair and grabbed a plate of her own. "So are you gonna tell me about your little side project dad? I wanna know more." She asked. "Haha, it's just a ghost story I did a little research on and felt it was cool enough to animate." Her dad replied. "Ahhh I see, so you're a ghost enthusiast now?" "I guess something like that." Her dad chuckled.

Breakfast was quickly wrapped up because Josh dumped milk on himself, so Evelyn quickly ate and went upstairs to get ready for school. She threw on a baggy hoodie and jeans, it was autumn now she had to dress warm. She brushed her hair and teeth, but on a bit of makeup, packed her bag with her papers and computer and went back downstairs to say goodbye to her parents. "Okay bye mom I'm headed out now, have a good day I love you!" She said,hugging her mom goodbye. "See ya later dad, good luck on your ghost story." She said with a smile. Evelyn turned to open the door, but something caught the corner of her eye, something with a pale green tint. Evelyn whipped back around to see her Grandma, her dead Grandma sitting at the kitchen counter.