The Ghost In My Room

Chapter 1: Unwanted Guest

The walls themselves were plain, the colour blue painted upon them; so faded, the colour could easily be mistaken for white in the darkness. The last couple of stairs creaked slightly under my weight before I stood in another narrow hallway. Having already explored the four rooms: two which held large four poster beds, one clearly the bathroom and the smallest room which held nothing but layers of dust that had accumulated over the years. Mum had announced she would turn it into her small office. She had always wanted one.

At each end of the hallway was a medium sized window overlooking two vastly different scenes; one with lush green rolling hills with small houses cluttered together snugly whilst the other one was one of dense wood, going as far as the eye could see. Only now they were choked by oozing fog.

I decided to choose the bedroom next to the window facing the woods only because it was smaller and had its own small fireplace on the wall facing the bed. My eyes roamed across the room as I took a step in; not before turning the light on: a pathetic bare bulb, attached to the ceiling only by a a thin wire. I prayed it wouldn't blow and flood the room into darkness.

I was grateful mum had already made the bed up with fresh, crisp sheets. The walls were crawling with cracks that spidered from various places on the greyed surface. Everything felt so aged and tired. The only other source of light was from the large window with a wide ledge jutting out; the milky rays of the half moon glimmering through my window. Although the window was shut tight and seemed to have been so for many years, there was still a heavy chill settled in the room. I wrapped my arms around me, trying to keep in the shivers.

''It would do good as a sitting place.'' I spoke to myself out loud, looking at the ledge.

''Too bad. It's taken.''

My initial thought was that the voice coming behind me was my mums but as my thoughts caught up with my previous shock, I realized with growing dread that it was far too deep and masculine to belong to her.

I quickly whipped around only to find myself facing a man, leaning against my door frame, arms crossed over his broad chest. On closer inspection, the man turned out to be a teen aged boy looking no more than a few years older than me with an extremely handsome face. Although I didn't focus on his cold, forest green eyes nor his stark white tousled hair that sat artistically on top of his head, nor even the downward tilt of his lip which expressed distaste, but only found my eyes glued to the door frame I could see through him.

Indeed, I soon found out that I wasn't facing just any guy but one that was transparent with an eerie blue glow surrounding him.

A ghost.

''Are you going to cease gaping at me any time soon?'' He asked, his voice rich and smooth with a slight hint of aristocratic accent behind his words.

A very rude ghost.

I only realized then that indeed my mouth was gaping open and a deep red flush coloured my cheeks as I quickly shut it.

My first reaction could have either been passing out right there and then or bolting out the room screaming bloody murder- and by one raised expectant eyebrow, I could tell the ghost had been expecting the same thing.

I would have done if I hadn't met ghosts in the past. Just small glimpses like fleeting birds. Although this was the first time a ghost had so boldly spoken to me, a clear indication he could see me like I could see him. The thought brought chills crawling up my spine and I had to fight down another shiver.

''W-who are you?" I demanded, taking a step black, my eyebrows narrowed.

"I believe that should be my question, little girl.'' He snorted, standing up straighter and taking a step towards me. He seemed amused as he watched me move along further into the room.