From Within

Part 2

I did not understand what was happening! When I would question students in school they would change the subject or walk away. At the time, I thought they just did not like me but after a month of being stared at like alien with a third eye and antennae, I told my parents about the strange things going on in Charleston.

"Honey, I think you are overacting! Maybe if you introduce yourself and greet them with kindness, they will talk to you!" My mother exclaimed in her sugary coated voice as though she was advertising an infomercial.

"Mom, I tried introducing myself and the kids would just stare at me and walk away! Everyone keeps mentioning 'The Basement Murders!'" I cried.

"Maybe they are discussing that new scary movie coming out soon. It looks like a very suspenseful thriller." My mom said in a monster-like voice, making a ghost face and wiggling her fingers toward me.

I rolled my eyes and decided to ignore her and go to my room. My room was on the third floor, painted in a light lavender color, and filled with posters of my favorite bands and actors. My window seat faced the backyard with the ocean off into the distance. I had spent most weekends painting the deep blue water and wishing for school to get better.

Back home in Montana, school was the most important thing in my life apart from friends and family. I used school as an escape from home. During the past couple of years, my parents were on the verge of a divorce.

Moving to South Carolina was supposed to rekindle their love and act as a clean slate for all of us. With my brother, off of drugs and finally getting his life together, things were looking up.

That night, I thought about the movie that my mother mentioned and wondered if the movie was connected to what my classmates were talking about.

The following weekend, I decided to go see the movie with some friends. At that time, I did not think much of it because I did not believe in the supernatural. There is no such thing as ghosts! There is no way that what happened in the movie could happen in real life. I did not think any of those things were possible until I heard people talking at school the following week.

"Everyone knows this town is haunted! That's just common knowledge! That house your living in is ghost territory!" A girl in one of my classes told me.

"Totally, no one has rented that house in years! Haven't you wondered why the owners don't live there? The town council has declared Cedar Drive a danger zone! However, Mr. Molinski claims that the house is perfectly capable of functioning." Another girl chimed in as the bell rang for the next period.

Wow! I never thought my house would be haunted. I always wondered why the Molinski's never lived there but never questioned them.