The Ghost of Obsidian Bay

chapter two} autumn

"Autumn!" The muffled voice of my older sister, Summer, was knocking on Room 296's door, also known as mine. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." I say, not really caring either way.

My sister's real name isn't Summer, it's Sophia, but after I was born she decided to call herself 'Summer' to match my name. I wonder if my parents let her do it because 'Summer' was everyone's favorite season. No school, just fun. Maybe they named me Autumn because Autumn always comes after Summer, no matter what. In autumn, the leaves fall and shrivel up, just like my insides felt whenever I was near her.

"What?" I said. While I was all dressed up for the cruise, she was just wearing her white Vans and a plain yellow dress. Her perfectly straight blonde hair was in a braid, and her blue eyes were much brighter than my hazel ones.

" I just wanted to know how you are doing." she says, acting like this was my very first vacation with her. Her eyes traveled across my room, but then stopped when she saw the books I had brung. "Huh, I've never met a single fourteen year old before who wants to use this trip to study." she said, puzzled by my advanced math textbooks, history textbooks, and science textbooks.

Even though she was just three years older than me, she could be really annoying.

"I got you a souvenir from the gift shop." She said handing me a small pink box. I cautiously opened the lid, thinking of all of the horrors that could be inside.

But inside was a small, silver necklace with a charm that looked like a constellation. "Thanks." I said.

"Aren't you gonna try it on?" she asked.

"I'll do it...later." I said, trying to sound sincere for her benefit.

"Okay. Bye!" She waved, running out of my bedroom into hers. I grabbed my magenta suitcase and rummaged around until I found jean shorts and a casual pink blouse to change into. I slipped them on, and began the slow process of unpacking.

Finally, after all my clothes were organized into drawers, and my nearly-dead tablet was charging in it's port, it was almost time for dinner.

I was just about to run out to join my parents when I stopped to look in the mirror. I calmly smoothed out my wavy brown hair and blouse, and, going against my thoughts, grabbed the necklace Summer had given me.

I met my parents on the deck cruise ship, for we would be dining at the Oceanus Seaside Restaurant. We walked as a family- well, more of my parents talking to Summer and me walking beside them- to the restaurant, but at one point, I stopped to look over the deck's railing.

Wow.

We were up so high, the cargo transport ship close to us looked like a plastic toy boat.

We arrived at the restaurant after taking in the view, ordering drinks as soon as we sat down. Me and Summer both ordered root beer, and we decused to compare it to the classic Nashville root beer we usually get back in Nashville. I took the first sip when it arrived and tried to recall how our Nashville root beer usually tasted.

"It's not better than what we get back in Nashville, but it's still pretty good." I say.

Mom and Dad laugh, finding it funny that I have compared every single root beer from each place we've traveled.

Summer opened her mouth to add on, but then looks perplexed. "I'm bleeding." She holds up her thumb. The knuckle has a giant split with blood slowly oozing out of it.

At the sight of her thumb, I almost gag. Ok. I know it is stupid that I nearly faint every time I see blood, but her cut was pretty bad.

"What happened?" my dad asks, concerned.

"I don't know. Maybe I got a splinter from the railing of the ship?" Summer suggested.

Mom nods. "I'll get you a bandage." She walked over to the bar and retrieved a blue bandage for Summer and a wet paper towel to clean the blood.

Summer cleaned her cut and put on the bandage, and then resumed drinking her root beer.

My dad fills the silence by commenting on our surroundings. "What a beautiful night."

"Yeah." I said, agreeing. From our table had a view of the sparkling ocean glistening in the sunset.

But I know that everything beautiful never lasts too long.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

The wind howls against the jagged rocks, as if it is trying to rip each one to shreds.

The blood of innocence stains those rocks, carrying the last trace of an infamous murder.

You said you nearly faint every time you see blood, Autumn?

Your heart surely will stop when you see the same blood slowly poisoning your own body.