H A U N T E D

e i g h t

e i g h t

My second day back at my new high school is not predicted to be much better than my first. There are sure to be questions surrounding my sudden absence yesterday, questions I'm not sure that I want to answer.

The lawyer arrived yesterday morning and only left at supper time. My grandpa hasn't seemed to forgiven me yet, although I'm not sure what I did wrong. He is back to his normal, curt self and I can't help but miss the few hours of warmness he expressed to me two days ago.

Now, we're parked in front of my new high school, the heater blasting hot air out, relaxing our stiff limbs from the cold. I can't help but notice my grandpa's swollen knuckles and wonder if it's a sign of early arthritis.

"Aren't you going to get out?", Flynn asks gruffly, his voice scratchy from not speaking for a few hours. I play with my thumb's hang-nail, staring up at my grandfather. I don't like conflict and hate tension, but if I want the tension to dissolve, I have to face the conflict.

"Your mood swings are difficult to keep track of, grandpa", I admit and feel the hang-nail tear into my flesh. I flinch and pull away at the need to continue tugging at it.

"I have not mood swings, Ophelia. If you don't like my personality, then you better get going."

I look up at my grandpa, feeling tears well up in my eyes. He keeps staring ahead, his hands clenched around the steering wheel.

"I want to, trust me, I want to", I start with my voice threatening to crack. My grandpa keeps on avoiding my gaze.

"But I have no one left. And neither do you and whether you like it or not, I'll be the only one attending your funeral", I spit at him with welled-up emotion and throw the door open, slamming it shut behind me. I make sure not to look over my shoulder when he revs the car and speeds away. Instead, I busy myself with my green knitted sweater, making sure it's tucked in nicely in my white flowery skirt. The weather is still cold, but my feet are warm, so I am unphased by the approaching winter. I am sure in a few weeks, I'll have to dress warmer, but for now I can still walk around in my much-beloved dresses.

My mind goes back to the long conversation the lawyer and I had yesterday. We were sitting around the table, with long forgotten cups of cold green tea waiting to be sipped. He was explaining my inheritance, which I couldn't care less for. I was planning on using it for college, but after hearing how little there truly was, my mood has dropped and stayed on the lowest level of hope.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lee, but the inheritance isn't much to begin with", the man apologized as he handed me the documents over. I glanced over the sum and realized with a painful shock that my future has just gone disarray.

I've always wanted to go to college. To study what, I'm not entirely sure. But I want an education, so that I know I will be able to make ends meet later in life. Now, I'm not even sure where I'll be next fall.

"Yo, Ophelia!"

I pause in my tracks at the sound of my name, turning to see Kofi jogging up next to me. An involuntary smile blooms across my lips as I see his friendly expression. Kofi is one of those people who have such a good aura around him, it makes you forget your own worries.

Kofi throws his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in for a hug. I tense up at the action, because I really don't know him well and have never been comfortable around boys my age. I unconsciously take a step back from the hug, hoping he'll release me sooner rather than later.

"I didn't see you yesterday. I almost thought you were a lucid dream, but if it wasn't for Nicole constantly nagging on about you, I'd believed it", he jokes and releases me from the hug. I have all but forgotten about Nicole and her obvious distaste for me.

"Yay", I mumble sarcastically and feel the tears build up once again. I feel idiotic for being so emotional about some high school girl, but I can't seem to help it. I should just suck it up and ignore her. But it's hard to ignore a foolish mind.

"Just ignore Nicole", Kofi encourages me. We walk to our lockers, with Kofi telling me all about a fight that broke out yesterday and how someone's nose was fractured. While he talks, I mutter a hymn of encouragement to myself, one my mother taught me as a child. I pray to the gods that they be with me today, and promise to lay out an offering tonight in my garden.

"I'll see you in lunch, I wanted to ask you something, but I forgot what", Kofi sighs with annoyance directed at himself. I laugh at his irritation and agree that I'll meet him in the lunch line. I open my locker and grab my first two classes' books and the English essay we're still working on. If I remember correctly, the sub said we'll have to submit it tomorrow.

"I missed you yesterday."

The old familiar chill passes through my body. I freeze when a hand toys with one of the curls that fell out of my messy bun, curling it around its finger.

I slam my locker door shut, turning to walk to my first classroom - English Lit. I will finally meet my teacher.

"Oh, don't be dramatic."

I recognize the voice as the man from the hallway, the one with the suit. How does he know? Do others know?

"I'm not going to hurt you."

I have luckily mesmerized the map, so finding the class is easy. Ignoring the following footsteps behind me, isn't.

"Please go away", I whisper over my shoulder. The man grins at me, at the thought that his suspicions about me were correct.

"You do see us", he muses and sighs with relief.

"I just want to go to class. Please leave me alone, or I'll banish you", I warn him with a shaky voice. The man hisses at the word 'banish', as he knows what that means. No one wants to carry on to the where the banished go, where all hope to cease to exist and colours drain away to a moulding gray.

"Such a pity. It was nice, you know?"

My footsteps grind to a halt and my curiosity gets the best of me. I look over my shoulder, where the man is picking at his nails.

"What was?", I ask cautiously.

"Oh, you know-", he lets his arm fall and takes a few steps closer to me.