Dancing with the Dead ✔

Chapter Eighteen - Just an Average, Everyday Teenage Ghost

I blink a couple of times before my mouth starts to form a wide smile. This is it, the breakthrough I've been waiting for—the last key of the puzzle. Now that I've found her, all I need is for her to tell me the whole story. Piece of cake, right?

"You're Jill St. John, aren't you?" I ask eagerly while trying my best to hide my victory smirk.

She stays in silence. Slowly, her expression grows even more solemn. "This is great!" I exclaim. "I mean, not with you being dead and all, but now you can tell me your side of the sto—"

"So it's true what they say," she mumbles to herself.

They?

The sudden sound of the wind blowing furiously catches my attention. I look around and notice the trees are shaken by the wind while the dusky brownish-orange light from the sun has disappeared into thin air. In a matter of seconds, we are in total darkness. I wince as a shot of fear rushes through my veins.

"Look, I can help you," I say, my voice quavers. I can feel the fear starts to take over my body. My hands begin to tremble as cold sweats break out over my skin.

"Here's the thing," she continues, her voice lowers. The darkness prevents me from seeing anything, but I can hear her voice coming closer. "I don't need your help."

I gulp. Seriously, what the heck is wrong with the ghosts in this town?

Calm down, Alexis. She's just an average, everyday teenage ghost. You've met them before, right?

Yeah, sure. She's just an average, everyday teenage ghost who apparently has a damn vengeance! Look around you, Evil Me!

Slowly, I begin to walk backward, trying to avoid the obviously angry ghost. Suddenly, the lights from lamps beside me begin to flicker. I pace my steps until I finally hit the wall behind me. Having nowhere else to go, I stand still and bite my lips, cursing my prior decision to come to this place.

I brace myself for the worst and shout to the darkness in front of me, "What do you want, then?"

The small light from the flickering lamps allows me to catch a glimpse of the girl's face staring right at me. Her green eyes are now dark—pitch dark—just like John's back in the house on the hill, but there seems to be something different. John's eyes were empty as if his consciousness has left his soul. But hers is full of pain and hatred, yet at the same time, she seems to be in perfect control of herself.

She stops right in front of me. "Leave me and my family alone," she replies, her voice cold and threatening. "Or I swear I'll make your life a living hell."

As if it isn't already hell enough for me.

Suddenly, she lets out a loud deafening shriek. As she runs towards me, a strong wind blows to my direction causing me to drop myself to the ground and close my eyes. In a split second, my heart feels like it stops beating out of fear. I press my lips together, fighting the urge to scream loudly.

I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'M GONNA DIE!

I can feel her spirit passing through me as the air surrounding me becomes dead cold. For a moment I can feel her rage, her thirst for revenge, and her pain. Then, my whole body becomes numb and everything around me feels different.

The cold air slowly becomes damp while there's a strong, unmistakable smell of mold mixed with that fresh, earthy smell of rain. Weird. It's as if I've been transported into another world.

Is this it? Is this how death feels like?

My heart beats even faster as blood rushes through my body. I can feel my whole body starts to tremble out of fear. Suddenly, there's this strange feeling inside me. The next thing I know, tears begin to well up in my eyes.