Ghostly

Chapter Seventeen

What is UP y'all?! In case you missed my announcement, I'll copy and paste it here:

Surprise! I'm alive! It's been 9 years since I started this account and holy MOLY y'all I was 12 and now I'm 21. How the time has flown. I lowkey kinda regret not being more active on here, since so many of you have been dedicated to reading what I have written and have sent countless lovely messages to me (you guys are really the sweetest). So, here's a little life update: I'm about to graduate college with a degree in design, I interned at NASA this past summer, and I've been working really hard at my art business (peep my instagram stephanie.artdesign). I'm so thankful for all the support you guys have given me even though I'm THE WORST and have all but disappeared. To ring in the New Year, I've decided to FINALLY update Ghostly. Hopefully I'll remember where my storyline is going (full honesty moment here: I make my stories up as I go along, so part of the reason why I left Wattpad was because I didn't know where to take my stories lol) and won't create any plot holes, but I also hope that my writing has improved SOMEWHAT over nine years lol. Anyways, if you wanna reach out, Instagram is the best place to find me now! Stay tuned for a new chapter of Ghostly!

Anyways, I had to re-read like the past few chapters to remind myself of what tf was happening in here y'all I gotta say, that was rough. I would like to retroactively apologize for all the wild writing and awful grammar/spelling/what have yous. Big oof.

But now, on to the next chapter!

{Chapter Seventeen}

The darkness was palpable. I stood in the midst of an eternal shadow, unable to see where I was and if it ever ended. It was so cold. Where am I? How did I get here?

Who am I?

Now, that's a good question. I racked my brain for answers, and came up empty. I had no recollection of anything: who I was, where I came from, nothing. My mind was a black as my surroundings. I looked down and realized I couldn't even see what I looked like. Was it too dark for me to see myself, or did I just not... have a form?

"Whack," I muttered to myself. My voice sounded funny to me; I didn't recognize it. I then realized the absurdity of me not recognizing my own voice.

Well, might as well see if I can go anywhere, if there is anywhere to go to. I took a few steps forward. Something felt off, but I couldn't quite tell what it was. Desperation seeped inside of me, its chilly fingers crawling through my mind. I was panicking.

"Hello?" I called out, hoping for some kind of answer.

Nothing. The darkness immediately swallowed my voice in its abyss. I broke into a run. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I needed to get out of here, wherever "here" was.

I ran for what seemed like hours. The funny thing is, I don't think I ever felt tired. The darkness did not change. My anxiety rose, until a terrifying thought occured to me: what if I wasn't actually going forward? I was running, but nothing around me has changed. Was I in the same place as before? I wanted to crumple, almost about to give up hope when I saw the faintest glimmer in the distance. A small, faint light.

My heart soared. Finally, something! I raced towards it, not caring what I found when I arrived. At least it was a break from the darkness. As I drew closer, the scene before me became clearer. A small campfire, crackling and seemingly floating on whatever surface we were on. I noticed a dark figure sitting beside the dancing flames.

"Excuse me," I called out, "Please, help me."

The figure looked startled for a moment, and turned to face me. It was an old, hooded woman. Short, and hunched over. Her face, partially obscured, had several deep wrinkles, and a large wart sat on the corner of her nose. She didn't look unkind, just perhaps a bit eccentric.