Here today, Gone Tomorrow

Chapter One

"Are you ready?" My mom asks me as she is pinning my hair back. Today was the day for me, for once only me. I force my eyes to look in the mirror trying to avoid my reflection to look my mom in the eye and say
"As always." My mom has pins in her mouth as she says something under her breath causing me to spin around and say what, but instead of that I see the tears in her eyes. She almost never cries, so why is she crying now? "Mom? Are you okay?" A strangled sound escapes her lips and then she sits on the old bed. My room isn't bad but not nice either, with black now covering every inch. I used to be into pink and everything until my dad died on my tenth birthday. I was wearing a pink dress, covered in his blood. I still smell this sent of burnt flesh, and smoke. I still feel the fire licking my arms, and I see the building crumbling all around me... I'm pulled back to life when my mom snaps her fingers in my face and tell me that I have to finish getting ready. She lets herself out of my room and I plop on the bed. I stare at the blank white of my ceiling, memories crash into me like being stuck in quicksand. Cole hugging me at my dads funeral, mom locking herself in her room for weeks, me banging on her door begging her to come out. I rub my hands on my eyes trying to forget everything that has happened. The bed squeaks as I sit up and look over at the mirror, in the reflection I see a girl with long blonde hair with a little curl to it, big bright hazel eyes that have seen more than most 15 year olds. Wait 16 today is my birthday, exactly 6 years ago I got survived the fire that killed my dad and little brother Jack. I take a closer look and see freckles on my cheeks and I also notice how short I am, 5'4" isn't how tall I want to be.
My phone rings and I turn nearly tripping over my nightstand, I grab ahold of my bed frame to steady myself and make my way to my cell phone. By them time I get there it stopped ringing, great I mutter under my breath as I see the caller ID, my aunt that I haven't talked to in months, maybe even a year. I toss the phone on the bed and head over to my closet. There is a smell in the closet that even I can't explain as I grab the dress my mom is making me wear. It's silver with black beads scattered on the top and flows into a black bottom of the dress, big and puffy bet hugs what little boobs I have. It laces in the back so I call my mom back into my room. I hear the door open and close so I say, " The dress is beautiful Mom I love it, will you...." The hair on the back of my neck rise and I feel a cold shiver. I sit on the bed and decide to stand when I hear a crunch of something that wasn't human. I hold my breath and turn around, heart pounding in my chest. I can see a dark figure walk towards the closet, I rub my eyes to make sure I'm not seeing things but then it's gone. I release my breath and sit on the bed again with my knees pulled close to me. My mom comes in a second after and asks me I'm okay. I can't believe it happened again. I have been seeing shadows for six years now and I want them to stop, but I don't even dare to ask my mom or tell her about them, that would just give her another reason to go crazy.