Secrets

Haunted Treehouse?

A cold shiver ran down my spine and I wasn't sure if it was the cool breeze blowing through the window or fearing the possibility that a spectral squatter might be taking up residence in my treehouse. 

Another shiver shot through my body as my overactive imagination ran away from me with the image of some bloody spirit from one of the horror movies my sister Briana makes me watch wanting to kill us or worse, possess one of us and make them kill us. I began to feel anxious. Perhaps I'm not as brave as I thought I was when this idea was first presented to me.

I lifted my gaze from the candle to see if anyone else was as apprehensive about this as l am, but instead, I was met with a room full of bored faces.

Before anyone could notice my uneasiness, I reminded myself that ghosts do not haunt treehouses, especially ones built by a regular suburban dad living in a small town in the middle of Missouri. Millar's Grove is too boring for the living, let alone some spirit to be floating around doing whatever it is they do. If I was a ghost, I would pick somewhere fun to haunt, like a theme park in a warm city, scaring the tourists.

To be honest, I'm not really sure if I believe in all that kind of stuff anyway. However, my best friend Skylar Morgan believed. For some reason, she went from this shy sweet girl who loves life, to suddenly being obsessed with the dead in a matter of a few weeks.

She started watching YouTube videos to learn how to talk to the dead. Since her mom refused to allow her to do a séance in her house, for fear of conjuring up something, she asked if she could practice in my treehouse.

I suppose since I'm sitting here, I was more than just a little bit curious if she could do it. Shit, we were all curious enough to be sitting in a treehouse waiting to begin.

"Quit biting your nails," Briana's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She yanked my hand away from my mouth. God she could be so bossy.

"Ugh, I'm not even biting them. Just chewing on them." I huffed back while staring down at my fingernails. I didn't even realize I was doing it.

"Same thing." She retorted.

I rolled my eyes at Briana. Despite being twins, the two of us couldn't be more different. Sure we look like sisters, but we did not look like twins.

Mom said we were fraternal twins, therefore not identical. We were born on the same day, but from two individual eggs. Briana was the prettier sister, with her long wavy soft brown hair. My dark blonde hair was just dull and pin straight. It wouldn't hold a curl if my life depended on it. Believe me, I've tried many times.

"You know, Ari," Zoey added, pointing her brush at me, "if you want to grow pretty nails like mine and Briana's, you can't bite them or chew on them."

"I know... I know. I'm trying." I grumbled, feeling a bit self-conscious.

It's easy to feel that way around Zoey, who may as well be a model. She had beautiful curly strawberry blonde hair that was always styled to perfection. She always wore make-up and dressed up in some new fashionable outfit.

A throat cleared to my left, stealing my attention away from Zoey's pink heels to see Skylar sitting straight up with her eyes closed. The sun peaking in from behind her made her dark brown hair shine from under her black Concho hat, a color that had become her favorite to wear recently.

"Are we ready?" She asked. Without waiting for us to respond, she continued, "Ok, girls. Join hands and close your eyes. Remove all outside interferences from your minds. Concentrate on the spirits."

We did as we were told. Well, as far as holding hands and closing our eyes. I doubt anyone here cleared their minds. Mine certainly wasn't. I could hear a speed boat motor off in the distance. The lake was just beyond our fence on the other side of a group of large evergreen trees. I have been dying for the weather to warm up so we can go swimming.