The Sixth Sense

New Beginnings

"We're going back to Winter River," Delia states very seriously after screaming in front of my entire dorm. Rambling some sob story to catch my sister and I's attention.

"What?" My whole facial expression drops shocked.

Astrid rolled her eyes, walking away, clearly very annoyed at the scene Delia had just caused infront of the entire dorm. Mom gives me a stressed look before turning around and following her. See, the whole mom-being-a-psychic thing really hasn't put Astrid at the best place in our school, it's hard to gain respect from a student body who thinks your whole family's a joke, even if she agrees with them. Me, I could give less of a shit about what people say. I think being able to see and communicate with the other side is so fascinating. Astrid fully disagrees.

"You can't be serious," I say almost humeracially.

"You're grandfather has uhm-," she pauses and looks almost as if she could cry, "tradigically passed."

"Oh," I look at her pitfully.

I have never seen Delia like this, vulnerable. She really did love my grandfather Charles, he's the only one who could ever find the patience to put up with her. And that's what love is, right? Five minutes after hearing Delia ramble on about my grandfather in hysterics, my mom walks back with Astrid who looks even more pissed then before going up to, what i think is, getting her stuff packed.

"Wow Lydia, moody teenager problems?" Delia asks, no longer upset at the thought of her dead husband, but amused at the irony of the situation.

My mom sighs as she looks at me.

"Your grandfather has passed, that's why we're here." she says clearly a little stressed out by my sister but guilty for not getting to greet me properly.

"So I've heard," I look at Delia, whos already getting in the car, rambling about being late.

"I should have called," she says looking guiltily and sighing.

"It's okay mom, I know you have a lot going on," I say as I smile at her and go in for a hug.

"I love you V," she says mid-hug.

"I love you too mom."

Astrid basically stomps out of the school dorms with a bag before throws a dirty glance at my mom and going over the car. My mom gives me a stressed out look before heading to the car as well. Great, this family reunion is already off to a tremendous start.

The whole car ride up to Winter River is silent with only the glances exchanged. Between Astrid and me, who is clearly still pissed with everything about this situation. And between mom and me, who is looking at me with desperate hope that I can help my sister warm up to the interruption of plans she had set in stone for the next couple days. So suddenly I breathe in, and decide to break the silence,

"How's the show going, mom?" I say trying to ease the tension screaming through out the car.

My mom looks more at ease with the sudden break of tension.

"Oh you know, seeing ghosts, helping out the haunted. Same old, same old," She says laughing awkwardly.

"Yeah, a bunch of bullshit," I hear Astrid mumble.

Mom gives her a desperate look. She wants, so badly, to know why Astrid acts like she'd rather be caught dead then spend time with her. Part of me thinks she's just using the pain she feels for dad, against her. She doesn't understand why mom can see tons ghosts but can't seem to see him. I get it, I didn't understand it for a while either. But I chose to grow from it, whilst Astrid chose to grow away from it.

"Still playing with ghosts, Avery?" Delia asks in agony of the tension and seeming desperate to change the subject.

"Hunting, Delia and yes. I've had quite the time. I even bought some equipment that is supposed to help communicate with them. I plan on taking a trip this summer to some places I've heard about on the internet and really testing my abilities," I say smiling at her, speaking passionately.

"Oh thats-," She pauses trying to think of a nice word. "Lovely," shes says whilst giving my mom a fearful smile.

Whilst my mom looks at Delia with a sort of pride, causing Astrid to roll her eyes again.

I've always been sensitive to the dead and have become quite interested in it. I think that's maybe why my mom and I get more along than her and Astrid. Astrid has never taken interest in the paranormal and doesn't want anything to do with it, whilst I want to be around it, exploring it 24/7. I have such a love for the paranormal and knowing more about it. I spend most of my free time listening to podcasts or watching shows where people investigate it. I've bought equipment like emf readers and started exploring places using the tools. I've read books untop of books about people's expirences and knowledge about it. I can naturally say, I am my mother's daughter.

It's about another hour of overbearing tension and awkward questions about mom's new weird boyfriend, which Delia throws in very sly snarky comments about, before we finally arrive.

"And here it is," Delia says with pride, admiring my mother's childhood home.

"What's with the black tablecloth?" I ask with a confused look on my face as I observed the once completely white house draped in a pitch black cloth.

"Black symbolizes death and new beginnings, since we're starting a new era without Charles and selling the house, I thought it would only be appropriate," Delia then goes on to correct me on what the "table cloth" actually is, some artist marketing shit.

And so I stand there looking at the house, taking it all in. Here's to new beginnings or some shit.