Haunted Blossom

Chapter Nine- Jezleen

Let me get straight to the point. I was shocked. I had had a thousand different reasons for seeing ghosts in my head, everything from mutation to God's Will, but never, not once, had I thought the reason I could see the dead was all because of a flower.I looked at the picture hard, commiting the dull gray flower to memory. Who knows if one might appear again. Once done, I began reading the next page.

The descendants of the three may or may not inherit the trait, but all spirit-seers are from their bloodlines. Spirit-seers tend to be female, but some males receive the gene....

Just because I was named after the famed Jezleen did not mean I was her descendant. I could be the descendant of Audri, or of Scarlet. Maybve I was present-day's Scarlet's cousin. A shudder ran through me. I still didn't like her. That's when I remembered, with a relieved internal sigh, of the Blood Test. The Blood Test was given to every arrival at the Asylum, determining who was related to you. We found it odd at the time, why they want to know who is our long-lost cousins, but it was starting to make sense. Was this the reason? Are they searching for the spirit-seers?

Scarlett returned the book in it's hidden hiding place, probably meant so people like us don't find it, and we left the library. Let's just say, when sleep came, my dreams were troubled.

~

"Wake up!"

I groaned and rolled over, "Shut up Autumn." I froze and shot up, seeing that it was not the mute ghost, but Audri.

"I'm hungry. Let's go." Is having a friend really this annoying? Apparently so.

"Sleep."

"No, come on!" She pulled relentlessly on my arm and I complied to her demands.

"Fine. But I have to get dressed first."

She smiled and left, and I pulled the blinds on the windows. A few minutes later, I stood in the hall, in my long black dress, shoulders exposed and sleves cut in little triangles that shouted 'Witch'. My red hair was left down, my face completly exposed, as usual, I bore my cursed eyes proudly and fiercly. I looked ready for a fancy halloween party, maybe one thrown by some upscaled rich couple. Audri didn't even do a double take at the sight of my cloathing, so used to my elegant goth look. We headed to the library with an unspoken agreement to see the book, but halfway there a nurse stopped us. "Please head to the cafeteria to hear the announcement."

After a bone-chilling glare in the nurse's direction, we headed to the cafeteria, Audri chattering excitedly. "Oh I wonder what it is! I hope it's something good, like free icecream day! What do you think?" I shrugged. I noticed Scarlett leaving the Doctor's office with two spirits, a satisfied grin on her face. I knew that look, I had seen it growing up often enough; it meant she had had a little personal victory. That could only mean the Doctor would put her in containement soon, shoving memory-fogging pills down her throat. Idiot. She walked faster than us and reached the cafeteria first, Audri only noticed her when she sat down. "Oh look! It's Scarlett. Can we sit with her?" Who does Audri think she is? The peacemaker? Obviously she had no idea that our hate ran years back.

"No."

"Please? I want my friends to be friends with each other."

"No."

"Come on Jez! We should be on friendly terms, especially considering the information we share."

I pondered over her words, it was a good point. Plus, I could make sure she doesn't reveal too much to the Doctor; who knows what she said today. "Fine."

Audri gave a squeal of joy and rushed over to grab food, then sitting at Scarlet's table, soon joined by me. "You have no idea how starved I am!" She dug into her cereal, pushing her toast aside.