"Please pick up, please pick up," I mutter to myself while pacing the length of my room. It's Sunday. And Casey's been avoiding me. For two days. I'm not happy. "Hello?" "Casey? It's about time you picked up your phone! You know I've been trying to get ahold of you for, like, the past two days!" "Yeah, I can tell. There are about twenty voicemails. Anyways, why are you calling, I'm kind of busy." I raised an eyebrow, and placed a hand on my hip. "Busy? What about all those answers you still owe me?" I whined. "Owe? I wouldn't say I owe-" "Yeah, okay, okay, but you get the point. Can't you spare... I don't know, a half-hour? Please?" There was silence on the other end as I waited, practically bouncing with anticipation. "Alright. Fine. Half-hour only. Same place as last time." The connection died and I tossed the phone onto my bed. I ran downstairs, onto my bike, and sped off towards the old abandoned house. "Wow, I'd say you got here in record time. Excited much?" Casey asked, while holding the door open for me. I rolled my eyes as I fell into the same chair as last time.
"Alrighty. So, where did I leave off?" Casey asked, moving to sit in her chair.
"Pollux's daughter," I offered.
"Oh. Right. Well... do you remember that I said you were special?" I nodded, suddenly nervous as to how all of this could have to do with me.
"Okay. Have you noticed how you're the only one who sees the house when it's changed?" Once again I nodded. "Well, you're the only one who can see me, too." There was silence, and I let that sink in.
My head snapped up in her direction.
"Are you saying-"
"That I'm a ghost? Yes. A living, breathing, ghost. Or should I say undead? But I guess what you really need to know is that I'm not just any ghost. I am the one and only Clementine Pollux."
"So what you're saying is... I can see ghosts?" I clarified, raising an eyebrow. Casey nodded. "And you're Andrew Pollux's daughter."
"Yep. But there's still more to the story. You see, I could tell there was something off about you when I first met you- because you could see me. And there has only been one other person who was able to do that. They lived in your house before you did, and died there too. That's why it's very important you listen very closely to what I'm about to say."
"My father's ghost still lives in that house. He's vicious, and unpredictable. All he wants is to get rid of the person who took all his money all those years ago. He lies in wait but can only come out when the house is in its old version. The time it switches, is the time he comes out, which is noon. He'll wait for someone to arrive, and go for them instantly- robber or not. You've been extremely lucky that both parents work full time."
"I've recently received news though that he's becoming impatient. Nearly a hundred years of waiting and watching has made him restless. The more restless he becomes, the more he appears, the more he appears the greater chance you, or any one of your family members will get hurt. That house has seen enough blood spilled already, and I want to prevent it from seeing anymore."
"So what do we do?"
"We have to stop him. You have magic in you, Liz, that no one else does. Your a Ghost Catcher, and made for this type of thing."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phone. I'm a what?"
"A Ghost Catcher. You're a person who has magic made specifically for destroying ghosts. You just need to learn how to use it."
"But how? Am I adopted or something?" I asked, becoming concerned.
"No. It's passed down through the generations-like a gene thing."
"But my parents don't see anything," I countered.
"True but it could've skipped. Grandparents to you or something like that. I've seen lots of those cases."
"Great. So basically, I see ghosts, your dad's out to kill my family, and I have to save them all. Am I correct?" I asked sarcastically.
"Spot on." I fell back in my seat with a sigh. That was a lot to take in. After a moment of silence I glanced up at Casey.
"So when do we start?"
"Oh no you don't. I've got stuff I gotta do, remember? And besides, your half-hour is up. If you want to do anything, though, I suppose you could look up info on the house when I lived in it. Look at pictures, legends, anything you want. It may end up helping us."
And with that Casey pushed my out the door.
"Bu-But can you at least tell me where you're going?" I asked, feeling utterly desperate for at least a little more time and one more answer. Casey smiled,
"Nope." And she closed the door.
During the ride home my head was spinning with all sorts of thoughts. When I reached home, and Mom asked me where I had gone, I really had to think for a minute. 'I was out talking to my ghost friend who used to live in this house nearly a hundred years ago'.
"I was with a friend," I decided with a shrug.
