Haunted

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"I feel awkward."

Emily sighed. "It's fine."

I turned to her with a hopeless look on my face. "But I barely knew her. Don't you think it would be weird of me to show up? I don't even know most of the people who are going to be there."

Emily huffed and crossed her arms at me. "Raven, you'll be fine." She paused and sniffed. "Besides, I don't want to go in there alone."

I looked down. No matter how uncomfortable I was, I had to be here. I hadn't known Amanda for long, but I still knew that I was sad about her death. Plus, I was Emily's friend and she needed to be comforted today. The reception was at Amanda's house, which was near the edge of town. Emily drove, and if I hadn't been in the car with her I was sure she would've broken down by now.

I was wearing a black velvet dress my father had gotten me for a past birthday that I had only worn once before at the funeral of a coworker of his he didn't know well. The dress wasn't a masterpiece, just simple. The velvet made it feel stuffy and suffocating, which kind of embodied these events well. Funerals and wakes weren't for the living, they were for the dead.

Not to mention that this was one of those few days where the heat actually appeared in the Colorado air. Velvet didn't mix well with the hot air, making my head hurt and my insides feel like they were slow cooking.

Though, I wasn't the only person who looked uncomfortable in their mourning blacks and greys.

In the house, I saw a couple of familiar faces from around town, all talking somberly in hushed voices. I noticed Caleb in the corner right away. He was staring down at his drink with a blank expression. I doubt he had even taken a sip yet. It must've been hard for him to lose his sister, especially since no one expects someone to die so young.

Emily led me to the food in the living room. Small appetizers were being served as people who knew Amanda huddled in groups and talked about non-essential things like the weather because no one wanted to talk about what had happened to her.

It was then when I started to notice other people in the room. Ones that everyone else couldn't see.

Ghosts were weaving in and out of the crowd, seemingly blending in. It was no wonder that it felt like the AC was on blast in the house. Ghosts were surrounding the place, bringing the temperature down with their sheer number. They didn't seem lost or confused like most ghosts I encountered, but like they had a purpose.

It didn't take long for some of the ghosts to figure out that I could actually see them. But none of them tried to speak to me or even tried to get my attention like I was used to. They all just kind of stared at me and then moved on.

It was starting to creep me out, and that's saying something considering the fact that I see dead people.

I turned a corner and stopped dead in my tracks. A woman, presumably Amanda's mom, collapsed in the arms of another woman, her tear filled eyes filled with pain. Standing next to her was a younger man in a T-shirt and shorts, which didn't really match the dark color scheme people normally wore to events like this. He was talking to Amanda's mom, trying to comfort her, but when he tried to hug her, he passed right through her.

I looked at a picture frame on the hallway wall and my heart dropped. The man and a younger version of Amanda's mom were smiling at the camera with two little kids at their feet. The man trying to comfort Amanda's mom was her husband. Her dead husband.

I turned to Emily. "Hey, where's her dad?" I asked, inferring about Amanda's heritage.

Emily looked over at Amanda's mom. "Oh, that's the worst part. He died when Amanda and Caleb were just little kids. They never really knew him. It must be awful for her to lose a husband and a kid."