I can see my sister's ghost

chapter 1-coming back

It’s been eight years since I’ve been to my aunt’s house, but today I am finally going back. A month ago she sent me an invitation to come visit her for the summer and I decided eight years was long enough to stay away from the place my sister died, so I accepted.

“Roseville!” the stationmaster calls.

I sigh as I close the book I was reading and grab my luggage. My bag isn’t heavy, but it’s huge, I am staying for most of the summer after all.

When I get off the train, a girl is waiting by a sign that says ‘Emma’ in capitol letters. She’s wearing a blue skirt with a bow on the side. She has a black tank top on; it has some band I’ve never heard of on it. The girl is about my age with blond hair and green eyes. She looks bored and tired; my guess is that she’s Natalie. She looks pretty much the same as she did eight years ago, but older. I go over to her.

“Emma!” she says as she pulls me in for a hug. “Whoa girl, you don’t smell so good.”

I laugh. “Yeah, the guy next to me decided he was going to get sick and puked all over the seat. Luckily none of it got on me, but somehow my clothes smell like his puke.”

“Gross.”

“I know, right?” we chatted and caught up all the way to the car and to the house. Thankfully, our conversation isn’t awkward and we have a ton to talk about. When we get to the house Aunt Mary comes out and hugs me.

She’s the type of person that you would want to be your mom; she’s funny, smart and loves to bake. She always has cookies baking and they’re the best you’ve ever had.

“Honey!” she says as we walk, “we haven’t seen you in forever! And your dad never sends pictures! My, look at how tall you are!” By the time we get to the living room I’ve heard about how my dad and I should really send more pictures, how I should visit more often and how much she missed me. Aunt Mary sets a plate of cookies on the table and I take one. Natalie escapes from her mom’s grasp by saying she has “homework”, who was she trying to fool here? It’s Saturday and she gets out of school in a week. I guess her mom thought she had a ton because she let her go.

I sat through two more hours of my aunt talking and telling me pretty much the same stuff she had been telling me on the way to the house. She gives me a tour of the house, pointing out every little detail.

Her house is huge and she has renovated since the last time I was here. This time there’s a huge fireplace in the living room and a bunch of windows everywhere. The kitchen looks more like a chef’s dream and the bathrooms have TV’s in them. Who needs a TV in the bathroom? I certainly don’t. It's ridiciouls what rich people like to do with their houses.

We go back to the living room and I listen to her blabber on about God-knows-what.

“Hey Emma,” Natalie says as she comes down the stairs, “there’s a fair today, wanna go?” Oh, so now she remembers me.

“A fair? I’d love to go!” I reply, jumping up and grabbing my purse.

She grabs my arm and drags me toward the door. “Okay, bye mom!”

Laughing, my aunt tells us to be home before midnight. We go out to their garage; I notice a motorcycle and pray that we aren’t taking that. Thankfully we take the Mercedes, wow these people are rich. A couple seconds after I get in the car Natalie blasts the radio and screeches out the driveway.

When we get to the fair, it looks like everyone in the entire town is there. A group of people call out to Natalie and she drags me over to them. She starts talking and doesn’t introduce me. None of the other people look very interested as to who I am, so I make an excuse and get away as fast as I can.