·Grace's POV·
The next morning I woke up covered in sweat. I decided to have a shower and prepare myself for the day (trying to not think about the knot in my stomach). Today we will be going to my grandfather's house, or at least that's what my mum told me yesterday after my arrival.
Half an hour later I went downstairs to have breaksfast with my family.
"Good morning sweetheart, are you ready?" My dad asked the moment he spotted me.
"Yes, I think so. Let me eat my toast and I'll be free to go."
"That's the spirit! I know that your grandfather tends to get a little bit...passionate."
I suppose that describing Rob Lancaster as passionate is one way of putting it. He surely tries his best while telling us his old battlefield stories. Although it can get repetitive every now and then, our family reunions wouldn't be the same without his anecdotes.
"Oh and by the way, pack clothes to carry with you. We're spending some days with grandpa."
Wait what? And he tells me now? Not that I'm complaining, but a heads-up would have been convenient.
When we were completely ready to face the one-hour drive ahead of us, my parents and I climbed into the car. I don't know why was I feeling more like a nervous wreck the closer we got to my grandpa's. It's not like I haven't been there before. Why am being I this anxious?
"Sweetie, are you alright?" My mum asked concerned.
"Peachy, don't worry."
"If you say so..."
Do I look that bad?
I put my earphones on and start playing my music. If I listen to one more song from my dad's favourite CD, I swear I'm jumping out of the car - no kidding.
....
"If that isn't my beloved son and his beautiful family!" My grandfather greeted us from the doorway.
"Hello grandpa."
"My little Gracie! Or should I say my not-so-little-anymore Gracie, look at how tall you've got."
"You saw me three weeks ago, how is that even possible?"
"You tell me, young lady."
I started to laugh with him. It's impossible not to love him.
Once we were settled, my mum suggested that we go for a walk around the neighborhood.
"Let's take a new path, I want Gracie and you to see a part of town you've never been to." My grandpa said to my mum.
During the walk my parents were ahead of us talking about my dad's childhood around here. I turned my head to appreciate the scenery when I saw it. The abandoned mansion of my nightmare. I hitched a breath.
"Grandpa, do you know anything about that building?"
His face fell all of a sudden. Trying to recompose again, he answered:
"Yes, I do. That, my child, was a juvenile correctional during the 70's. One day, a terrible accident happened, killing part of the children, teenagers and instructors who lived in there. I think it was a fire or something of the sort. I can still recall those days, families crying over their dead children wishing they've never sent them there. But who would have thought, right? It was just an accident..."
His eyes darkened while remembering that catastrophe. Even I had to fight back a tear or two while imagining it. My brain told me to stop digging up information, but my heart told me otherwise. Since when do I follow my heart? Since today apparently...
I decided to give my grandfather a rest, seeing how affected he looked.
Instead, I turned around to look at the building one last time. I read the not-so-conserved sign above the entrance:
St. George's Juvenile Correctional
Then my sight instantly focused on one of the windows. To my surprise, I saw someone moving behind it. I stood completely still watching the scene across me. Just as he had noticed my stare, the person stopped too to look outside the window. And his sight rested on me, making me shudder. Our eyes interlocked, neither of us moving, until...
"Come on honey, we should be returning home by now." My grandpa said, shaking me out of my daze.
"Oh, right, yeah. Let's go."
But when I returned to look at the boy again, he was long gone.
*****
A.N: Hello!!! Told you the second chapter wouldn't take long. In the next chapter you'll meet this book's other main character and his first interaction with Grace.
Love,
M³
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Wrong Time
Paranormal#1 in Paranormal 15/12/20 and 31/10/2021 #1 in Paranormal Love 13/04/19 and 21/10/2021 Everyone has been told at least one ghost story during their life, but it's up to them to believe it or not. I was part of that group, the sceptics. Always ration...
