Fading

Two

"Emily? when do you think Georgey is coming back?" Janie whispered into my face. We both lay on our stomachs wedged underneath Janie's older brother's bed.

"I don't know. where was he going?"

"I thought he was going to the basement for a video game."

"Well it shouldn't t-" I was interrupted by the slamming of George's bedroom door. We both watched his feet walk around the bed to his tv which sat on the floor at the foot of his bed and right in our line of vision. He got on his knees and put in a disc to the player connected to the small flat screen. He switched off his light and jumped onto his bed causing it to precariously

shake and creak. the screen came on and he pressed play. We stayed under the bed watching the movie play. Janie watched with wide eyes as things flew around rooms without people touching them and people being dragged by unseen forces.

"George? Have you done the laundry yet?" their mother yelled.

George groaned, "Nooooooo." he said lazily rolling off the bed and pausing the movie. He walked out of the door.

"What was happening in that m-movie?" Janie asked me once we had wriggled out from underneath the cramped space.

"I think those were supposed to be ghosts." We snuck back to her pink polka dotted room. Janie suddenly gasped and locked her door.

"Are g-ghosts real?" She stammered hiding under her blanket.

"Actually ghosts are just stray imaginary friends." I replied matter-of-factly.

"Stray friends?" she asked coming out of her pink cover.

"Yeah it's pretty sad. When people forget their imaginary friends they have to go somewhere while they wait on a new little girl or boy." I said. You think I might be lying to save her from having nightmares but it was true. the whole 'poltergeist' thing was actually just imaginary friends that have emotional issues with being alone.

"Oh, well I'll never forget you." she smiled at me reassuringly. I smiled uneasily and we continued playing with the princess dolls.