A Profusion Of Souls

Chapter 4.

Anna’s lip frowns and a tear slips from her left eye, “I don’t know what’s happening to me Ally,” She sobs. My head is throbbing.

“Hey, shhh,” My mother wraps her arms around Anna, soothing her. I can’t help but envy that. I’m never going to feel my mother’s warm hugs ever again.

Anna breaks into loud sobs as my mother’s hand runs up and down the side of her torso. It would usually be an arm but…

“It just happened,” Anna hiccups. “I was sitting in the woods, next to that well we always use to hang around,” Anna reminds me. “Then I felt lots and lots of pain in my arm, it was excruciating. I look down at my remaining arm and it was no longer there! What’s happening to me?” She screams out her cries.

I massage my temples with my fingers, trying to sooth my headache and let everything sink in at the same time.

“Allison, breath honey,” My mother tells me, obviously noticing my extreme migraine. Anna continues to sob, “You too,” Mom tells Anna.

“Deep breathes. In…and out.”

I inhale as much as my lunges could take, then slowly exhaling whilst closing my eyes.

The headache is gone.

“I can’t breathe anymore!” Anna squeaks, then burying her face into my mother’s shoulder. Mom closes her eyes for a second, and then begins to draw patterns with her fingers on Anna’s back.

My window catches my eye when I see it beginning to frost rapidly, and my breaths turning into white puffs of ‘smoke’. Mom notices too then suggesting “Lets take this outside.” I nod in agreement, leading the way downstairs.

As we reach the bottom of the stairs, loud and repetitive bangs erupt from the front door followed by Joyce and Estella’s voices yelling ‘we’re here!’

My eyes widen and I begin to panic, looking around the room. “Shit, shit, shit, shit,” I repeatedly curse, searching the room wildly. My eyes land on a coat closet near the staircase. I point my finger towards it then randomly throwing my arms frantically, signaling for them to go in. “Quick, go! In there,” I demand.

My mother rolls her eyes as Anna’s eyebrows knit together, “You do realize they can’t see us right,” My mother raises an eyebrow almost smirking at my stupidity.

I bite my lip, looking back and forth between the phantoms and my front door. “Well sorry, I don’t recall getting a manual book along with this ‘so called gift of mine’,” I sarcastically retort, receiving a small glare from my mother in return.

“Just because I’m dead doesn’t mean I can’t punish you for that attitude, young lady,” My mother grits through her teeth. More hard pounds from the front door sends our attention the other way. “Go get that damn door before it flies off its hinges.”

I nod; turning around and swinging the door wide open being greeted by Joyce and Estella’s exhausted faces.

“Took you long enough!” Estella complained, walking past the vestibule. I close the door after Joyce walks in behind Estella. “Damn girl, why is it so cold in here!” She starts rubbing her forearms, looking around the room.

I ignore her comment, changing the subject once looking down at their empty hands. “Uhh?” I question, raising an eyebrow towards both of them crossing my arms over each other. It seriously is freezing in here.

I see Joyce try to bite back a smile and look at her toes, not giving her expression away while Estella keeps a straight face. “What’s wrong?” Estella asks, trying to come off as clueless. I know her better than she thinks, and I know damn well that she knows what I’m confused about.