The Haunting

Thirteen

Quinn

I have a strange sense of foreboding that something isn't alright.

I haven't seen Lisa since what had happened in Judy's room, and I have this bizarre gut feeling that she isn't alright. I searched for her in every part of the house but she was nowhere to be seen, which caused my fear to increase. I looked for her in the backyard but she was also not there. I began investigating the courtyard, hoping to find her sitting on her favorite swinging bench but she wasn't there.

The bench was slightly swinging with the soft blowing air. As I neared it, I was flabbergasted to find Lisa's small mirror laying there. When I grabbed it, I was stunned by the words written on it. In bold letters, it read;

Do you believe now?

I started to panic as my brain considered the worst possibilities. I didn't want to believe it, but I knew well that the red substance the sentence was written in, was blood. A particular spot of the grassy ground behind the bench was moving as if an earthquake was about to start, and my mind told me Lisa is somehow there. I didn't want to believe it until I heard a muffled scream emitting from that spot. I hurriedly grabbed the nearest shovel and commenced digging into the muddy ground.

I didn't stop no matter how exhausting it was. After shoving away some mud, I was open-mouthed to see Lisa really there. I immediately took her fragile body out and embraced her.

"Lisa, baby," I cried as I hugged her tightly. I thought she was unconscious but when she hugged me back, I was reassured. "Who did this to you?"

"Laura," She sobbed. I didn't realize I knew this name until I recalled April mentioning this name. Nevertheless, this name sounds familiar, like I have heard it even before April mentioned it. I strained my brain to remember who possibly must have had this name but to no avail.

Lisa couldn't walk so I carried her inside the house. Mom was utterly staggered when she beheld Lisa, and she straightaway sprinted towards us once we were inside the house.

"Quinn, what happened? What happened to Lisa?" Mom asked worriedly as she carried Lisa and hugged her. I couldn't tell her that I had found Lisa literally buried underneath the muddy ground. I knew I had to tell her the truth but it was just difficult to say.

"Laura did it to me," Lisa continued to cry as she hugged mom. Mom tried to soothe her and it kinda worked.

I knew well now that whatever was haunting us, it isn't going to leave unless it kills one of us.

***

"Are you ready?"

April asked as she looked at us all. Honestly, I wasn't. I wasn't at all prepared to encounter and communicate directly with the thing that is possessing Judy, but April and Alex told us that it is necessary. They said that we should communicate with the ghost haunting us, and ask it a few questions. I know it sounds risky, but I trust Alex and April. They surely know what they're doing, and if it was extremely dangerous, they wouldn't have done it. But they're ghost hunters, and as Lindsay said, they're experienced in their job.

"Yes," I said after a long uncomfortable silence. April sighed as she motioned for Alex to prepare the recorder. My heart was racing and my stomach twisted as I anticipated what was going to happen next. When I looked at Judy, I could notice the ominous frown on her lips. I had a feeling that this wasn't going to go as planned, but I calmed myself down.

"Judy, I want you to close your eyes and never open them no matter what happens, okay?" April instructed Judy, and Judy nodded. As she closed her eyes, Alex clicked play on the recorder. I started to bite on my bottom lip as I feared what was about to happen.

"Who are you?"

April asked, and I could notice how uncomfortable Judy looked by the way she was shuffling in her seat. Unearthly silence replenished the atmosphere, as we sat there, awaiting Judy's rejoinder, or honestly, the thing's rejoinder. A plenty of minutes had passed and we received no response, which caused April to repeat the question.

"Who are you?" April repeated, her voice sounding more stern. Judy stopped shuffling and growled loudily, sending chills down my spine.

"No," Judy spoke in a harrowing, husky voice that certainly didn't belong to her.

"What's your name?" April asked, sounding much more stern amd serious which caused Judy to let out another horrific groan that made us almost jump. I started to shiver and chatter my teeth in fear as I stared at Judy, whose lips were curling into a inhumanly wide grin.

"LS," Judy answered, starting to snicker minaciously. The evil-looking grin plastered on her lips seemed to enlarge until it was impossibly wide. I started to breathe quicker as I eyed my sister in horror.

"What's your full name?" Alex asked, emphasizing the word 'full'. Judy's smirk faded and was replaced with a spine-chilling scowl. This time, it took her longer to respond, but Alex and April seemed patient. We awaited her answer for a long while, and time seemed to freeze as each minute passed by as slow as a turtle. Judy started to scarth her knees violently and blood started to ooze out of the scratches. April and Alex didn't stop her, and they gestured for us to not do anything. After a few more minutes, she finally managed to reply, but the answer was totally unexpected.

"Laura Smith."