Chapter 7: Grandmother

One forward and another foot back was where I was at on my grandmas porch, I try to lift the other foot to the next step but nothing. My eyes wonder around the porch, the wood was rotting away and breaking apart stepping on one bad part could break it. My foot finally moves getting me up the steps with out a problem but stopping to the sound of a crack. I think for a second and the crack sound sounded more like a crunch as I lift my foot a see a squished cockroach. I shiver because of disgust and the fact that it’s freezing, I take one step at a time carefully making sure not to fall through the floorboards. Once I get to the flowers I look at their bent bodies and their lifeless colors. If you were to ask me what kind of flowers they are I wouldn't be able to tell you. While looking at the flowers I look at the dust-covered window and see a man or at least what I think is a man standing on a chair. I try to look closer at him but can't see his face because of the dust. I move the flowerpots out of the way quickly and swipe my hand across the glass. As my hand passes the figure of a man I see changes, he is now swinging in the air by the rope that was apparently tied around his neck and the chair he was standing on was tipped over. A sick feeling starts in the bottom of my stomach as I shut my eyes, I count to three and reopen them seeing nothing no man or rope not even the chair was there anymore.  
   

I back up slowly; I didn't see what I just saw I think to myself trying to get the image out of my head. I see the image of the man over and over again; the feeling of depression and the thoughts of giving up entered my mind at the sight of him. It wasn't real, I'm seeing things I've gone through something very traumatic it's perfectly normal. My foot backs up once more causing me to fall over down the steps. I land on my back knocking the air out of me as I try to breath. The pain of a rock stabbing me in the back causes me to yell as soon as air enters my lungs. I stagger back to my feet as I try to get more air into my lungs. "Are you all right." The voice causes me to freeze into a defensive stone like structure, my eyes widen as I turn around slowly to reveal who it is but before I can the voice says something I remember saying. "Hello, It's me Rose." A smile reluctantly forms on my face but disappears before she is able to see it.
   

"Why do you always do that?" I ask in a calming voice that seems to be a little to forced. "Sneak up on people I mean."
   

"I never did that today I've been here since you were looking in the window." She saw my reaction to it she has to be wondering why I freaked. "Did you see something weird maybe even ghostly?” I shake my head in annoyance.
   

"Stop it there is no such thing as ghost." I turn my back to her once again and head up the stairs my fist is not even a foot from the door when she replies.
   

 "YES THERE ARE." she yells at me with all her energy as I turn back to her seeing tears fall down her face so fast its like a waterfall. "Their your family, and they're haunting everyone in town." Anger rages inside me when she says this
   

"Listen to me my family is dead that's it." I walk back down the steps to get closer to her. "My mother is dead my father is dead." I get up completely in Roses face now and yell. "MY SISTER IS DEAD ALSO." My expression goes blank as I back up completely silent. "My sister is dead." I whisper it to myself, the first time I said what I thought was true for so long. Admitting that my sister is dead and the feeling of sadness spreads through my body. Tears run down my cheeks as I sit on the steps of the porch. "And it's all my fault." I say loud enough for Rose to hear.

"You right both of you." An old voice says from behind me as I get up and turn to see my grandmother who seems sick, Bags under her eye’s from lack of sleep and a smell that could only be from not showering for a weeks. I wipe away the tears and I look at her hair and see that clumps have fallen out leaving bald spots.

"Grandmother are you ok?" She smiles and laughs like the question was a joke enough to cause her to cough continuously for about 30 seconds.

"Of course I'm not ok, I'm being haunted by three ghost and it's all your fault." She snaps at me then walks back into her house; I rush up the stair and across the porch to catch the door before it closed. Rose traveled behind me worried about her as much as I was. The transition from outside to in here was uneasy, vomit starts to come up my throat as I find a trashcan to let it out in. This place is just like my house I hate some of the memories from this place. Every single thing inside this house reminds me of one of them. Once I get done with getting sick I walk over to a elephant statue that sat on the kitchen counter. My mind races to memories of playing with the elephant pretending to make it fly while my little sister laugh. My mind doesn’t stay with it though, I remember this one time with me my father and Susan. “This was the day I left here.” I said holding the elephant up to the light, the reflection created a light shadow on the ceiling.

 

“What do you mean?” Rose said putting her hand on my shoulder to what I believe is trying to comfort me.

 

“My father found me here when I had pissed him off by not doing what he asked me at the house.” I play with the shadow on the ceiling making it dance. “He pick up this elephant and hit me in the head with it as hard as he could.” I put it back down on the kitchen table and turn to Rose. “He tried to hit me again with it it’s funny now because I’m pretty sure he wanted to kill me that day.” I smile for some odd reason because he failed maybe, because he is dead now and I’m alive therefore I win.

 

“If I hadn’t stopped him he would have done it, but I caught his hand and punch him across the face knocking him out.” I remember that feeling punching my father as hard as I could and the feeling of joy it brought me. “I left after it happened and never looked back, until I got the letter of Susan’s disappearance.” Thumping noises echo throughout the house. I shake my head I forgot about my grandmother and got side tracked. I walk through the halls to find as Rose follows confused.

 

            “What was that?” Rose asked like she was going to get a response immediately.

 

            “My grandmother must be in her rocking chair.” I walk through the halls to find the room the rocking chair was in. My grandmother sat looking out the window muttering something that I couldn’t hear. I walk a little closer and the message gets a bit clearer.

 

            “Will yo…Will you he…Will you help me?” I hear her say this while staring at nothing, just outside to her front yard. “Will you help me?” She says once again and her voice sound pitiful and depressing. I walk up in front of her and kneel down to her. She’s knitting something black and at the moment I cant tell what it is, “Will you help me?” She says again but this time my skin crawls to the sound of it because her face is express less. It like she’s not even saying it but she’s a puppet being messed with by someone else.

 

            “Grandmother what’s wrong.” I put my hand on her knitting needles as she turns her head to me almost instantly as she stops rocking back and forth as well. I let go and her eyes go back to the spot she was looking at before, she starts rocking again as well as muttering will you help me some more. I back up and walk back to Rose taking her to the corner. “I don’t feel safe leaving my grandmother alone so I think I’m going to stay here tonight.”

 

            Rose sighs “Well then I’m staying with you, it’s getting to dark out to travel back alone.” She smiles

 

            “Ok then, just like when I was a kid staying at grandmothers for the night.” I smile as well but behind it I’m afraid for what I have been seeing and what this house wants me to see tonight.

Reviews

[.quan.011.]

what up with everyone seeing ghost except the main character. I swear he going to haunted by his sister. Then he going to believe in ghost.

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[Shep]

Well, that was something. Yes this story has promise. It realy does if head the advice given. Now I must turn the page to find what's around the corner.

[Jake Donald Stephens]

Looks like everybody believes in ghosts except the main character. Maybe they're haunting everyone else but him.
I think grandma might have a short life expectancy. Just a feeling.

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[Julie Beth]

"Their your family"- they're

Well my first impression of the grandmother is that she is a very straight forward person. This was a pretty good chapter. I can see that him and Rose are still having problems a bit because he doesn't believe in ghosts. But you can also tell that Rose still cares about him because she's still sticking with him throughout this book. Great job :), reading on


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[Coyote Poetry]

I like the chapter a lot. Old Grandmother is direct and honest. I like his desire to know the truth. Poor Rose decision to stay could be a bad one. Thank you for the amazing chapter.
Coyote

[Daydreamer54]

I commend him for his bravery because thee's no way in hades i would have stayed there after hearing my grandmother chant something incoherently and then see a vision of a hanged person. this chapter was eeerie and i can't wait to see what he discoveres.

I turn my back to her once again and head up the stairs my fist is not even a foot from the door when she replies. -this needs to be seperated.

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[Arianna]

okay that was really good chapter. but the first thing i have to say is your paragraphs are driving me crazy! theyre huge! and there are so many places that you can break them up. so theres that... but tthats easy to fix. i really like the way you introduced his grandmother. its really good. somehow i feel like its lacking a little bit though gosh i feel like an english teacher but i dont know some of the verbs ou use and the way you describe things well if you tried to think of other words that ment the same thing i think it would be perfect. overall its a good chapter i cant wait until theres more :) keep me posted. well done!.display. .ana.008.
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