Harper's Hill, Chapter 23: The Girl Who Might Be Cursed

Camille was starting to think that maybe she was cursed.

It all started when they moved into the new house. Camille was having these weird dreams... and they weren't like dreams, they were more like glimpses. She would feel like she was looking through a window, watching life from the perspective of someone that she'd never met. She knew that she didn't belong in the body of whoever's eyes that she was looking through, but she didn't feel scared.

If Camille was cursed, it was kind of exciting.

After the dreams started happening regularly, Camille would sometimes see someone who wasn't there. A woman in the hallway or in the corner of the room, and it wasn't just at home either, because she saw the woman out in public too. Camille was young, and maybe a bit immature still, but she was old enough to know that a real woman couldn't just magically show up in her home, school, and at the park. It had to be a ghost.

Camille had always believed in the paranormal, but her two dads weren't particularly interested. Her dad, Julian, was more accepting of that kind of stuff. He had parents that had passed, as well as a sister that had passed tragically many years ago.

She didn't know why her other dad, Isaac, didn't believe in ghosts. After all, his parents were gone too. Camille knew that when her parents passed, she would be comforted knowing that their ghosts could come visit her at any time. But Isaac didn't seem open to that. It seemed like there might be something that he was hiding.

Camille didn't feel particularly haunted, either. Maybe saying she was cursed was a little too strong of a word. The things that she was experiencing weren't scary, but sad. She felt like whoever was trying to reach her — they weren't trying to scare her. They were calling out for someone, anyone. They were clearly calling out for help.

Ever since a young age, Camille thought that maybe, just maybe, she could have a part in changing the world. Camille's parents always told her that it was her curiosity that got her places, but it got her in trouble, too. Lately, she had wanted to explore the East side. She didn't know why, but something was calling her there.

There was only one person she knew that had no qualms about going over the hill.

"Hello?" Emily asked on the other end of the line. She was slightly familiar to Camille, due to all of the time that the family had been spending together lately, but she was still somewhat a stranger.

"Hi Emily, it's Camille," Camille started, pausing, and then quickly adding in. "Your cousin. Julian and Isaac's daughter?"

"Oh, hi Camille," Emily said, and Camille could sense that her tone was friendly. "What's up? Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" Camille said, trying to reassure her. "Yeah, yeah, I'm totally fine." She was quiet for a moment, and then figured she might as well just come out and say it, "I need to ask a favor."

"Oh?" Emily asked.

"Can you take me to the East side?"

Camille could almost hear Emily frown, and it reminded her of her parents, because they would have had the exact same reaction if she said this to them.

"Any reason why?" Emily asked, trying to be curious, though Camille could still feel a bit of judgement coming through the phone.

"Um, not really," Camille said, trying to seem casual. She wasn't ready to let anyone know that she was having visions of a random woman, and that those visions may have been what was calling her to the East side. "I've just never been over the hill really, and I hear all these stories, and I'm curious."

"Why can't one of your dads take you?" Emily asked, her question coming off a little sharper than intended. "Sorry, I just don't want to get in trouble for taking you."

"Oh come on, Emily," Camille said with a casual laugh, glossing over her question and concern. "Please? Nothing bad is gonna happen. I just want to look around. I won't even get out of the car if you don't want. I promise."

There was silence on the other end of the line, followed by a heavy sigh.

"Get your stuff together, Camille," Emily said, sounding unimpressed, but still following through anyway. "I'll come pick you up."

"Thanks, Emily!" Camille exclaimed. She couldn't stop herself from jumping up and down in excitement. She had no idea why she was so excited to go over to the East side, but she just was. She didn't even have any blood relation to anyone from Harper's Hill, especially not the East side, so it was all a bit confusing. But exciting, nonetheless.

Camille hung up the phone and started to get her stuff together. She packed a small go-out bag filled with the essentials that every 16 year old girl needs — a cell phone, a fancy wallet with only an identification card and a 20 dollar bill, and a hairbrush and tube of lip gloss... just in case she saw any cute boys or girls.

She wrote a note for her parents, telling them she had gone out with Emily. This was the truth. Camille was always finding ways to skirt around the real truth, and one of the easiest ways to get a lie past someone was to lie by omission. In other words, don't tell the full truth. Immediate and important details only.

So no, she wasn't lying when she said that she was going out with Emily. She just wasn't including that she was going over to the East side too, which might have been the most important part.