The Lake Cabin

Part I

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. The spirits of the cabin had awoken, and one particular soul was searching for someone. The winds around the cabin had frozen, as if life had ceased on that fateful day. At least, it had for the newest spirit tethered to the cabin. And it demanded retribution; it demanded peace.

Charlene felt the call of the cabin in flashes, the scent of the murky lake nestled behind it or the sound of the creaky stairs as she ran up them. It had been stronger recently, embedding itself in her dreams and distracting her during the day. She hadn’t been back to her family’s old cabin since she was maybe…ten or eleven, but she thought this was a sign to return. Her eighteenth birthday was in a few days, and she figured she could convince her parents to let her go with a few friends to celebrate.

“Mama, are you home yet?” Charlene called through the quiet house.

“Yes, I’m in the back room!” Her mother called back. She kept a multipurpose room in the back of the house that housed all of her half-finished projects. It had been dubbed “the back room” as long as Charlene could remember.

“Hey, I was thinking of spending my birthday at the old lake cabin. You think Dad would be okay with that?” She leaned against the doorjamb, only slightly surprised when her mother jerked her head sharply at the question. She was expecting a resounding no but hoping for a reluctant yes.

“Um, I’m not sure. I’ll need to talk it over with him when he gets home. We haven’t been there in a long time,” she said, hesitantly.

“Well, actually, I was thinking of going with Kendra, Deja, and Jasmine. Like a girls’ trip to end the year. What do you think?” She held tightly onto the doorframe to keep her hands from shaking. This was the first time she had asked her parents for a big trip like this. If she got her mother on board, her father definitely wouldn’t object. Her mother went back to threading her sewing machine, but the tremble in her hands didn’t go unnoticed.

Charlene took a tentative step into the room. Her mother didn’t normally allow anyone in there; the doorway had served as a silent but daunting barrier between their home and her mother’s world. Before her mother could protest, she made her way across the room and gripped her mother’s hands in what she hoped would be a reassuring gesture.

“I’ll be safe, Mama. I promise. I know you worry, but I’m going to college in the fall, and I just want to enjoy my birthday with my friends before we split up. Everything will be okay.” Charlene hoped her speech helped a little, and if it didn’t, at least her mother was no longer shaking.

“I just worry, Charlene. Last time we were there… I’m just worried, that’s all. I’ll talk to your dad.” Charlene thought it would be best to let her mother decompress alone so she kissed her forehead and went back to her room. Her mother still looked worried but not as much and that was a win in Charlene’s book. She sat in the chair at her desk in the corner of her room and pulled out her phone.

Charlene: I think our girls trip might be on! Still have to ask dad but mom seems receptive.

Kendra: I hope so! My mom said I can go if Jasmine’s mom says she can. Her reply was followed by three eye rolling emojis. Kendra and Jasmine’s moms were best friends, but Jasmine was seen as the most responsible of the group. She had a full scholarship to Howard University, was the Senior Class President, and made it her mission to log at least one hundred and fifty community service hours every semester. She’d never missed a day of school or even gotten a B on her report card.

Jasmine: Well, great news for you because my mom just got off the phone with my dad and they said I can go! Deja? What’s up on your end?

Deja: I haven’t even asked my dad yet. I’m dreading his reaction. Y’all know how he is.

Charlene: Dej, if I asked then you can ask. After my sister, my parents have kept me under lock and key. If they let me do this, you better be there!

Deja: Fine, fine, since you’re twisting my arm, I’ll go ask. Charlene watched as the three bubbles disappeared from her screen, indicating Deja’s departure from her room.

Jasmine: What do you think he’ll say?

Kendra: I think he’ll let her come. He’ll feel bad if she’s the only one who has to stay behind.

Charlene didn’t have the heart to remind her friends that the trip wasn’t even set in stone. If anything, she could use that to her advantage. If her dad didn’t budge, she could tell him that all her friends had prepared themselves for this trip. He’d probably be upset that plans were made before he was aware, but he would be okay. There was only one week left in school and most of the seniors weren’t bothering to attend. The underclassmen were doing their finals, but the seniors were simply filling their days with old movies projected on smart boards. She snapped out of her thoughts when the chime of her phone filled her room.

Deja: Well guys…

Kendra: Well, what?

Jasmine: Give us good news please

Deja: Well, looks like if Charlene gets the green light, we’ll all be at the lake house! Charlene smiled at the GIF of people partying that Deja sent next. Now, she definitely needed a yes. She couldn’t let all her friends down. She intended to type that into their group chat but right before her thumbs could begin typing, the front door opened.

She checked the time on her computer and sure enough, five thirty blinked back at her. Her father was home. She wanted to run out and beg him to let her go, but her mother had already said she would talk it over with him. Her phone was forgotten on her desk table as unchecked anxiety ran through her body the rest of the evening.

Her leg bounced under the table all through dinner as she struggled to consume her food at a normal pace instead of scarfing it down to satisfy her anxious energy. She gave the normal small talk about her classes and her upcoming graduation. Her dad asked her about her senior trip, which was just a day trip to an amusement park an hour away. Every time she felt like she would burst, and she just had to ask him, her eyes would settle on her mother who also seemed to be filled with nervous energy. She’d be pulling away at the full, black curls that adorned her head, or wearing away the bottom threads of her shirt. One time, Charlene even caught her biting the inside of her cheek like a madwoman. She’d never seen her mother like this, not since Cherise had died all those years ago. Even then, she could hardly remember those days, but it must’ve been this bad.

So, she suffered in silence and waited for her father to knock on her door after she was clean and ready for bed as he did every night. Sometimes they would just talk. Other times they would read. Occasionally, he would help her with a project for school. Both her parents treated her as if any moment she would just float away, and she thought this was his way of making sure she hadn’t.

Either way, the knock on her door was highly anticipated; it sent her anxiety skyrocketing yet again.

“It’s open,” she called, sitting up in bed.

“Hey, are you sleeping?” He said, his voice soft as he took a few steps inside. Surprisingly, her mother was right behind him. She looked a lot better than she had earlier, and Charlene was glad her dad was able to calm her so efficiently.

“No, I’m awake. What’s up?” She smiled, her energy diminishing just a little as she realized it was time. This was the conversation she was waiting for. Her father pulled out her desk chair for her mother and rubbed her shoulders lightly as she sat, still soothing her.

“So, we’ve come to a decision on the lake cabin.” She noticed the light squeeze he gave her mom, who reached up and placed a hand over his.

“We think,” her mother started, “that this experience could be good for you, as long as you promise to check in every day and be very careful.” The rest of the sentence didn’t make it to Charlene’s ears past the sound of her blood pounding in her veins. Once she heard this experience could be good for you, she disregarded the strained tone in her voice and the pinched look on her face. It was almost like they wanted to say no but were compelled to say yes. Nevermind that though because she could go! She had to tell her friends.

“Of course! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” She jumped out of her bed, bursting with excitement, and punctuated her thank you’s with kisses on her mother’s face. Next, she tackled her father in a bear hug.

“I’ll call every morning when I wake up, and I’ll send so many pictures you’ll get tired of it. Thank you so much! I have to tell my friends!” Her parents finally relaxed in their positions, and she even saw a small smile leave her dad. She knew they would come around. She didn’t wait a second longer before calling her group chat. As soon as all her friends’ faces lit up the screen, she had to tell them the good news.

Their girls’ trip was happening, and it would be the best start to any summer they ever had. But if she knew what it was drawing her to the lake house, maybe she would have just stayed home.

Part II

Kendra slammed the car door as she took in the lake cabin. She was leaned against the side of the car, her sunglasses perched atop her head, and had just finished the last hour of the drive.

“Char, did someone come clean or something? There’s a lit candle in the window.” Charlene gathered her stuff: her charger, phone, sunglasses, and sunscreen from the floor mat where she had thrown them in the back seat.

“My parents sent some people to clean it up. We haven’t been here in like eight years. They probably left it lit when they left.” She pulled her glasses on to hide her eyes from the punishing sun. It blazed hotter than she remembered, coating her oily body in sweat. It didn’t help that her sunscreen hadn’t yet absorbed into her skin.

“It’s kind of small though. It looks like it’s been there a while.” Charlene looked over at the window where the candle sat. It was kind of small, but she doubted it was anything important.

“It’s probably whatever old candle they had lying around. Don’t worry about it.” She smiled, looking back at Kendra, but it faltered when she saw the candle go out from her peripherals. It was sudden and the flame had bowed dramatically before extinguishing, like someone had blown it.

“Come on, I want to get some pictures before we go to the lake!” Jasmine exclaimed, climbing out of the front seat with her camera hung around her neck. She smacked the top of the car, waking Deja in the process. “Get up, sleepyhead! It’s time for pictures!”

“Okay, fine, fine.” Deja grumbled, pushing her sunglasses over her eyes as she climbed slowly from the car. The drive there had been just over four hours and Deja took the first shift. The six AM drive had definitely worn her out, because she spent the last three hours drifting in and out of sleep in the backseat.

Deja opened the trunk and began handing out bags, grabbing hers last. She trailed behind Charlene, making their way to the front of the cabin for pictures. Jasmine pulled out a travel tripod and set up her camera, then told them how to pose.

“Alright, ladies. Let me see those pearly whites,” She smiled, taking her place at the end of the group. She and Charlene were the tallest, so they always took the outside, Kendra and Deja leaned towards each other in the middle.

“Cheese!” Deja smiled, just as Jasmine pressed the button on her little remote, snapping their picture.

“Deja, are you still doing that?” Kendra laughed as the flash from the camera faded.

“Yes! What? It’s classic!” Deja shrugged, all of the girls bursting out in a fit of laughter.

“Okay, one more. This time we all say cheese!” Jasmine said, posing for another picture.

“Cheese!” They said in unison.

“Oh yeah, I brought a little something to spice up our trip.” Kendra said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. She reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of clear alcohol with a bright colored label.

Charlene laughed, knowing what was coming next.

“Ken, this is why your mom thinks you’re irresponsible! You know I can’t be seen anywhere underage drinking,” she whispered the last two words, as if someone would hear her say them.

“Look where we are, Jas. Who’s going to see you?”

“No one!” Deja chimed. “I think it’s shot o’clock! Don’t you, Char?” Charlene laughed again, grabbing the bottle, and pulling out her keys to open the door.

“I think it is. A little alcohol won’t kill you, so come on. The fridge should be stocked. I’m starving.” The chill that settled over Charlene’s skin when she crossed the threshold was unmistakable, but she factored that to the hot, summer air outside. However, she couldn’t deny that being there again felt eerie. The sweat dripping down the back of her neck was making her skin feel gross, like wearing wet jeans. She set the bottle on the table.

“I need to put some cold water on my face. Can y’all see what’s in the fridge? I don’t think I ate before I left.” The normal feelings of hunger had alluded her and instead her stomach felt sick and empty. She did remember feeling so hungry, it made her feel sick so maybe this was the same situation.

“Yeah, we’ve got it. Go take a minute. You look a little flushed.” Jasmine gave her shoulder a quick pat, sending a reassuring smile her way.

Thankfully, there was a small half bath right past the living room. She made her way there and closed the door with a soft click. The second of darkness sent her skin crawling every which way before she found the light switch. Her body shuddered involuntarily as she took in her reflection. Her cinnamon colored skin looked red and sweaty. Small strands of her curly hair stuck to her forehead and ears; she’d sweated all the gel from her carefully laid edges. Before she could start picking apart the way she looked, she turned on the faucet and filled her shaking hands with cold water.

A sigh escaped her lips as soon as the cold water rushed down the back of her neck. She looked at herself in the mirror again, surprised at how alert her eyes were. The sun had drained her and when she looked earlier, her eyes looked tired, with just a little lingering enthusiasm dancing in them. She leaned closer to the mirror, staring intently. Then, it winked at her. She winked at herself? Whatever it was, Charlene jumped back in horror. To make matters worse, her reflection did not mirror the look of horror on her face. It smiled.

Charlene’s hands darted to her face, feeling to be sure she was seeing things correctly. Sure enough, her mouth hung open in stupefied panic, but her reflection just smiled.

Loud banging startled her out of her trance as Deja’s voice filled the bathroom.

“Charlene, are you okay? We made some sandwiches. Come out here and eat with us.” Charlene stole another glance at the mirror but this time, there were no surprises. It was just her pale face that looked back at her.

“I’m fine. I’m coming out now.” She turned off the water and left without looking again.

It was easy to forget about the strange occurrence over the next few days while she and her friends enjoyed the lake house. Deja convinced them all to do karaoke and Jasmine kept them fed. Charlene was able to show her friends all the fun things to do around the cabin, like canoeing, swimming, and drinking in her and her sister’s old treehouse in the woods.

Those steely eyes that mirrored hers only popped into her mind when she felt a strange chill in the hall or noticed things were not where she’d left them. She avoided every mirror in the house, covering the bathroom ones whenever she had to enter them. Even then, it was easy to disregard what she’d thought she saw and have fun with her friends, until things got worse.

“Wake up! Breakfast is ready!” Deja screamed through the top floor of the cabin. Every morning she woke them up by banging on pans with a wooden spoon. Charlene thought it was a little annoying, but she had to remember this was all of their first times being away from home for so long. Deja was just excited. So, she dragged herself out of the bed and forced her feet to move, one in front of the other, to the door.

“I’m up. You can stop now.” She croaked, her voice still raw from sleep.

“You’re up, but Ken’s not!” Deja yelled in a singsong voice. Charlene shook her head and made her way to the stairs. As annoyed as she was, she was ready to eat. The smell of French toast permeated the air, making her stomach rumble.

“Deja, if you don’t stop all that noise, I will literally kill you!” Charlene heard Kendra yell from her room.

“Not until I see your cranky butt in this hallway!” She yelled back. The sound of a door opening and running caught her attention, but she was sure they’d be fine.

“It smells good in here.” Her mouth watered as Jasmine filled plates with French toast, sausage, and eggs.

“It’ll taste good too if y’all come eat before it gets cold.” Right on cue, Kendra and Deja came down the stairs pushing each other, still laughing. If anyone had asked her then, Charlene never would have guessed how the day would end.

It didn’t take long for everyone to eat and put on their swimsuits. Jasmine had filled a cooler she found with spinach wraps and bottles of water. The plan was to spend the afternoon kayaking across the lake. The girls split up into pairs, Jasmine, and Charlene in one kayak and Deja and Kendra in the other.

They’d gone through Kendra’s short supply of alcohol on the first and second days, which Charlene was glad for because water activities and drinking did not mix. Their two kayaks were far enough that they could comfortably paddle without hitting each other, but close enough that they could hear each other.

“I haven’t told my dad yet that I’m going to UC Berkeley. I know it’s going to break his heart for me to be so far away.” Deja sighed. Apparently, it was that part of the trip, the part where they all talked about how far they would be from each other.

“I think he’ll be okay, Deja. He just wants what’s best for you. It’s never easy to leave your family behind, though.” Jasmine gave her a reassuring smile as they paddled on.

“I told my mom that I’m deferring for a year, and she nearly had a heart attack. I don’t know why our parents think we can’t make responsible decisions for ourselves. I’ve been saving up to travel for the last three years. I mean, I got into MIT for their computer engineering program. You would think she’d learn to trust me a little.” Kendra lamented. She spared a glance back at Deja and offered a small smile.

“I guess they’ll have to learn on their own time,” she added, wryly. “I think they’ll get better. Mom cried for a week when Kira went away.” Her older sister had gone Ivy League and moved away two years prior to go to Harvard. She came back to visit sometimes, but usually spent her summers and breaks working.

“What’s up with that, right? At least they know we’ll have to leave at some point. We only have four years to figure out what we want to be! Then, we stress about how our parents feel about our choices.” Jasmine laughed, ironically. Charlene thought she should weigh in, but she was starting to feel hot and sick again, similar to when they’d first arrived. The fear of vomiting if she opened her mouth was too great, so she let them carry on. She was content to sit in silence and take deep breaths to settle her stomach, until Deja and Kendra’s kayak began rocking.

“You’re going the wrong way!” Deja fussed, slamming her paddle into the water haphazardly.

“I’m in the front! You’re going the wrong way!” Kendra yelled back, whipping her paddle around just as furiously. Their kayak rocked harder. Charlene forgot about the sick feeling growing in her stomach and tapped Jasmine.

“What do we do? If they don’t calm down, they’ll tip over.” She asked, but before Jasmine could get any words out, they did just that. A scream burst from both their throats as they went down.

“Oh, my God.” Jasmine’s disbelief was as evident as Charlene’s. A few seconds later, both their heads appeared above the water; they were laughing.

“Are y’all okay?” Charlene asked, her own paddle now forgotten.

“Yeah, I guess we got too caught up in the conversation.”

“Yeah, I’m good too. But you can let go of my leg now, Ken.”

“I’m not touching your leg,” Kendra replied, turning to face Deja in the water. The feeling of horror returned to Charlene as she started to remember all the strange occurrences that had happened thus far.

“Dej, Ken, get back in your kayak, now.” She whispered, but it seemed her words weren’t loud enough.

“What do you mean? I can feel it,” Deja’s brow furrowed as she kicked her foot in the water.

“I swear I’m not.” She lifted her hands out of the water as proof.

“Guys, get out of the water, now!” Charlene yelled, startling them both.

“Jeez, ok—” Deja started, but her words were cut off as she was pulled under water. Kendra and Jasmine’s screams pierced the air, but Charlene couldn’t hear them. Her blood was rushing again, drowning her ears in static.

She jumped in and looked around, but she couldn’t see anything.

“Help me find her!” She called to her other two friends, but she couldn’t spare time to see if they actually followed. She dunked her head in again but came up to the sound of a scream.

“Help!” Deja’s voice found her from across the lake. How had she even gotten that far? There was barely a current at this time of day. Charlene swam toward her as fast as she could but by the time she got there, Deja was gone again.

“Charlene!” Deja called. She was holding on to a rock jutting from the water. The fear in her eyes was so strong, Charlene was afraid what she would say next. “Tell my dad that I love him.” She choked out, and then she dropped below the surface.

Charlene swam toward the rock anyway, hoping by some miracle that Deja was there and could be saved, but she was gone without a trace. She turned her head towards her other two friends, who were still searching frantically.

“Get out of the water, now! Forget the boats! Swim to the dock and get out!” She’d never felt so desperate before, but she was fairly certain Deja was dead. She was dead, and judging by the lingering feeling in her stomach, Charlene knew one of them would be next.

“What just happened?” Kendra yelled. “Did Deja just die?” Charlene looked between her and Jasmine. They wouldn’t get anything out of Jasmine. She was shaking so hard, it almost looked like chattering.

“I-I think so.” Charlene replied, pressing her fingers to her face in stress. She felt the tears burning behind her eyes, but she couldn’t cry right now. She needed to think.

“I did not sign up for this. We’re going home.” Charlene wrapped an arm around Jasmine and helped her move her feet.

“Ken, we can’t just leave. We can’t just leave Deja here. And look at Jasmine! She’s having a full on panic attack right now.”

“No!” Kendra interrupted. “No, Char. I’m going right now, and y’all can come with me or stay here. But I’m not doing this.” Her chest heaved. She turned and stomped toward the car. There was no stopping her. Charlene watched as she put her hand to her chest and reached for the car door.

Her grip on the door was so tight, her knuckles turned white. Then, she dropped to her knees. Charlene needed to check on her, but she still had Jasmine.

“Just sit here, okay?” She whispered, then ran to Kendra. “Ken? What’s wrong?” But no reply came. Kendra’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, her back hit the ground, and she started shaking. Convulsing. Bloody tears fell from her eyes.

“Kendra, no! Come on, stay with me.” Charlene put her hands under Kendra’s back, trying to lift her from the ground. A seizure? She didn’t know how to help a seizure! “Please, Ken. Please,” she cried, thick tears streaming down her face. Please, she thought, but after another minute, Kendra had stopped moving. Charlene let out a loud scream of frustration and grief. This couldn’t be happening. At least Jasmine—Jasmine!

She looked up to find Jasmine holding her long braids in white-knuckled terror.

“No, no, no,” she cried, repeatedly.

“Come on, let’s just go inside.” Charlene went to her, pulling her to her unsteady feet and half carried her to the door. Clearly, they couldn’t leave but she didn’t understand what was happening. She never remembered the house being haunted before. If she could make it out with Jasmine, at least it wouldn’t be a total failure.

Slamming the door behind them, Charlene helped Jasmine onto the couch and began looking around for a weapon. What kind of weapon would help fight something she couldn’t see, she wasn’t sure, but she had to try.

“Charlene?” Jasmine’s frightened voice filled her ears. Charlene stilled. Please, no. Please, God, no. “Charlene, what’s happening?” Jasmine tried again. She turned slowly, afraid what she would see when she turned around.

Jasmine’s feet had left the ground and the strap of her camera was digging into her neck. Her hands gripped it, clearly trying to create some space between her and the material so she could breathe. There was nothing Charlene could do but watch. Jasmine’s face turned red, and her feet thrashed in the air. Then, her friend’s body sagged, and she knew that she was dead too. She didn’t realize she was crying until the pain from straining her throat bloomed in her chest.

She wanted to ask why she deserved this, or what she had done. She didn’t even have a chance to fight back. A voice cut through the sound of her desperate sobs.

“Hello, sister.”

Part III

“It’s been a long time since we last saw each other.” Charlene jumped to her feet, startled that now she was standing face to face with her twin sister, Cherise.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” was all she could manage.

“Oh, I am. Why do you think you’re here?” She didn’t know how she’d missed it. She should have thought about it as soon as she’d seen her reflection in the mirror. For some reason, if she’d ever pictured Cherise as a ghost, she would have been frozen in time, the same eleven year old girl she was when she’d died.

“Why do you look like me? Why do you look older?”

“You’ll learn all that in due time. I’m here to talk about you. Don’t you want to know why I killed all your friends?” Charlene barely remembered the day Cherise died. She couldn’t imagine she deserved whatever punishment she was being given.

“Why?” She sniffed. Cherise leaned close to her face. This close, her ghostly skin looked too real. If she reached out, Charlene wondered if she could feel it.

“I killed them because you killed me.”

“What?” Charlene jumped back. She wanted to deny it, but the memories of that day came flooding back into her mind.

“I know you remember. I just want to know why. What made you push me into the lake that day? I know you did it on purpose because you told me I could get into the canoe without my life jacket. You knew I couldn’t swim. So, why?” Charlene’s heart hammered in her chest. She wanted to lie, to spin some story that would absolve her of whatever accountability Cherise wanted her to take. There was no good answer.

“You always got everything.” She muttered instead, unable to quell the scowl that spread across her face. “Everyone loved you so much they hardly ever saw me. You were so good at everything you tried. I know our parents loved you more. Do you think that’s fair?” Once she started, she couldn’t stop. The words spewed out of her like a busted pipe. “Do you think it’s fair that you got all the love, all the attention, all the time and you never had to work for it?” Cherise’s eyes widened in shock.

“You know what’s funny about watching what someone else has? You always miss what you have. I loved you so much it hurt. Even when I first died and I got stuck here, I stayed for you. I just knew you didn’t do it on purpose. Half of the activities I joined, I only did them because you did. I wanted to be closer to you.”

Charlene wanted to hear what Cherise was saying, but all she could think was how once again, she had taken everything from her. She wanted to care that her sister was in pain, and obviously had been all these years, but she couldn’t. The hate that festered in her chest was too strong.

“So, am I supposed to feel bad? You just killed all my friends. They didn’t do anything. Whatever I did to you, you deserved it.” Charlene was expecting a lot of different reactions, but the one she hadn’t considered was the wide, vindictive smile that split Cherise’s face. Her misty eyes only made it look more deranged. “Are you going to kill me next? Is that what you want? You think it’ll make us even?”

“I’m not going to kill you at all. I’m going to make you watch, like you made me. I’m going to take everything from you: your future, your friends, the love you stole from me, the way you took everything from me. If I kill you, your suffering ends.”

Before Charlene could say another word, something hit her in the side of her head. She hadn’t even been watching Cherise move. Now, as she dropped to the ground, darkness tinging the edges of her vision, she could see that her sister hit her with an urn from the console table.

Soon, she couldn’t see anything at all.

Part IV

Charlene woke with a pounding in her head, but otherwise she felt fine. She had no idea where Cherise had gone, but she woke up on the kitchen floor, so she must’ve dragged her there. Her whole body shivered, like an endless cold had settled into her veins. She must’ve lost a lot of blood. She needed to get to a hospital.

She shuffled her way through the house, barely feeling her legs. Once she got to the hospital, she could call someone. She didn’t want to leave her friends’ bodies there to rot where no-one could properly mourn them. When she stepped outside, she heard something unexpected. Kendra. She was laughing.

“This definitely ranks number one of the craziest experiences I’ve had with y’all.” Deja’s voice was clear, unmarred by fear and panic. Charlene turned her head and saw all of her friends standing by the car. She had seen them all die! She had cried for them! What did this mean?

Guys, she tried, but her mouth wouldn’t move. Her voice just resonated inside her own head.

“I don’t know. Marco’s bonfire last year was pretty wild,” Jasmine said through a smile.

“Oh, please,” Kendra shuddered, “let’s not talk about that weekend ever again.” They all looked so happy, so real. Charlene wanted to cry again but no tears burned behind her eyes.

“Where is that girl? We’ve been waiting forever.” Deja mumbled under her breath.

“Char, hurry up!” Jasmine shouted. Charlene was so happy to see her smiling and yelling, her hands free of trembles and her chest rising and falling with each breath. She went to take another step but seemed to hit a wall. She tried again but she couldn’t walk towards the car.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Charlene snapped her head back at the sound of her own voice. She could see herself running down the stairs with various items in her hands. “You’re rushing me like you didn’t forget your phone, Jasmine!” Her voice spoke again, walking through the front door and right past her.

“What?” Jasmine checked her pockets, surprised when her phone was gone. “I thought I had it.”

“No, you were too busy rushing out here to get first shot gun.” Deja grumbled in annoyance.

Wait, I’m right here! Charlene screamed, but no one could hear her. She watched herself get into the car. Not her, Cherise, in her body. Cherise turned to face her sister with a wide, mocking smile on her face, waving goodbye as if they had agreed upon this arrangement. She hated her so much, she wanted to scream and fight, but it was too late. Cherise was already riding off with her friends and she was trapped.

She went back into the house, as it seemed it was the only place she could go, but it was no longer empty. It was filled with spirits staring right at her.

Charlene James, eight years ago you were instructed to kill your sister, Cherise James. You have failed in your task and must serve out the rest of her sentence. We demand retribution. We demand justice, the spirits called in unison.