Chapter 2
Savannah's POV
It was Halloween. Everybody was dressed up in costumes. Initially, I didn’t want to come to the party, but my best friend, Maddie, insisted. There were too many people. Some time ago I lost Maddie in the crowd. Given the perfect opportunity, I stepped outside. The night sky was breathtaking and I couldn’t help, but look at the stars. That peace didn’t last long. Maddie found my hiding place too soon.
"Savannah Rose Morrison! I've been looking for you everywhere. You promised me that you'll try to socialize."
Maddie was looking at me in a weird way, as if someone was right there with me. I subtly glanced around and I was right. There were only the two of us. Nobody else.
"Geez, Maddie! Calm down. And what's with that look, it's just me. There's nobody out here so please don't look like you've seen a ghost. By the way, I tried, but you know I don't like parties. Let me remind you that you were the one who didn't give me a choice."
"Fine. Let's go back inside. It's chilly."
I have no clue why Maddie was acting so strange ever since she found me on the balcony. She looked like she saw a ghost when she came outside. When I was about to ask her what happened out there she was nowhere to be found. I didn't even see her disappear. Then she reappeared a few minutes later with a huge grin on her face.
"Maddie, why are you acting so strange? Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes, why?"
"First you acted like you've seen a ghost and now like a lunatic."
"Sorry about that. I was just afraid and didn't know where you were. And now I'm just happy that I was able to drag you with me."
"If you say so." - I told her totally unconvinced.
We've been best friends ever since my elder sister kicked me out of our one bedroom apartment when her boyfriend came over. I was wandering the streets for hours when Maddie approached me. When she heard what happened she gave me a place to stay at their house. I was only 14 and she was 15, but we instantly bonded and became best friends. My sister is five years older than me and she's been taking care of me when our parents decided to leave us. She legally adopted me not wanting me to end up in a foster home. I got used to being kicked out of the apartment at least twice a week and I always end up at Maddie's place. She told me countless times to move in with her, but I don't want to burden her.
The next morning I woke up to a commotion. I checked the time and it was almost 9 am. Sleepily I made my way outside of the bedroom and the sight shocked me. A number of boxes were in the hallway and in the kitchen and none of them belonged to us. My sister was standing in the kitchen, between two huge boxes.
"Anna, what the hell is going on? What are these boxes?"
"Adam's moving in today."
"What do you mean he's moving in and where exactly?"
"To the bedroom of course."
"And where am I supposed to be then?"
"You have to figure that out, Savannah."
"Why didn't you tell me anything? Am I homeless now?"
"It slipped my mind."
"How can you forget something like this?" - I asked, but I didn't get an answer.
I hated my sister when she did something like this. Frustrated, I went to the bedroom and got dressed. I dragged a suitcase from the bottom of the closet and started packing. I was ready one hour later and called an uber. I dragged two huge suitcases behind me and rang the doorbell at Maddie's house. Moments later she opened the door and her eyes widened.
"What happened, Sav?"
"Anna kicked me out. Adam's moving in today. I didn't know where else to go."
"Your sister is a bitch. Come on in and give me one suitcase. Jesus, what did you pack? Why is this so heavy?"
"I had to pack everything. In the suitcase you're holding are my books."
"Oh, my God! You're insane, Sav. You packed your books instead of your necessities."
"You know they're my prized possessions. I can't just leave them behind. Is somebody here?" - I asked and she became pale.
"N-no. Why?"
"There are two glasses on the table."
"Oh, that. Hahaha, it's for you."
"For me? You didn't even know I'll come here today. What's happening Maddie?"
"Everything's okay. Nothing's going on."
"Maddie! Are you in some kind of trouble?"
"Of course not! Let's just carry your suitcases upstairs."
She was hiding something that's for sure. She was stuttering and avoiding eye contact. I knew she won't tell me anything unless she's ready, but I was worried. She's been acting like this since yesterday and I didn't like it. We were almost at the top of the stairs when somehow the wheels of the suitcase Maddie was carrying got stuck and it came tumbling down taking me down too. Maddie watched this happen in horror, but somehow I didn't get crushed or landed on the floor in a painful way. I was lying on top of the suitcase and I had no idea how that was possible. According to physics the suitcase should've landed on me, not the other way around.
“Oh, God, Sav! Are you okay? I'm so sorry.”
“I'm fine Maddie, but how did I land on the suitcase? It's impossible.”
“I don't know Sav, but I'm glad you didn't break your neck. See, your books are trying to kill you.”
“Don't sweat about this, I'm okay. Let's try this again.”
On the second try everything went okay. Only one thing made me suspicious. On the first try Maddie was struggling, but this time she carried the suitcase with ease. Maybe I saw it like this because of the fall. I didn't say anything, not wanting to sound insane. With a huff I managed to put the suitcase on the bed and with Maddie's help I started unpacking. We finished fairly quickly and we went to the living room and I saw something shocking. The glass wasn't on the table. Somebody was in the house apart from us. Maddie was with me for the whole time, so she couldn't have put it away.
“Maddie, are you sure nobody else is here?”
“Yes, why?”
“Because the glass from the table isn't there anymore and neither of us could've put it away.”
“I don't know what happened, but I can tell you that the house is perfectly safe.”
I just looked at her skeptically, but let it slide. She didn't seem fazed when I told her that the fucking glass disappeared on its own. Maybe I hit my head and I just didn't realize it.
“I'll cook something for lunch as a thank you for letting me stay here.”
“Don't be ridiculous, of course you can stay here as long as you want. I told you before to move in, but you've always refused. Can you make the famous Morrison casserole?”
“Of course, I know that's your favorite. I'll be back soon, I need to find my hair tie.”
When I turned around I felt sick to my stomach. The glass was on the table again. I was sure that I hit my head when I fell down the stairs. Two minutes ago the table was empty and now it's not. Maddie was standing in front of me and she didn't move towards the table.
“Maddie! The glass is on the table again. What the fuck is going on here?”
“I don't know what you are talking about Sav. I was here the whole time. I'm not pranking you.”
“I know that! Something's happening and I don't like it. Is your house haunted?”
“Don't be ridiculous! You've been here many times. You know it's not haunted. Now go and get your hair tie so I can eat sooner.”
She acted like everything was normal, but it wasn't. Or maybe the problem was with me and she just didn't know what to do. I quickly found my hair tie and made my way downstairs when I heard Maddie talking to someone.
“I feel so bad for Sav. She doesn't understand what's going on…I know, I know that I made a promise that I'll act like nothing's happening…Sure, I'll try to be more subtle.”
“Who are you talking to? There's nobody else here.”
“I was just talking to myself.”
“Okay, but why do you feel bad for me?”
“Because of your sister. She just kicked you out and didn't care whether you could stay somewhere safe or not. I know that you're grateful that she adopted you when your parents left you, but she didn't really care about you. She's been kicking you out since you were 14.”
“I know that you're mad at her, but she's still my sister. If it wasn't for her I'd have been sent to a foster home. At least I got to stay with my only relative I know of. Anyway, should I make the casserole only for lunch?”
“Do a little more please.”
“Sure thing. Go and relax until I'm done with the cooking. Then we can eat.”
Once Maddie left the reality started to sink in. My sister really kicked me out this time without even telling me. It's not like I wasn't paying for the rent and everything else. I was a teacher at the local high school and I always paid my share. I know she didn't want to deal with a 14 year old kid when she was just 19 herself. It was a difficult period for both of us, but we survived and now I have to survive without her. Sometimes I think I've been surviving on my own since our parents left us. Sometimes I think that without Anna I wouldn't have survived.
I quickly snapped out of my thoughts when something shattered in the living room. I rushed in with Maddie at the same time. That goddamn glass was in pieces on the floor. I looked at Maddie with wide eyes, but she wasn't looking at me. She was staring at something beside me. I turned my head to the side, but nothing was there. I looked at her and now she was looking at me with wide eyes and then she blushed.
“What's going on with you? Why are you blushing?”
“It's nothing. I just don't understand how that glass ended up on the floor.”
“I don't know either, I was in the kitchen. I'll get the broom and take care of this mess.”