Ghostly Games

The lunch room was filled with typical teen chatter of weekend plans and dramatic problems involving friends and boyfriends. On the other side of the lunchroom, near the window overlooking the outside lunch tables, the teens were getting to know their new classmate.

“So Ali, how long have you been here before you attended?” Lucy asked with curious eyes.

“About two weeks, there was some problem with the paper work.”

“Ah you don’t have to tell me about paper work; it took my parents three weeks to have me admitted into the school,” Miles said with a smile.

You act like that’s something to be proud of,” Lucy looked at him with a confused yet irritated look.

“It is.”

“Anyways…,” Melody interrupted, “how do you like New York so far Ali?”

“It’s nice, interesting…and very mysterious.”

The teens blinked a few times and the boys eye each other with a cautious look before looking back at Ali.

“Um…what do you mean…mysterious?” Josh asked.

“I saw this house on my way over and I had passed it a few times when I wanted to see where the school was so I wouldn’t get lost finding it on the first day. Anyways there’s this abandoned house a few blocks from here-“

“Oh you mean Miss, Johnson’s house. She died a few months ago and the never bothered with the house. She was a hoarder and after animal control took her animals…well rumor has it that after the animals were taken she died,” Melody explained.

“You mean like the animals were keeping her alive?”

“Yep.”

“So that’s the rumor….what’s the real story.”

“No one really knows. She was a nice lady and all, but she never really….ermm.”

“They just didn’t bother with an autopsy and releasing the information since she was pretty much a hermit who would breed animals,” Josh cut in.

“Interesting…”

“So why are you interested in the house? Looking to buy?” Miles asked with a clown like smile.

“No, I want to investigate.”

“Investigate?” The teens said in unison and Ali nodded.

“But I guess the real word I’m looking for is hunt.”

“Hunt? You want to hunt what? Ghost?” Josh said before laughing, he soon stopped when he noticed the look on Ali’s face as she nodded.

“So you’re one of those people who believe in ghost, huh?”

No. I’m one of those people who hunt ghost.”

“Stop joking!” Josh nearly said in a scared tone.

“I’m not and if you don’t believe me, you can see for yourself.”

The teens looked at each other for a while before looking back at Ali and nodding.

“You just name the time and place and we’ll be there!” Miles said with a determined look.

“This afternoon in front of the house,” Ali said before getting up and walking away, leaving the teens dumbfounded.