“Honey! I’m home! I got us some food waiting at the hotel! Honey?”

“MOM! I'M RIGHT HERE!”

“Honey?”

She couldn’t hear me. She walked right through me. Walked around the house. Looked upstairs. Looked in the backyard. She looked everywhere. She didn’t go down in the cellar. She tried but the door was locked shut. She dialed 911 while I was sitting on the floor crying. Never again would I be able to see my mom.

“Officer?...Yes, my daughter is missing!...I last saw her when I left to go get a hotel for the night...we just got a new house and I left her...yes I left her at the house...she is 16 I thought it would be fine…My name?...Miranda Nightshade...Address?...2209 Quater Lane Mascara, Nebraska...I will wait by the door for you...yes...thank you…”

She sat on the beat-up couch and cried.

“Mom. I know you can’t hear me. I know you have no idea where I am. I bet you have lots of questions. I am sorry I yelled at you. I love you. I was just frustrated that we had to move. I am sorry mom. I love you.”

I started crying. I loved her so much and I yelled at her. She used to be my best friend. Now, I am dead and she thinks it is all her fault.

Knock, knock.

“Hello, officer come on in.”

“This house is...”

“Destroyed. I know. This is our new house and we walked into this mess. I called the guy who sold us the house and he told me to get some food for the night. He convinced me to get a hotel for the night as well.”

“So, you left to get a hotel and when you came home you couldn’t find her anywhere?”

“Yes. I looked upstairs, in the backyard, the main level…”

“I looked through the records before I came here and I saw that there is a cellar. Did you by chance look there?”

“There is a door in the kitchen. I think it leads to the cellar but, it’s locked.”

“Did she by chance trap herself down there?”

“Maybe?”

“Do you give us permission to kick down the door and check the cellar out?”

“Anything to find my baby.”

The officers walked to the kitchen and looked around. They took some samples of the surrounding area. If only they knew what was waiting for them in the basement.

“Rayla?”

“Did anyone hear anything? I sure didn’t.”

“Rayla I want to apologize. I understand now how terrible you must have felt.”

“Well fat good that does now.”

“I can help you see your mom again!”

“How?”

“You remember when you went exploring into the cellar and you saw me?”

“Yeah?”

“I can teach you how to manifest yourself into the form of…”

“Cut to the chase.”

“I can teach you how to become visible to the human eye.”

“REALLY! HOW? SHOW ME NOW!!!

“Ok...um...think about your loved ones...then think about hate...and think about seeing people again. That should do it.”

“I am thinking about my mom. And my dad. I wish they never left each other. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened. I hate myself for going into the cellar. I hate you for putting me into this mess. I just want to see my mom.”

“Honey?”

“MOM!!”

“Where? How? What?”

“I am so glad to see you.”

“Where were you? I just want to hug you…”

She walked towards me and tried to hug me. But, as you guessed she went through me. I have no idea how the thing was able to pick up things. If only she would have told me.

“You. You. You are…”

“I know mom. I’m dead. I can’t tell you how but I can tell you this; you do not want to go in the cellar. After we fix up this house a bit it is good for living in. I can not live anywhere but this house. I have been cursed to stay here.”

“Ma’am forgive me but we need to know how you died.”

“I died by something that you can not perceive. If you do not go into the cellar you will be fine. You will not suffer the same fate I did. Trust me.”

“Mrs. Nightshade?”

“Yes.”

“Should we knock down the door to the basement now?”

“No. Thank you, officer. I think everything is alright now.”

The officer shook my mom’s hand and left. My mom looked me up and down. Then she started crying.

“I missed you so much! How will this ever work out?”

“I think I have an idea.”