Leaving the library, the setting sun catches my eye, so I put my hand up to block it. Just then, in the corner of my eye, I saw a woman in a brown dress, walking down the steps beside us. She looked down attempting to hide her flushed face. She too was interrupted by the wrath of  B.O.B. (big orange ball) mimicking the way I held my hand up. When I blinked, she disappeared.

I remembered that dress from my dream. It was the one my character was wearing! This was Emilia! I turned to look at Josh and Demy, they had not seen her. But they did see the shock in my eyes, like I had seen a ghost.

“Em? You alright?” Josh asked softly.

The color had drained from my face. “U-uhm. Yeah. Yeah, just a ghost.” I laughed the sight off. I’ve seen ghosts many times before. Men, women, kids, but never something that cut so deep to give me chills. Was this the lady that was in my dreams? Is the other woman near here? Esther?

I’m so anxious. Not from a test, not from my parents’ divorce, but from a freaky ghost woman! I’m dreading the night time. How am I going to get through the night if the ghost paralyzes me again? Will she kill me this time?? I get an idea to maybe hold me over for, at least, tonight.

“Ooh, I have an idea. What if I stay at someone else’s house tonight so the creepy lady doesn’t stalk me.” 

Dem and Josh exchange looks, then turn their attention back to me.

“Cool! Whose house though?” Josh replies.

“Probably the one that is farthest possible from mine.” I return with a sarcastic laugh.

I really hope the lady is just bound to the house and not me. This anxiety is eating me alive. Just the idea of her boney knees on my chest again haunts me to my core. 

We all hop into Demy’s little car. I sit in the back while Josh sits in the passenger seat. I feel like a little kid again, except I’m 5’6 now and can barely keep my feet off the back of Josh's seat in Demy’s tiny blue Toyota. 

“Okay. Uh, whose house are we crashing tonight? Mine or Joshy’s?” 

Me and Josh scoff at dem calling him Joshy. “I already said ‘the farthest possible house from mine’! Josh’s is farthest.”

“I know, I know. Just making sure.” Dem reassures me as she starts the car.

Josh’s house was the best option being a whole five houses from mine. We all live super close to each other, which is really nice when we sneak out or even just hanging out. It’s not nice though when you're trying to get as far as possible from your house. Maybe five houses is far enough, I can only hope.