The Thir13enth Ghost: Legacy



By: Magdalena Iris Roth



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James Madison High School, New York:

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

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Chloe stared out the third floor window of the high school, she was in the guidance councilor's office. As she focused her attention on the rising sun and the dew covered grass, she felt peaceful for a moment, of course it was shattered by the sound of Ms. Moore trying to make contact with her.

"Chloe, have you been sleeping better?" the councilor asked the daydreaming girl.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's been better." Chloe muttered.

"So no more bad dreams?"

"Well, there've been dreams, just not bad ones. Not like the ones I did have..." she said trailing off.

"Look, I know you're growing tired of all this therapy, but what you did really was-"

"Really was what? It was an accident, I've told you all that a hundred times! Besides, it was three years ago!" Chloe said in anger, interrupting Ms. Moore.

"Was trying to kill yourself an accident too?" the councilor asked concerned.

Chloe remained silent, covering her wrists with the long sleeves of the gray sweater she wore.

The bell suddenly rang in the hallway next to them.

"Well, time for class... please try to have a good day." Ms. Moore begged.

"Sure." Chloe sighed with annoyance.

The girl got up from the seat by the window, her long dark auburn hair falling around her face, not knowing whether it wanted to be straight or curly. She grabbed her backpack, slinging it over one shoulder as she walked to the door.

"Oh, and Chloe..." the councilor whispered, the girl turned towards her as she opened the door. "Happy Birthday."

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" 'The Autumn wind swept through her curly hair as the crimson fluid dripped across the cold concrete like liquid rubies, her tears seemed to be made of the same blood that now flowed from her fallen friend's chest...' " the short red head narrated from the paperback book in her hand to the thin boy at her side as they stood by the lockers.

"Wow, now that... is deep!" the lengthy boy added as he filled his blue backpack with heavy books from his locker. "When did she publish it?"

"2006" the red haired girl said, looking at the back cover of the book for the date.

The girl with short curly red hair, Ellie, adjusted her round silver framed glasses as she found her place in the novel. The tall, thin boy, Zeke, continued to rummage through his messy locker, trying to find his books for class.

Chloe walked down the hallway, in search of her locker and friends, when she found them, her face became solid white.

"What are you reading!?!" Chloe asked Ellie and Zeke in a furious tone as she caught sight of the book.

"Uh... me, I'm not reading anything... you know I never learned to read..." Zeke mumbled, nervously looking through his backpack.

"Not you!" she scolded, looking at Ellie.

"Uh... I was just..." the red head stalled, hiding the book behind her back.

"Give me it!" Chloe shouted, holding out her hand as her dark teal eyes lined in black stared at her evilly.

"God! Sorry for living!" Ellie whined, handing over the book to the angry brunette.

Chloe took the book, glancing at the cover, which read 'The Thir13enth Ghost by Evelyn Rafkin'. She turned and started to walk down the hallway, away from the lockers, her friends followed.

"What are you wearing?" Ellie asked her, referring to the old gray sweater that was two sizes too big, which Chloe was wearing.

"Its cold out." Chloe muttered as she walked ahead of them.

"Yeah, weird weather we've been havin' huh?" Zeke shrieked as he managed to keep up with the two girls.

"Yup, September twenty-fifth, and it feels like winter! Well... fall anyway." Ellie said in her sweet quiet little voice as she pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose.

"It's hell's winter outside..." the brunette muttered emotionless under her breath.

"Can I have my book back, please?" the red head questioned eagerly.

"No... why do you want to read this anyway?" Chloe wondered, looking down at the book.

Because it was the New York Times best seller four months in a row, not to mention the writer is on the Best Selling Authors' List of horror!" Ellie convinced.

"Yeah, that was like over twelve years ago!" Chloe argued, throwing the paperback book in the nearest garbage can as she entered her first period class.

"Hey! That cost me eight bucks!" Ellie whined, Zeke reached his long arm into the trashcan, pulling out the book and smiling as he handed it back to the little red head.

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"I know it's been almost a month since the first day of school, but I still don't know some of your names." The teacher echoed over the full classroom. "So when I call your name, raise your hand and tell me if you have a nickname you would like to be called by."

Chloe sat in the desk next to Ellie and Zeke, she stared at the wooden desktop in front of her obliviously.

"Andrea Adler, Josh Alden..." the teacher called as Chloe daydreamed.

"God! I hope she doesn't say my whole name!" Zeke whispered as he laid is head on the desk.

"Don't be ashamed, it's a nice name..." Ellie encouraged him, cleaning off her book.

"Ezekiel Lawrence." The teacher called.

"Zeke!" Zeke said loudly as he raised his hand, the teacher wrote down what he wanted to be called. "God! What was my parents smoking when they named me!?!" he whispered, annoyed.

"Eleanor Owens." The teacher echoed.

"Ellie." The red head said, raising her hand.

The teacher continued calling the students' names, Chloe continued to stare off into space.

"Chloe Rafkin." the teacher called... no answer. "Chloe Rafkin!" she called louder.

"Huh?" Chloe muttered as she came back to reality, the class began to laugh hysterically.

"Miss Rafkin I would prefer if you stay coherent in my class." The teacher scolded, Chloe nodded.