Author's Note: Hey Everyone. I know you were all pushing me to continue writing this story, and I'm sorry that I deleted it from my account. However, I recently came up with a really good idea for this story, so I've decided to rewrite the whole thing. I hope you all enjoy the new spin on this story, and I look forward to reading your thoughts about it in my reviews! Happy reading!

Chapter 1 Freedom

I've always known that I'm different. That's something I've always accepted about myself. Something that other's aren't always quite as easily able to accept.

For one, I much prefer being in the company of animals rather than other people. You see, animals don't lie-they can't. Animals always give you their undying loyalty. Humans, on the other hand, are monsters in comparison. However, I have found a few that can be bearable at times.

That's not the only reason why I'm different though. My past is another thing that segregates me from the others. When I was a little kid, both of my parents were killed. Everyone told me it was a tragic accident; that the car could have crashed into anyone. But I know better. They were murdered. Murdered by a man I'm loath to call family.

I growl and kick at the sand as I pull my black Stenson over my eyes, blocking the sun from my face. I hate him with every fiber of my being. He started my whole curse. I don't know how, but it started when he killed my parents.

That's the major thing that separates me from other people. Normal people don't walk around seeing ghosts.

The waves lap onto the sand, the dull crashing sound slipping through my every thought. Nearing the horizon line, the sun is out and glowing brightly, still managing to create a burning sensation along my back even through my black shirt. Unfortunately, there isn't any wind blowing to help cool down the burn.

I let out a deep sigh, moodily kicking the sand again. Stupid sand-it doesn't even know what real hardship is. It just sits there lazily in the sun all day long, occasionally being swept away into the cold recess of the ocean.

"Chelsea!" A sudden voice snaps me out of my sour thoughts.

"I hate that name." I mutter under my breath, not even bothering to turn my head to look at my new companion.

By the voice however, I can tell that it's Cliff. He's my only friend in this godforsaken town. My eyes trail drearily across the ocean horizon. The sight is actually quite beautiful, but I can't bring myself about to care about it. I used to love living in small towns, but this one has trapped me for far too long. This town is flooded with nightmares.

"What happened to you last night?" Cliff asks me thoughtfully as he moves to stand in front of me, his shadow falling across my eyes and blocking the sun. "Ann and I waited ages for you." Ann is Cliff's girlfriend, and even I have to admit they're really cute together.

I slip my hand into my pocket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes and ignoring Cliff's words. Popping the opening of the container, I draw a cigarette from the package, removing a lighter from my pocket at the same time. But before I can even light it up, my cigarette is stolen from me.

"Cliff." I warn him dangerously, turning my head up to look at him. "Give it back."

"Are you smoking again?" He looks at the small white cylinder in disgust, his coffee-coloured eyes examining the object with a mixture revulsion and horror.

I let out a soft sigh. I can't bring myself to scowl at my best and only friend. His brown hair falls messily into his eyes, a disappointed expression written all over his baby face. "I thought you said you quit?" He asks, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"No, I quit drinking. I never said anything about smoking." Cliff rolls his eyes at my statement, crossing his arms, his regular brown clothes easily adjusting with the movement. He gives me a look, and I nearly laugh out loud at his attempt at a hard glare.

But I give no response to his glare, and he lets out a sigh-pity flowing through that one breath. He looks at the cigarette he's holding in between his fingers. "How can you even stand this stuff? It smells horrible." His brown eyes glance down warily at me.

I shrug my shoulder, giving up on the lost cigarette and picking out another from my pack. Cliff sighs as I light it up, bringing the tip to my lips and breathing in, exhaling a puff of smoke before a soft smile graces my lips. Oh, that's better.

Cliff drops the cigarette he took from me, squishing it below his foot. "I really don't like you smoking. The drinking was bad enough."

I look up at him, a sadistic grin on my face. "You gotta admit, the smoking is better than the drinking."

He rolls his eyes. "What am I going to do with you?" He glances down at me as I let out another puff of smoke. "I never thought I would meet someone even more antisocial than I am."

I chuckle softly to myself. I'm glad I have him around. If it weren't for Cliff, I probably would have been shipped off to the loony bin by now. Hell, if Cliff knew the things I've seen, he'd willingly ship me off too.

That's one of the reasons I don't make very many friends. It's not good to get close to me; bad things happen. I don't mean for them to, but they do.

"So who was it last night?"

I let out a calm, cool puff of smoke, watching in fascination as the smoke drifts lazily away. "What makes you think I was with someone?"

Cliff squats down, his arms resting on his knees, as he looks me in the eyes. "Chelsea, you and I are best friends. You never miss a chance to hang out. In the past, the only times you've ever ditched me are when you're with someone."

I chuckle softly, my cigarette stuck between my lips. A wry grin slowly spreads its way onto my face. Glancing out at the water, I can't help but admire how the sun sparkles on the water.

"Karen." I finally utter, noticing that my cigarette is growing dangerously short. Oh yeah, there's something else different about me. Most people swing one way, but I swing both ways. I'm in the middle. I like boys, but I like girls too. Straights generally avoid me because of the whole homophobia thing, and gays tend to dislike me at times because they don't like that I can't pick a side to stand on. It's not like I can help it. I'm not lying or trying to trick anyone; I just like both.

"Oh Chelsea." Cliff sighs quietly, turning his body to glance out at the sea with me. "Rick is going to murder you."

I chuckle softly, once again thankful that Cliff doesn't give a fuck about what my sexual preference is. One of the reasons why I actually keep him as a friend. Besides, Rick is full of hot air. The most he can do is yell my ear off, and that's not very scary. I can easily take the chicken kid down.

"Really? Karen?" Cliff turns, doubt laced in his voice and expression. I chuckle, puffing a cloud of smoke away from his face. I don't blame him for not believing me-Karen's a real tough cookie. "How'd you manage that?"

Karen had actually just been in a fight with Rick, and was at the bar drinking her pain away last night. Just like me, it takes a lot of alcohol to get her drunk, so she must have been there a while. When I went there for a beer before going to meet Cliff and Ann at Mary's bookstore, she was wasted beyond belief.

"I got lucky." I chuckle softly, dropping my cigarette into the sand and squishing out the ember with the heel of my black boots. Cliff sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingertips, still balancing on his heels. I wince slightly; I know that's his sign of an oncoming headache. Although, it's rather funny if you think about it. Both Cliff and I are twenty years old, we've been friends since we were six, but I've always felt that he was a couple years older than me. He's always looking out for me.

"Chelsea, you can't go around having sex with other guy's girlfriends."

The remark shoots straight and true to a soft spot in my heart, and my lips twist downward in bitter anger. "It's not my damn fault everyone in this godforsaken town is taken Cliff." Under my breath I mutter, "Besides, she asked for it", but I think he ignores the second part.

Cliff is used to my random mood swings by now though. Friends for nearly fourteen years, how could you not be? I moved into this town with my uncle, the man I hate with my whole heart, when I was six. Cliff has been my other half since then. Funny, I don't like him in a romantic way in the slightest, but I don't know what I would have done without him. I'd go crazy that's for sure. He's that little bit of normality that I can cling to in my crazy life.

He stands up straight, picking up the two cigarettes that I had been planning on cleaning up when I left. Gently, he offers me a small smile. "Why don't you leave then?"

I take in a deep breath, leaning back and gazing out into the ocean. It's a perfectly reasonable question. One he's been asking me ever since I crossed the line from a teenager into a legal adult. But I can't give him the answer. I have to avenge their deaths before I can leave.

I fall back into the sand, letting the heat from the small grains transfer to my back, nearly burning my skin through my shirt. A sharp inhale at the sudden change in temperature makes my lips twist upwards. I love the heat. I love being warm. That's why I love sitting out in the sun. It's a reason why I want to own my own farm.

Cliff takes a step towards me, once again blocking the sun from hitting my eyes. I peel open my eyes to look at him. "You know, things get better."

I sigh, closing my eyes. It might get better. It'll get better for him that's for sure. But he doesn't suffer the way I do.

"Chelsea," He leans down, kissing my forehead. My skin tingles from the innocent touch, a reminder of how we behaved in the old days before we knew friends didn't behave like that. "I'm going to the church to meet Ann. You're welcome to come."

I shake my head, opening my eyes. "Thanks for the offer Cliff, but I think I'm going to stay here and soak up some more rays."

He chuckles softly, a smile on his lips for the first time in our conversation that afternoon. "You'd get a much better tan if you wore a swimsuit to the beach."

I let out a laugh, rolling my eyes. "Who said I wanted to get a tan?"

Cliff shakes his head, a smile still on his lips. "I'll see you later then. You know where I'll be."

"That I do." I call out as he stands up and starts walking out of the beach. His footsteps disappear, and I sit up, looking out into the ocean again. I'm going to be out there tonight. I've decided. I'm leaving tonight. I've planned this for the longest time.

The waves crash against the shore, still too far away to come close to reaching my boots. I debate drawing out another cigarette, but the time is growing late, and I've already had two today.

Then, amidst my internal debate, a pair of stomping feet begins marching towards me. I hear the angry steps on the concrete before the steps disappear into the sand. I chuckle softly to myself, feeling very much like a crazy person. Looks like someone finally ran crying to her boyfriend. She wasn't very good anyway; they never are when they're really drunk.

"How DARE you!" The sandy-haired famer cries out angrily in his high-pitched voice, completely ruining the aggressive outcry. I swear that man never hit puberty.

I stand slowly and without hesitation, dramatically trying to create an edge of danger in the air to show him that I'm in control of the confrontation. Then I turn to face him, a smile tugging at my lips, showing him I'm less than bothered by his little outburst. Gently, I readjust my Stenson so it's covering my eyes.

Rick's blonde hair flails around his face, his massive glasses covering half of his face. His sleeves are rolled up, probably to keep the bird shit off his shirt. He's wearing his green overalls, and in addition to the rolled up sleeves, the feathers hanging from odd parts of his body lead me to assume he just came from tending his chickens.

The waves from the water crash behind me, their rumbling filling the silent standoff. I let out a cocky snort, my lips twisting upwards as I decide he's not worth my time. I stride forward, brushing by the angry farmer.

"Chelsea! You get back here this instant!" Rick screams at me, and I can imagine his face burning with rage, a fact I confirm a moment later when I slowly turn on my heels to face him. Suddenly he appears nervous under calm gaze, but he manages to speak up bravely. "Karen told me what happened last night."

I shrug my shoulder, my expression neutral as the sun beats down around us. "Maybe."

His eyebrows crinkle slightly, confusion begging to seep into his expression, but he forces the irritated one to stay in place. "What to you mean 'maybe'?"
I shrug both my shoulders this time, giving him a soft smile. I feel bad for him. I really do. Girls are manipulative bitches sometimes. Especially when it suits their own agenda. "I'm sure she told you everything you wanted to hear."

"Karen told me everything!" He claims proudly, his chest puffed up and anger seeping down from his face into his body. I sigh softly. Like I said before, humans are terrible creatures. All they ever do is lie, cheat, steal… kill. I don't want to hurt Rick, but I've been down this path too many times before.

"Did she tell you how willingly she came along?" I slip my hands into the deep pockets of my jeans. Might as well get right to the point. It took Gray ages to figure out what I was trying to get at when he confronted me about a night I spent with Mary. "Did she tell you how she kept cursing your name, over and over again, as I walked her home?"

His whole body recoils with shock, horror on his face. I pity him. Rick is a nice guy; he's just got temper issues. It almost makes me feel guilty that his girlfriend was so eager to cheat on him with me.

"Did she tell you how she made the first move?" I look up into his eyes, connecting my blue eyes with his green ones. "How she begged for me?"

His jaw clenches and his fists tighten, like he's unable to believe it. Just like all the others before him. It saddens me how ignorant all these people are. "You're lying!" He splutters, glaring at me with loathing. "She wouldn't do that… you liar!"

Yeah, I'm the liar. Inwardly, I roll my eyes at the sarcasm of my inner thoughts. I will admit, I do lie every now and then. I'm not perfect either. But I lie to keep my secret safe; for my own safety. I may be the town whore, but I'm no liar. I don't lie by nature. And I hate it when people call me a liar.

My eyes flare up in anger. I take a few steps closer to him, so I'm standing right in his face. I might as well speed this up so I can get back home. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, my escape is less than an hour away, and I still have to deal with my ghostly problem at home.

I raise my head, slipping poison into my voice as I whisper in his ear. "Did she tell you how much she enjoyed it? How much she wanted to do it again and again, and never go back to you?"

Suddenly something connects with my face, and my head goes spinning. My feet slip out of their position on the beach as I stagger backwards. Quickly catching myself before I hit the ground, I blink my eyes a few times to clear my vision. My head feels light, and I shake myself. I saw that coming. Didn't think it would be that soon, but I knew I'd eventually get punched.

I glance down to see my hat has fallen off my head. I bend down to pick it up, noticing a drop of blood on the sand. Curious, I rub my jaw with the back of my hand as I stand up with my hat back in its proper place. My search reveals that Rick punched me so hard that I have blood trickling out the side of my mouth. Damn. Didn't know the kid had it in him. Good for him. That'll help him grow confidently into a man.

A small smile tweaks my lips as the thought runs through my head. It's kind of nice to think that some small part of my misery in this town will have helped at least one person become better as a human being. I'm almost glad he hit me; not only do I kind of deserve it for being the person his girlfriend cheated on him with, but I know it will help him feel better about himself.

I look up at him, a smile still on my lips. His face is contorted in horror, like he can't believe he just punched me. Rick's eyes watch me carefully, his every limb prepared for a fight.

A mirthless laugh slips out through my lips as I smile at him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you back. This time." I wink at him, turning on my heels and feeling like a lunatic.

I turn around to glance at him, noting that his face is still pale. Shaking my head, I leave the beach without another word. Not only can I not think of anything else to say to him, but also I really need to get back to my uncle. I have to finish my duty to my parents before I leave this town for good.

Besides, I know Rick won't come after me. I know that he'll go to Karen and ask her about all the things I said. She'll lie and tell him that I'm a liar. He'll believe her, feel better about himself, and the two of them will be fine and dandy. It's what happens every time. Almost every person in this town hates me now because of it. Excluding the girls that visit the bar and get drunk. Ann is the only girl that I haven't slept with in this small town, and it's purely out of respect because she's dating my best and only friend.

It's not like I try to get these girls to cheat on their boyfriends. I just… happen to be there when their relationship is at a possible breaking point. Of course, that's not my fault either. I've only recently quit, but I've been quite the drinker the past two years. Ever since it became legal for me to drink, I've been at the town bar almost every night. Being tipsy helps keep the ghosts away.

But I stopped drinking a couple months ago when I drank some bad scotch and ended up in the local hospital for almost an entire month. It scared me out of drinking. Since then, I took up smoking to help calm my nerves. I know it bothers Cliff, but I need something to keep me even moderately sane.

My black boots click on the pavement as I walk down the street. The sound is oddly harsh in the silence. The sun is dipping into the horizon, the time switching from afternoon to evening. I let out a deep breath. My escape is so close; I can practically feel it on my fingertips.

No one crosses my path as I walk by, and no one will. This is a town of habit, and everyone sits inside and eats supper at this time. It makes my job a lot easier.

As I pass the Chicken Shop, the chickens all cluck at me, rushing towards the fence. I give them a small passing smile, wishing I could brush my fingers against their soft feathers. While they may belong to a bunch of idiots, they're still sweet animals. I take in another deep breath as I turn one more corner before heading back to my uncle's farm, my finger itching for another smoke for my nerves, but I contain the urge.

Upon entering the farmyard, I glance around in search of my uncle. He's not in the field, and I somehow know that he's not tending to any of the animals. I head straight for the house, mentally going over my escape plan.

Cliff always asks me why I don't leave the town. It's because I can't leave without doing something about the ghosts that wander aimlessly around my house, stuck on earth without being able to move on. My dead parents tell me they don't want to be avenged; but they do want people to know the truth. They want people to know that my uncle purposely hired someone to crash into their car and kill them-simply to inherit the large sum of money my parents had saved in the bank.

And tonight I'm going to bring that all to light.

I take one last deep breath, and then open the door to walk into the house. It's a cozy little wooden house, and it would be rather cute if it weren't for the two ghosts floating around all the time.

"There you are." My uncle grumbles, drawing my eyes to where he sits on the couch, his feet propped up on the table, tracking mud all over the clean floor. "You took your sweet time getting back."

"Sorry Uncle." I mutter softly at him, closing the door behind me. "I lost track of time at the beach."

He rolls his eyes, waving his hand, not caring to hear my words. "Just go make supper."

I nod, walking over to the kitchen. He's not a very good uncle; of course, I would never expect him to be, what with him being a murderer and all. He puts on a good show for the rest of the town though. To them, he's a hard working farmer lovingly supporting his bitchy niece.

I reach into the fridge, having already made the meal for tonight hours ago when he was working in the fields. I've been doing a lot of reading at Mary's library the past couple months, looking as deeply into hypnotism as I can. I've figured out that there's an herb that makes people easily susceptible to hypnotism, and I've tested it on Cliff once or twice. I told him it was for fun. It actually was though; I got him to jump on a rooftop and scream out 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to the whole town during a particularly hot day at the beach. And he didn't remember a thing about it when he snapped out of it.

I stick the dishes into the microwave, taking in a deep breath. Technically, I'm going to try and kill my uncle. Super technically though. I'm simply going to hypnotize him into writing a note that will reveal his evil towards my parents, and release me from this town. I'm also going to suggest that he commit suicide after he writes the note. Simply because of my own anger at him for taking away my life from me. But I won't be killing him. He'll do that himself. No one will be able to blame me.

The microwave beeps with the heated up supper, and funny enough, I don't feel guilty at all. I'm going to bring the truth behind my parent's deaths to light, and then I'm going to go far, far away from this town.

I bring the dishes over to the table, smiling at my uncle across the table. "I tried something new, so I hope you like it." The spices are all over the top of the dish; so he'll be under the influence of my special herb from bite one.

"Now that's more like it." He grins, stomping to his feet and striding over to the table, sitting down and chomping down on his food without so much as a thank-you. I roll my eyes, sitting down to quietly eat my own plate of harmless pasta.

I wait until he's devoured most of the meal before I speak. "Hey Uncle. Would you like to see a magic trick?"

He chuckles, and I hide a smug smile that wants to break out onto my face. My uncle will agree to almost anything when he's eating good food. "Sure, why not?"

"Alright." I reach into my pocket, taking out a small medallion. "It's hypnosis."

He snorts, leaning back in his chair. "It won't work, but feel free to try anyway."

"Good." I mutter softly, holding the chain in between my fingers as I let the pendant swing back and forth. "Keep your eyes on the pendant. Feel the constant movement flow through your body. Let your mind rest."

I glance up to see my uncle's body slowly sway in pace with the movement of the pendant, and I know I've got him in my clutches.

"Let your mind go completely blank. Submit yourself to the movement of the pendant. All that matters is the pendant, and my voice." He nods his head in understanding, his eyes glazing over.

"You feel yourself falling into a deep sleep." I mutter softly, my words gentle and light. "You feel your eyes slipping shut. You hear my voice. Nothing else matters but my voice."

His eyes slip shut, and he leans back in his chair, his breathing slight. I swallow hard. Now here comes the tricky part.

"When I snap my fingers, you will do the following: you will write a letter revealing your part in my parent's murder, and your desire to gain their money. You will also include in this letter that you release your niece Chelsea from your charge." I pause, letting the information sink into him. "Once you have finished writing this letter, put it on your person. You will then walk upstairs, close your door, and commit suicide in the quietist way possible."

I swallow. "Nod if you understand."

He nods.

I snap my fingers.

His eyes open, but they're completely glassy; the same way Cliff's had looked before he jumped on top of that rooftop when I hypnotized him all those months ago. He slowly stands, walking over to the bookshelf to grab a piece of paper.

My heart leaps up in success, and faster than I've ever moved before, I race into my room. I toss off my old clothes, pulling on a new pair of jeans, a new dark blue shirt, and a black leather jacket. I slip my black boots back on, firmly placing my Stenson back in its rightful place.

Quickly, I pick up the red suitcase I packed earlier that day, and I rush out of my room. My uncle is scribbling away on that piece of paper when I walk into the room, and I grin to myself. I'm free.

I turn my back on him, turning to where the two ghosts of my parents hover in the corner. "You guys are free now." A smile lights up my face. "Just like I am."

The dead ghost of my mother smiles at me before turning to the ghost of my father. He smiles at her, and then the two of them vanish. Without looking at my uncle, I know that he's finished writing the letter, and that he's walking upstairs. I know that someone will find him in a day or two, but by then I'll be long gone.

I leave that house forever, slamming the door in the process.

It's much darker now than it was when I walked inside that house. The sun sets really quickly this time of year. I'll need to hurry if I'm to catch my boat on time. I run back to the beach, my boots clomping on the road-the sound louder than anything I've ever heard before. My heart races with the fear that I might be caught, but no one crosses my path.

Finally, I arrive back at the beach, the waves crashing upon the shore now sound like a kitten's meow in comparison with the combined noises of my pounding heart beat, sharp breaths, and quick footsteps. Without a single look back, I jump into a boat resting against the beach dock. The Captain of the boat smiles at me, thanking me for being on time, and assuring me that we'll be arriving in the city by morning. I know he's trustworthy; Kai is always telling us about him.

I smile to myself as we speed away from the shoreline, walking below deck into one of the rooms. I place my suitcase down on the ground, climbing onto the small bed and happily closing my eyes on the past.