Chapter 1: The cave

I crept through the damp caves with a pounding heart and burning eyes. I had to get out, no matter what the cost. I needed to get out, to see my family again. He couldn't keep me from seeing them. I know what he said, but I know he was wrong.

I suddenly slipped on the cold, stone floor and fell to the ground with a "SMACK!" I muttered a curse and held my head. I looked up and almost screamed out loud. There was a face right in front of mine.

"Oh!" I gasped, a little too loudly. But then I saw who it was, and relaxed. He extended a hand and I took it, pulling myself up with a grunt.

"Trying to escape huh?" He said, smiling.

"Look, I know what he said and I don't care. I know there has to be some way I can see my family again. Even if that means as a ghost." I pushed the hair out of my eyes and continued onward.

"Hey!" He called, running to catch up with me. "I understand that you need to see your family again. I get it. But if you tell them what you've seen, what you've heard, you'll be putting their lives at risk." He finally caught up to me, so he grabbed me by the shoulders and tried desperately to make me listen. "Scarlet, please stay! I'm not just asking for me but for your family! Please think of them!"

"I am! Aren't you listening? They don't know why I'm dead, and I need to make it right. I need to bring the person that did this to justice. So you can either stay here in hell, or come with me up there." I made a gesture to the rocks above my head.

A few seconds of complete and utter silence passed, and then I turned to leave. "Wait! I'm coming!" he called. I smiled to myself. I knew him well enough to know that he couldn't last under peer pressure. He was the type that wanted to be liked by everyone. It was part of his charm, as he would say.

"Why are you smiling?" He asked, as we walked through the damp cave. I didn't answer, so he kept on talking.

"How did you die?" he asked. That one caught me off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"How did you die? I'll tell you how I died." He said, like the mere subject of death was an ice breaker. "Tell me how you died first." I said slowly, narrowing my eyes.

"Well, there's not much to tell. I was mowing the lawn one day then tripped, and the lawn mower just went right over me." He said this so casually, like it was an everyday thing.

"Okay…" my voice trailed off. "My story's a little more, sinister." I stopped, choosing my words very carefully. "I was, um, well." I took a deep breath, and managed to make out the word that I had not spoken for months.

"Murdered." My voice cracked and tears welt up in my eyes. I guess Michael noticed, because he quickly said, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was painful to talk about."

"That's ok. You didn't know. I'm fine, really." I lied. He didn't looked like he believed me, but he left the subject alone.

After walking for what felt like hours, we finally came to a door. It wasn't fancy; in fact I wouldn't have seen it unless Michael pointed it out. It was blended in with the cave, so most people would have thought it was a dead end, and gone back.

"What do we do now?" Michael said, his voice cracking with fear. What a stupid question, I thought to myself. "We open it."

My hand touched the knob. "Ahhhhhh!" I screamed, dropping to my knees. "What happened? Are you ok?" Michael face was tomato red. I smiled, trying to hold back my laughter. When he saw my face he frowned, obviously mad.

"You almost killed me!" He overreacted. "Again!"

"Oh come on. It was just a joke." I said. "Now, let's go see my family!"