A/N: this is my cousin's story not mine she just couldn't post it so I did it for her, all I do is proof-read it, not write it, she does all that, so if you like it I suggest you review, and ill let her know what you said…..got it?….good…..
Story: beginnings
Marie felt all alone, she felt like she was in a room full of people and she was screaming at the top of her lungs but nobody even glanced up.
It was the usual feeling, she wandered all the places she had been before, longing for something to keep her there. There it was to no avail, but with nothing to keep her there she was required to keep moving.
Becoming a ghost wasn't at all what she thought would happen when she died. She thought shed float up to heaven, or the most likely down to hell. Much to her surprise she found herself a see-through human, condemned to looking everywhere she's been and finding a reason to haunt or just to stay in a location.
She always seemed to know everywhere to go, and it seemed as if there would be no ending. As soon as she got somewhere she would remember everything about it. Every day, the same routine, wander around some place she visited often, and try to find a reason to stay. It always ended up the same way, nothing.
Then one peculiar day she came across a park, a familiar one, funny… she had trouble remembering anything except for her death that is. All at once her memories came flooding back to he, this was her favorite park. When she was feeling down no matter what the weather was she would go down without a jacket and think. If she was happy she would and play like a little child, but what penetrated into her mind the most was watching the stars. Memories of her lying in the park at night in the grass looking at a million stars, often in the memories she was alone, sadly alone. The thoughts brought what would've been tears if she could cry to her eyes.
Every so often she would get another body in that picture in her mind. She didn't know who the other person was but she always knew that other person made her significantly happier. After all of this thinking done, she got ready to leave, not this time. Now, at last she had finally found her interesting enough place, maybe she wondered I will finally know how I died and how to move on from this in-between stage.
After staying there all night thinking happily about being able to stay, she had floated all around the neighborhood where the park was in, it was huge! Wandering past houses one-by-one, every house had a memory she would remember when she passed it. The whole day was gone and almost half-way finished with the neighborhood. There was only one house that had more memory than one, she'd been inside may times, somebody she was close to must've lived there. After her ghost-rest that she needed cause she skipped yesterdays she set out to hopefully finish the whole neighborhood, hopefully. She gasped, the house. The house she just passed! She felt a connection to it, there was a strong memory in there. She glided to the front door, she didn't know if she should try to go through it, she'd only tried to go through something one time. It was a terrible thing to try, then again it wasn't the place needed to stay. She needed this memory, she just knew she did, so she tried to go through. She made it, she felt colder though.
WOAH! Cold like she was in Antarctica in the winter, at night, with nothing on. It felt like knives piercing her skin, it was painful. Then, as soon as it started it was over, the coldness was gone. It was shocking, she had never had this sensation before, anywhere. When it was over, memories, thousands and thousands of memories of her in this house, she had to have lived here. She remembered so many just from the door, opening it, closing it, waiting behind it, waiting outside it, and running in and out. The stairs, the floors, a scratch on the wall, anything gave her millions of memories from her life. A place she had fallen, studied, looking out a window. She only got that cold feeling one other time when she went into a small room, she presumed it was her room. She was so excited that she had something to do, but she had to finish the neighborhood. So regretfully she abandoned that house for now, but she memorized the house number.
Then she continued on throughout the neighborhood. Occasionally she would get memory glimpses, sometimes stronger near certain houses. It was fantastic, learning all those things that shed forgotten when she had passed. She had finally figured out what was up with the order of all the memories, the order was in the actual order of her life. First birth, childhood,, Pre-teen, teen, and adult, and it would end in death. Well., she knew how everything would work out, she was in the middle of childhood. It was exhilarating for her. The neighborhood is finished, now she just try to find her way back to the house. This neighborhood was a huge maze, but eventually she found it. She wanted to explore the house right away because earlier she hadn't had time she only had a glimpse, but she really needed her ghost-rest.
This was going to be the best day, she thought once she was finished resting. She was going to learn her life today, and the next day and the next, however long it took to be done. This was her house, empty, wait one moment, it wasn't empty. Not a family, just two people, a marriage. They were very old, but she remembered nobody here yesterday. Although, she has seen others around here so it wasn't abandoned. She looks out a window and sees snow, must be the holidays. Which means they must have just returned from some trip. She wanted to figure out their story. She had jolt of cold all of a sudden, they were her parents! They said they would never leave it was the truth. She longed to be alive, to hug and kiss them. They still seemed very much in love, but something was different. They seemed sadder. She thought, I was a child of theirs, and now I'm dead that would make people sad. From the looks of all this she was an only child, flashback all three of them talking, and laughing. They were a happy family, it looked so fun, she wished she could go back...to bad she couldn't. Though it hurt her soul, the coldness of it all, she willed it to stop it wouldn't. Every memory it would come, it was almost unbearable. She watched her parents for a moment, then went on to explore the house. She went into her room, first she found out the best thing her memories carry her.
She suddenly found herself in the basement. This was so perfect, she wouldn't miss anything. or have blank spots when she was learning about her life. The cold feeling was sharp when she first started watching her life, but when she wouldn't pull herself away from it, the cold stopped. Warmth replaced the warm feeling poured in as she learned it all. It was much a better feeling than the cold, she just had to watch for longer. Time was flying, by the end of that day (which was so stuffed with information about her she could barley take it in) she was at a week before her sixteenth birthday. But, again she had to stop to ghost-rest. Before she did that, she wanted to re-visit some of those memories she learned, that had made her smile, laugh, or just think. Some of her memories that were her favorites were, her chugging her favorite drink ice tea, apparently. And on her birthday every day she never wished, because she never felt as though she needed anything. Marie enjoyed watching those moments, she admired herself back then. Now all she wished was to be back in those moments, to not a care in the world. She wondered what would happen when it came time to leave, she had to discover something here, that's why she needed to stay. So her mind wandered to her actions while she ghost-rested. She shook herself from it like always and looked outside and opened her mouth. All the snow from before was gone! How long had she been resting? She checked the calendar that she had seen earlier, two months! Marie wasn't aware that she could rest that long, she was shocked and surprised. She just floated there for several minutes. She had to get moving, and learn more about herself, she had lost precious time already. Today, she had no idea what would happen, when she left off was a week before her sixteenth birthday and she was reluctantly going on a trip. The fifteen year old Marie was not as polite as the younger one, but wasn't a brat , not quite. So far all MM (Memory Marie) wanted was to stay in her home and be with her best friend, instead she was getting a surprise trip to who knows where. Marie floated and watched this. MM was crying, she didn't want this trip, if she was she wanted to know where. They'd only be on a few trips before, when she was ten, twelve, and at the age thirteen. They always went to the same place, because her entire family that lived in America was there, mom and dad's side. She didn't mind going there because whenever she got tired of the family stuff which was often, she had a best friend there. Eli. Eli always helped when she needed it, whether it was over-break homework, life problems, or just needed some fun. She still didn't want to go, no matter how awesome Eli was. She was so fed up, she just wanted a simple party for being sixteen at her house. MM didn't want some big, random surprise. Watching this Marie laughed at herself she didn't mind that she couldn't hear it, though she wished she could. She could hear it in her brain, another memory, mimes. She seemed to love mimes, she would watch them all the time. Eli sometimes went with her, he would make fun afterwards and she would laugh and occasionally get mad. Marie liked such memories. Back to other one, MM sucked it up as usual, and pushed the tears away. She didn't want to go to sleep yet. MM grabbed her electronics and fell asleep to the bright lights of texting, movies, and music. When she got up she groaned she fell asleep so late last night, so she was thoroughly exhausted. She'd get some sleep in the car, wherever they were going. Marie found that she could just trail after her younger self, all she did was float right next to her or above her. From being up so late MM fell asleep right away, watching her parents it seemed like that was what they wanted, just so she wouldn't know where she was being taken. She was right as soon as MM woke up her parents took an exit, and before MM could see where they were her parents gave a motion-sickness pill that made her drowsy. So she soon fell asleep again, and stayed that way for the remainder of the trip. Marie thought this to be extremely boring and shut her eyes for a ghost-rest. Whoa! She didn't know that would happen, Marie was in MM! Shocking. It was like she was talking again, sensational. This was so much better than shadowing the memory. It was actually Marie re-feeling everything, yet not having to do anything. Now this was awesome. For when she was alive she hated confrontation. It did end up being the normal place they went, MM sighed. Whatever she didn't expect anything different. At least there was Eli, the best friend she ever had. They shared everything with him, and there was no drama, it was just them. Ok, Marie though it's time to be done watching and get out. She couldn't. Marie was panicking, she couldn't get out of MM. It frightened her, she had no idea what to do. Stay calm, she thought, when MM sleeps ghost-rest. That's how she got in, hopefully that will be how she gets out. She was up by the sound of MM alarms clock, she was still in. All her thoughts were jumbled together, she absolutely no idea what to do about this. So she just was her, and watched what occurred. During boring spots she tried of explanations for this, maybe it's this memory. There was no difference, this memory would only continue back to her room where it first began. Then, she would have to get out otherwise she could really be stuck. Marie had a very boring day consisting of MM being sad cause she couldn't see Eli, and lying in the guest room thinking. Before Marie ghost-rested that day after all that maybe there's a reason for being stuck like this. Maybe this was the memory to find out how she died and why she was stuck as a ghost, or at least a clue to all that stuff. Maybe. Uhhhh, MM was being shaken awake so her ghost form thrashed about in the empty memory. Oh! Screaming! Being inside MM while she was shrieking was very loud, and irritating. It was Eli. He was laughing at the shriek of surprise which was now blended with laughter, which only made Eli laugh harder. Soon they were both out-of-breath from it. Then Marie felt the arm of the memory shoot out. MM punched Eli which made her giggle. I was violent she remembered giggling. Marie was surprised yet again when she was in here she could hear the giggling. She could make other noises too, even talk inside of the memory. Somehow she thought being stuck in here was not a bad thing. "Ow!" Eli said. "What was that for?" he asked. "Well," MM began "You weren't here yesterday so I had to endure several hours of annoying family crap. And you just shook me awake!" she said while Marie was laughing away. Eli looked apologetic, he stood then bowed deeply. He was joking, obviously. "I apologize immensely for my absence miss, I shall never do it again. Also I apologize for being so rough, but how else would I have gotten u awake," Eli said in a very proper voice except for the last part during that he laughed. She felt MM giggle and talk. "You should be. I was in misery here, all alone," she replied. Eli just smiled and went to leave the room he waved to her like, follow me. MM scrambled throwing the sheets off the bed, shoving her feet into slippers, grabbing a brush and going in front of the mirrors taking a quick hair brush. Smirking at the very Eli. Finally she got her robe, put it on, and followed him. It seemed so normal doing this. They went into the kitchen and filled up water bottles with milk, and they got buttered toast, and said bye to the breakfast eaters, then went outside. It was a routine Marie realized, she didn't remember anything about Eli until it happened she didn't know why it was different was him, but she didn't mind that much. Marie shook herself from her thoughts and continued the memory, Eli and MM were in a field. It was wide, open, and free. "So, how was the trip this time?" Eli asked while munching on toast. "I was asleep literally the entire time. I woke up one time, when I did sine it was supposed to be a "surprise" so my parents took an exit and made me take a motion-sickness pill that made me fall asleep...again. Even though I had already guessed we were coming here." Eli was shaking with laughter imagining it. "So you weren't dying of boredom listening to your parents play stupid road trip games?" "Nah, I was dreaming the whole time, it was the best road trip ever," MM said happily before she finished her toast and chugged her milk. Eli just smiled and asked "What were you dreaming about?" "So many questions Eli! Can't we just chill for a second?" Eli looked slightly taken aback even though MM was joking. He just said "It's been a long time, three years. I just wanted to see how you were. What you've been thinking about," Eli said. "Sorry Eli, I'm just ,mad. I didn't want to come here, not that I didn't want to see you but I wanted something different. If you want to set the record straight, what I just realized my parent gave me exactly what I asked for." Eli was puzzled, and the immature Marie finally realizing it. "I said I wanted to spend it with my best friend back home, but I've always said that you were my best friend. You are, I actually got what I wanted, and I still want it. Happiness!" MM shouted. Eli looked so content but immediately grinned wide when she jumped u after shouting happiness, and she started running with a wild grin on her face too. Eli then proceeded to run with her then he tackled her. She wouldn't take that! They started wrestling, rolling all over the ground, Marie shrieking, Eli laughing. Then they were stuck, MM couldn't move anymore, Eli was on top of her. They both kind of just smiled and Eli gently got off, they laughed semi-awkwardly, but then it wasn't awkward at all. They just sat looking at the clouds. Then a thought pooped into MM's head so suddenly it surprised Marie. She had thought a lot about the last text she had the night before she came here. She had been texting all night with almost all her friends. Marie remembered too, (this was before she was in the body-memory) she was watching the body text, she was curious so she floated over to see them. Almost everyone she had been texting had gone to bed it seems, because she was getting less and less texts. Only one other person was texting hr now, it was some guy and whenever she got a text from him MM would get all excited. So Marie glided closer and looked at the last text, that boy MM was texting had just asked her out. Marie was excited for herself, but then she saw MM turn towards the packing and remembered Eli. She texted that she would think about it on the trip and that she had to sleep now. Eli snapped MM out of her own memory by saying "Are you ok?" She shook her head like shacking off a bad thought. "Ya sorry," she sat up abruptly. "I was thinking about something...not important." "Uhhhh ok. You want to go back to the house? So you can change," Eli asked still puzzled. "Yeah, yeah I do and I want to shower. Let's go," Marie heard MM say absentmindedly. Eli got up with MM's help and Marie saw Eli look at her weird, then felt MM run with Eli again but they soon got tired and started to walk. It was sort-of tense but it was broken by Eli saying "So you wanted to talk to me but now you're going to ignore me," he meant it as a joke but it still sort of stung. Then they laughed to fill the silence, it seemed to be fine then. When they got back MM said "I'll take only about twenty minutes ok?" Eli looked annoyed. "Look sorry but I have to look not gross," she said. "Whatever, even though I don't care," Eli said. MM just went inside rolling her eyes to shower and stuff. When she got out she got a text from the guy who asked her out, Marie suddenly felt her heart get tense and Eli popped into her head. While she got ready she texted him. He asked how she was, she said she needed to go be with family and her friend Eli. What she got was an ok text me when you're done doing that boring stuff. MM thought that was rude and anyways she spends almost the entire time with Eli she can't text him back there aren't enough hours in the day. All Marie could think about is that MM needed to figure a lot of stuff out. MM went out of her room looking very pretty and Eli just smiled knowingly and said ""Come on your highness." You scowled but went after him. They just went to sit outside, Eli had something. MM just smiled as he plugged in a boom box. MM got out a CD and out it in music blasted out. She caught the band name on the CD, Greenday. Odd name, the band was good though Marie loved the guitar. MM bobbed her head up and down and sang along. Eli quietly sang and occasionally would say something about the band or about the song. When about four songs had played MM grabbed a booklet that had lyrics and sang louder because she was now confident she knew them. Eli chuckled and said "Or you could talk to me." When MM looked at Eli he looked as if he was joking, but his eyes spoke the truth. She turned the music and asked "Well what do you want to talk about?" "How's school been? Is there stupid girl drama? Do you have a boyfriend? Are you still the laziest person in the world? Just tell me anything and everything about you since I saw you," Eli said with an expressionless face that was staring and waiting. "This, might take a while," MM said giggling. Eli smiled knowingly and nodded. It did take a while, Marie listened as MM went on, and on, and ON! Saying things that she has already witnessed. There were some memories she missed but as she spoke Marie was taken to the memory that was being told. It was extremely entertaining no matter how boring it was to re-live the memories...twice! Eli had hilarious expressions so as MM went through pretty much every single story and detail since the two last saw each other him, his expressions changed so many times. From shocked, confused, happy, sad, and bewildered. They were all the funniest looks she had ever seen! "So, I've talked forever about all this time. It is now your turn, start talking," MM said her mouth tired from so much speaking. Eli reluctantly began. "Well, after you left last time and school started up again people still made fun of me. Which they still do, but after what you said doesn't phase me." MM smiled, that made her happy, that she could do something. "Continue." she said. "Uhhhh, nothing really interesting happens in my life so ummm yeah...," Eli said, speaking quietly with sadness in his voice. "I'm sure your life interesting, at least I think it is," MM said. "Fine, fine, I'll go through every boring detail like you did, not that yours was boring, it wasn't," Eli said all confused with his words.