Life Out of Balance

by sgpcat17

Sadie Maplebrook is just a normal 8th grader at Harling Junior High when one day, her world is turned upside down. She discovers that she's not nearly as normal as she originally thought, and finds that her world isn't as 'normal' as she thought it was. She embarks on a quest to save the world, and soon finds her life thrown out of balance.

2. Chapter 2

"'Sup Mom!" I call, walking through the front door to my house. "Storm's here."

"Okay honey!" I hear my mother yell back from the other end of the house. "I'll be in in a minute!"

"Kay!" I holler.

Sadie and I plop down on the couch and turn on the television. It's on the news, and, as always, it was bad.

A woman's voice fills the room, a reporter doing a front-line story, as a video of a serious crash fills the tv screen. "... major crash on I-70 involving four cars. This crash that took place at three-twenty-four this afternoon was caught completely on tape. It all started when a pedestrian crossing the highway was struck by a yellow taxi that was going above the speed limit. Seconds later, a mini-van Acura MDX crashed into the taxi, followed seconds later by a pick-up truck. Another driver in a Honda Civic then hit the pick-up truck and spun out of control" The video stops and is replaced by faces as the woman continues to speak. "Three, including the pedestrian, were announced dead at the scene -"

I pause and stare at the face of a boy, about my age. I know I've seen him before. But where?

"Sadie?" Storm asks me. "Why'd you pause it?"

I wait a second before responding. "I've seen that kid before."

"The one with white hair? Probably our age?"

"Yeah... But I don't know where..." I trail off.

"I think he goes to our school." Storm says. "He might be in ninth grade?"

"Was," I correct. "He's dead now."

"Mm." Storm says, casting her eyes downwards. "That's sad."

"Yeah," I agree. "It is." I un-pause the television, and all of a sudden, it hits me: He's the kid who I saw walking home for no more than a split-second. I don't say anything, though. Storm would think I'm insane. Well, more insane than she already thinks I am, anyway.

After a few more minutes, I ask, "Wanna change the channel?"

"Sure" Storm replies. "What else is on?"

"Lemme see..." I say, clicking the 'guide' button on the remote. I flip through the channels. "You wanna watch Phineas and Ferb?"

"Why not?" Storm says, laughing. "It's been years since I've watched that show."

I select the show and the voice of Isabella blasts out of the speakers. "What'cha doin'?"

"We're building a roller coaster!" Replies Phineas. "It's gonna be the biggest one EVER!"

I stop listening and zone out, thinking about the white-haired kid, who had deep, wide-set brown eyes. I'm sure that was the kid I saw walking home. I'm sure of it. But our school ends at 3:40 in the afternoon, and he would have been dead by then, He was one of the ones who died at the scene. So that would mean that I saw... A ghost. Well, either that, or I saw someone else.

But I'm sure it was the same person. But... Do ghosts even exist?

I don't ask aloud. That would be weird.

I banish the thoughts from my mind and resume watching the show. I don't touch on the subject of the white-haired boy for the rest of the day.