A/N: I apologize for the long delay. Needless to say that my life became hectic and I could not write as much as I wanted. I gave myself time for my life to settle and now that it is, I will be posting as much more frequently. I have the next four chapters of this story written and I will be posting once a week. I give a big thank you for those who stuck with this story.

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Chapter 4: Haunting Past

Ryan found herself standing on the corner of the same street she tried to walk across before her death and immediately she knew something was wrong. No cars passed by, no humans walked the street, and even though no lights were on, her vision was not impaired in the least. The city looked as if she was looking through a lens; everything was slightly out of focus and strangely enough, there was no color. There were many indicates that this was in fact not real, however Ryan could not shake the fact that this spot in the city had some significance to her. It was the last thing she saw before she opened Luna's blue eyes.

There was a chill in the air and Ryan could feel a soft breeze tickle her skin, raising the short hairs on her arms. Her breath could be seen wafting out of her nose in small puffs and then disappearing into the grey air. To her surprise, a piece of brown hair tickled her nose before drifting to the opposite side of her head, flowing with the wind. Luna's hair is blond. She gasped as she looked down to find herself back inside her old body, wearing the same flowing red blouse and tight black jeans she wore when she died.

Taking a moment to relish in the feeling being in her own skin, she walked to the corner of the sidewalk to take a closer look at the intersection. Surprisingly the cross walk sign was intact and Ryan could see the hand flashing red, telling her to not cross. The hand stood a sharp contract against the dull greys and blacks of its surroundings, for it was the only thing that had color.

Suddenly the airs on the back of her head stood upright the way they do when you know that someone is watching you. Hesitantly, she turned her head around, fearing who would show themselves in such a deserted, creepy, place.

Her eyes widened with fear as she saw a figure standing a block away. She could not make out every detail of his form except for the fact that he was tall and abnormally skinny for a man. He wore a dark cloak that fluttered with the wind and like her breath, disappeared into the air. It seemed to be made out of smoke, swirling tightly around his body like it was attracted to his skin.

He took a step forward. Ryan took a step back. He took another step forward and again Ryan retreated. She felt the edge of her curb hit the back of her foot. Suddenly the smoke surrounding the man's body burst from him and hurled itself at Ryan, forming the face of a grotesque skill with an ominous, toothless, smile plastered on its bones. Her stomach tightened as the skull phased right through her, causing her body to fly backward into the street.

She heard the horn of the truck before she turned her head to see two bright headlights flying towards her. Her breath was knocked from her chest as it hit, throwing her backwards in the air.

Ryan gasped as she sat up, sweat clinging to her skin, soaking through her shirt and causing her hair to stick uncomfortably to the back of her neck. Her heart was thudding uncontrollably within her chest, spreading adrenaline throughout her body, heightening her senses. Eyes adjusting to the dark, she frantically looked around to recognize the oddly rounded room with bright mismatching colors. She was in Luna's room. A quick glance down confirmed that yes, this body wasn't hers, but Luna's.

Taking a breath in an attempt to control her frantic heart, Ryan swung her legs off of the bed and hopped onto the soft carpet. She never really enjoyed the feeling of tall carpeting squishing between her toes, however standing now made her feel more grounded. Taking comfort from the feeling of the hard floor beneath her feet, Ryan walked to the bathroom and sat on the toilet.

"Are you alright?" said the worried voice of Luna.

Ryan did not know how long Luna was watching her. Did she sleep wherever she is inside of her or is she in a constant state of awareness? Did she see the dream? "Fine. Just need a sec."

Once her heart slowed down to its regular pace, Ryan stood and turned on one of the faucets to the bathtub. She watched patiently as the water slowly began to fill the ceramic tub, the sound of water hitting water calming her nerves. When it was sufficiently filled Ryan unbashfully stripped down to her (or Luna's) bare skin and stepped gingerly into the water.

At once it calmed her. The lingering fears from her dream drained away and finally she was relaxed once more. Quickly she washed and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel when she was finished. She was never one to be ashamed of her body or have any sort of issues regarding showing it off, but because this was not her own body she wanted to preserve some of Luna's modesty.

Shuffling through Luna's drawer she found a simple white cotton bra and a pair of blue boy shorts which she quickly slipped on.

She took a quick glance at the mirror that hung on the back of Luna's door. 'Luna has a much better body than mine' Ryan thought. Her old body wasn't ugly per se, but it never got the nutrients it needed to grow properly, her foster parents finding it easier to feed her greasy fast food rather than a home cooked meal. This made her gain weight quite rapidly when she hit puberty which in turn caused stretch marks to line her stomach and the sides of her breasts. She wasn't horribly overweight, but not skinny either.

Luna's body on the other hand was much different than hers. She was extremely pale and her blond hair made her come close to looking like an albino. She was naturally skinny, but not muscular, her wrists and ankles were seemingly fragile. There were no stretch marks to be seen and her skin was soft and glossy due to the healthy diet she lived on. A surge of jealousy shot through Ryan as she thought of how much better Luna's body was than hers. Even though her body didn't exist anymore, she never got passing glances from boys or invites to dates like some of the other girls in her classes did.

However that could also be due to her personality more than anything else. In her opinion, the best word to describe her personality is abrasive, which is not typically a turn on. In the many schools she always got a reputation for fighting. When she was younger, she was clueless about how to control her temper; it got the best of her most of the time. It was Gran who made her change her ways. Ryan respected her too much to break one of the few rules she set in place when she moved in.

Then a worrying thought entered her head. What would happen if she got into a fight here? With this body? She look a closer look at Luna's arm and saw very little muscle on her bicep. It would be useless if she had to hit anyone and to her, that would not do at all.

Although she knew that here she could use magic in a fight, she was reluctant to give up one thing that she had in her own body; control and power. Control of her own body was so essential because everything else in her world was uncontrollable, so she was hesitant to give up on it in this world.

"Luna?" she said attempting to get her attention.

"Yes"

"I think we should start working out. It can only help when we leave for Hogwarts."

"What a lovely idea," she replied merrily. "I've never worked out before."

"Yes well it's not all it's cracked up to be. Trust me," she murmured. The memory of her lungs burning with strain to get more oxygen and her legs feeling like led came to the forefront of her mind.

Ryan found a blue tank top that would be appropriate for running, but when she tried to find a pair of shorts, she came up short. "Luna, you don't have any shorts?"

This is not something that could be pushed aside or ignored. No it was something that had to be done; something that she has to do. Ryan flinched at the pain, sweat, and tears she foretold coming with her given task, but looking back on her life, she drew strength from the knowledge that she's survived thus far in her life. Well…..except for the whole dying part, but that doesn't even count.

There are a few things that she needed to have before she can begin with her plan. Proper running attire was the first thing on her list. "This is the magical world' Ryan thought. 'I bet there is some potion or something that can help speed up the process.' With a new plan set in place, she allowed herself a little hope for the future ahead of her.