NICO

The Amtrak train was barely into Pennsylvania when it abruptly halted. A static noise emanated from the speakers until a man's voice could be heard.

"Attention all passengers, this is your conductor speaking. Due to an unexpected glitch in our computer system, we have stopped all trains in the New York metropolitan area. You may experience delays of up to two hours. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for your cooperation."

People around me grumbled and shuffled in their seats. Two hours? Outrageous.

Secretly, I was glad for the delay. It gave me more time to figure out my next move. Obviously from what the Grey Sisters told me, I wasn't meant to take this train all the way to L.A. Somehow, with no license, no car and no money for gas, I was supposed to drive around and track down ghosts for information.

I closed my eyes with a sigh and leaned back into my seat. If the Grey Sisters were correct - and they always were - then it seemed my little mission was going to be longer and more dangerous than I had expected. Wonderful.

Before I knew it, I ended up dozing off with hitch-hiking strategies and car-stealing schemes fresh on my mind...

XXX

In my dream, I was in an arcade. All around me, kids of all ages, plucked out of reality from different decades, played and played as time flew by relentlessly. I wandered around, watching girls in bell-bottoms and boys with frosted, noodle-like hair become more immersed in their screens. I wondered if they knew what they were missing. I wondered if they knew what they were throwing away for mindless entertainment.

"Do you want to play Monopoly?" a girl asked.

I whipped around to see a long, shiny table lined with board games. There, sitting with a vintage version of Monopoly that I vaguely remembered from my early childhood, was Bianca.

Shocked, I gawked at my sister who I hadn't talked to since she was reborn. Bianca sat patiently across the board game table looking exactly as I had last seen her, looking exactly like she was when she died. Her hair was pulled back in her braid, showing off her freckles, and she wore a silver Hunters jacket with a quiver slung around her shoulders.

"When we were here in the Lotus Hotel, every day we played a game of Monopoly. Just the two of us," Bianca reminisced, "Everyday, for a month, for seventy years. Do you remember?"

I shook my head. Bianca eyes twinkled in amusement.

"And every other day, you would cheat," she recalled, grinning, "Sometimes I would catch you moving forward a few spaces or sneaking money out of the bank. Most of the time, you got away with it. Even as a kid, you were a brilliant liar."

"Wow," I said and took the seat across from her, "For more than three years you haven't appeared anywhere to me, not even in dreams. But now that you're here, you call me dishonest."

Bianca shrugged. "And secretive. And prone to obsession. Prone to grudges too." She gazed at me, smiling sadly. I spotted my reflection on the polished table and saw that I appeared as I was at the moment. Five-foot-nine, seventeen and badly in need of a haircut. "And you'll always be my little brother, no matter how tall you get."

I forced down a sob and forced out a smile. "I call the shoe."

My sister chuckled. "You always wanted to be the shoe. As usual, I'll be the thimble."

Although I was itching to ask my sister a certain question, we played peacefully for several minutes, just like old times. Soon, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Why now?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Distracted, Bianca looked up from the game.

"Why appear to me now after almost four years? You're not even a ghost anymore. Last time I checked, you applied for rebirth and got it."

"That's right."

"So...?"

My sister tilted her head curiously. "I'm here in your dreams because I'm around you in reality. You're sensing my spirit."

"W-what?" I spluttered, "You mean, your reincarnated form is close by?"

Bianca rolled the dice and moved the thimble token accordingly. It landed on a Chance square. She picked up a Chance card, read it silently, then arched her eyebrows at me. "I'm near. You can feel it."

XXX

I woke up with a jolt, hearing the conductor's voice from the speakers.

"-And service will resume in approximately thirty minutes. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for your cooperation."

Thirty minutes before the train moves again. A half-hour to find Bianca's reincarnation. Somewhere in my brain, I knew it was insane to go searching. However, I also knew with absolute certainty that I would regret it if I didn't at least try.

Bianca was right. I could sense her presence nearby. My head tingled, making me restless as if I had downed three cups of caffeine.

As inconspicuously as I could, I left my seat with my backpack and headed to the toilet. Luckily, there was a window above the sink and I was able to climb out, leaving the restroom door locked. I silently apologized to the next passenger who ever needed to do their business here.

When I got outside, I immediately scanned my surroundings. The train had stopped in the countryside, right next to a forest. I felt oddly drawn to the forest. It had this almost magnetic pull to me that was impossible ignore.

Trust all instincts, the Grey Sister had said.

Without much thought, I broke out into a sprint towards the woods. I relaxed my mind, allowing my intuition to take over and guide me to my destination. Following the pull of the forest, I jumped over a creek and ran non-stop, hearing the crunching of fallen leaves with every stride. About ten minutes had passed when I began to hear a ringing in my ears, a sensation that I had felt many times before. It was a sign that somebody close by was dying.

I smelled the smoke before I saw it. After a couple more minutes of dashing through the forest, I reached a narrow road. In the middle of the road, a car was ablaze.

A/N:

Thank you for all the favourites and follows. A special thanks goes out to the user ShadyKnight for that wonderful review!

Again, please review. I'd appreciate any freedom - constructive criticism, suggestions, you name it! Also, if you know any good horror stories, feel free to tell me in the reviews or PM me.