Melinda didn't even notice she had walked to the door. That's what happens when she sees a ghost. She never really knows what she is doing most of the time. She turned around when she heard Andrea's voice.
"Melinda are you okay? Melinda? Mel!?"
"Yeah, fine"
"What did you see?"
"Aaaaaahhh, the usual"
"Gotcha. So what are we talking about?"
"Uh, ghost….." Melinda answered in an anyone-can-figure-that-out tone.
"No. I know what we're talking about. But, what did it look like?"
"Umm, I didn't really see. It went too quickly" Melinda lied.
"Oh, I see," it was at this point the two girls heard someone clear their throat behind them, realizing they still had a costumer in the store, "Oh my god I am so sorry!"
"Don't worry about it dear. I'm in no hurry. I could clearly see you were in a very important conversation" the costumer said a little too sarcastically.
Andrea walked behind the counter while saying, "Oh yes, when Melinda and I start going, we don't stop"
"If you don't mind me asking, what were you two talking about? It sounded very intense"
"We were uh.. talking about…." Andrea looked to Melinda, who was still standing by the door, for help.
"Uh…hosts" Melinda responded, saying the first thing she could think of that rhymed with "ghosts".
"Hosts?" the costumer asked not convinced.
"That's right," Andrea said, "See I'm looking for a host to, you know, host a party my brother is having. So Melinda is helping me"
"Right, and I uh, thought I saw a flier that advertised hosts. But I didn't really see what it looked like because, it uh, was blowing in the wind" Melinda stuttered out.
"Uh-huh, okay. Well if you don't mind I would like to know how much this clock costs" the woman held up the clock in annoyance.
"Free, on the house, for making you wait. Sorry for your troubles" Melinda hated to see something so valuable have no money go to it, but she really wanted to talk to Andrea alone, and as fast as she could.
"Thank you very much" The woman paid for the lamp, grabbed the clock and quickly walked out of the store.
When she was gone Melinda walked to the back of the store and sat down at her desk. She could hear Andrea open the register, put the money in, then, shut it. Five seconds later she was standing in front of the desk looking down at Melinda.
"So what did you really see?"
Melinda started playing with the computer mouse trying to think of what to say. She didn't want to keep lying to her best friend. Finally she decided on telling her the truth, well, part of it.
"Like I told you, it went too fast for me to really see. But I saw a young girl around 14 years old, and her head was bleeding. Then she disappeared before I could really look at her"
But Melinda knew exactly what she looked like, no matter how fast she came and went. She could never forget her little sister's face, no matter how hard she tried.
Melinda was hoping Andrea would buy her story, and so far she seemed to be. It was just a matter of time before she started to figure out the puzzle of Melinda's past.
"Oh I hate it when that happens!" Andrea teased.
Melinda laughed, and then put her head in her hands sighing.
Andrea frowned down at her friend, "You okay Mel? You don't look too good"
"Yeah fine, I'm just really tired" Melinda mumbled with her head still buried in her hands.
"I know exactly what you need"
"What?" she looked up at her friend.
"Coffee"
"Andrea, I think I'm beyond the point where coffee can remotely help me"
"Girl no one can be that far gone. I'll swing by Village Java right now just for you"
"Are you only offering to get me a coffee because you think the bus boy is cute?"
"No," Andrea responded slowly, "I care about you and don't want you to be tired. Plus you promised me you wouldn't fall asleep at the counter today"
"Right. Okay, coffee would be great"
"Kay, be back in 20"
With that Andrea grabbed her coat and purse, walked out of the store and down the street. There was no need to drive when everything was so closer.
Melinda was glad that she was alone. She let out a big sigh and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. A few seconds later she heard the familiar sound of lights flickering on and off. When she opened her eyes, sure enough all of the lights in the back room were flickering. They all fully went off, and Melinda was almost in complete darkness. The lights suddenly came back on, and Melinda quickly closed her eyes from the sudden bright lights. When she opened them back up she focused her eyes on a figure standing in the shadows. Her breath caught in her throat when the realization hit her. She was begging it wasn't true, but the familiar voice that spoke shattered her hopes.
"Where am I?" the voice asked.
Melinda just sat there, not knowing what to say. She couldn't believe that after ten years her sister was still earth bound. She could feel the tears building up, but she refused to cry.
Jamie walked out of the shadow and into the light, starring at Melinda with a confused look on her face. Her eyes widened when realization, too, hit her.
"Melinda? Is that you?" she asked uncertain of herself.
Melinda nodded to her sister forcing a smile.
Jamie looked around before asking for the second time, "Where am I?"
"You're in my store. I own an Antique Shop" Melinda chocked out.
"Since when do you own an Antique Shop?" Jamie laughed not believing her.
"Do you know what happened to you or how long it's been?"
"No. All I know is I've been walking around for a long time with a major headache right here," she reached up and touched the gash on her head, "but other then that I don't know really know that much.
Melinda has told countless amounts of ghosts they are dead but she never liked doing it. Telling them their life is over. Now knowing she has to tell her sister this, broke her heart.
"Jamie, sweetie, uh, I'm so sorry to tell you this, but you're, uh, you're-"
"-dead. I know. That's about the only thing I do know right now" Jamie looked down at the floor.
"But….how?" Melinda asked.
"Well for one thing growing up with a sister who can talk to the dead kinda helped. I was able to see the signs and put the pieces together. And also walking around, not knowing where I was half the time, not getting tired or hungry, all of that stuff," Jamie looked up and saw Melinda crying, "Melinda? What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to kill you. Can you ever forgive me?"
Jamie opened her mouth as if to say something, but shut it when the sound of the bell on the door could be heard. Melinda jerked her head up towards the door, watching Andrea come in with coffee cups in either hand.
"Hey Mel, I'm back!"
"Just a second!" Melinda called back.
When she looked back to talk to Jamie, she was gone.