Stubborn Old Ghost

“Go to bed Sheena!” Nicole yelled from the bathroom.

Nicole hated sharing a room with her little sister, who was 6 years younger than her. Sheena always wanted to play when Nicole wanted to sleep. Nicole could never understand why Sheena did not have her own room. Never mind her own room, just her own bed. The sisters shared a Queen-sized bed.

"I don’t want to Nicole."

Running out of the bathroom Nicole pounced on top of Sheena pinning her to the bed.

“Then I will tell Auntie on you,” Nicole said.

Sheena rolled over onto her side of the bed and disappeared under the covers. She let out a sound of defeat. Nicole jumped off the bed to fetch her book from the dresser and then turned off the light. At this time in the evening, there was still a little bit of the sun going down and the moon had not yet reached the sky. Nicole could still make out the words on the pages if she squinted her eyes in the dark. Her Aunt would always told her that she would develop poor eyesight from reading in the dark. Nicole did not care, besides, she wanted to finish the last chapter before school in the morning.

Evening rolled on into the night and the moon shone brightly through the girl’s window casting a green light through the sheer green curtains. Nicole’s book had long hit the floor and Sheena was laying spread eagle next to her. As if being irritated in her sleep Nicole nudged Sheena’s extremities off her body. This violent push jolted Sheena out of her sleep.

Sheena looked around sleepily and let out a little whine. She hated being awake in the middle of the night. She thought there was always something watching her in the darkness outside. Her Aunt’s house was directly across the street from the oldest cemetery in the city. Why did her aunt live in such conditions? The oldest cemetery meant there were old ghosts. Sheena hated old ghosts because those ghosts were considered to be stubborn. Very stubborn. They did not listen to “please” or when Sheena would say “I'm just 8-years-old”. They were just downright disrespectful because prayer was like asking them to come and attack her!

Well, she had never been attacked before, but she felt she had. One night her aunt asked her to take the garbage out to the curb and low and behold the ghost had beaten her to it! The garbage can was rolling away towards the street. It was one of those old ghosts pushing it along. She ran after the garbage can and just as quickly as it rolled away the garbage can started rolling back towards her! Sheena really knew it was one of those old ghosts because she screamed for the Lord and the garbage can rolled faster behind her! It was not until the garbage can hit a brick paver did it roll over and spill the garbage everywhere. The wind grew cold and howled. Sheena was convinced it was the laughter of one of the old ghosts.

Now Sheena had an even bigger problem. She had to go to the bathroom! Maybe she should wake Nicole to walk her to the bathroom . Never mind! Nicole did not believe in the stubborn old ghosts. She would probably yell at her for waking her. What to do? Sheena thought as she looked around the room for some sort of help. Could the doll on the dresser help? What about the slinky or the stuffed koala bear? All those things she would have to get out of bed and get.

Sheena really had to use the bathroom. She thought and thought and thought about what to do. Sheena decided that she had to make a run for it. She counted to 10, then 15, and jumped out of the bed. It was no wonder that Nicole did not wake up because the quilt on the bed flew up in the air and landed on her head. In what seemed like three jumps she was in the bathroom. Success! She turned on the light, used the bathroom, and washed her hands.

Now, she just had to get back in the bed and under her quilt. Sheena loved that quilt. Her mom gave it to her and her sister before she died. The quilt was made by her grandmother for her mom and aunt to make them feel safe. Their grandfather was abusive, and they would hide under the quilt when he would go on one of his rampages. They believed sisters being together could fight anything.

Just as she was gathering her breath to make a leap for the bed, she saw the curtains move and heard the floor creak. Oh no, Sheena thought. They are here! How did they know she had gotten out of the bed? What was their problem? Why were they stalking her? Sheena thought. There was only one thing for Sheena to do.

“NICOLE!”

Sheena yelled in a loud whisper. She would not dare wake her aunt. That was a complete no-no, and she did not want the consequences that waking her aunt would bring.

“NICOLE GET UP!”

Sheena yelled in her loud whisper again. The creaking grew louder, and the curtains swayed a little more.

" AUDUBON!"

Oh my gosh! I was just getting to the best part of the story. My mom was calling me for dinner, but I was really enjoying a book my grandmother had given me a long time ago. It was not until I started understanding the secret missions that I wanted to read the books. People write these science fictions books not realizing that things like this happen every day.

After dinner, I settled back into the story of the stubborn old ghost.

Nicole in a deep sleep could hear someone calling her name. She turned over into another position when she felt something hit her on the head. Fighting through the quilt that was wrapped around her neck she looked towards the light and saw Sheena’s small figure. She looked over to the floor and saw the roll of toilet paper that hit her.

“NICOOOOOOOLE!”

She heard Sheena whisper yell again.

“What do you want Sheena?”

“The old ghosts are coming”.

“What?” “Seriously Sheena, stop playing and go to bed”. We have to get up in a few hours and go to school.”

“Please believe me just listen.”

Annoyed Nicole threw the quilt towards Sheena and sat on the side of the bed. Just as she was about to open her mouth a gust of wind blew past her face. That was impossible because all the windows were closed. Then she heard the floorboards squeak heavily as if someone was walking.

“What is that?” Nicole asked Sheena in a loud whisper.

“I told you they were reeeeeaaaaaal”. Sheena replied.

Nicole felt a cold shock going down her spine. At that moment she wanted to believe Sheena, but there was nothing saying that she should not believe her.

“Well, what do we do?” Nicole asked.

“I don’t know, but whatever it is we need to do it fast.” We don’t know what the ghost will do.” Sheena said, as her eye grew wider with every squeak and creak she heard.

Nicole quickly ran over to the bathroom and stood behind Sheena. Sheena still engrossed in the creaky sounds leaned farther and farther into the bathroom. Nicole held her breath. She had to determine if she was dreaming or not.

Sheena noticed Nicole standing behind her with her eyes closed and holding her breath.

“What are you doing Nicole?”

“I’m trying to see if this is a dream or not.”

Sheena rolled her eyes and hit Nicole in her stomach with her elbow. Then she covered her sister's mouth with her small hand before Nicole could make a noise. Nicole cut her eyes at Sheena. They both shook with terror when they heard the door to their room squeak open slowly.

“Quick jump in the bathtub!” Nicole whispered to Sheena.

The girls jumped in the tub. Sheena hurriedly stepped back out of the tub to pull the quilt in the tub with them and shut the door. They both pulled the blanket over their heads and huddled close together. Shaking for dear life the girls were cheek to cheek.

“Do not pray. The old ghost isn’t scared by that.” Sheena whispered.

Nicole nodded her head. The girls could hear the wind on the other side of the door, and it almost made them scream. Clasping their hands together and clenching their teeth the girls waited for the old ghost to burst in the bathroom and do whatever it was they did. They waited, and waited, and waited. They waited so long that they fell asleep.

In the morning there was a loud knock on the door. Nicole almost broke her neck slipping in the tub trying to get up. She was alone, and the quilt was wound tightly around her. She looked around and wondered where Sheena had gone.

Nicole thought that that must be her knocking on the door. Tripping over the quilt she opened the door and there stood her aunt. “Child, you are sleeping in the bathtub again?” She asked with her hands on her hips.

Her Aunt was a stout woman with hard-working hands and a strong personality.

“Where is Sheena?”

Her Aunt looked her over and shook her head.

“You are having dreams again, aren’t you?”

She embraced Nicole in a warm hug. She led Nicole over to the bed. She noticed Nicole breathing heavily on the verge of what seemed like the beginning of a breakdown. She guided Nicole down onto the bed and pulled the quilt she held so tightly up around her neck. Her Aunt reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a small cup with a few pills inside. She opened Nicole’s mouth and Nicole swallowed the pills without water. Feeling tired and drained from her dream Nicole looked down at the quilt and began to cry.

Nicole knew Sheena was gone. That night that Sheena was in the bathroom begging Nicole to believe her that the old ghost was headed to her room, she did not go to her. Instead, she turned over in the bed and went back to sleep. The next morning Sheena was gone. The only thing left was the quilt she used to cover herself with when she was scared.

Now at the age of eighty, she relived the last time she saw Sheena and replaced the memories of that night with what she should have done. Nicole finally had her wish. She had her own room and bed to herself. Her aunt had long since passed away and has now been replaced by a Nurse that takes care of Nicole in her aunt’s old home.

Even though Sheena was gone Nicole knew how to find her again. She would just look under the quilt and there her 8-year-old sister would be hiding with the stubborn old ghost.

- Audubon Lake