Unveil

This is a continuation of the Vocal Creators Saloon Halloween Spooktacular, one episode written by each author. Please, start reading the following parts before continuing:

🎃 Part 1: A Mother's Undying Love, by Un-Traditional Mother.

🎃 Part 2: Abigail's Truth, by Tiandra, aka theladypoet.

🎃 Part 3: Charlotte's Sorrow, by Natasja Rose

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Amanda wasn’t sure why people told her that some of their family members were dead if she could see them. Her parents were so mad about her saying those things that she simply stop speaking about it. It was better to pretend that she was just like the others than to realize that no one would ever believe her. The family is atheist, they can only believe concrete evidence.

It was hard for her to grow up with that deep secret. Seeing things and stay focused to stay away from them.

She even wanted to join that little girl that was gone two houses below hers, she killed herself in the bathtub – so she was still there, alone and worse than ever. Some people say that Amanda has a curse, because she always dresses white, and her long dark hair makes her pale appearance even scarier.

She believed that she was completely alone for most of her life until she found a man that was just like her: someone crazy and unbelievable that sees more than normal folks. No one should know that they were talking after school. She was afraid that her parents would do something drastic. They would meet at the library, and he would give her secretly books to help her understand that world. Amanda loved the library and always brought home scientific books, something that made her parents happier.

She started to understand better her calling. The curse that she had to hide could help a lot of people. They had a window to the Purgatory world, a veil that is unraveled since little to all of us, a veil that not all are eager to leave open.

Today she is a woman that has no family. She searches for gifted people like her and helps them overcome the burden of being watched as strangers to society. Each time she travels into different places, she tries to help some spirits that she sees. Not everything can be saved. It takes time to understand what makes them stay attached to this world and some of them never realize that their time was long gone. It takes a lot of energy and courage to help them. Some of them could take all your energy, and you could become just like them.

It wasn’t far from Halloween when Amanda spotted them: two little dark shadows feeding on a ghost. There was a human near the house’s entrance too, checking the flowers. It seemed a teenager that had the most beautiful skin. Her hair was close enough to the one that the ghost has. She was maybe her relative?

Amanda had a local meeting to attend, so she always tried to drive some adjacent streets to check if someone needed help. She wasn’t sure why they were with that diseased woman, but Amanda could feel the emptiness. She tried to check on her, but all the bloody mess with just one leg was too much.

She stopped her car, went for her bag, and checked the name of the street. Not only that, but she would write it down and search for answers later, but something wasn’t quite right. The dread that she felt was the same that could feed those shadows. Probably the ghost was aware of their death, feeding those shadows until she forgot it again. A lot of them would get into that vicious cycle of death, remember and forget. Each time, losing more memories. Each time, reaching life because of the longing that they had.

The phone rang, reality was calling.

“Aren’t you coming?” She was always late for the meetings. She sees dead people, therefore she loses track of time. What a lame excuse.

“I’m almost there, sweetie.” Amanda answered, hang up, and turned up the car.

That moment never left her mind, even when she was hearing each member of the event and trying to make sense of their words to answer them quickly enough. Time was slow and the meeting was so long that she just wanted to run away.

“Do you have something on your mind?” Someone said.

“I saw someone.” She said without thinking. “Never mind.” The bloody body was once again in her memory.

“I was hoping you would say that.”

“What’s your name again?” Amanda asked.

“Camille.”

“So sorry, Camille. I am the worst with names.”

“It’s ok. I’m unnoticeable.”

“Don’t say that. We are all special in some way.”

“I am not like you.” She stopped herself, remaining silent.

“You can say it. I’ve heard a lot of things in this life. Don’t feel ashamed and just tell me what you’ve come here to say.” Amanda sensed that she wanted to say something.

“I wanted to ask you about something.” Camille was trying to find the right words.

“Breathe, calm down.” Amanda said.

“It’s about my sister, Abigail…”

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You can check the next episodes

You can check the next episodes bellow:

🎃 Part 5: Twins in the Garden, by Paula Shablo.

🎃 Part 6: Silence is Chilling, by Anna Kerr.