Chapter one

I walked through the darkness. There was nothing but trees, and I hoped there was no poison ivy. Because that is one of the reasons of why I prefer staying indoors.

I walked closer into the darkness, not sure what I was looking for. All I know is that I've been having a lot of hints to come to this place. And let's just say it's not the regular place a normal sixteen-year-old-teenage girl should be.

I was at the cemetery.

And it was one of the freakiest places to normal people, especially when you visit it when it's past midnight. But to me, it was the place where I can relax. Because the dead don't usually hang around their graves. They usually like to hang around other places, watch civilization pass by.

But I wasn't here to relax. I was here on a mission. What was I looking for? I really have no idea. All I know is that I've been having weird signals from wherever I go, telling me to come here.

I entered the dark clearing, searching for anything other than the headstones. There was nothing there, of course. Nothing but headstone, headstone... and look at that, another headstone.

I kept on walking until I reached the center of the cemetery. I looked around me, making sure if anyone was around.

Nothing.

I tried hearing if there was anything, but all I could hear were crickets.

The fog was blurring most of my view, and licking my heels. Jesse wouldn't like this. You know the whole me-going-to-the-cemetery-alone-at-midnight thing. But that was why I didn't tell him.

I heard a footstep on the grass underneath me.

I held my breath. Who would be coming at the cemetery at night in an hour like this? Well, someone other than me?

I slowly turned around. I didn't know who I should have expected. A sad ghost looking for help maybe. Or Jesse, having sensed I was up to no good, as usual.

But it was none. The part of the ghost yes, but the sad part, hell no.

Because when I turned around, a tall figure was standing in front of me. He looked so freaky, that I let out a gasp. And the freaky part wasn't his freakishly huge figure, that was covered with a black outfit, or that he had a knife in his hand. No, it was his face, because there was no face. I'm not kidding, no meat, so skin, nothing. The thing in his face was his...

His skull.

My mouth dropped. I was all like, 'Oh My God!'

Was that guy burned before he died or something? Or was he an experiment to see how a skull-faced guy grosses the hell out of people?

"Oh my God," I quietly shrieked under my breath.

"What are you looking at?" he asked in a hard voice. I wasn't sure he was talking, on account of his missing lips. His teeth covered the places where his mouth should have been, unmoving.

As if he'd been shocked for the first time, he said. "So you're the mediator? Aren't a little bit too female?"

I was offended, I was taken aback, and I wanted to kick him. But I couldn't very much move a muscle in my body, and don't tell me that even the dead have feelings. I mean, come on! He looked like a cartoon character! But the evil scary one.

My eyes were wide open, and I was gaping at the scariest looking ghost I had seen in all my life as a mediator.

"Who are you?" I was able to choke out. "And what's your problem?"

The skull-faced ghost took two steps towards me.

"And why should I tell you that?" He demanded, he didn't have lips, of course, so I couldn't know whether he was angry or with a bit of amusement in his voice. Though, I thought I heard a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Because I'm the mediator," I explained, though I was sure he didn't need explaining. "And I need to know who you are to help you." Moron, I added mentally.

"Hmm," Skull-face wondered, his red eyes resting on me. "Tell you who I am, and let you help me? Or keep my information to myself and help myself?"

Okay, what? And how can he help himself, smarty pants? If he hadn't realized, he's a ghost, and no one other than me can see him (okay, no one other than me, Father Dom, Jesse and Paul can see him).

"Um," I said. "I don't think that's possible, because only I can see you."

"Ah," He said, while taking another step towards me. "That's exactly what I needed to know."

Before I had the chance to even blink, skull-face was one step farther from me. I slowly started backing away – not because I was scared, just taking a precaution – as he started taking steps closer to me.

"What do you want?" I asked as I kept on backing away. That wasn't possible though, because when he was a good four feet away from me, a headstone blocked my way back. I looked down at the headstone. 'John Richards', the headstone said. Okay, if I ever meet his ghost, I'm going to kick him. Even though he didn't choose where he wanted his headstone. But I didn't care, because if this ghost coming towards me didn't back off, I'm going to have to tell him the hard way. And by hard way, I meant a little good butt-kicking.

"Listen, you," I warned. "Don't even think about it. I'm warning you, pal. There's more to me than you see."

He was only two steps farther away from me now. Call me crazy, but I could swear that I saw the corner of his teeth twitching, trying to form a grin.

"I know," he agreed. "That's exactly why I must destroy you."

Before skull-face can very much touch me, I leaped away from the headstone and landed on the grass. Skull-face, instead of stumbling on me, crashed into the headstone I had been leaning on. I quickly stood up, and started running towards my mom's car. Apparently, that huge skeleton meant business. And I know who to do that business with.

I quickly drove out of the cemetery, and started heading home.

The skull-faced guy kept on appearing behind my eyelids whenever I blinked. It was empty on the streets today. I suddenly noticed a sign that wasn't there before, a sign that read the numbers 9213. I don't know why that sign caught my attention, but I suddenly stopped focusing on the road in front of me, and looked at the sign. It was the first time I saw it. When my eyes rested on the road for a second – to make sure I was going the right way – when I saw him – skull-, I mean. I was so shocked, that I stomped on the brakes so hard, that the car made car tracks on the ground, going sideways. I quickly shoved my brunette hair off my eyes. I quickly untied my seatbelt, and shoved my hand to the door knob. I tried opening the door, but it was locked, and wouldn't open. I pushed a few more times, it was stuck.

When I turned to my right side to see if the passenger side door is unlocked, and was shocked to what I saw. The skull-faced ghost was sitting right next to me on the passenger seat. He was looking at me evilly, his eyes redder than ever.

I let out a shriek of fear. I quickly pushed through the door, and smashed it open. I was sent flying out of the car, and landing on my stomach on the hard stone ground.

"Ew," I muttered to myself as I lifted my face from the dirty ground. I looked behind me, and the skull-faced ghost was walking confidently towards me. I was on my hands on knees, crawling as fast as I can. I quickly stumbled to my feet, and started running towards the car.

Skull-face was still walking towards me, seeking my death, it appears.

I hopped in the car one more time, and started driving towards my house. It felt as if I hadn't lifted my foot of the pedal until I was in front of my driveway.

I quickly pushed through the back door – having forgotten my keys – and entered my house. The only one who woke up was the house dog, Max. He lifted his head from the couch, and seeing it was me, he got back to sleep.

I quietly tip-toed up the stairs, and entered my room. I pushed my sneakers off my feet, and stumbled to bed. Were Father Dom and Jesse in for news next morning. And I wasn't really sure what that news was.