"This day's black fate on more days doth depend:/ This but begins the woe others must end."

Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 118- 119

Preface

I felt like I was trapped in one of those terrifying nightmares.

But this was no dream, I had to save something incredibly precious to me.

My own life felt little to me today.

The wind blew my hair causing it to make a furious sound as I picked up the

spiked wooden cross.

I wanted to take a life. I smiled as I lifted the spiked crucifix into the air.

Chapter one- Lillehammer

By Mara Jade

My Aunt Francesca started to fasten her pace down the free way in her old white jeep wrangler; I heard the tires scrape against the asphalt as she attempted to exceed 60 miles per hour. I pushed the earphones harder into my earlobes to block the sound and closed my eyes. Solomon, our 6 week old puppy dug his head into my lap, Fran refused to buy him a cage for the trip, she thought we were 'restraining him' he needed 'freedom'. I sighed as I looked out the window and studied the scenery. Solomon, I don't think we're in Finland anymore. I wore dark blue skinny leg jeans and my old grey parker. My thick wavy brown locks hung below my shoulders.

"Mila, Mila were here!" Sharni my four year old cousin shook the fabric of my top. I reluctantly opened my eyes to stare at her.

"Snow" She giggled, pointing out the window. I turned to look out the window there was snow covering everywhere trees, the ground, roof tops. We were moving to Lillehammer, Norway. Aunt Fran was moving us here because she got another one of her 'dream' jobs as an Environmental Scientist.

Fran stopped out the front of an unfamiliar house it was ----

I walked up to the house with my luggage in one hand and Solomon in the other. I followed Aunt Fran into the entrance with the twins, Sharni and Timothy, following close behind.

As soon as the door was open the twins ran straight up the stairs shouting "My room!"

Aunt Fran turned to me, she looked a lot my mother had in the pictures I'd seen her in, Fran had very wavy blonde hair that went to her shoulders pushed back with a moss green coloured head band.

I had too much of my Father in me so I was told I had his brown hair and my mothers green eyes. My father left me when I was ten, he told me to stay with my Aunt for a month. A year past it was clear to me he was never coming back. I had once worried Fran would eventually discard of me, like my father had, grow tired of my constant presence and throw me out. She never did, the one time I had brought up the fear with her she almost had a heart attack it was almost a year before she had stopped reassuring me of how much she loved me and saw me as her own daughter.

"Do you mind having the Attic? It's so big, but I don't want you to feel pushed out…" Fran asked me, adding her familiar paranoia to the end. I sighed. I shouldn't have bothered asking.

"No, that will be fine" I smiled comfortingly, placing my hand on her arm.

"Thank you honey" She picked up a box and started to move to the kitchen.
I slowly headed up the stairs to the third story Attic. My new bed and dressing table had already been set up. I sat on the bed's creamy white cover. The room was nice it had dark brown floor boards with white walls. The door was lovely definitely an antique, painted white with some of the paint scraped off, I studied the carved inscription below the handle, Taylor Jay Miles. Huh, I wondered if that was a boy or a girl, no doubt many people have lived in this house, in this attic. Fran was a firm believer in recycling, clothes, water, even old houses that were well deserving of some slight renovations. She believed that as long as we had fresh food and water, we were the lucky ones.

I put my head phones on and lay across my bed, and began humming along to 'Iris'.

I heard a three light knocks on my door

"Mila?" Chelsea asked peeking through my door. Chelsea moved out three years ago with her Farther, David, when he left Fran. David was hard to live with, so Chelsea came to try living with us in Lillehammer. We grew up as best friends she was one year younger then me, fifteen now, after she had moved out we had talked everyday over the phone, though we only talked once a week after the bills had arrived.

"Chelsea" I smiled getting up off the bed to hug her

"I have missed you" she sighed walking over to sit on my bed. Chelsea's ginger ringlets twirled softly around her freckled cheeks.

"It's been too long. How have you been?" I asked

"Fantastic! California was a dream" She squeeled with excitement

"That's great Chelsea" I laughed

"Yes, yes but how are you?"

"I'm fine" I smiled

"Really?" she asked concerned.

"Yes Chelsea ofcourse I am"

"Alright, how fun is this? We get to live with each other, go to school with each other and maybe even work together" Chelsea always had a problem with getting over exited about everything, that was definitely a reason why I didn't miss her as much as I should have. The house was peaceful when she wasn't around, well, apart from the twins but they were out most days.

"Exciting" I tried to mimic her excitement, it came out all wrong and I sounded sarcastic.

We both started Lillehammer high school tomorrow her in year nine and me in year 10.

"I guess I'm best to unpack some clothes, so I'm not stressing in the morning" she sighed

"Okay, I'll talk to you in the morning" I smiled closing the door behind her

I didn't sleep well that night, the snow piling down on the roof was louder than it had been in Finland .I was closest to the roof in the house, I pulled the pillow over my head to block the echoed sounds. I couldn't fall to sleep until early morning.

When I awoke I was sure I hadn't put this blanket over me last night. I sighed, I was probably just imagining things. I studied my window, I couldn't see outside because of the snow. I sighed in contentment, the snow was weirdly reassuring, it's not as if everything had changed.

Breakfast with the rest of the house was a noisy event there was a lot of excitement from the twins about starting a new day care. And ofcourse, Chelsea was bouncing out of her chair literally about being with us all again, obsessing over shopping trips she had already planned for the both of us.

I examined the kitchen it was decorated with all sorts of mismatched items Fran had collected from our various trips travelling the globe. It wasn't as if we couldn't afford a sophisticated, matched kitchen, Fran just preferred something more…unique? Her setting was unusual, the red table held a pot of purple flowers in the middle, but alike to her it had a unique charm to it.

The large photo frame that hung in the entry to the kitchen held a picture of Sharni, Timothy, Chelsea and I at the beach last year. I groaned, I despised Fran's obsession with placing photos in every inch of the house.

"Ready to go everyone?" Fran asked, checking her watch as I stacked the dishwasher.

The twins jumped out of there seats sliding into there rain coats. I walked away and reached the front door, grabbing my school bag and studying my makeup in the entrance mirror. I got my licence three months ago it was only three days I had to wait until I got a car of my own for my birthday.

Fran drove us to school, I sat in the passenger seat. Chelsea sat in the back seat playing I spy with the twins.

The drive wasn't that long, only half an hour in the rusted jeep. I'm sure I could beat that timing in a new car. Fran parked out the front of a sign saying front office.

"Will you girls be able to find your way?"

"I think we'll manage" I laughed, pulling Chelsea out of her seat. We quickly made our way across to the office.

It was warmer in the office. The office was small blue carpet, the room was cut across by a long counter. The lady behind smiled warmly at us, her blonde hair tied back neatly into a pony tail swaying behind her neck.

"Can I help you?" she asked still smiling at Chelsea and I.

"Hi, I'm Mila Evans and this is Chelsea Evans, we're new here" I cringed at the word 'new', I never got used to it.

"Oh! Welcome" she dug through a stacked pile of papers "Here are your schedules and a map of the school" She handed us the sheets

"Thankyou"

We walked out of the office. I looked at the map trying to memorise it and sighed.

When the bell rang I left Chelsea to find my class. It was fairly easy to find.

The class room was small. I walked to an empty table in the middle of the room and sat.

It was a fairly easy English class focusing on Shakespeare, the teacher only singled me out once, neglecting to place me beside anyone else. Thank god.

When the bell rang a black haired girl walked up to my desk to talk to me.

"Hey, New girl right?" she asked smiling

"Mila" I corrected her with a smile

"Where's your next class?" she asked

"Um Trig, with Mr Sanders in building three"

"I'm headed to building two I could show you on the way... I'm Raven. But you can call me Ray" She seemed helpful

I smiled tentatively "Thanks."

We headed out into the white snow, which had begun falling more fiercely then this morning.

"So…where did you move here from?" She asked

"Finland"

"It's warmer there, right?"

"A little, pretty much the same weather"

"Do you like the snow?"

"Snows… snow. Nothing you can do about it, I think its fine"

We walked to the south building past the cafeteria

"Well have fun, maybe we'll have some other classes together" She said, strangely hopeful for the few classes we'd shared.

I smiled at her and nodded in response, walking into the room.

When lunch came I sat with a few of the other people I met during the morning, Chelsea came running up to me and then sat at the crowded table.

"How's your day been so far?" she asked

"Good" I smiled

I looked down at my tray and saw a red apple that I certainly didn't put there I lifted my eye brows in confusion.

"What?" Chelsea asked examining my curious face

"Umm… did you put that apple there?" I pointed at the strange anonymous apple

"No. Why?" She asked. I didn't take notice when I turned to grimace at the apple "No need to be cruel to the apple, it didn't bite you or nothing" Chelsea giggled.

"True" I shrugged and started to eat, neglecting the apple. We've all seen Snow White.

I ran to my room after we'd had dinner to put my bag away in my timber drawers only to find that my bed was made I examined the bed. I knew I didn't make it this morning and everyone was out the whole day. I bit my lip and grabbed my book out of the draw maybe I was over reacting. For all I know Fran came home today and decided to make the beds, Though, I still felt….unsettled. I rested my head on my pillow and began to read Romeo and Juliet for the second time.

"Mila, honey the temperature is dropping, turn on your heater soon" Fran yelled from the second story. I sighed and tossed to the other side in my bed to attempt to reach for the heater I reached my hand out to turn it on before I could lay a single finger on it I had fallen off the side of the bed.

"Ouch" I murmured to myself.

The red light turned on, signalling the heater was on, before I could touch the dial. I scrambled onto my feet, my breathing drew irregular in panic. That was weird first with the apple, the bed and then the heater. I struggled to calm myself down

Nothing Dangerous

I thought over and over again. It felt true. I felt safe, I didn't feel like I was in any danger. I sat and thought for a while of what had happened today. I didn't really believe in any of that superstitious nonsense, sure when I was little Fairies, Elves, Monsters, Dracula, Ghosts, anything existed, then. Then I rethought my last suggestion, ghosts.

There in no such thing as Ghosts I assured myself. I ran down the stairs to Chelsea's room

"Chelsea is there such things as Ghosts?" I asked her, the panic was obvious in my tone.

"Ghosts?" she giggled "Well, I don't know. There are heaps of rumours about Ghosts, Ghosts you can feel, Ghosts who can talk to you, Ghosts who well yeah…" She trailed off in thought "I've watched some documentaries….." She let the sentence linger, watching the panic become more apparent in my expression, she sighed "Why?"

"I was just wondering" I blushed, slightly embarrassed.

"Do you want me to call Ghost busters?" she lifted one eye brow, concealing the humour I knew she found in my distress.

"Funny" I rolled my eyes and left the room.

"But if you get worried, don't forget to call…." She yelled, I sighed and ignored her. She huffed when I didn't reply "Who you gonna call?" she teased, louder now.

I rolled my eyes "Ghostbusters" I murmured, she laughed. I walked slowly back up to my room. I knew I was being ridiculous, but it was hard to explain. There was…something, something about this place. If there were such a thing as Ghosts I'm sure there was nothing to be worried about, they're just spirits.

I sat on my bed feeling awkward as if something was watching me. I didn't know what to do.

"Is anything there?" I asked turning bright red when I realised I was talking to myself

"Can you talk?" I asked another question the moment I said that question I large jump on the bed made it shake. My heart stopped and I turned my head automatically to the movement. I sighed and my heartbeat restarted, it was only Solomon. I was relieved, did I really want to see this thing, if it wasn't a figure of my imagination after all.

"Do you feel something Solomon? Do you boy?" I asked cuddling up to him he let out a long sigh

"I didn't think so" I stood up and grabbed a pen and paper maybe I could write a letter to my old friend Lisa.

I wrote my letter and walked over to my drawer to grab a blue envelope.

Mila

Was written on one of the few lines I left blank under were I wrote 'Sincerely Mila'

I picked the letter up to examine my name that I certainly didn't write.

I mashed my eye brows together and slowly picked up the pen that was next to the sheet of paper, my hand slightly shook as I wrote my reply.

Yes?

I wrote on the line under my name. The pen lifted out of my hand into thin air and started to scribble across the page.

Hey, it's been awhile since I've had company. Welcome Mila!

The page was handed back to me and I studied the text, trying to find some hidden message. What the hell sort of poltergeist was this? Was it even a poltergeist?

Thanks….. Now, what is your name? Since you already know mine

I held the paper out this time, the weird force took it almost immediately. I watched the way the paper moved this time, someone was handling the page. I saw the dents of the page where fingers where holding it tightly, I saw the rough way it moved as the pen was pushed hard against the page. The paper was held out to me again,

Taylor, you can speak. I can hear you

I shook my head as I read the page and began to scribble against the page again.

You may be able to hear me, but so can my family. I don't want them to think I'm crazy. Could I hear you?

I held out the paper again, slightly more relaxed this time. The paper was taken from me and studied for a moment before an average sized, 18 year old boy appeared before me. His messed hair was a dark brown and his eyes where a deep blue, I also realised how white his skin was, obviously a result of being dead. He held his hands out before him and smiled. "You can see me too, if you would like"

"You're not what I was expecting" I said, lowly enough so I could be assured no one else could hear.

"What did you expect?" Taylor chuckled

"What are you?" He looked human enough but as far as I knew humans could not well be invisible

"I think you can guess"

"Umm invisible?"

"Not exactly, I'm a ghost no your average ghost that you would probably expect

some guy, covered in a white sheet screaming boo! With a knife in his hand? Damn! I forgot my props" He laughed "If that's what you were expecting I'm surprised you didn't run off screaming when I gave you the apple" His voice was low as well, though I don't think he was quite as worried as I was.

So he did give me the apple, I was not expecting this sort of ghost "You gave me the apple?" I asked curiously

"Yes, I was looking at your lunch. You needed more nutrition" I rolled my eyes, now a ghost was giving me a lector on my diet, my life was quickly turning into a bad soap opera.

"How long exactly has it been since you had to eat?" I said, slightly defensive.

"That's a little rude, I've barely known you for five minutes and you ask me how old I am" He said jokingly

"Sorry" My voice was slightly lighter than it needed to be.

"Don't worry about it, I'd be curious too. It's been 94 years since I died. So, technically I'm 112" He laughed reassuringly and sat on the end of my bed, gesturing for me to sit beside him. I hesitated and he laughed "Don't worry I don't bite…or haunt" He grinned

I sat beside him awkwardly and asked the question I had waited to ask for the entirety of our short conversation" Why are you here? I don't mean it rudely, but shouldn't you be like, walking towards the light or something?"

He grinned cheekily "Watching a little too many Hollywood movies are we?"

"I just-" He stopped me

"There's never really been a light, for me. There are lots of us, who can't see a light. Some believe we have something holding us to this world, a destiny we left unfulfilled, revenge. But I really don't see anything holding me to this world, maybe my last life was, well, my last chance to live" His voice turned softer, no longer joking.

"Oh" I said. I felt an urge to hold his hand comfortingly, but resisted in the fear there would be nothing to touch.

"Its alright, I make do. I go to school. I keep one seat haunted in every class I go to, so I can learn." He winked

"That's not very nice" I sighed, wondering what he meant by 'haunting'.

"It's nothing bad" He assured, answering my silent question "I wouldn't hurt anyone, I just keep the seat extra cold, ruin pracs in the science lab, that sort of stuff" I nodded and we sat in a short silence for awhile. I decided to break the silence, though he seemed comfortable enough

"Are you…really here? I mean I can see you, but can I touch you?" I asked shyly

"I wouldn't mind" He laughed holding out his hand. My hand moved very slowly as my fingers met his. I was surprised and relieved when I felt his soft, solid skin. His hand was the same temperature as the room, he wasn't warm like other humans, but he wasn't cold. I was completely focused on his hand for that moment, the texture of it, and the temperature. He noticed my focused expression and laughed, but I ignored it, I still had more questions.

"Is your…heart beating?"

"Slowly, as it did before I died. That's the way it happens. To reach this plane physically we have to go back to our bodies from before we died. Our physical existence here lasts as long as it took us to die, then we have to go back to the plane of the dead."

"So…How long do you have?"

"Four hours at the most" He sighed "I wish I could make it longer"

"Can you come back?" I asked, surprising myself with my sudden concern. I had just met him, I wasn't prepared to only meet him for four hours before he went back to force feeding me fruits.

"Yeah," He replied, stretching his arms "But we have to die a small death every time we change planes" He made a small frown.

"Oh, does it hurt?" I said worryingly

"It used to hurt a lot more. On your way here, when the house was empty I practised holding my form here. I managed to increase my time, and it became less painful. I hope it becomes even less painful, I'm quite enjoying your company" He grinned.

"You're the weirdest ghost. Ever." I laughed

"You don't have anyone to compare me to"

"I just have a feeling," I smiled "but I like you" I nudged him with my shoulder.

"Rays nice"

"What?"

"The girl you were talking to today, she's a little harsh. But she's the most real person in the school, until you arrived ofcourse. She knows me too. I'd keep her as a friend"

"I will." I smiled "Are we friends?"

"Course" He grinned

"Well…." I said biting my lip "This will be one interesting friendship"

"I'll say" He laughed "I believe your aunt is about to enter her room, which is just below this one. We should keep our volume down." I nodded and walked over to my CD player, flicking through my various albums.

I held up my Black Holes and Revelations Muse album to him and he grinned and nodded.

"So… what would you like to spend your time here doing?" I asked, unsure of what to do.

"I don't really mind, I haven't talked to a human in so long. I really wouldn't know what to do." I laughed, I had never spoken to a ghost before. I had no idea what I was doing either.

"Well, I'm sure you could help me with my homework, you've gone to school a few times haven't you?" He grinned and nodded, pulling my bag from beside my bed and taking the books. The music pumped through the speakers and I went to sit beside him. It was easy with Taylor. I thought the age gap would make it awkward for us, but thankfully Taylor hadn't matured much in his years of afterlife. The few hours we had passed too quickly.

"I only have a few minutes" Taylor sighed

"Can't you just comeback?" I said, trying to hide my secret hope he would stay with me longer.

"It is tempting." He grinned "But I timed my arrival perfectly, it is your bedtime, is it not?" I glanced at the clock beside my bed and sighed. I really hadn't expected it to be so late.

"Okay," I frowned "Are you okay?"

His teeth gritted and he held his breathe a moment "Just peachy"

"No you're not, why are you doing this?" I said, suddenly panicked. I held his shoulders, he grew colder. I could feel my heart begin to beat faster as I examined his sickened face. A triangle mark with a line going diagonally down inside it started to pulse.

"It's not so bad, really" he spoke through closed teeth. "This part doesn't last too long"

"Is it worth it?" I asked, confused. I couldn't see how a few visits to this world would be worth dying your own death continuously. His eyes met mine, they were….tender?

"It will be" He smiled through the pain before a final shot of pain took his physical body away. I clutched my chest, realising my breathing had stopped and took in small, shallow breaths.

"Are you okay?" I whispered to the thin air that surrounded me. I had hoped he was, that or he actually was a figment of my imagination and my hysteria had finally ended.

One of my postads flew into my open hands.

I told you, I'm fine.

I sighed and placed it on my bedside table, grabbing my pyjamas and walking towards the bathroom.

"You better not follow me" I said in a whisper. Had I imagined the laugh that followed my request?

When I re-entered my bedroom it had changed. My room seemed slightly neater, it seemed some more items were unpacked. My photo albums, my old year books and a few more CD's. A large glass of water sat beside my bed on the stand, I wondered momentarily how my new friend had gotten that without raising a few eyebrows. Then I realised another of the postad noted had found its way to my bedside table.

Drink up

I sighed and hopped in bed, grabbing my worn copy of Romeo and Juliet from my drawer. I opened up to the last page I had read from and barely got through two sentences before the book was ripped from my arms impatiently an replaced with another postad note.

It's too late, get some sleep

"You're not my babysitter" I huffed, but pulled the blankets over me. Another note flew in front of me,

Thank you, Sleep Well

"Have a nice night" I sighed, allowing my head to fall onto the pillow. I was really much more tired than I had realised. My lights where turned off. "Thankyou" I whispered.