Content

Chapter 1

“Come on Kate, get in the car,” said Mom. I was standing on the pavement acting like a naughty little child even though I am 13 years old. I have a good reason to be. I have to be going to a funeral of a person I didn't know existed until today. Also, what 13 year old wants to dive for like 1 hour to mourn the death of an unknown person? Oh right I have to introduce myself, I’m Kate. I am an average 13-year-old girl, with green eyes, just like my Dad's. Right now my mom was making me get into the car because we were going to, it's my so-called “Grandma's” funeral that I don't even know about.

“I don't even know this person and she's supposed to be my grandma! Ugh,” I said.

My mom sighed. “Oh, come on Kate, she is your dad's stepmother, my mother-in-law, no, Stepmother…in…, whatever! Get in the car!” she insisted. She was getting rather short with me and I knew her temper would soon burst and she would be screaming for me to get in the car.

“Mom, dad left. His stepmom is no one to us and you know it!” I almost started shouting when I was speaking. “Maybe she was a murderer or a thief! We don't even know anything about her. Why do we have to go?”

“We are going to be respectful,” my mom told me. But honestly, she looked like she had no interest whatsoever to go either. I knew though that she was probably doing this because like she said, she wanted to be respectful of dad's stepmom.

Minutes had passed and I had finally agreed to get in the car, even though I hope mom still understands that I AM NOT HAPPY and that I REALLY didn’t want to go! If she didn't, I don't know how she hasn't.

When we got to the graveyard it was really dark and chilly! My mom blamed it on me for not getting in the car fast enough. She was pretty angry. We drove around with the funeral coaches to find my so-called grandma's grave. Then when we finally found her grave there was no one there at all except for the coach. I started to think that she was never alive in the first place. But I knew that wasn’t true.

A long time has passed since my Grandma’s funeral. After school, I came home and decided to check the mail cause I hadn’t since last week. When I opened the mailbox I found a letter addressed to me. The letter was open. The ink was red, the color of blood. For a few seconds, I was worried that it really was blood until I realized that that couldn't possibly be true. Or, at least I hoped that it couldn't possibly be true. Then I read it,

YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME AND YOU DON'T WANT TO FIND OUT

- FROM YOUR HOPE TO BE PEN PAL

Around two months later I still kept thinking about the letter. I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep. If I know nothing about them then how do they know me? Pen pal? IF they are threatening me of course I don't want to be their pen pal. Who would? Who are they? And there was no return address! I could not help feeling a bit curious but also freaked out. Why was this person trying to contact me? Everything is getting out of hand. I can't think straight. What was happening? After a long time of tossing and turning in my bed, I fell asleep thinking of who they might be and what they could or might do to me.

This topic disturbed me so much that sometimes I refused to eat. I haven't been focused on school. My grades hadn’t been good either and my mom wasn’t happy. The only thing that was stuck in my head was the letter. Plus guess what, I still haven't told my mom about this letter, even though I got it two months ago.

Today, l have probably received the worst news of my LIFE! I have to go to summer school because I've been getting bad grades in class since I wasn't focusing on my school work. Summer school is the worst punishment anyone can get. The worst of the worst go there. Also, that means less time solving my pen pal mystery. But guess what, I do have some good news. It's not exactly good news but it is good news at the same time. I’ve done some research on my grandmother. I don't know why but I have a weird feeling that there is some weird connection between my grandmother and this freaky pen pal. After all, I don't know my grandma so there may be a connection. No Kate NO NO NO, that can NOT be right! The thing is I don't know what my grandmother's name is and it would d be very weird to ask my mom because then she would probably be like, why does Kate want to know what her grandmother's name is? Or perhaps my mom doesn't even know herself. I wouldn't want to risk that.

Ok, that's officially weird so I'm going to drop this crazy topic. I don't know why but every day I check the mail. I'm half excited and half creeped out. I know I am crazy for wanting more creepy letters. I know!

I couldn’t help waking up still feeling a bit scared. I did my morning routine as fast as I could, so I could check the mail. This time I saw another letter. The letter had the shape of a gravestone. I turned it over thinking it might be sorry for your loss card, but it said no words. I wondered who it could be this time. The same person maybe? And if so why would they leave a card with no words in the shape of a… wait a minute, gravestone?! I was thinking now! Could this person writing the notes actually BE my grandma? No, she died. And I don’t even know her, that's just a crazy idea. Maybe this person wants me dead!

“Kate, I hear the bus! Come on get your backpack ready!” mom shouted. That woke me up from my daydream and ran in to get ready for… SUMMER SCHOOL! I forgot ugh!

Summer school was like I thought. Basically, school but in the summer. School for an entire year. Or in other words, THE WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME!!! Nothing about summer school made me the least bit happy.

When summer school was over I ran over to my mailbox to check for a letter. No letter! What, DARN! I was really hoping to find more out about my penpal. The rest of the day I rested and slept. Finally a peaceful day. Well at least there was nothing scary to be read, but I was still bummed.

It was morning. I woke up to the sound of the pitter-patter rain sound on the roof. I walked down the stairs to eat breakfast when I heard a knock on the door. I ran to the door, I thought it was the mailman or something so I went to open the door. The only problem was that there was no one there, no one. I looked everywhere! I went outside looking but as far as the eye could see was rain, rain, and more rain. But finally, instead of seeing someone, I saw something. A letter! Oh my gosh! I quickly picked it up and opened the letter. It read,

HELLO DEARIE, MEET ME AT MY GRAVESTONE!

-FROM YOU KNOW WHO

I was completely freaked out because it all made sense now and now that it makes sense it is horrible! The last note from this random person's card was a shape of a gravestone, the last note, read that I know nothing about them, and this note makes even more sense. I know who the person is and I am not excited about it. I can't believe this. There's no way this is happening to me. I was right and my mom was wrong. I don't want to go to her gravestone. That would be even worse than my worst fear happening to me!!. I can't believe this. My worst fears are confirmed. Oh no.

Chapter 2

“Kate, I hear the bus! Come on get your backpack ready!” mom shouted. That woke me up from my daydream and ran in to get ready for… SUMMER SCHOOL! I forgot ugh!

HELLO DEARIE, MEET ME AT MY GRAVESTONE!

-FROM YOU KNOW WHO

Chapter 2

I’m still confused about what to do. Should I meet my grandma at her grave, or should I just ignore it? There is so much going on in my life right now. How would I get to the cemetery? I can’t ask mom. I really don’t know what to do! plus I kind of maybe forgot where her gravestone is, so if I go there I will have to explore that creepy place. I decided to just ignore it for a couple of days and if there is another note then I will listen. And by the way, no one else knows about this, no one not even my mom. Apart from the creepy things that could happen there, I want to go but the other part thinks otherwise. I knew that I should because I could find something out but the thought wasn’t pleasant. I finally took all of my courage and decided to take the bus to the graveyard.

I finally got to the graveyard. It was a long way there. I was standing and looking when I realized that I couldn't do it alone so I started to walk back to the bus stop, and all of a sudden it started to rain and a storm was there. I ran under a tree and when I realized you should never hide under a tree when it's storming or you might get electrocuted, I ran out from under the tree. Just then I got this queasy feeling and I was quickly surrounded by sounds. Crows, wind, rain, thunder, the graveyard gate was squeaking. I looked around, the wind blew the leaves. I saw only one gravestone in the cemetery, my “grandmas”.

I don't know if you know this, but my grandma has a statue in the graveyard of herself. The last time I saw it it was not there. This time it was sitting on top of the gravestone- OMG, I could have sworn that the statue moved.

“AHH,” I screamed at the top of my lungs. My throat hurt so much. But that wasn't the main problem.

The statue said “calm down Dearie”

“ How are-wha-you- bu-bu- but you are a statue,” I said. I was so shocked. I knew deep inside that she wasn't a statue, but didn't want to hear the truth right now. I knew she wasn't a statue, but she couldn't be a ghost. Could she? What was she, I didn’t want to find out but I also kind of did.

I was so scared I couldn't move, my heart was beating faster than it ever had. That was the only sound I heard at that moment. And then a clap of thunder disturbed the silence. I was right in front of her grave. I didn’t even move. It was as if the wind picked me up and brought me right to my grandmas grave. There was one last final thunder strike and then everything went quiet, everything but the sound of rustling leaves right behind me, and then I heard it, “Hello DearIE.” I turned around and there was a human-like figure standing behind me but it had fading feet...a ghost! She had a knife in her hand ready to chop me in half. She was my grandma!

I was so freaked out! I thought that I saw MY grave next to her. But before she could harm me she disappeared. Then everything went back to normal for the second time. I was so scared, the birds were chirping the cars were roaring on the street. I never paid attention to those sounds, but now I paid attention to every single movement or sound around me. I ran home as fast as I could, feeling like the wind was after me. I was so out of breath, I almost choked. Why would my grandma maybe want to kill me or hurt me? And why me? My theory from before was correct, the gravestone card was because of this.

When I reached the doormat I rang the doorbell 9 times before someone unlocked it. And guess who unlocked the door………... MY GHOSTLY GRANDMA!

“Hello, dear, nice to see you again. I think you have something for me!” I screamed ”Ahh! Why would I have anything for YOU!” “You have a piece of my generation.” And that’s all she said slammed the door in my face like nothing ever happened. I couldn’t believe it, I was being blamed for something I didn’t do!

I still can't believe what I saw yesterday! A ghost maybe my grandma floating in the air? I was thinking maybe I was hallucinating. No, I wasn't hungry or thirsty, that's not it. But what does my family have that she needs. She said that I had a piece of her generation, but what's that supposed to mean. And what if I was the piece of her generation. I’m highly confused. What do I have that she doesn't, well I’m alive and she's not so I guess maybe she wants my life. But why she died was of old age, right? I feel like I should tell my mom about this, but would she believe me? Probably not, she would think I’m crazy or sick.

If that really was my grandma then she was a ghost. But I need to figure out why she would want to hurt me and what would she want from me? I don’t even remember ever hearing her name, and to be honest I still don’t know her name after all of this! I don’t get it if she does really want my life? Didn’t she get her fair share of life? She was a grandma! And I couldn’t possibly take her life from her, could I? This is so confusing to me I just couldn’t get it straight, I’ll have to do more research on her.

“And we take it and place it in the thingy to the thingy…” UGH, blahblahblah. Why do they make you go to these places if you don’t learn anything! I’m pretty sure the teachers here know nothing about what their teaching and they are just here for the money, that seems to be the only thing the teachers know around here. I can’t stand it, I sit at this same desk everyday hearing words that are coming out through one mouth to someone's misunderstanding ear. Or, in through one ear, out through the other. Since I came here the only thing I’ve learned is that summer school is boring. This place called summer school, let’s think about what it really is……………….

TORTURE!

The next class was the same, "Now class, all you have to do is take this and put it in that, then do this then that then this then that. Simple as that right?" I really didn't get a thing that the teacher was saying so I just nodded like I knew what he was talking about and then went back to zoning out.

I was walking home from summer school, I couldn’t wait to get home to lay on my bed and watch some T.V. But then all of a sudden the wind changed to a tornado. I didn't know what was happening. I started screaming at the top of my lungs and almost fell over. The wind took me up right off my feet right to, a house? I was still at my house but it looked older. knowing grandma, I knew something was up. Then I had a thought that I was in the past! I felt like I was 50 years in the past! Everyone around me was wearing old fashioned clothes. Then I had another thought, my grandma! She had been talking about a part of generation, and now I’m back in her years? This must mean something, I got to start paying attention! I guess she didn’t want my life, maybe she wanted something lost in this house or maybe this is MY house just in the past and she wants my house. Well, let's face it “grandma” that's not gonna happen.

When I was at that place then the tornado-like thing sucked me up. I saw my “grandma” she was taking me into the house, and in a bedroom that was full of dust bunnies, and spider webs. This place also has a really bad smell. I didn’t know why she would take me to this… PLACE! There is nothing here! Then I thought of the piece of generation again. Why would my grandma take me here for no reason it’s got to be part of the generation thing, I looked around, now everything was black, dark, and spooky! I did not like it, then all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I saw a golden twinkle. Then in a snap, I was back in my time standing on the same sidewalk tile as I had been when I had drifted away.

Chapter 3

I kept thinking about that house. What was that twinkle that I saw? Was it gold? Was it a crystal? I tried to think about what I saw in the house, but it just wasn’t clear enough. Maybe it was a dream? No. I have to go back to that house! But how, just how, was I going to do that! I started walking home until I ran into this person, I was just going to keep on walking after I said sorry, but she said, “STOP!” I turned around. “What did I do?” I said and saw it was an old lady, “Oh sorry I did not mean to be rude.” I told her. The lady replied much more nicely than before, “Oh it’s fine honey.” This lady felt a bit shady.

Then she said “well let’s walk for a little bit“ I refused. I politely said no thanks and started to walk back in the direction of my house, knowing that you should never trust strangers. But the lady stopped me. Her voice changed completely into a low and fierce one, “You're coming with me!” She dragged me all the way to this house that I had seen before but I couldn’t remember where, and took me inside! I screamed and yelled but she just acted like nothing was coming out of me! Her fingernails were so sharp, that I was now bleeding on my right arm. I saw a glimpse of something shiny like gold and pulled towards it. And then everything went black.

I woke up lying face down on the sidewalk. Whatever just happened freaked me out! for the first time in a very long time, I felt like I was going to pee in my pants. were those visits to the house hallucinations or were what I saw, real?! Then the same lady that just dragged me to the ground, walked past me quietly. Nope, it was totally real. I ran home as fast as the wind. Not pausing to look back or take a breath.

I thought I would fall asleep very quickly but that idea slowly faded. It took forever to fall asleep because I kept thinking about what happened. I started to get the feeling I was being watched and I was in danger.

Okay, now I really find the need to tell someone. But I still feel like something inside me is telling me no. I don’t know if I should trust that little voice or stand up to it. I think I’m going to tell someone! No, I can’t, Oh man I don’t know what I should do.

I’m off to summer school again. UHHH. Reading and then math and then, science! And that's when it happened. I met Probably the best friend I will ever have. Her name is Julia. She has long brown hair pulled up in a long ponytail. And hazel eyes. When she sat by me at lunch and started talking to me, I knew we were going to be friends and that was meant to be, I invited her to my house and got up to go to my writing class and she followed me she said her next class was writing also and we walked there together.

“Okay class takes out your writing books”, Ms. Cambell exclaimed! And from then on, all I heard was murmurs. Blah Blah Blah we need to make sure we use punctuation. Blah Blah Blah. Make sure you have good grammar. Blah Blah Blah. Write long and fast...

And then finally the bell went off. Ding! YES! I was out of the room before Ms. Cambell even said we were dismissed. Finally, I was done with summer school for the day!

I walked home with Julia. She is so kind she helped me with my homework, she ate dinner at my house, and then before leaving said thank you, probably five times. She is the best friend I’ve ever had! Well, also I haven’t ever had a friend before. So yeah now I know what it feels like. I wish I’ve had a friend my whole life! That was so amazing! I can’t wait to go back to summer school to see her again. I wonder if I should tell her about my Grandma.

I ran down the stairs at five-thirty in the morning, dressed and all. My mom wasn’t up yet so I left her a note on bright yellow post-it notes about going to school early I went to school early, hope you have a great day, thanks! - Kate

And off I ran to school. So fast that when I got there I thought my legs were on fire! I sat down on the blue ratty swing and checked the time. It was 7:05 school started at 8:30! I have some time I thought. Actually, a lot of time.

“Hello!” I looked behind me it was Julia!

“Hi, Julia” I exclaimed and ran to hug her! She replied in a very exciting way.

“Hi, Kate! I always get here this early because my mom and dad go to work early but no one has ever been here with me!” She looked so happy! I was so excited to see Julia again at Summer School that I came an hour early and she was here too!

“I am so excited to see you, Julia!” I was practically jumping up and down with excitement!

“Do you want to swing?” I asked Julia.

“YES!” She replied. “Let's have a race who can get the highest!”

One week later...

I was walking home, with a little skip in my step. I had just received my first “A” in Summer School and I was so excited to show off my grades to Mom! I ran to grab the mail and it all went downhill from there.

It didn’t even come into my mind until then! Another letter from my PenPal. I ran up to my bed and started crying into my pillow, what is happening I am so confused! Then drowned in my tears I fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up with my hair soaked. It was really uncomfortable I only got a few hours of sleep. 6 maybe? Why did my Penpal have to give me a note when I had had one of my best days!? I decided that I should try and contact my dad and see what he knew about my Grandma. I called his number, 202-555-0187 the phone rang, once, twice, three times until the phone said say your message after the beep, I left a message asking him to contact me soon. All-day I waited and waited for an answer. After dinner, the phone rang. Mom was already getting ready for bed so I answered it. “Dad?” “This isn’t your dad” I then looked at the number, It was my dad’s. Interesting. I knew I had to call someone about this. I ruled out mom.

I called Julia.

“Julia?”

“Yes?” Julia answered.

“I have to tell you something, meet me at the big oak tree in 10 minutes.”

“Okay, but why?” She asked.

“ I will tell you there.” I hung up. I finally would tell someone. I couldn't back down now. This would be the only way to finally concern my fear of my grandma. And finally, someone besides me would know about my grandma. Anyway, Two heads are better than one, right?

Chapter 4

Twenty minutes later I met Julia at the big oak tree. “What’s on your mind?” She asked. “I haven’t told anyone this,” I told her, “ I don’t want you to tell anyone either okay?” “Okay.” I had brought the notes my Pen Pal had wrote, “It’s these.” I gave them to her. She looked at the first one, fear crossed her face, she looked at the gravestone, she made a look of horror, she looked at me. She didn’t have to say anything.

“You have to tell someone.” Were her first words. “ I can’t, My Grandma, I feel like she doesn’t want me to tell anyone, besides, I only trust you.” “Okay, two heads are better than one, but what are you going to do?” “I called my Dad and my Grandma answered not Dad, what if she hurt my Dad!” “ She could have but it’s not likely, I mean if she was a ghost, she can’t harm anyone because she is a ghost, they can’t like grab onto you.” “ Then she isn’t a ghost, She grabbed me once in person and I blacked out, when I woke up I was on the sidewalk.” We thought for a long time. “ My parents are fighting right now, They know that I sometimes sleepover at people's houses because of this, can I come over?” Julia said “ Sure! I know all about parents fighting, It happened to mine!” We walked to my house quiet. We both knew that we would have to find out who it was, together.

It had been two weeks and my mom had started liking Julia more and more. Julia practically lived at our house now. Her parents are fighting more than ever and don’t care where she is. Julia is a lot of help. I knew that telling her was a good decision. She thought that maybe my Grandma was back because she needed something, like an object. My dad actually called back. His voice was scared. “Your step Grandma, I called her grandma, didn’t like me and she talked about this famous family heirloom all the time. She never told me what it was though, just that it was very valuable,” he said this on our call. After that, he and I just caught up with each other. Then we hung up. In a couple on seconds, I was at the mailbox, inside was another letter. It read,......

You now know my secret, talk to me at the big oak tree in 10 minutes, bring your friend.

-from Grandma

I showed the note to Julia. She looked at me with a brave face. “Maybe we can solve this once and for all.” We both left for the big oak tree. Then we saw her. She was ugly and gross, she had grey skin and black eyes, her clothes were grey, brown, and black and were ripped very badly. She looked ugly and I mean it.

“Don’t be afraid even though I am like this. Your father told you all you need to know. I want that heirloom back in a month or else something bad will happen.” Then she disappeared! Out of thin air! Julia and I looked around but she had actually disappeared! We looked at each other and then both thought the same thing. “We have to find this thing,” We said at the same time. We walked back home. We both wondered the same thing. What is an heirloom? What does it look like? And why does she want the heirloom? Then I thought back to the gold flash that I had seen before. I told this to Julia and then she thought, she looked at me and said that the heirloom was probably gold or silver or something like that.

In the morning I looked up famous heirlooms that were gold. I found three. A golden watch, a gigantic block of gold, and a small gold mirror. I went outside and found myself being pushed over. I fell hard and felt my head, I was bleeding. I ran to mom and she took one look at me and called the ambulance. It took a long time but I had to get stitched. It wasn’t fun. When I was finally back at my house it was midnight. Julia was still up and asked me if I was okay.

“I am. The only thing is that we need to find this heirloom.”

“Okay.”She agreed.

The next morning I went to check the mail with Julia. There was no note.

“ Darn. I was really wanting to know more.”

“ Same,” Julia said. We both sat in my room talking about stuff when the garage door opened, Julia and I both ignored it, it was my mom,

“I’m home Kate!” She called. I then heard footsteps. Then my door opened, I didn’t see mom. I saw my Grandma. This time she was looked brighter than the last time we had seen her. However her hair was in so many knots she would have to get it shaved, her dress was gray and the bottom had mud on it. Her gray shaw was stretched so much that it was 3 inches in width and 15 inches in length. She looked dreadful as if she hadn’t washed in a year. She smelled of dead rats and rotten eggs. One of her teeth was missing also. She looked as if she had come out of a horror story. And she was my Grandma.

Julia and I screamed with terror just as my mom really did come home. She ran upstairs just in time to get a small glimpse of Grandma before she disappeared. She looked at us and I knew what she was going to say.

“What was that?” She asked us. Julia and I looked at each other.

“Grandma.”

“Who?”

"G- R- A- N- D- M- A- Grandma.” Mom looked at me as if I was crazy.

“Your grandmas are both dead Kate. Get to bed both of you.”

As my Mom inched her way out of the room I believed me and Julia had the same thought racing through our minds,

“Oh no! What will happen next?” As she went around the corner in the hallway I saw my Mom race down the stairs like she was running the 50-meter dash. I heard the dialing and I guess Julia did too we looked at each other and started whispering so fast.

“ We need to do something,” I said

“They can’t do anything to her,” Julia responded. “She's a ghost!”

“I know but... Oh ow!” I was suddenly aching all over.

“Kate, are you okay, you look so pale!”

“Yes, I’m fine.” I felt my strength come back. “I think I’m just tired, let’s go to bed.”

That was probably the worst call I have made, well other than the one to go to the graveyard as the note told me. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep but I still suggested it, and now I was alone with my thoughts of my ghostly grandma. The night came and went like any other night and I waved at Julia as she walked home for the first time in a week.

”Honey, you need to tell me about this grandma thing.” Mom’s voice was sweet but stern. I didn’t know what to say, I didn’t want her to be in danger like I was so I lied,

“She’s ghost grandma, she is nice and just wants to know me since she wasn’t alive to meet me,” I said. She couldn’t answer that. I was actually beginning to get really scared. I wasn’t just frightened, my stomach was hurting because of the thought that someone could be endangered if I didn’t find that piece of generation.

I was so freaked out I even threw up and couldn’t go to summer school. I spent the day looking for something gold but also thought more about how this used to be my grandma’s house, I know that because she took me to this house about 50 years in the past. I looked everywhere on the internet. But nothing!

I have been having nightmares and panic attacks a lot lately. I only had 9 days left to find her heirloom. Suddenly I got a weird urge to check the bathroom. Feeling odd, I walked into the bathroom. I searched in cabinets, and drawers but couldn’t find anything. Then I suddenly felt like I was being pushed into the bathtub. My body leaned forward and fell into the bathtub.

Chapter 5

I was being pushed toward the wall by my inner determination. For some reason, my body was so determined to run into a wall. But when I pushed on the bathtub handle and leaned against the wall a secret passageway revealed itself! I carefully crawled in with my head down. Trying to not freak me out anymore. I crawled for what felt like an hour before the passageway ended and when I got to the end, of course, I never should have fallen for it but my body really just felt like I was being pulled through the tunnel where she was, of course, my grandma the ghost!

I didn’t know what to do. Part of me wanted to crawl back. The other part of me didn’t because I was claustrophobic. “You don’t have much time. You are running out of time Kate, running out of time…” She said before disappearing right before my very eyes. I looked around the cramped area.

This book isn't finished yet. Stay tuned for updates.

Imprint

Cover: Poster my wall
Publication Date: 12-31-2020

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