"This really doesn't seem safe" I gulped looking down the window.

"It'll be fine! Trust me." She impatiently urged. "I'll go down onto the platform first and I'll be stand by for when you come down"

"I don't know about this" I whispered anxiously but before I could protest she already climbed up the window and jumped down on the concrete platform underneath it with a thud. Both of our eyes widened realizing how loud that was and what that would mean.

"Come on hurry up" she said with panic seeping through her voice.

"I'm scared!" I whisper yelled but froze on spot as I heard a door opening from a different room. I climbed up the window and dangled my feet down as she stood underneath to give me support if I needed it. I didn't have any more time to be scared as Ms. Iris would definitely be scarier if she heard I was in a place I wasn't supposed to be.

I took a leap of faith and landed on the platform quieter as she supported my landing.

"Now what? I whispered in her ears.

She pointed towards a long tree beside the house. I peered close and realized there were small wooden steps on it.

"Do you often play bandit that you actually built your escape ladder?" I asked getting amused.

"Maybe, maybe not" she vaguely answered inching towards the edge. So like the sensible person I am, I immediately called dibs on being her assistant pirate.

 "I built it as a kid when this place wasn't closed off. Anyways, will you be able to climb down?"

"I think so"

She nodded and slowly put her feet on the steps and steadily climbed down. I was nervous at first but I took a deep breath and slowly put my feet on the steps. I carefully climbed down and when my feet finally reached the ground I let out a sigh of relief. This day was definitely turning out to be way different than I thought it would.

She grabbed my hand and dragged me along. "No time to stand around. We need to run"

She held onto my hand and we both ran. We ran through the shadow casted road and didn't stop until we were good distance away from the house. I slumped down onto the road completely exhausted from running so much in one day. I really needed more exercise, my stamina was garbage.

She was as exhausted as I was. After a few moments after both of us had rested for a bit I burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

"Nothing, this just reminded me of "hanging dismay". The scene where they ran from the creepy Liberian, through the window"

"Wait, you know that series?" she asked surprised. "It's so underrated!"

"I know right? It's such a good horror series as well." I said grinning.

"Yeah my brother introduced me to it. I was skeptical at first since I don't read horror much but it's so good!" she smiled. "Though he said the TV series is better.

"How dare he!" I gasped. "blend him!"

"I really should. This whole mess happened because of him. If he wasn't being a idiotic moron this whole thing wouldn't have happened" she said frowning

She used idiot and moron in a same sentence
Let it go Leah, no

"That reminds me, you still have things explain Ms. whose name I still don't know" I asked raising my eyebrow. "What was the weird gimmick you pulled back at the house? I have seen weird things, but nothing as out of ordinary as that.

"Firstly, it's Rose. And don't call that a gimmick, I am not a magician. And that was a spell for your information" she corrected me nonchalantly as if casting a spell was like your everyday activity.

"I'm Leah. Back to that incident, what did you mean by saying normal people can't see it?" I asked standing up. "Also I may or may not be a bit lost, so can you help me get back to Crystalwood estate?"

"Sure" she replied walking in front of me. "You're awfully accepting to what you just saw"

"I told you before, I have seen weird stuff before" I shrugged. "So I assume you're a witch?"

"I wouldn't call myself that. I just belong to a family that has high spiritual power. We deal with spirits. The lights you saw were all souls or better 'essences' of dead small animals that linger on earth. They help us with spells." She explained still walking ahead of me and I nodded starting to get the full picture.

"So what was the spell about?" I asked curious

"I was looking for my brother. He left without telling me and I was checking if he was in the area. I can't reach him" he sighed

"Where is his phone" 

"He left it" she replied with a dead pan face. "He is getting more and more stupid everyday"

"But what does the spell do though?"

"It attracts people with exceptional spiritual energy or a unique soul. We are from the same family so it doesn't work like a hypnotizing spell like in your case. It's more like a signal"

"Ooh that sounds interesting" I said getting intruged. "Funny enough, you're brother's carelessness sounds very close to me. I ran out of the house without telling anyone and left my phone"

"You do seem similar to him" she agreed. "Both of you are annoyingly friendly"

"Ouch" I winced jokingly. "If I am not friendly you can be assured that I'm possessed"

"Come to me and I'll get you exorcized"

"You can do that? That's so cool!"

"No I was kidding" she replied with no hint of amusement in her face.

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic"

"I guess you have to wait till you get possessed to find out. Want to hear about haunted houses in this city? One of them was actually an inspiration for hanging dismay" she said still not slowing her pace.

"Sure" I smiled catching up to her. I was beginning to like this girl.

We walked for a bit and finally reached my house.

"I guess this where we say goodbye" she said getting ready to leave before I stopped her

"Wait, are you sure it's ok tell me all this?" I asked letting out a question that had been roaming in my head for quite a bit.

She turned around and a smile came onto her face.

"I can sniff out a rotten soul from a mile. And the only thing you smell off is a bit too much of vanilla."

I tried fighting it but a big goofy smile took place on my face.

"Does that mean we are friends?" I mused cocking my head.

"Do you make friends that easily?"

"No, I just like you" I laughed

"Well this is a hard decision" she replied in a serious voice and closed her eyes seeming to be in deep thoughts.

"Pretty please" I asked smiling

"Hmmmm..."

"With cherry on top?"

"Well since you like hanging dismay I guess I'll make an exception" she said shrugging and after a second of silence both of us burst out laughing.

"Well anyways I need to go and find my stupid brother. You should go inside cause I am pretty sure Ms. Iris is not going happy with your sudden disappearance"

"You know her?" I asked

"Everyone does" she laughed and turned around. She stopped on her track and turned to me for the last time.

"And Leah?"

"Yes?"

"Don't wander around alone from now. It's not a good time right now, specially for people like you" she said scratching her neck

"What do you mean?" I asked, getting confused

"I'll tell you more next. Now is really not a good time. Just stay safe. It's a small town, we'll see each other soon"

With that she left and I made my way to the front door. Her last comment really didn't make me feel much assured. What did she mean by it wasn't a good time?

The trail of thoughts were cut short as Ms.Iris's loud voice entered my ears. I looked up to see Ms. Iris frantically coming down the stairs calling my name.

"Where have you been Leah!" she exclaimed loudly with worry evident in every words. Immediately guilt filled my head.

I sighed and looked up to her

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left without telling you. I just needed some fresh air" I apologized, sincerely meaning every word.

Her expression softened and she held onto my hand, "It's alright Leah, but you should've taken your phone. I came out of my room few minutes ago and I panicked when I saw the door was left open and you left leaving your phone behind"

"I'm sorry I worried you" I said holding her hand with both of mine.

"It's alright but don't do that again" she assured me with a warm smile but a quick hint of worry flashed through her eyes.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, everything is perfectly fine" I lied through my teeth averting my gaze.

"Leah"

"It's all fine, I'm just tired" I sighed.
What was I doing? I didn't have any right to worry her like this. I mentally cursed myself for being absolutely useless.

She  stood for a bit looking for something in my eyes but in the end didn't press anymore.

I walked up to my room and shut the door when I got inside. I collapsed onto the bed as the whole days tiredness crashed on me all together. I really needed to get my life together.

I jumped up when I remember Rose's face.

And then it hit me

"OH MY GOD" I exclaimed and immediately clasped my mouth when I realized how loud that came out. Ms. Iris asked if everything was alright from downstairs and I yelled back at her that I was just being stupid.

I buried my face into the pillow and screeched,

Not only had I made a new friend

She was cool

She was supernatural

And she liked Hanging Dismay!

I tossed around the bed amused at my own slow reaction. What was this? a fantasy novel?

I jumped around the room a bit when I remembered her last words again and I sat on my bed.

What did that mean? Why did she say it was a bad time?

Was there something going on? As a habit while trying to figure out what that had meant, I reached for my pendant around my neck when I realized it was still in my bag.

I walked over to my bag and pulled it out, a light brown oval pendant which my mom gave me for my 10th birthday.

I stared at it for a bit when a thought came across my mind. I opened the pendant to where me and my mom's picture was and took it out of the frame. Behind it, there was a number curved onto the frame, which I never gave much importance to.

I looked down back at the diary lying on my side cabinet. Could what I was thinking be true?

I took the necklace and sat on my bed taking the diary. I slowly put the combination into the lock and with a click it opened.

A/N

Oh my godOh my god

Oh my god Oh my god

Oh my godOh my godOh my god

Oh my godOh my godOh my god

Oh my god