Chapter Nine

IF WE WERE ALL PERFECT, LIFE WOULD BE BORING. -Emma

      Forgetting the fact that my old friend is now going to be the enemy's snack, I tried to focus on the words that Erica was telling me. After a lot bickering, she has agreed to teach me how to reach my sister. "Just focus your eyes onto that blank wall. Remember do not become dizzy while staring at the wall. It happens to me all of them time." I ignored that last part and focused my eyes onto the wall ahead of me. "Now imagine Sophie." That is what I did. I imagined the way Sophie would look like and unbelievable it worked. In just seconds I was seeing things through her eyes.
      At first I was confused because what I was seeing was a hospital and I was feeling a throbbing pain in my head. When I heard Carrie's voice asking Sophie a question, it only confirmed my fears. Sophie was hurt and I was in a completely different realm. "She is waking up, honey," said Carrie. She leaned in closer.
      'Who are you?' Someone said. I felt like someone was pushing me and then I was I back in the jail cell. The feeling of that made my head hurt but not as much as Sophie's head was. The raspy voice sounded very familiar.
      "Did you have fun?" asked a curious Erica. "You won't have to stare at blank things the more you use the telepathy. Can you believe that I need everything to be quiet before I can possibly hear Emma? Sometimes I think she is shielding her thoughts from me." A troubled look took hold of her face. When she caught me staring, she brushed it off as if it was nothing. "You can be at the trial with me. You can see how a ghost can suck the spirit of another ghost. It will be fun!"
      "No thanks, what we should be doing is contacting Emma. Maybe she could rescue me." For some odd reason it just occurred to me that I was in a jail cell with a paranoid ghost and no way of getting out. "We should really find a way out of here. The sooner I can reach Sophie the better."
      "Silly girl," said Erica as she laughed. "Sophie is possessed. You can't save her. You will need a ghost's help. Since Emma is exploring and I am about to die, you have no one. You don't know any other ghost. What do you think I should wear to my trial?"
      "What do you mean?" I questioned. I was horrid by the sheer thought of my sister being possessed. Was my dream coming true?
      "Oh you're right. I'm a ghost. What could I possibly wear besides this drab dress." She glanced down at her light blue dress. In the grey realm, it made the dress almost sparkle in a majestic way.
      "No, you idiot! I mean what do mean my sister is possessed! She can't be!" I was tired and I felt empty inside.
      Erica stared at me for a minute. She was hurt and it was clear. She dissolved into the floor, leaving me alone. I stared at the spot where she left me. I wouldn't have torn away from that spot if it wasn't for the linking knock coming from the back way. There was a tiny keyhole so I placed my eye on it. Someone else's eye stared back mine.
      "It's Shane," whispered the voice. "I need you to put that key into this hole and open the door."
      "You mean that key I found in my pocket?" I asked. A muffled yes came through the keyhole. I quickly retrieved the key and placed it in the keyhole. The door automatically swung open and Shane rushed me to the outside. He out two fingers on the door and it automatically closed again.
      "How did you get here?" He asked bewildered. 
      "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" I said.
      "Just answer me," he replied.
      "Well, Emma said she needed my help and,"
      "Of course Emma," he interrupted. "Stay away from Emma and don't trust her, the only one you should trust is me and Erica. We can help you."
      "Why should I trust you? I mean you are in the Grey Realm so it is obvious you can see ghost. Why didn't you tell me?" I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know what to think. Did Shane since that I could see ghost? How did he even get here and why did he know where I was?
      "We don't have time for this. That door probably set off the alarm. The guards will be searching this place in seconds. We gotta go find the portal." He gripped my wrist and led me down another tunnel but this one wasn't as dark as the first. "I saw Emma wandering around and she told me everything. I asked her to hold the portal for me. I don't think she can hold it much longer. We gotta run." 
      From behind us I could hear ghost guards commanding us to stop but I didn't dear look back. If I did look behind me, I might have frozen on spot and that wouldn't be very helpful for Shane. In front of us was the end of tunnel and Emma was struggling to keep the portal open. Shane ran faster which meant I had to keep up. First I went through and just when Shane was making his way inside the portal became too small for him to fit.
      "Just stay tight. I'll be there later. Whatever you do, don't leave the house." That was the last thing I heard him say before I was back at my house in the basement where I started.