Home Again

Paranormal Fiction Contest Entry #3

Home Again

By: S.W.M.

AH, she was dreaming again. A familiar dream she had often. The old farmhouse was warm and inviting, just as she remembered it. Why she kept dreaming of the home she grew up in recently she didn’t know, but she liked it. She missed her parent dearly even though it had been years since they passed. During these dreams Samantha had the chance to be with them, at least until the screaming of the alarm clock forced her to leave them again. Until that time came she would enjoy herself.

She walked into the kitchen and saw her mother. She had put her sewing machine on the kitchen table and was busy sewing. Something for her or her sister perhaps? What she enjoyed most out of these dreams was that she was again, 12 years old. Maybe her mother was making her that pretty blue dress she wore to her first dance at school? She walked over to take a look. As she stood next to her mother she expected her to say something or acknowledge her somehow just like every other night for the past 2 weeks. But this time something was different…something was wrong! Her mother sat working on her project without so much as a glance in Samantha’s direction.

She tapped her mother on the shoulder but there was no response, she screamed her mothers name but not even a flinch occurred. This was wrong…all wrong. What was happening? Was her dream turning into a nightmare for some reason?

She walked thru her beloved house and out the back door where she knew she would find her father hard at work in his garden. She ran to him and screamed, “Daddy!”, but just like her mother she was ignored completely. She was now wishing her alarm clock would wake her from this torture. She turned to see her 4 year old sister playing in the yard. She knew she would not get a response from her either. She slowly walked passed the little girl to make her way back in the house. As she passed she heard a little voice behind her say her name.

She whirled around and saw Rebecca staring in her direction as though she was looking for something but not seeing it. Samantha ran to the girl and asked her, “Rebecca! Can you see me?”. Rebecca looked up and smiled. She tried to reach out for Samantha but her fingers passed through the hand she tried to take. This scared the little girl and she began to cry. Samantha stood there in shock, was she a ghost? How could she be a ghost in the past? Surely this was still a dream!

Rebecca’s cry’s alerted the dog that Samantha had gotten for her birthday two years before. He came running to Rebecca’s side. Half way there he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Samantha. His hair stood up and he began to growl.

Samantha could not take this anymore. She turned and ran into the house. She didn’t stop until she was in the one place that she felt safest. Her childhood bedroom. She walked over to the mirror and gazed at her reflection, or lack there of! She could see herself, but she was hazy, like a fuzzy outline of a person. As she glared at the mirror trying to find herself her image suddenly became clear for a split second then went back to the hazy mess that occupied the mirror before.

——————

“CLEAR!”

“Nothing! Go again! Charging….Clear!”

——————-

Again her image solidified for a split second before going back. What the hell was going on! She felt as though she was going crazy! She ran downstairs to her mother. Even if her mother could not see or hear her she needed to be near her, she needed to feel that comfort only a mother can provide.

As she rounded the corner into the kitchen her mother stopped and looked toward the doorway.

“Henry?”

She continued to look thru Samantha for a second before shrugging and continuing her work. Samantha knew that her mother had heard her enter, but why then could she not see her?! She ran up to her mother and screamed in her ear. Still no response. Samantha started sobbing, more out of shear confusion then anything else.

——————–

“Clear!…..Damn it! Again!”

“Her injuries are just to severe…she isn’t going to be brought back from that James. Let her go.”

“No, she can make it! Again! Charging……..CLEAR!”

———————-

Samantha’s mother stopped sewing and turned. She looked directly at Samantha.

“Samantha?”

There was a sudden flash of white/hot light. When the light faded she was looking down at her adult body. Bloodied and battered. Her body was surrounded by Doctors trying desperately to save her life.

Instantly Samantha knew what had happened. She remembered the massive pile up on the Interstate. She also knew now why her dream was so different, she was almost dead.

“God Damn it! Come on! You can do this! Charging! One more time………CLEAR!”

“She’s gone James. She’s gone”

Samantha felt as thought she was being pulled through the air. She felt the wind on her face. When the air was still she opened her eyes. She was again standing on the front steps of her childhood home.

The front door opened and her mother peaked out.

“Samantha! There you are! I could have swore I just saw you crying in the kitchen! Are you okay?”

Samantha ran to her mother and wrapped her arms around her waist burying her face in her apron.

“Yes Mama, I’m fine now.”

<<<<<<<<THE END>>>>>>>>