Quickly, I sat up and gasped. I was on my bedroom floor, I stood up and saw policemen in my room, fire fighters too. I looked at them. I waved in their face. “Hey!” I screamed. They kept looking down. I followed their eyes and saw that they were looking at my lifeless body. I saw a pool of blood around my head. My eyes filled with tears as I saw me. My Christmas lights were tied around my neck and my neck was split open. I raised my hand to my neck and felt it. “Oh my god.” I whispered. I quickly rushed downstairs and there were more police officers down there. I saw my mom and dad sitting on the steps crying. My mom’s makeup was smudged all over her face and my dad had his head in his hands. I saw my brother standing next to them. He looked drained, emotionally and physically. His eyes were puffy and I could see him shaking. I saw him look up, his face looked scared. I’ve never seen this look on my brother before. I had my hand up to my neck and moved it, revealing the slice by the knife that killed me. His eyes widened and teared up. He looked away. I couldn’t help but cry. I looked down at my parents and saw how distraught they were. I couldn’t handle this. I went back inside into the living room. I saw them carrying out my body on a gurney. They had my whole body zipped up except for my face. I followed them outside. My parents stood up by my brother. I stood behind the gurney. My mom looked at my face for one second. “Oh my god!” She cried and turned into my father’s arms. My brother looked angry, he looked down at my face, and up to me. One tear rolled down his cheek as he bit his lip. I couldn’t take it. I went into the house and down in the basement, I could feel my brother watching me.
It was the next morning and I wasn’t tired. I was still in the basement. Is this what it’s like to be a ghost, not being tired? It was weird, and kind of boring. I went upstairs into the living room. My parents were gone. I didn’t know where they were but I saw Kai sitting in the kitchen. I walked into the living room and he saw me. He jumped up, and looked terrified. “Oh my god-,” he gasped. “L-Laika?” He looked at me. I could see the fear in his eyes. “You can see me?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Y-yeah. Oh my god, Laika. If I hadn’t of been out with Kailani-”
“No, stop. This isn’t your fault, and it’s not mom’s or dad’s. It’s not anyone’s fault. It-it just happened, ok?” I looked at him. “Can you touch me?” He held out his finger. I reached out my hand and grabbed his finger. He jolted back. “Oh my god, Laika.” he said as he hugged me. “Oh my god.” I hugged him back, I couldn’t help but cry. “How is this possible?” I said as I hugged him tightly. “I don’t know. How can you see me?” I said, pulling away from him.  “Do you see, you know, others? Like me.” I said, my voice a little shaky. “Sometimes, I just never told you or our parents.” I looked at him. I could see that he hated not telling me or our mom and dad now that I was, dead. “Well, tell them now.” I said, and his head shot up and he gave me a look. “Are you kidding me? They would think I’m crazy or delusional, you JUST died, Laika!” He said as he rose his voice. “Well maybe I could give them signs that I’m still here, you know?” I said to him looking around the kitchen. “I could knock stuff down like the ghosts do in those paranormal movies. Don’t you think that would make them wonder a little bit?” I asked him, looking into his eyes.  “I don’t know Laika.” my brother started. “You can do whatever, I’ll be here for you and help you try to contact them.” He said, hugging me again. I nodded.

I just followed him around the house and talked with him about things. I asked him if it’s weird talking to his dead sister. “Well, yeah. It is weird. It still feels like you’re alive but,” he looked at me. “you’re not.” I pursed my lips and looked at the ground. Him and I were in our front yard by the palm tree. “I really hope that bastard gets caught, Laika.” he said, looking at the palm leaves. “I know, I hope he does too. But we never really know if he will or not. He didn’t leave any handprints on me or anything.” I said, running my hand through the grass. Kai didn’t reply to what I said. It was weird being dead. I could walk through walls, yet I could pick things up. It blew my mind, it defied physics basically. I didn’t stay with Kai all day, I went up to my room and looked at everything, touched everything. I looked down on the floor and saw a little blood-stain. I hope mom, or someone else, cleans that soon. I thought to myself as I walked out. When I got into the living room I heard a car pull up. It was mom and dad. I got excited and happy. “Woah, it got cold.” Kai said, looking at me. “Sorry, I’m just excited to see mom and dad.”
“Remember, Laika, you can’t touch them or anything. They can’t see you, or hear you. You need to be careful, ok?” Kai said, looking at me. I nodded and kept staring at the door. I watched as the door opened and the first person I saw was my mom. She looked sad and exhausted, like all the life was taken from her. She sighed as she said hello to Kai. “Hi mom. How was your day?” He asked as he stood up to hug her. “Difficult.” She whimpered. I looked behind mom and saw dad. He had bags under his eyes, it looked like he just got done crying. “So, it’s official,” Kai began “you picked one out?” he questioned, kind of looking in my direction, I was confused. “Yes,” my mother stifled out “we picked one with her favorite color. Blue.” She said, wiping her nose. It suddenly clicked in my mind what they were talking about, my casket. I felt so sad and empty, well I’m dead so what else should I expect. I watched Kai walk to his room and slowly followed behind.
Later that evening I went downstairs and saw my parents on the couch watching a movie, I decided to start my “paranormal activity”. I walked into the kitchen and knocked a fork off the counter. My parents shot their glance toward me. My mom went into the kitchen and picked it up, she looked back at dad who looked puzzled. As soon as my mom sat down I walked over to the couch. I looked down at them and they were cuddled up to each other. They had been in so much pain. I looked over at Kai and I knew he could see me. I walked over by the T.V stand and knocked a rock over. Kai’s eyes looked right at me. I could see his jaw had gotten tighter. My mom jumped and my father’s eyes just widened. “That’s it Holokai, I can’t take this anymore. Ever since Laika left us, things have been happening and they’re scaring me. I’m calling someone.” My mother cried as she stood up and went to the phone. “Leinani, wait. It will be-”
“No Holokai. I can’t. This stuff freaks me out and you should know that.” My mom said to him, all my father did was sat down and my mother dialed on the home phone. I looked at Kai and he looked back at me. “Kai. What’s wrong?” My father looked at Kai, looking in the direction of me. My brother opened his mouth. “Mom don’t call someone.” Kai said, not breaking eye contact with me. My mom looked at Kai as she placed the phone back on the landline.”Kai what’s going on?” My mother said, walking toward him. I looked at Kai and his eyes began to water. “Look, please don’t think I’m insane.” He said, still staring at me. “Kai, we’d never think that.”
“Then listen carefully. You know those weird things happening around the house lately?” Kai asked them, not blinking. They both nodded. I looked at my brother and I said “I’m sorry.”
“It’s Laika. She’s been knocking things down, trying to get your attention.”
“Kai there’s-”
“No, mom. There is a way. It’s her. You want to know how I know?” He asked my parents, they nodded. A tear left his eye and he blinked as it fell. “Because I’m looking right at her.” As soon as Kai said that, both of my parents looked in my direction. “Kai. There’s nothing there.” My father said. “That’s what you guys see. But I’m looking right at her,” he started “I’ve never told you about this but I see these people everywhere.” My mother’s eyes started to tear up. “Laika said her leaving us wasn’t your fault.” As soon as Kai said that my mother curled into my dad’s arms. I walked over to my parents and squatted near them. “She said stop acting like her passing was your fault just because you went out. It was not your fault. She loves you, and she just wants you to be happy.” Kai was looking at me and I raised both of my hands to each of their cheeks. My mother jumped and my father just let a tear fall down his face. My mother looked at Kai. “That was her.” He nodded. “Laika, hunny. I’m so sorry you’re gone. I love you. I love you so much and miss you.” My mother wept as she said this. “My princess,” my father started “words cannot express how much we miss and love you. Even though the time was cut short, doesn’t mean you will be forgotten. I love you princess, so much.” I leaned forward and kissed each of their cheeks and  told them I loved them. “She loves you guys, she loves us. She wants you to move on, be happy. Now she can, so we should too.” It was then that Kai looked at me and everyone was crying, even me. I felt something weird, as if i was being pulled. I saw a huge light and looked to my left. I didn’t know if Kai could see it, but I looked in the direction of it. It was coming from my room. I followed it and went to my room, I think i felt Kai follow me. Once I got to my room there was a huge entrance to something I didn’t know. I was terrified. I looked at Kai, “Do you see what I’m seeing?” I asked him, he shook his head ‘no’. “Well it looks like some huge light. Is it where I cross over?”
“I think so, Laika.” He said, looking directly into my eyes. I went toward him and pulled him in for a hug. This was probably the tightest hug I had ever given to anyone. “I love you, Kai.” I told him, trying to pull away. He pulled me in tighter and closer. “I love you more, Laika.” We both pulled away and I walked into whatever that light was. I looked behind me and saw the light seal shut, I finally was free.