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Lynsee · 05-12-2009, 04:16 PM

I started Troubled With Secrets on Easter just because I absolutely needed something to write. I have gotten many nice comments so far and definatly hope that TWS is a hit. If I finish, and if many people like it, who knows, I might just try to get it published.
Thanks, everyone, who decides to read my story.

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask and please, please, please, post if you read this. Also, if you want me to VM or PM you when a new chapter is up, lemme know!

~Lynsee

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.Troubled With Secrets.

Prologue

In the midst of winter, my parents decided to move to a small town in Pennsylvania. We moved around a lot, always switching to different schools, jobs, and houses. Before we moved to Pennsylvania, we lived in a nice, Florida neighborhood. Perfect weather all the time, right beside the beach, perfect. But now, it's all snowy, and, as the seasons change, so does the temperature. Drastically.
I've complained that I don't like our home numerous times. And we've only been here for about a week. It's an old, dusty house. We have to redo almost all of it. My room is the worst.
The walls are painted a dreary, baby blue. The floor, carpeted with a filthy cream mess. There are plenty of bald spots in it. The bed looks like it could be from the earlier 1900's. Snow white mattress, sheets, pillows, and comforter, everything but the rusted silver bedpost. There's no TV or anything. Just a bed and an old oak nightstand.
But that's not the only reason I don't like it here. I hear voices. A lot. They're eerie voices, like what you would hear in a suspenseful movie. Something that would make a toddler scream in terror and run to its mother. I've been too afraid to sleep in my own room. It's the only place I hear these voices. But I'm also too afraid to tell my parents. They tend to overreact and would most likely believe I was going insane.
The backyard has a strange feeling to it also. I never feel secure. There's always that sensation that someone is watching me. When I go to look, no one's there. Just me, and most likely my imagination.
Hopefully we can redo my room soon. I want to be able to sleep in it. As the only child, it shouldn’t be too difficult. And we don’t have any pets either. That makes it even simpler of a task.
All I want is the voices and peculiar feelings that someone is present to go away. I don’t want to keep this secret inside me any longer despite the fact that I do not want anyone to know. Especially if it is only my imagination. And I don’t have any friends to tell. No close family. No one.

Chapter One

I sat and watched as cars passed the house. My parents were renovating the kitchen today and told me that I must stay outside. Which was absolutely fine by me. I didn’t mind. I like it outside. Well, in the front yard at least. I feel safer in the front for some reason. The backyard just has a different feeling to it. I don’t go out back much anyway. There’s nothing to do.
At my old house in Florida, there was plenty to do. Our house was right by the beach. I didn’t go out as much as I should have during the day, but I loved to swim in the ocean during the night. The water was always warmer then. And I don’t like that sun all that much. With it always too bright and sun burns and everything.
Now, in our new house in Pennsylvania, we’re not by any water but a small stream running through the backward and ending close by in the woods behind the house. The sun isn’t out as much either. Sometimes there is a nice sunny day but not very often. Especially not now, in the winter. It snows quite a bit, but not today. It is a little warmer today. My father has promised me that we can build a tree house for me in the summer. Thanks, dad. I get to wait two seasons. I don’t care much anyway. I’m turning thirteen in February and probably won’t want a tree house by the time we reach summer. I’d be lucky if we even stayed in the same house until then. The front yard has one small garden that my mother plans to use. She’s been successful with other gardens in the past but we would always have to leave them each time we moved. There are a couple trees surrounding the house and blocking out the neighbors. At least they aren’t directly next to us like how we were in earlier houses.

“Cristabella, come inside please. We’re finished,” my mother called from the kitchen. I could tell she was there because the sound came from farther away, and the kitchen was in the back of the house.
I quickly checked my watch. Eight o’ clock. I had lost track of time. I hadn’t even noticed that the sun had set and the moon was watching me from behind a thin cloud.
I stood up and slowly made my way inside. I still wasn’t used to the house. I felt like I shouldn’t be inside of it. Like it belonged to some stranger and I was an unwelcome intruder.
I walked through the entrance, through the dining room, down a small hallway, and finally into the kitchen. They already had a new oven, fridge, and microwave hooked up. The floor was retiled with snow white to milky white squares. It looked nice. With everything new and clean. It might have been the only room in the house I felt welcomed in at the point.
“You like it?” mother asked, smiling gently at me.
“Yeah, Mom. It looks great,” I replied politely. I never told the entire truth to my parents. Or anyone for that matter.
“Great,” Dad nodded. He was leaning on the counter on the opposite side of the room. “It’s almost finished. We just need to fill the cupboards and such.”
I gave him a slight nod before turning around. “I’ll be upstairs.”
“Alright, sweets,” my mom said before turning to talk to my dad.
She had always called me “sweets” for as long as I could remember. It was fine when I was little, but I’m not sure that I like it so much anymore. I don’t want to hurt her feelings though, so I still permit her call me that.
I slowly climbed our straight, narrow staircase. You could tell the house was old by them alone. The carpet on them was worn and faded. The wood underneath creaked loud enough to wake someone in the dead of night. My parents were talking about replacing them eventually.
As I turned the corner to go to the computer room, I found a small slip of paper on the floor. With the shake of my head, I picked it up.

Cristabella,
I’ve found that you need someone to talk
to. You need someone? Well, I’m here for
you, Leave me a note somewhere.
I’ll find it. :]
~Sakura Bai

I gasped as I finished reading it. How did this girl know me? I hadn’t joined any schools yet here. And I didn’t remember her from anywhere. But how would she have gotten it on the second floor of my new home?

Sakura Bai.
I knew her first name had to be Japanese. It meant cherry blossom.
I’d never been to Japan, or anywhere close to it. Even though she wrote like any American teenager, I didn’t believe she would be in this area.
I ran into the computer room and sat myself down on the chair. It squeaked loudly when I did so. I turned the monitor on and immediately looked up the name on Google.
Nothing.
Who was she? And what did she want from me?

Chapter Two

I sat my chin down on the desk and stared down at the polished wood. A sigh escaped from my lips. Moments later, I found myself gazing down at a piece of printer paper with a pen in my hand. What would I write to the unknown girl though? Well, there was a fairly easy way to start it.

Sakura Bai,

I shook my head at my sloppy handwriting. Part of the little I had down was smeared, since I was left handed.

Umm… thanks? I guess…

It sounded rude already. I scratched it all and started over, starting to think of something to write.

Sakura,
Thanks! You’ll probably be a great help. As you probably know,

I don’t have anyone else to talk to. Do you really think you

can help me?

If you can, that’s great!

Just a couple questions though… Not to be rude or
anything though.
Who are you and how do you know me?
Haha…
Cristabella

That sounded much better than what I had before. And maybe she could be a good help. I would never know until I tried.

“Christabella!” dad called from the bottom of the stairs. “You should go to bed, your first day of school is tomorrow.”
“Okay, Dad!” I yelled, shoving the letter into my pocket. Right. School. That would be just great.
I turned off the computer and ran downstairs. With a quick hug and kiss to my parents, I went into my room. There still wasn’t much in it. We had gotten the bed made today with my sheets and comforter. At least it felt a little homier.
I sat the crinkled letter onto my nightstand, hoping my parents wouldn’t take it.
“Please take it, Sakura,” I whispered, tucking myself in and laying down. I felt warmer in the familiar polka-dotted blankets.
Minutes later, I was fast asleep.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, was what woke me up. My alarm. Mom must’ve set it.
I looked at the nightstand and saw a neatly folded letter. Sakura had taken mine. I still didn’t understand how, but it didn’t especially matter to me at the moment. I took the letter and walked out. I wasn’t in the mood to eat, so I went upstairs to get dressed. I would take a granola bar to school or something to eat later.
I put on a black t-shirt with the red lettering of “Paramore” on and a simple faded pair of blue jeans. I hadn’t heard any songs by the band. Apparently my mom thought I had and bought me the shirt. It looked nice on me, but I didn’t wear it often. Might as well make a good impression at the new school though.
I put the letter from Sakura into my back pocket and went to fixing my hair. I usually didn’t do anything with the long, wavy blonde mess. I tried putting it back in loose pigtails, a pony tail, plenty of different hairstyles before I finally got it the way I liked it. Down and straightened. Sure, not much different from what I started with but it worked for me.
I quickly brushed through my hair, and my teeth, and ran downstairs. I grabbed my bag and walked out the door just as the bus pulled in front of the house.

“Cristabella! Cristabella!” Cailey waved frantically from across the hallway. She had sat with me on the bus, at lunch, and in all four classes she had with me. I could say she had become my friend, but she wasn’t exactly that yet.
“Yeah?” I asked, walking over to her.
“Hi,” she smiled, and then reached for her pocket. “Crap! Hold on, I’ll tell you later. My cell went off.”
I giggled and waved good bye to her. She was a funny girl. Just around my age too.
I swung my bag over my shoulder and walked outside. The buses were lined up along the sidewalk. I walked slowly to bus fourteen and hopped on. Cailey was already in her seat, talking extremely fast on her phone.
“Yeah, mom. I know. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” I heard her say with short pauses in between.
I plopped down in the seat beside her and smiled.
“Crista! Hi!” she giggled before tightly hugging me. Even though she was a tiny girl, the shortest in the whole seventh grade, she was pretty strong.
“Hi, again,” I chuckled when she let go.
“Okay, I got a secret to tell you,” she whispered. She sounded worried about it. Like she wasn’t sure if she should tell me or not.
I nodded and she began again.
“I truly trust you too. Please don’t tell anyone. No one at all. I’m running away from home. Today.”
“What? Why?! But weren’t you just talking on the phone with your mom?”
“Yeah, but I can’t stand my house anymore. My parents just got a divorce and my mom already has a new boyfriend. I don’t like him and she’s, like, changed,” she said, her voice cracking a little. A small silvery tear ran down her cheek. “I’ll still be at school but not at my house.”
“It’ll be okay. Maybe things will get better?”
“Too late… My mind is set,” she shook her head and jumped over the seat. “See you tomorrow, Crista,” she waved and walked off the bus.
I sighed and moved up a couple seats. My stop was next, luckily. Suddenly, I remembered the letter in my pocket.

Chapter Three

As I got off the bus, I pulled the letter out of my pocket. It had crinkled some throughout the day. My parents wouldn’t be home until four o’ clock. I have almost an hour to do whatever I pleased.
A small grey tabby cat was sitting on one of the steps leading up to the porch. I tried to pat its head, but it quickly disappeared into thin air. I gasped and ran into the house.
Well, now I would be afraid of cats.
I switched on a light and sat down on the living room floor. Mom and Dad must’ve polished the hardwood today. I took the note out and read it aloud to myself.

Hi, again Cristabella! I’m actually surprised

that you responded. I thought you would be a
little freaked out. But, I’m happily writing
back with answers. I really do think I can
help you. A lot actually. I know you because
I’ve heard your parents calling your name.
That’s how I know your name at least.
Again, I’m Sakura. Sakura Mika Bai. :]
Yes, I know. A Japanese name, but I really live
here in America. To be exact, in this very house.
Well, used to anyway… Now of course you live in
it. But it hasn’t changed much since you moved in.
All your parents renovating helped me to come back.
I hope that I’ve answered some of your questions…
~Sakura

My jaw dropped. She lived in my house?! Anyone would be freaked out by that. Anyone. But she was a ghost? I didn’t believe that. This had to be a trick. It had to be a fake name. My parents probably wrote it trying to get me to talk. Even if it was, I wouldn’t be talking to them about it. I couldn’t. Not now, not ever.
I folded the letter back up and put it back in my pocket. I would have to put every letter I got from her somewhere in order. Just in case I needed them later to prove it to someone. Maybe I would tell Cailey. She had already told me a huge secret of hers.
I let out a small, shocked breath. Cailey. She was running away and I couldn’t stop her. But where would she go without getting caught? It didn’t make any sense to me. I hoped that soon, I would plainly just wake up, like it was a crazy dream. I squeezed my eyes shut. Like that would help… I opened them to find myself still in Pennsylvania, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
The only thing that would help now would probably be to write back. I knew now that Sakura would find it anywhere I put it. Of course I would have to experiment with various places just to be sure.
I scanned the room just in case there would be a pen or piece of paper anywhere I could use. Without any luck, I stood up and walked out of the room. It was growing oddly dark outside even though it was only about three twenty. There must’ve been a coming storm.
I grabbed a tablet and pencil off the dining room table and headed to my room. After switching on the dusty lamp on my nightstand, I went to writing. With the coming storm, my room seemed more pleasant than before.

Sakura,

Actually, I am pretty freaked out. I just felt that I
needed to write back. I believe that you can help me.
Are you saying you’re a…ghost? But how can you
write and understand me? Sorry, I get so confused
really easily… And writing to someone I can’t hear
or see doesn’t help me much. Haha.
Well, if I’m going to be talking to you a lot now, I should
probably get to know you a little better. But, I’m not the kind
of person who asks the questions… Sorry. Haha

Cristabella

I nodded to myself. Sounded good to me. I was actually happy to have someone like her to talk to. She might be able to explain the eerie feelings to me. Although now it seems that I know why.
I read it out loud to for myself. Making sure I didn’t leave anything out. Sure I knew she had to be a ghost, but I had to ensure that I wasn’t just going insane.
Once I had the letter folded into a neat square, I sat it on the nightstand. I had put the first letter into the drawer already, and now put the other from her into it. I marked them with a one and a two. Again, just in case I would need to see them later.
About five minutes past before I heard the first crack of thunder. I hadn’t seen the flash of lightning; I had dazed out for a minute. The rumble of the thunder lasted quite a while, breaking through the silence of the house. Although it was almost four thirty, my parents were not home yet. I wasn’t worried though. The rain drops outside were about the size of a pencils’ eraser, and slamming hard on the two windows in my room.
Another streak of lightning followed by a loud crack of thunder, and I heard a sound. A piercing shriek, most likely from a person. It made me jump and almost topple off my undersized bed. I jumped off and looked around. It would’ve most likely been my imagination. Still, I was afraid to leave my room.
A few moments of silence passed before I heard another cry. It wasn’t my imagination anymore. I could tell.