I Text Dead People

by Rose Cooper

Looking down, she noticed something very strange. Her feet weren’t actually touching the ground. They hovered an inch above it.

  Swallowing, she reached for the doorknob again, slowly, watching in amazement as her hand went through it once more.

  “Freaky.”

  She pushed her whole hand against the door, and it slipped in just as easily, so she continued to push her entire body right through to the other side, where she floated above the hardwood floors in her foyer.

  The house was quiet. Lucy was disappointed her parents were still at work. She wasn’t sure what was happening, and she didn’t feel like figuring it out on her own. She pulled out her phone, grasping it without a problem.

  She needed help.

  The buzzing of the phone woke Anna, destroying any chance of sleeping in. And she definitely needed it, since she had obviously been sleep deprived and her imagination was overactive lately.

  Anna yawned, wishing she could just stay in bed all weekend. If she didn’t start unpacking some of her things, though, her mom would throw a fit. She looked at the most recent message on the phone.

  Quit playing games. I need to talk to you.

  Anna shook her head. Clearly she was missing half of this one-sided conversation.

  If you don’t know who this phone belongs to, then maybe you have the wrong number? Anna texted back.

  No response. Nice. They must’ve gotten the hint. Unfortunately, that still left her not knowing who the phone belonged to.

  The phone vibrated in her hand with a new message.

  Can you help me?

  This had to be someone different. Maybe now she could get to the bottom of this.

  Who are you trying to reach?

  You!

  Look, I just found this phone. It’s not even mine.

  But I need YOUR help. You’re my only hope.

  Who is this?

  Lucy.

  Lucy? Anna rubbed her eyes, checking the name at the top of the screen: Lucy Edwards. Anna debated responding. She didn’t want to encourage her, but she didn’t want to be rude either.

  Hi, Lucy. What’s up?

  Who’s this?

  Huh? Anna shook her head. Maybe Lucy had several messages going at once and couldn’t keep track.

  She texted Lucy back.

  This is Anna.

  Anna from school?

  Yep.

  How many other Annas did she know?

  I don’t know what’s going on. My parents are fighting and…

  And?

  And they said some really weird things.

  Maybe you should talk to them, then.

  Anna had no idea why Lucy needed her help for something like that.

  I tried. They don’t hear me.

  Anna frowned.

  Talk louder?

  Not funny. I’m dead serious. Need to get air…just meet me at the cemetery. Please. Need your help.

  Anna’s mind flashed back to last night. No way was she meeting Lucy there. She considered, for like two seconds, that maybe Lucy really needed help. But…someone else could help her, right? It didn’t need to be her. And meeting her at the cemetery wouldn’t really help her situation, so she shouldn’t feel guilty.

  Sorry, I have no way to get there. But I’ll see you Monday and we can talk at lunch!

  It’s okay. I’ll just come to you.

  A shiver ran down Anna’s spine. Lucy didn’t know where she lived…did she? She pushed the power button on the phone and nothing happened. She flipped it over and, with her nail, pried the back off, taking out the square, flat battery. The screen went dark.

  Anna let out a huge sigh of relief.

  She was beginning to understand why people at school thought Lucy was strange. Oh well, not her problem.

  She pulled the covers back up to her chin, wishing she could just ignore the rest of the world.

  A loud thump echoed from downstairs.

  Anna leaped out of bed, taking her tangled comforter with her, and stumbled several times before making it across her room. She yanked open her bedroom door and peered into the dark hallway.

  “Mom?” Anna called. Her mom was at work, but maybe she’d forgotten something and come back home to get it.

  No answer.

  She slid on her fuzzy slippers and made her way down the stairs two at a time.

  The living room was empty. Everything seemed normal. Well, almost. A chunky vintage clock lay on the ground. That thing was definitely heavy enough to cause a noise loud enough to hear up in her room.

  Grunting, she moved the un-ticking, brassy object out of the way and propped it against the wall. The nail above was at an angle, obviously bent from the weight. Even at their old apartment, stuff was always falling, dropping, or doing something strange, and she was never freaked out this much.

  But now it looked as if their bad luck had followed them here.

  Anna grabbed a breakfast bar from the kitchen and headed back upstairs to unpack, cranking up her music to earsplitting levels—a guaranteed way to drown out the noise of any other objects that might happen to randomly thump, bang, smack, or cause any sound that would make her heart miss a beat.

  Or any random, uninvited person who might happen to ring the doorbell.

  Monday morning, on the way to her locker, Anna walked past two girls whispering, catching only some of their words.

  “Girl…crashed…Ashbury…party.”

  “Yeah…it is,” her friend whispered back.

  Anna was suddenly embarrassed. Why would they think she crashed the party? The twins had invited her. Actually, Eden had. But that was the same thing, right?

  Or maybe they meant how she crashed at the party. The girl with the soda. The vase.

  She tried not to look around at the people who were gossiping about her. It was hard to ignore them, but she did her best.

  As she reached inside her locker for her books, she froze in horror. A dried-out white rose hung upside down from the top of her locker. Drops of red stained the petals on the left side.

  Anna quickly turned, looking behind her. Nobody seemed to be watching. But…who had put that rose there? And what did it mean? Was it one of the roses from the party?

  It had to be. Whoever put it there had definitely been at the party.

  Anna needed to talk to Millie. She seemed to know everyone at school. Maybe she would have an idea who had done this.

  Maybe Creepy Crypt Keeper had a brother.

  Anna swallowed. How had someone gotten into her locker? The only people who knew the combination were herself, the school secretary, and…Spencer! He had helped her that one morning. Had he come back and put the rose in her locker? She didn’t want to believe that, yet…

  Maybe it was a prank. Someone could have gotten her combination from the principal’s office. She racked her brain, trying to think who assisted Mrs. Clover during free period. Maybe her locker combo had even fallen out of her bag.

  It was just some stupid joke to play on the new girl.

  Lucky her.

  Millie wasn’t in first period. Or at lunch.

  Anna pulled out the cell. She’d put the old battery back in, and luckily, it powered up, although it barely had any reception and the glow from the screen was dull. She texted her.

  Hope you’re not too sick. Miss you at school.

  Anna set her phone on the table as she tried to eat the rest of her sandwich. She was taking a third bite when the phone beeped.

  Millie’s not here.

  Anna texted back.

  Who is this?

  She didn’t put the phone back down this time. She waited.

  A text popped up.

  Who is THIS?

  Anna’s fingers flew over the keys on her phone:

  This is Anna. Millie’s friend. Where is she?

  Maybe Millie had a little brother or sister who was holding her phone.

  Anna wondered if she should call Millie’s phone.

  A text came a moment later:
/>   I found this phone Friday.

  Where was Millie, and how had she lost her cell phone? Anna didn’t bother texting back. She scrolled through her contacts and called Millie’s phone.

  A guy answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

  “Hey. I just texted you about the phone you’re using. It’s my friend’s phone and I’m trying to find her. Where did you find her phone?” Anna asked.

  “I found it when I was leaving a party Friday night.” His voice sounded familiar. “It was on the ground. I put it in my jacket pocket and forgot about it until it just started buzzing now when you texted.”

  That was when it hit her. If Millie had lost her phone Friday night before Anna left the party, then there’s no way she could’ve been the one who pranked her. Maybe it was this guy? But that didn’t explain how he would know about those exact names at the cemetery from that day.

  “Who is this?” Anna asked suspiciously.

  “Spencer.”

  “Spencer, it’s Anna. Can you meet me so I can get Millie’s phone back to her?”

  “Okay,” Spencer said. “I’ll meet you by your locker after school. Hey, Anna?”

  “Yeah?” she said.

  “Who’s Millie?”

  • • •

  After school Anna met up with Spencer and he handed over Millie’s phone. Anna was surprised he didn’t know Millie. “You know, short red hair, huge green eyes?” she prompted.

  “Doesn’t ring a bell.” Spencer wiped a smudge off the lens of his camera.

  Anna shrugged. Boys. She was meeting the girls at the Corner Café and was already running late. “Well, thanks for the phone.” Anna would have to take it to Millie after the café.

  “Sure. See ya.” He paused, glancing up, and offered a quick smile before turning his full attention back to his camera.

  At the Corner Café, Olivia and Eden were already at a table, complaining about a teacher they both had and the horrible amount of homework he gave out.

  Great, more homework for me, Anna thought as she sat down. Eden looked up and smiled but continued complaining to her sister. Not that Anna really cared. Her thoughts were still on the rose she’d found in her locker, which she had stuffed into her messenger bag.

  She rifled through her bag, the crisp leaves of the rose crinkling with the movement, then grabbed her textbook and plopped it on the table.

  Olivia paused midsentence, turning to Anna. “Look at our little overachiever, eager to start her homework.”

  At least I do my own homework, Anna thought, wishing she had the courage to say it to Olivia’s face. Instead, she just shrugged. A little piece of paper was sticking out of her book. She pulled it out. She hadn’t lost her locker combo after all. She actually felt a little better as she swiped the paper from the book.

  It wasn’t her locker combo.

  It was a photo. It looked like a page ripped out of the yearbook. But she had no idea how it had gotten there. Or why it was tucked between the pages of her book.

  “What’s that, Annabel?” Olivia interrupted her thoughts.

  Anna looked over at her. “What?”

  “That picture. Where did you get it?”

  “Um, I just kind of found it.”

  “OMG!” Eden grabbed the photo from Anna. “Is this Lucy?”

  Olivia looked over her shoulder. The silence at the table seemed to last an eternity.

  “So sad.” Eden frowned, her eyes glued to the photo. “Just so, so sad. It’s like everything is a constant reminder of her today.”

  “Why is that sad?” Anna felt like she was missing part of the conversation.

  “You know.” Eden flipped through her notebook, glancing up at Anna. “The accident,” she whispered.

  “Accident?” Anna was beginning to feel like a parrot.

  Olivia rolled her eyes. “Seriously? How can you not know about it? It’s all over school.” She slid a binder over to Anna. “I need this organized by date and subject.”

  “What happened?” Anna asked Eden.

  “She had an accident in the cemetery,” Eden told her. “Apparently she tripped and fell, hitting her head on a tombstone.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me,” said Olivia. “That girl was always a klutz.”

  “Geez, Liv, show some sensitivity.” Eden glared at her twin before turning back to Anna. “It’s really sad. Tragic, even.”

  “Yeah, well, she was so annoying,” Olivia said, looking up as Johnny pulled up a chair at their table, setting his football helmet on the ground by his feet. He nodded to the group as he grabbed a book from his backpack and sat down.

  “At least they’re giving us time off to go to her funeral,” Eden said.

  Anna practically shot soda through her nose. “Funeral? You mean she died?”

  “What do you think ‘accident’ means, gifted girl?” Olivia said, snorting.

  “An accident could mean just an injury, genius,” Anna snapped back, instantly wishing she could suck the words back in. The last thing she needed was to get on Olivia’s bad side.

  “I can’t believe something like that happened…while we were at the party so close by,” Johnny said. He started shredding pieces of his napkin.

  Anna realized that those girls in the hall hadn’t been whispering about her like she’d thought. They’d been whispering about Lucy.

  “Yep. It must have been fate,” Olivia said, raising her shoulders in a small, helpless shrug. “And here are our notes from third period for the last month. We need these typed, double-spaced.” She plopped a small pile of papers held together with a binder clip in front of Anna.

  Anna felt the heat rush to her face as Johnny watched the assignments pile up in front of her.

  Johnny sighed, resting his elbows on the table. “I mean, what if I had just texted her on Friday? Maybe she wouldn’t have gone out there and none of that would’ve happened.”

  “Friday night?” Anna stared at him. If the accident had been Friday…well, that was impossible. Lucy had texted her on Saturday. Maybe she died after she texted her on Saturday? But that didn’t really make sense either.

  “Yeah, it’s all right here.” Eden pushed her phone across the table to Anna.

  The words on the lit-up screen seemed to jump out at Anna. “Her obituary,” she whispered. With one finger, she scrolled through the text.

  Lucille Edwards passed away Friday, October 17. She was found at Winchester Cemetery with a head injury. She will be sadly missed by her loving family. Lucy will be remembered for her sense of humor, creativity, and awkward hugs. A beloved daughter, she also leaves behind her older sister, Bea, and her best friend and bunny, Bun Bun.

  Anna couldn’t read on. She flicked the screen with her fingers, scrolling past the rest of the text. The screen rolled to a stop on a new obituary. The photo smiling back at Anna made her gasp.

  “Are you okay?” Eden leaned in, catching a glimpse of the photo of a little boy.

  Anna nodded, not trusting her voice. The familiar blond curls. The toothy smile. All that was missing was chocolate ice cream smeared around his mouth. And the name…it said his name was Thomas Jacobson. Tommy.

  “No.” Anna shook her head and slid the phone back to Eden.

  “Oh, that’s so sad!” Eden sounded choked up as she read her phone. “He was super young. Aw, and he loved collecting rocks! How cute is he?”

  Anna felt light-headed.

  “You act like you knew the kid or something,” Olivia murmured. “You should be happier that we at least get a short school week.” She took a sip of soda, pointing a finger at Anna. “And be on time in the morning, ’kay? I hate it when people make me wait on them.”

  Anna nodded, but inside she was rolling her eyes.

  Nobody was really in the mood to study. And Anna was really not in the mood to have Olivia continue to bark orders at her. The group collected their books and began to head to the exit. Anna and Johnny were the last two at the table.

  “Did you know h
er well?” Anna asked, breaking the silence. He seemed to be taking it the hardest.

  Johnny shoved his books into his backpack.

  She cleared her throat. “I mean, were you good friends or anything?”

  Johnny suddenly looked up. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He scooped up his backpack and took off without saying another word. It was as if he couldn’t leave quickly enough.

  “How was work?” Anna asked.

  Her mom paused between bites. “Good.” She hadn’t felt like cooking tonight, so they were just having turkey sandwiches and coleslaw from the deli. Anna didn’t mind. She wasn’t that hungry anyway. “I’m sorry to hear about that girl from your school,” her mom said, sighing.

  “I didn’t really know her. But it’s so sad.”

  Anna was afraid she might blurt something out about all the strange things happening around her lately. And to her. She didn’t want to worry her mom and make her think she wasn’t trying to adjust to their new life. Or worse, that she was going crazy like her great-uncle Maxwell.

  Her mom wiped her hands on her jeans. “I want to talk to you.”

  “Sure. Everything okay?” Anna asked.

  “I’m going to be gone this week. Just for a few days, though.”

  Anna put down her sandwich. “What? Where are you going?”

  “I was offered a gig—makeup and hair for an Autorama show in Reno.” Her face lit up. “This will be a great opportunity for me. It will help to bring in more money. And my friend Winston is close by, so if you need anything, he can help you.”

  “Winston?” That was the first time Anna had ever heard that name.

  Her mom waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, he’s just the mortician over at the mortuary here. He took over after Mr. Leavitt retired. But he’s practically in our backyard, he’s so close. So keep that in mind.”

  “Oh…” Anna nodded slowly, absorbing all this new information. The thought of being alone in the creepy mansion gave her chills. Normally she was perfectly fine being left alone, although it rarely happened. But lately things had been rubbing her the wrong way. The guy outside the house, the weird dreams, the spooky phone and texts. The hallucinations. Maybe it was nothing and she was overreacting, but she had also felt eyes on her more than once. And now her mom was going away, and if she needed anything, she’d have to ask the local undertaker? Someone who worked with the dead on a daily basis?