October 26

Getting back into the house was not the easiest plan. Sneaking around towards the back of the mansion, I found my large, square window still open, the gentle breeze blowing inside my room. I looked around, wondering how I'd manage to get in without Grannie noticing.

Believing I must be stupid, I began to place my feet on the old bricks of the house and began to climb. At first, I struggled even making it a foot off the ground, but knowing that death was not possible for me anymore, I climbed higher and higher, trying my best not to look down below.

Upon reaching my windowsill, I swung my hand over the edge and heaved myself up, throwing myself into my room. I laid on the ground for a few moments, breathtaken. I had no idea I was capable of climbing up the side of a mansion.

Shutting my window, I sat down on my bed, still dreamily wondering about Harry. I tried to push these thoughts away, but they kept surging forward, and I couldn't get his face out of my mind.

Outside, the sun had become replaced by rolling gray clouds, typical for October weather. Wanting to make sure Grannie didn't suspect anything, I tiptoed downstairs, looking around for her.

As soon as my foot touched the bottom step, I saw Grannie sitting in her large, regal armchair, her eyes staring angrily at me as if they possessed some hellish fire.

Ignoring her, I grabbed a broom, beginning to whistle and sweep. Perhaps I had only misinterpreted her look.

"So, where were you?" Grannie wondered.

Pretending to be confused, I shrugged, continuing to sweep the already spotless kitchen. "In my room. Where else?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe with that mortal boy!" she snapped.

I paused, the broom dropping from my hand and landing on the floor with a large bang. If my heart were still beating, it would've stopped at this moment. I knew there was no denying it. Grannie did know about Harry.

"Who?" I asked, wondering if playing dumb was even an option.

Grannie rose from her chair angrily, pointing her wrinkled finger at me violently. "Don't play games with me," she growled. "I knew perfectly well something was up. I always had a feeling you weren't seeing Professor, so I hired Werewolf to spy on you."

I wasn't so much surprised as angry. How dare Grannie send the Monster Council out to babysit me and spy on me!

"What?!" I gasped, unsure of what other words could come out of my mouth.

"You will not see that boy again, Cece. I forbid it," she spoke sternly. It was hard to imagine that at one time she had been the loving grandmother who I baked cookies with when I was younger. How did she turn into an overcontrolling, vicious monster who sucked the love out of everything?

"But, Grannie--" I began to plead, knowing I could not deny it any longer.

"No buts," Grannie interrupted. "You knew perfectly well you weren't to make friends or even have a relationship with mortals. I may be your grandmother, but I have no trouble contacting the Ghost Council about this issue."

Heartless, that's what she was. How could my own family member betray me? Tears stung in my eyes, and with every inch of courage I had, I shouted, "Grannie, you don't understand! You never will! I-I hate you!"

Grannie seemed surprised at first, but she held her stern face. "Up to your room right now, miss. You aren't leaving this house until Halloween, you hear? You hear me?!" she screeched as I rushed up the steps towards my room, sobbing hysterically.

I collapsed on my bed, crying into my pillow. It would all be over soon, my relationship with Harry, my life as a ghost, all of it.

Once I could finally get myself together, I picked up mu phone and dialed Harry's number, praying he'd pick up. I just wanted to hear his voice one last time.

"Hello?" he answered after the phone rang for a sufferable amount of time.

I paused, holding back tears. "Hey, Harry. I'm going to have to cancel that play," I explained, choking back tears. I had to hold it together. "My grandmother got sick, so I have to care for her. You...understand, don't you?"

There was a pause, but then his voice happily responded on the other line. "Yeah, that's fine. I hope your grandmother gets better. I'll call you later to see if we can do something else. Bye, Cece."

"Bye," I replied, hanging up the phone. Tears began to flood down my cheeks as I knew that may very well be the last time I heard his voice again.

I did know one thing. If the next time we meant went well, perhaps I could tell him my biggest secret. But even if I did, would he still love me?

I sat in my room for hours, grumbling as Grannie checked on me each hour to make sure I was in my room. She offered me food at one point, but I refused. Her "have a cookie" tactics weren't going to work on me.

I became extremely tired by 8:00 that night, even though I'd done nothing that interesting in the hours in between my visit with Harry. I closed my eyes and fell asleep immediately, praying my troubles would vanish.

The next morning, I woke up to find sunlight. For some reason, I knew today would be a bright day. I sat up, unsure if Grannie wanted me to leave my room.

She doesn't have to tell me what to do, I thought to myself angrily, opening my door and walking downstairs. Surprisingly, Grannie wasn't sitting in her normal chair having a cup of tea.

Shrugging, I guessed she'd be in the kitchen. But when I entered it, I found Grannie wasn't there either.

Curious as to where she was, but also not wanting to see her, I ate a small breakfast of yogurt and a banana.

After breakfast, I stayed downstairs for a little while, wondering if Grannie had gone out. Beginning to get nervous, though I wanted to deny these feelings, I gathered courage to walk up to her bedroom. I knocked on her door, and when she didn't answer, I entered her bedroom, finding it empty as well, as if no one had even touched the place in years.

I searched every part of the house frantically, calling for Grannie. Where had she gone? Suddenly, a fear came over me, and I wondered if she'd gone to the Ghost Council. 

I searched outside too but had no luck. Deciding to turn to Professor for help, I went to his lab, deciding my next stop would be the Monster Council if I got no information from him. She was their caretaker after all. Perhaps she was just assisting them. Still, why had she refused to leave a note?

I knocked on Professor's trap door once I reached it, my heart pounding. The door swung open, and Professor stood, surprised to see me.

"Cece! Come in!" he exclaimed, motioning me inside. I crawled down the thin metal ladder into his lab, glancing around at the different bubbling concoctions and listening to the sound of electricity pass through the air.

"What brings you here?" he asked, stopping at his coffee pot. "Care for coffee?"

I shook my head. He shrugged and poured some for himself, sitting down on his comfortable leather chair.

"Actually, Professor, I'm here because I don't know where Grannie is. Did you see her this morning?" I asked.

Professor nearly spit out his coffee. His eyes widened in shock. "You didn't know?!"

"Know what?" I asked, suddenly terrified. Maybe the Ghost Council was coming after me.

Professor sighed. "I can't believe she didn't tell you. Well, Cece, she's been a ghost nearly four years now. The Ghost Council didn't want her to stay a ghost any longer. Obviously she was able to move on, and well, they decided it was time. She moved on last night."

I gasped, leaning my hand against the stone wall for support. Why had Grannie failed to mention this to me? If I'd have known, maybe I would've treated her differently...

My eyes began to water, and I wondered why I'd miss the woman who took away so much of my freedom. Then again, she'd kept me out of some terrible situations, and now, she was gone. It was like dying all over again.

"She-she's gone?" I asked at last.

Professor nodded sadly. 

"I-I can't believe it," I whimpered. "She didn't leave a note or anything..." I couldn't control my feelings. Why had Grannie done this? Why had she yelled at me instead of saying good-bye?

"I-I have to go, Professor!" I exclaimed at last, an idea rushing into my mind.

"Oh, okay, Cece. If you need any help--" But I'd already begun climbing up the ladder and exiting. I found myself back in the woods, wandering slowly towards the now-empty mansion.

I stepped onto the creaky front porch, a new fear spreading over me. I opened the door, entering the empty house. The house was even more terrifying without the comfort of someone there.

I made my way up to my room when I realized Grannie wasn't there to tell me to go to my room anymore. Sighing, I sat down in her chair, which still faintly smelled like her perfume, and I dialed Harry's number.

The phone rang for quite awhile until his voice appeared angrily on the other end. "Cece, what are you doing calling me during school?! I just about got a detention! I had to lie and say it was important! What's up?!"

I winced, never hearing him frustrated before.

"I need you to meet me in the forest right now," I told him explicitly.

"I have school," Harry argued. "Why aren't you in school, Cece?" he wondered. I sighed, not wanting to hide anything from him anymore.

"I'll explain it there. You just need to come now. It's important," I urged.

There was a long pause, and then I heard Harry sigh. "All right. I'll try to meet you there in about an hour. That good?"

"Forty-five minutes," I argued, which caused him to laugh on the other end. It warmed my heart to know he cared about me to this extent.

I hung up the phone, dread flooding over me again. How would this all turn out?