Kass stretched out her arms then followed me inside where we sat in the kitchen. She began doing the dishes. Without turning her head, she turned off the water and sighed. "Sorry I snapped at you when Gabby was here," she said.

I looked up at the back of her head, not knowing what to say. I was wondering why she wasn't facing me. Maybe she felt bad. I began playing with the camera and twirling the strap around my finger. 

"It's fine," I said. "doesn't matter."

 I heard the water start up again. I turned on the camera to look at Kass's picture. I nearly dropped it when I saw what was on the screen. My mouth couldn't seem to form words. My breathing sped up. Fast. The picture wasn't Kass smiling, but a little girl smiling happily at the camera with her eyes closed. I didn't know who it was. I've never seen her before. She was young. Maybe 10 or 11. The picture was grainy looking and black and white instead of color like it was in the 80s. She had wild curly hair like it hasn't been cared for ages and she wore a nightgown. In the background was a rocking chair and candle next to a book on the flood. 

"Isabell."

I heard Kass say. She still wasn't looking at me, just the window in front of the sink. 

"Don't wake her," she whispered.

Her whispers turned into faint whimpers and she began to cry. Literally, crying historically and sucking in air heavily. I stood up with the camera in my hand. "Kass!" I yelled. 

I went over to the sink and grabbed her shoulder to turn her over. Kass's entire face was burnt to a crisp. Holes for eyes, harsh skin that looked like if you touch it it would chip. There was a foul smell of something rotten coming from the face. The rest of her body was fine, and not burnt...just the face.

"Wake up."

I nearly fell back when it yelled at. "Wake up!" It said again.

I stumbled back, closing my eyes. I screamed when I felt two hands touch my shoulder. "Esther," I opened my eyes when I heard Kass's real voice. She began touching her face, the look of shock on her face. "I felt that," she said. 

Before I could reply, Kassandra began to choke. She coughed so badly I had to get behind her and hit her back a few times. She spat onto the floor and as she did, strange ash exited. I looked on the floor to see something that looked like black pieces of crumbled up leaves smashed into itty bitty pieces.

Kass just looked at it. "Wow. I am done smoking," she said.

I looked at her with wide eyes. "You...you didn't feel that? You don't see that?"

"What, Esther?" she looked at the ground then went over to grab a paper towel. She swept it up with the paper towel then showed me. "Never seen ashes before, Esther?" Her voice changed once again. She threw the tissue at my shirt then laughed.

However, that laugh wasn't Kasses. It was a little girl's voice. She walked out of the living room and to her room, leaving me there in shock. Whatever was inside Kass, was still inside of Kass.

***

My parents found it so weird when they saw me walk in the living room with a bible. I took it over to Kass who was reading All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn. I put the Bible in front of her. I know mom and dad thought I was going mad because they were speechless. The look on their faces showed that they didn't know whether to laugh or question me.

"Get that thing out of my face," Kass said while still looking at her book.

I smacked it out of her hand. "Read a verse if you're not a ghost."

My mom shook her head. "No, not this crap again," she said while getting up.

To my surprise, Kass took it in her hand and waved it around. "So scary," she whispered. She grabbed my hand. "It's okay, little sis just wants some attention. Come show me your dumb guitars."

The two of us got up. I let her take me to my room. I was quiet and my heart was beating inside my chest horribly. When we got in the room, I ran by my window. My hand hit the curtain and it made the rod almost fall. The rod up top that held the curtain made a rattling sound. Probably from built up dirt and stuff inside it. It came with the house so it was old.

"Shhhh," Kass said. "you'll wake up Isabell."

"Isabell," I said. "Get out of my sister."

She smiled at me, got on my bed and started jumping up and down like a kid. She jumped and let her butt hit the bed, then did the same thing. This time, I watched and slowly got up off the floor. For some strange reason...the situation didn't seem scary. I had courage to talk and walk up to my bed.

"You're the kid Isabell? In the picture," I asked.

"No," she said then sat down and looked at me. "the picture is me, but I'm not Isabell. My name is Ezra." She got up and began looking around my room, fascinated.

"Ezra?" I said.