Short Story: Paranormal

Recently, I was reading a horror story and, despite being the coward I am, actually enjoyed it. I took this as a sign from the writing gods that this was my chance to try my hand at writing a story with a slightly paranormal twist. I had my opportunity when we had a project for school that involved writing . It was hard but I think I managed to produce a decent story, so allow me to present - Paranormal.

~OOO~

Paranormal

Once upon a time, in a far away land, namely California, KC Williams was busy packing enthusiastically for university. Her long awaited acceptance letter had finally arrived and her persistence had driven her to getting into the school. Sure, she would be leaving a life behind, but she would be starting on a new life ahead. New friends, new possibilities and new teachers. A whole new life. Awaiting for her. In the New York Institute of Arts.

Mrs. Williams came in, carrying a big bulk of laundry.

“There’s my little artist!”, she said cheerfully, setting down the bulk steadily. “You sure you can adapt to the big city, hon?”

KC zipped her suitcase.

“Mom, we live in San Francisco! It is a city. New York is going to be a piece of cake!”

Mrs. Williams regarded her daughter. “I know I can’t foresight into the future but I sense an adventure in the coming!”, she said excitedly, “Just remember to be punctual to class and be alert. You know --”

“Mom! I’m going to be fine!”, she ejaculated, and she knew she would be.

She couldn’t wait to get to New York.

The first year went by pretty fast. KC had a hard time adjusting to the University’s schedule. Her roommate Callie was really helpful and KC knew she had struck gold when she first met her. Both of them had tactfully solved the problem of room space and were getting along.

And she didn’t want to admit it, but she even got her first moment at the university. It happened like this - Miss Hopkins was her drama teacher and she had insisted on going outside to the nearby Burlington Cemetery for practice. They were performing Macbeth soon and Miss Hopkins had said that it would help them ‘get into character’.

While there, she saw a boy she had never noticed before. He must be a new enrollment, she thought to herself and she studied him.

“Now, class.”, Miss Hopkins said in her trademark British accent, raising her walking stick like a baton, “Can anyone tell me the most efficient way to stage a play?”

Everyone looked at her like she had just spoken some alien language.

“Nobody?”, she asked, crestfallen, “and you call yourselves college students!”

The boy suddenly turned away from Miss Hopkins. Mumbling something about finding the bathroom, and he accidently tripped over someone and fell right into KC.

“I’m so sorry.”, he said straightening himself out.

KC turned bright red.

“It’s okay.”, she squeaked in a shrill voice, losing her sudden poise nature she had tried to maintain while at the school.

And it was love at first sight.

Two months. That’s how long KC had been dating Kyle Quincey. He was sweet and considerate but strangely, nobody ever talked about their relationship. Instead, people seemed to whisper when the two of them were together.

Kyle cooperated with KC’s classes and the two of them met as much as they could. Both of them had an internship with the Chryseller Production Center and were working together with George Ham - one of Hollywood’s renowned directors and the best one in the biz.

“Alright, we have one scene down, people! We gotta get it going!”, Ham yelled, at the crew, “Bring out your responsible selves, people! Look alive! Let’s see some long overdue maturity here! We need your cooperation, you know!”

“I’ll call my dependable boyfriend to help with the movie sales! He loves to do math.”, KC volunteered, already heading towards Kyle’s office. “He’s smart!”

Ham gave her a peculiar look, “You must be KC. I’ve heard about you.”

KC tried to bring about her assertive posture. George Ham had heard about her!

Ham gave her a measured smile. “A girl can have ambitions, Miss Williams.”

KC just looked after him as he walked away. What on Earth was that supposed to mean?

“So, you will never believe what Ham told me while on set.”, KC said as she and Kyle walked to Thelma’s Ice Cream Parlour.

“Tell me after I devour my ice cream.I can eat a whole sundae.”, Kyle said, opening the door to the parlour.

“You have a great sense of humour.”, KC chuckled.

“Just trying to be considerate of all that stress you have with exams coming up.”, he said as he went to catch a seat.

Thelma East was a woman in her forties who treated ice cream like her children. She looked confused as KC walked towards her.

“Who opened the door?”, she asked with a hint of a Bronx accent.

“Kyle did.”

“Now now child, you might be able to fool others of this Kyle person but this ain’t gonna work on me. Was there someone behind you?”

KC was losing her patience. Why was everyone acting so weird whenever she mentioned Kyle? Did they think that she was not worthy of him?

“What do you mean? He’s sitting right…”

She stopped. The table Kyle had gone to reserve for them was empty.

He must have gone back, she thought, but why didn’t he tell me first?

She raced past the parlour doors and passed by Burlington Cemetery to get to her campus. Once there, she asked her friend Lily Wei about Kyle.

“You mean that imaginary boyfriend who have been talking about?”, Lily asked, trying to hide her smile. “I’m glad you let him go. If you are really desperate, there is this guy in my Trig class who seems inter-”

“WHAT?! No! I’m searching for Kyle! Whatever game it is that you are playing, Lily, I’m warning you to stop it! It’s like the whole campus is against me!”, KC fumed, showing her affectionate loyalty as she stormed out to her dorm room.

Callie was sitting there, flipping through her Instagram when KC came fuming in.

“Callie, you said that Kyle and I were a power couple, didn’t you?”, she demanded,throwing her handbag into the bed.

Callie looked confused.

“Who?”

“My boyfriend! The one I’ve been dating for two months now?”

“Oh!”, Callie exclaimed as realization struck, “I know right! That was such a fun game we played.”

“Game?”, KC asked, “No, Callie, Kyle is my boyfriend.”

“So, can Channing Tatum be mine?”, Callie asked, chuckling and going back to her phone.

KC grunted and furiously sat on the bed.

“Hey, look at this post, KC!”, Callie called her but she didn’t budge. She was trying to make sense of things.

“A nineteen year old boy was found dead near the Burlington Cemetery two months ago. How did we not know about this?”, Callie said, showing KC the photo of the boy that was found dead.

KC did a double take when she saw the picture and everything began to make sense. All those people laughing and acting weird around her, people looking confused at her direction...it still sounded like something from a movie.

She rubbed her eyes and looked again, hoping what she was seeing wasn't right but it was there plain and pure. She was going crazy by the minute.

The person in the picture was Kyle.