Sandals

My eyelids flutter open. I feel weirdly peaceful, weirdly calm, not even the slightest bit groggy, for some reason. That's weird. I'm not usually a morning person.

I'm not lying on my bed. I get up and look around. Why was I lying beside the river? I am not even wearing my sandals. That is certainly strange. I never go anywhere barefooted. 

I blink. I can't seem to recall anything of yesterday. Everything is blurry in my mind.

I don't feel tired, but I don't feel energetic either. I just feel this calming sense of serenity. Which is weird, considering I just found out that I woke up next to a river and not in my own bed. 

Maybe I'll just go home. Did I go to a party and get drunk or something? But I can't remember anything about a party. Plus, I'm really antisocial and never, like absolutely never, go to parties. 

I walk home. It's pretty far, four kilometres or so, but I'm not tired at all. I feel relaxed. It's so, so weird, but I'm not complaining. It feels comfortable.

I'm home. No one else appears to be home. The house is in a mess. Everything is thrown about all over the place. Mom's favourite vase is in shards on the living room floor. Food packaging lies everywhere. It's strange, because my parents are seriously particular about tidiness and hygiene. Dirty laundry is heaped on the sofa, and my brother's books are strewn about on the floor. 

Hm. That's weird. Where is everyone? Dad works during the day, so that's explained for, but where's Mom and my brother?

Maybe I'll go see my neighbour Liza. She'll know where they are. Plus, she's my best friend. Maybe she knows why I ended up next to a river.

I knock on her house door. No one comes. I try the knob, and the door swings open. Okay... I hate to intrude, but I've been doing this for a while, so... yeah. 

I hurry up to Liza's room. She's lying on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her appearance takes me aback. She's usually really happy, lively, energetic and cheerful. Now she looks really depressed. 

Her eyes are bloodshot, face pale, cheeks wet with tears. Used tissues lie on the floor, an empty tub of ice cream underneath her bed. I swallow.

"Liza?" I ask. "What's wrong?"

She doesn't even appear to hear me. I frown. "Hey, don't ignore me. You need to tell me what's wrong."

She ignores me completely again. I bite my lip. I see all the symptoms. 

"Did you break up with Drew?" Drew is Liza's boyfriend, or maybe now her ex, seeing the state of things. I was pretty convinced they were both really in love with each other, so it's weird to think that they might have broken up. Still, it's a possibility. 

Liza still doesn't acknowledge my presence. She just flops over onto her stomach, face down against the bed. 

I sigh. Maybe she needs some alone time. "Bye," I murmur, before leaving her house. 

I return back home. The house looks empty as before, but I realise that I can hear crying. It sounds like Mom. 

So she is home! How could I have not heard her just now?

It's coming from the main bedroom. Mom's not usually a crier. I wonder what's wrong. I rush for the bedroom.

Mom is wailing, tears running down her face. She's choking, hands clawing at her hair, her eyes bloodshot. Dad holds Mom in his arms, rocking her gently. Dad is crying, too, but he's evidently trying to hold it in for her sake. He's tearing up in silence. My eyes widen. What in the world is going on? Is it because they couldn't find me this morning or something?

"Mom! Dad!" I exclaim. They're apparently too caught up in their crying to hear me. I raise my voice and try again. "I'm right here!" I shout. 

Again they don't hear me. I run right up to them and try to shake them, but to my surprise, I don't seem to be able to even move them. It's like they're stone statues frozen in place, only... well, they're not made of stone. It's so weird!

What is going on?

I back away. I run to brother's room instead. He's seated on his bed, staring into blank space. He isn't crying, but he's trembling slightly. His chest heaves up and down as he breathes heavily.

"Brother?" I say. Like everyone else, he ignores me. What is with everyone today? I storm out of the room in frustration.

I return to the living room, mind racing. My thoughts are a convoluted mess in my head. Then I see someone in front of me. I gasp.

"Grandma?" I whisper.

Tears spring forth to my eyes. I run forward and throw myself into her arms. She rocks backwards from the impact first, but then she hugs me tightly, tears in her eyes.

"Sapphire," she smiles. "I'm so glad to see you, love."

"Gr-gr-grandma!" is all I can get out. I sniff, trying to stop crying. 

Finally, after our emotional reunion, I look up at her. "What's going on?"

Grandma's smile fades from her face. "Sapph..." 

"Grandma, would you please tell me what is going on?" I beg her, eyes threatening to tear up all over again. "I'm so confused! Everything's weird. You need to explain!"

Grandma looks down at the floor, looking sad. "There's... There's nothing to explain, Sapph."

"Grandma!" I plead with her again. She doesn't reply, only continuing to gaze at the floor, teardrops splashing against the marble. This is so frustrating.

Then I remember something.

Grandma shouldn't be here.

She died from cancer years ago.

My eyes widen. I slowly look up at her, before beginning to back away from her. I'm trembling. "You're... you're a ghost!"

Grandma's looks up at me. "Sapph..."

"You're... you're a ghost!" I cry. I've always been fearful of ghosts, fearful of the paranormal. "G-g-g-ghost!"

"Sapphire!" Grandma pleads with me. "Listen!"

My chest heaves up and down. I take deep breaths. I try to calm myself down. It's a ghost, but it's Grandma, right?

"You see..." Grandma massages her forehead, looking extremely upset. "Sweetheart, it's complicated..."

"I... I don't understand." I swallow. "Aren't you... aren't you... d-d-... d-dead?"

Grandma doesn't reply. She picks the newspaper off the coffee table and hands it to me. I hesitate, then take it. 

"But..." I still don't understand. Grandma swallows, pain in her eyes, but she gestures for me to read it.

I don't know why, but I feel a sense of dread as I lower my gaze to read the headlines.

River claims young teen's life. 

I don't understand. Grandma's crying again. "Sapph... They only found your sandals, floating in the current."

What do you mean? 

"Grandma?"

She looks at me sadly.

"Darling, me and you... We're already dead."