Chapter Three - Not Quite Alone

                                    

                                          
Artemis
                          
I'd been seeing Dawn a lot more lately. She'd phase in and out of my sisters (even Helena), eavesdrop on my brothers' conversations, and she even made me drop my slice of apple pie a few days ago. My mom got mad at me, and I got no apple pie. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this house is haunted.
                          
Well, technically, it is.
                          
Or not.
                          
I don't know what I'm thinking anymore.
                          
I tried doing some research on the house, to see if I could find out anything else about Dawn. I'm pretty sure she was dead, I'm almost sure this is her house, and I'm definitely sure she's not real.
                          
How could she be real anyway? Ghosts don't exist, that I'm completely sure of. That day when she "controlled" my phone and computer? That was just a glitch from the new software I was trying out. Dawn, the creepy glowing spirit girl, isn't real.
                          
Or maybe she is.
                          
What if she is, and she's not the only one out there? Is my family in danger? More importantly, am I? I'm the only one in my family who's seen Dawn, and it's really annoying.
                          
I had to try and sit calmly, while Dawn floated by Seraphina and read over her shoulder. It didn't work; my father thought I was constipated. I had to try not to scream as Dawn floated through the house, phasing in and out of our thick walls. The worst time was when she went into Samantha and started playing with Helena. It took all I could not to grab Sam/Dawn and fling her away from my little sister.
                          
I often wondered if Dawn ever took control of my body. I always hoped she didn't. What if she can read minds? I have some personal thoughts that I'd like to remain private.
                          
Strangely, Dawn looked like my last girlfriend, Rachael. Rachael Davis Parker was the first and secret girlfriend my family never knew about. The only one I told was Seraphina, because she barely ever utters a word. Rachael had the faded auburn-red hair that Dawn and Sam had. She was beautiful and perfect, and we were sure we'd still be dating through college. Then Dad's work moved us to Blue Falls, and Rachael and I didn't think we could handle a long-distance relationship.
                          
She hadn't posted anything on Facebook after we broke up. Neither did I (but, then again, I didn't post much anyway).
                          
Honestly, I didn't like seeing Dawn because she looked like Rachael. I'm a very apathetic teenager who supports the theory that everything can be solved and explained through science. It's my favorite quality about myself. I don't believe just anything anyone says. I'm a real thinker.
                          
"Artemis...?" Seraphina's small voice gave a slight echo behind the closed door of my bedroom. "Can you help me carry this to my room?"
                          
"Sure, one sec, Ser," I called back. I looked around my room; there were no signs of glowing creatures. Checking every room for people like Dawn was a number two priority. Number one was making sure they didn't notice anything was wrong with me.
                          
Call it a hobby.
                          
I opened my door to find Seraphina behind a big group of large books that were sitting in what looked like a small shopping cart. The real question is how she managed to get it up the stairs.
                          
"Reader's Digest," she said, referring to the books. "Thought I might try them out."
                          
I found myself surprised when the cart was so heavy to move. It was moving practically a half inch every two minutes. I hadn't exercised in a long while, so my muscles weren't as good as they used to be. Not that I looked very well-built before. I'd always been a naturally skinny guy, and no matter what I ate or how much I worked out, I never bulked up.