Not in a Hundred Years 

Jessica Gomez-Espinal, 10th Grade

 

(Jessica Gomez-Espinal)

Ten years ago, my mom and I moved to Bones Hollow. The house into which we moved was deemed “haunted” or “cursed” by the locals. When you asked why they would call the house that, they would never answer. If, by chance, they did answer, they would only say two words, “car crash.” 

I never understood why they would say “car crash.” The house didn’t even look haunted or cursed, so I never understood why.

Suddenly, the phone started ringing, snapping me back to reality. 

“Hello?” I answered.

“Sarah, sweetie, I’m going to be home late, so please be careful and lock the doors. I left plenty of food in the fridge, and if you need or want to go out for any reason, please be careful. Okay?”My mom asked. 

“Okay.” 

“Okay, bye love you, Sarah.”

“Bye, love you, mom.” 

I hung up and stared at my computer screen. Just then, I realized how eerie the house was; not a sound was heard. I tried to focus on the math equation in front of me but I couldn’t. I had this startling feeling from the house being this quiet. It just wasn’t the same without mom around.

As soon as I got up from my desk, I stretched, my bones popping. I looked out the window, seeing large, light orange, fluffy clouds covering most of the sky. When looking at it, I imagined how soft and warm they would be if I touched them.

I figured I could get a better view of the sunset from the park, so I threw on a hoodie and started making my way downstairs. The stairs creaked with each step. When I finally got downstairs, I put on my shoes and grabbed my keys. As I opened the door, I was met with a cold gust of wind, making me shiver. Stepping outside, I closed the door behind me, locking it.

When I got to the park, I saw Alexander, my boyfriend, with his little brother, Jacob. Alexander was smiling with his dimples on full display, his hair messy from playing rough with his younger brother, and he was wearing a black hoodie with jeans.

“Alex,” I said while waving to him with a smile on my face.

He looked up at me and waved back. He started walking towards me, embracing me in a tight hug. 

“You wanna know something, Alex?” I whispered while still in the hug.

“Yeah?” He answered back.

“You’re the love of my life,” I said. 

Suddenly, he broke the hug and looked me dead in the eyes.

“Sarah. you haven’t been alive in a hundred years. You have to stop reliving this day. It’s not your fault you couldn’t save your mom from the car crash. Please stop reliving this day so you and your mom can rest in peace,” he begged.