"Please help me," the apparition had said.

The sound of her words spiraled over and over. Somehow, Rose knew I was a sensitive. It was a secret I never told anyone. Ever. I didn't want my friends or family to think I was a freak. But she could sense it. I suppose all of the spirits could, that must be why they visit. But what bothered me most was that this ghost thought I could help her.

A sickening sensation grew in the pit of my stomach, and I fought back the urge to throw up my lunch. Why me? What had I ever done to deserve this kind of torture? No one understood what I went through on a daily basis, how frightening life could be at times. The uncertainty of when the next specter would manifest. Never knowing if it would look like a normal person, or if it'd appear the way I imagined they had looked the moment they'd passed on. At least this spirit seemed normal, not scorched like the legend told.

The uneasy feeling stayed with me the rest of the day and no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I couldn't stop thinking about Rose Marie Foster. Just the thought of her taking her last breath within the walls of the high school, and for whatever reason found herself unable to move on, tugged at my conscience. She obviously had some kind of message; why else would she have sought me out? Was it my responsibility as a sensitive to listen to what she had to say?

Maybe I should try to talk to her? Only, I wasn't sure I could. All my life I had been running away from communicating with the dead, the thought of actually speaking with one shook me to my core. On the other hand, I couldn't deny my growing curiosity.

When the final bell rung for the day, I waited next to my locker until the hallways were empty. If I was going to go back into that restroom, I had to do it alone. There couldn't be an audience. Not only was I afraid people would think I was nuts -- and the last thing I needed was for rumors to circulate that the new girl needed a straight jacket -- I was pretty sure the ghost would only appear if I was by myself. Sighing heavily, I climbed the staircase to the third floor, wondering if Rose could sense my plan. I walked down the long corridor and paused outside of the restroom entrance as a cool breeze circled around me.

She was in there waiting. I could feel it.

As I edged closer to the door, an uncomfortable prickle crept up the back of my neck. Biting my lip, my eyes darted around before I made up my mind to walk inside.

"Chloe?"

The sound of my name made me jump. I turned around to see Mr. Snell, my biology teacher, standing in the hallway staring after me.

"You seemed a little distracted in class today," he began, running a hand over his hair. "Is everything okay?" He was tall and lanky, with only a limited number of light brown strands left on top of his head. They were carefully arranged to one side in a sad attempt to cover a growing bald spot.

I forced a smile, careful to look him square in the eye. I'd never been very good at lying, and hoped that by making eye contact now my dishonesty would appear believable. "Everything's fine, Mr. Snell. I ... uh ... just haven't been sleeping well lately. New bedroom and all." I shrugged it off, and prayed my feeble excuse was enough to send him on his way.

He studied me for a long moment, his gaze skeptical. "If you ever need to talk, I'm always here. I have an open door policy. You know that, right?"

"Open door policy." I nodded rapidly. "Got it."

Finally, the teacher relented. He turned on his heel and continued down the hall.

Waiting until he was well out of earshot, my gaze made it's way back to the doorway of the restroom. I adjusted my backpack and forced myself forward, gradually stepping inside.

My eyes flashed across the empty space taking in the details of the blue and gray-checkered floor and dull sharkskin-colored walls. A fluorescent light on the ceiling danced unpredictably -- a new tick since last I had been in there -- adding to the uncomfortable ambiance. I'd never noticed before how depressing the tones were, but now it's heaviness felt suffocating. A familiar chill hung in the air, and I wrapped the sweater I was wearing tighter around my body.

Glancing at my refection, my skin appeared ashen against the gloomy blue hues. Light blonde lashes peeked out through faded black mascara, but at that point I didn't even care.

Nervously, I stepped deeper inside. A steady stream of water dripped from the faucet into the sink, and for some reason I felt annoyed no one had taken the time to tighten the handle.

Setting down my backpack, I walked over and wrapped my fingers around the knob, giving it a good twist until the trickling ceased. I turned to face the center of the room where I'd seen Rose standing earlier in the day.

She was in there, I could feel her presence. Why wasn't she showing herself? Fear constricted my throat and I swallowed hard, trying to relieve the distressing sensation. Stealing a glance at the floor, I silently pleaded for the strength to call her by name.

"Rose?" I whispered, slowly lifting my lashes. "My name's Chloe. I'm here to help you."

I inched backward toward the sink, my fingers grasping the cool, white porcelain, as the center of the room grew hazy. Was she trying to appear?

Without warning, water burst at full force from the faucet behind me. I jolted forward in surprise. The pressure was so strong, the pipes hidden behind the wall moaned loudly in protest. I spun around, catching a glimpse of my wide-eyed reflection in the mirror. Terror etched its way across my face. The sight sent chills up my spine.

Again, I turned the handle tightly, terminating the flow of water. Placing one hand on each side of the basin, I leaned forward, trying to catch my ragged breath. I was ready to run, to leave Apple Valley High School and never look back. But the thought of a girl no older than myself, trapped in an existence she couldn't escape, convinced me to stay. I couldn't leave. Not yet.

And then I felt her, stronger than before.

Lifting my gaze to the mirror, our eyes met for the second time that day. I stood frozen, unable to move.

"Please, help me."

My pulse raced; I could feel it all the way down to my toes. I forced myself to turn until I stood face to face with the ghost. She was taller than me, by maybe an inch or so, but we wore identical expressions. Fear.

"Rose?" I whispered again, the sound of my voice shaky in my ears.

Bewilderment clouded her expression. "You can see me."

It was more of a statement than a question. As I watched her mouth the words, I knew somehow no one else would be able to hear them, even if they'd been standing right there. Her message was meant only for me.

"Finally, after all these years. How is it possible?"

Shaking my head, I gave a slight shrug. I didn't know myself. I studied her carefully, talking in every inch of her appearance. It was the first time I'd allowed myself to look at a visitor up close. She was solid, but emitted a soft glow that came from within. She didn't look scary or menacing, like so many ghosts do in the movies. She looked like just another girl.

Rose's emerald eyes fixed on mine and I could feel her desperation grow more vivid with every breath I took. The same desperation she'd felt for decades, roaming endlessly through the dank halls of the high school, passing by her peers unseen. Here and yet ... not. Her despair was heavy and I knew in that moment -- as scared as I was -- I would do anything to help her move on.

"Please help me," she repeated.

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I'd never attempted anything like this before, and I wasn't sure I wanted to now. Yet I knew I had to. If I could help this trapped soul cross over, I should. Right?

Finally, I gathered the courage to speak. "How?" I asked, hoping she might have the answers I didn't.

"You can see me when no one else has been able to. After all this time..." Her voice trailing off. " I knew you were here -- I felt your arrival -- and I've been waiting for you. I have not been able to let go of this world. Once I realized I was no longer alive ... I wasn't able to leave. I've been stuck in between this life and the next, and I'm so tired. Please ... help me."

I took a step back as the realization of what was taking place sunk in. My heartbeat thundered in my ears and it felt as if my head might explode. Rose stared at me, her eyes filled with agony. Inhaling what little air my lungs would allow, I made a confession. "I don't know how to help you."

"Use your gift," she pleaded.

"I'm not sure I can. I've never done this before! I've always tried to ignore this part of myself. I never wanted to develop my abilities. I'd like to help you, but I don't know how."

"I need you, Chloe. Only you can help, but you have to believe that you can! Everyone is born with intuition, but yours is special. Use it now as your guide. Close your eyes and let instinct take over."

"But how do you know it will work?"

"I know many things now, things I never recognized before. Equations that are so far beyond the realm of understanding in the living world. Your perception is stronger than most. You're able to tune into a world apart from your own. I can help you, if you let me. Then I'll be able to cross over into the world where I belong."

​Open myself up? It sounded so scary! What if I couldn't shut it off? What if all the ghosts that had come to visit over the years expected help, too? I didn't want that kind of commitment. Helping Rose didn't mean I wanted to help every spirit. This was a special favor; to help a girl like me find peace after wandering for so long.

"I want to learn how to control this ability," I said. "But I don't want to open myself to others and then not be able to turn it off."

Rose nodded enthusiastically. "You can turn it off. You'll have total control over your gifts -- once you learn to understand them."

The temperature continued to drop, and breath swirled from my mouth like a hazy white fog. I wrapped my arms tighter around myself to ward of the cold. I inhaled deeply, trying to calm my nerves. No matter how scared I felt, I needed to help her. Not only for Rose, but for me, too. I needed to prove I could control these abilities. If I didn't get a grasp on them now, I would spend the rest of afraid. "I want to help you."

Relief swept across Rose's face. Her hand gently grazed my arm and I shivered involuntarily. "Thank you," she whispered.

Our gazes locked for a moment, bonding over the enormity of what we were about to do.

"First, close your eyes and concentrate. Take deep, cleansing breaths until your pulse slows."

I did as Rose suggested. It wasn't long before I forgot I was standing in a gloomy high school restroom. Relaxation washed over me, in a way I had never experienced before. I opened my eyes and found Rose watching me intently.

"This time when you close your eyes, imagine yourself opening. Acknowledge the gifts you have inside of you." She paused. "How do you feel?"

After several moments, an acute awareness consumed my body. "I feel weightless; like I'm floating on air."

"It's working! Keep doing what you're doing," Rose encouraged quietly. "Now, give yourself permission to help me. Let me use you as a vessel to cross over to the other side."

In my mind, I gave myself consent to allow this interaction to take place. Helping Rose was something I felt compelled to do, so she could be released from the never-ending limbo she'd been trapped inside of.

It wasn't long before an inward shift knocked me off balance. Something had changed. My senses felt heightened in the most peculiar way. Hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching; they were all intensified, like nothing I'd never experienced before. But when I opened my eyes, my vision blurred, as if overwhelmed by the recent meditation.

As I fought to focus, I began to make out Rose's petite figure standing in front of me. At first, she was clouded by a thick haze I couldn't see past, and once the fog lifted, a deeper confusion set in. Disoriented, I stared as a knot of panic tightened in my chest.

It wasn't Rose standing in front of me ... it was me.

My gaze fastened to the same blue eyes I'd always known as my own -- yet, they didn't belong to me anymore. They belonged to her. I opened my mouth in protest, but the words felt trapped inside of my throat.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen this way," I heard myself say. The voice sounded familiar and yet different at the same time. "You were just the first sensitive I'd ever encountered, and I knew you would be more vulnerable than the rest. If I wanted to live again I needed you to open yourself; to allow me inside so I could take over."

A sick realization unfolded around me. Rose had never intended to cross over to the other side. Her plan had been to push me out of my body so she could claim it as her own. She'd tricked me.

I shook my head and stared at the image I'd always felt burdened by. The annoying red-orange mess of curls and blonde eyelashes I fought every day to cover up, didn't seem as horrific as I had believed them to be. In fact, they fit perfectly on the angelic face of the girl standing before me. How could I have not seen that before? Why had I spent every day of my life fighting something I had no control over? I never appreciated what I had -- and now it was too late.

Dread consumed me. I didn't know what to do! I wanted to get away from this girl as quickly as I could, but I also needed to take back what was mine. Instead, I did nothing. I was unable to move. My body felt thick and uncoordinated, weighted down by a force I didn't understand.

No. No! This couldn't be happening!

"How could you?" I finally asked, my voice springing like an echo inside of my head.

Rose stood motionless, vivid blue eyes staring deep into mine. "I told you. This was the way it had to be. I didn't want to die, Chloe. It wasn't my time to go. I belong with the living."

"But ... what about me?"

Shrugging, she reached down and grabbed the backpack from the floor, slinging it over her shoulder. "Now it's your turn to haunt the halls of Apple Valley High."

I watched in horror as the corner of her lips curled into a smile.

"Thank you for helping me. I couldn't have done this without you. On the bright side, you won't be burdened by your gifts anymore."

She swiveled on her heel and disappeared into the empty hallway, tight copper curls bouncing vivaciously behind her.

And I dropped to my knees, grieving for the life that was no longer mine.

THE END

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