Oblivion.

I am the youngest of three siblings and although I am very shy I like to share with my friends from school. I’m 15 years old and I met my friends three months ago. My mother prepared a meeting for me with my best friends, here at home with my siblings.

My siblings are: Peter who is 20 years old and is the oldest brother, I love him even though he drives me crazy with his jokes, and then there’s Susie, my only sister who is 18 years old, she is calmer, very intelligent and loves to read. She spends long hours reading her books. I just like to see the drawings in the books she lends me when I'm bored.

I study close to home, usually I walk back alone and there is always a friend who accompanies me.

My best friend is Alice. She is someone like to me, not physically but in her way of being. She lives one block from my house and her mom takes her to school, that's why she doesn't accompany me to school. They go down the avenue, when you leave my house there is a street and when you cross it, it joins an avenue. I prefer to leave the house and cross the park that is bordering the avenue.

It really is a very nice feeling to walk through the park. Sometimes you can see people sitting on the benches. Alone or accompanied, running or walking fast, sometimes exercising. I love walking, breathing in the scent of jasmine and seeing the colors of tulips in bloom. At first my parents didn't like me walking alone in the park but then my mother convinced him, what could happen to me one block away from home? In a place as quiet as this.

It was a day like any other. I had music classes, a special schedule. I walked through the park, as always. I looked at those who are sitting on the benches, there is a couple in love here, their hands clasped and the most beautiful smiles on their lips. I think they were new around here because I had never noticed them. There are also some runners, with headphones on their ears, baggy shorts and sweaty shirts. On the other side there’s a man of about 40 years of age, always reading a book, but he never seems to finish it. He always wears dark glasses, no matter what time it is. Up ahead are a couple of older people, they look so nice and every time I see them they are leaning on each other, with things on their wrinkled hands.

 I'm already at school. I greet my friends, but as always I seem to be an unpleasant person to everyone. No one answers to me anymore.

On my way home, my friend accompanies me. Alice, the only one with whom I dare to comment on the things I see and the things I like. She's in my music class.

Once I get home, things are not usually the way they used to be. For a few months, my mom just cries. I only say two or three things. I don't want her to feel worse if I ask what is causing her to cry.

Dad doesn't seem to mind her crying. Every now and then I see him hug her and try to ingratiate himself with her but then she wipes her eyes and goes back to the garage. I don't know how or why she spends so much time there.

My brothers are busy with their own business, so I don't bother anyone when I get home.

It wasn't always like this. We were a very close and warm family. I don't know when we started to be so boring and separated like this, but I don’t care anymore. As long as they don't bother me I'll go on with my life.

My friend Alice invites me to her house. She tells me not to make any kind of noise when entering so that nobody notices my presence and we go straight to her room. We went in, no one saw me, we went upstairs and spent long hours in her room talking about things that interest us both. Alice is fascinated by everything related to ghosts. She asks me what I think about them and I tell her that I haven't come across any yet and we smile. Alice confesses to me that she is curious to know more about the other world and the people there.

Alice's mother knocks on the door and asks her who she is with, she says that she is alone, while she looks to me and winks. We make signs to not speak. Alice's mother asks her if she wants some cookies or something and she says that she will come downstairs and have some cookies. Once she’s back we continue to talk and play.

 I have to go. It's getting late. I do the same as how I entered, always on the sly. I must be home before 9 pm, otherwise my mother will come looking for me.

I'm already home, I do my chores and get ready to lie down. My room is always spotless because my mother maintains it day after day in the same way. I try to make a mess to see if she gets upset and says something to me but when I return, my room is well arranged. What a bummer! Tomorrow will be another day.

Dawn breaks and I get ready to go to my classes. Once I’m ready I start running but once I’m outside I remember something. I go up to my room again and when I enter my mom is there, with a portrait of me that is always on my nightstand. But she is crying and looking at my portrait. I ask her what's wrong but she prefers to keep crying and she doesn't answer me. All right, I'm going! I won't keep asking. I run downstairs and out onto the street.

This time I'm upset. I don't know why she doesn't want to talk to me… when I go through the paths I see the man with the book, with his dark glasses like usually. And it’s then that I remember.

I remember him! Suddenly I remember! He attacked me; it was a day like today. He was sitting on his bench, with the book he always reads and his dark glasses. But when I passed by him I only felt a strong pain in my head and then, when I woke up, I was lying on the ground, with a lot of weeds around me and my clothes ripped.

I ran as best and as far as I could. It was far away from the walkways. But I was still able to get home and take a shower, but I still had a headache.

I also remember that from that day on everyone changed. Nobody wanted to talk to me anymore. I don’t really get why, it’s not like I did anything wrong to them. The only person who talks to me anymore is my friend Alice, who always talks about her favorite topic, ghosts.