The Ghost Hunters and The Familiar Strangers

Amelia and her parents arrived at the mall. She was very excited and she was determined to take Tessa's advice and enjoy her day. She got to the area where they sell dresses, she bought the dresses that caught her attention. "Sweetheart, when you're done here, your father and I have a surprise for you," Laura said touching her daughter's shoulder.

Amelia nodded. Laura went ahead of her to join Andrea.

After Amelia had bought some dresses and a few accessories, she went ahead to meet her parents, she was searching for them when she was something. Right in front of her were two ghosts and judging from the way they look, they seem to be in their early forties. Amelia quickly turned to pretend not to see them as she moved but one of them appeared in front of her. Amelia could not ignore the way her heart was beating fast, she couldn't tell if she was scared or maybe she was afraid the same thing would have.

If I pretend not to see her and pass her, she wouldn't know. Amelia thought so she decided to do just that. She walked to meet the ghosts pretending not to see them. The ghost stood still and waited for her, the moment Amelia walked towards her, the ghost disappeared and that gave Amelia a chance to run.

The ghost joined her other ghost in confusion. "Are you sure she's the one?" She asked.

"Of course."

"Cos she didn't see me." The ghost said.

"You old fool! She was just pretending not to see you." The other ghost shook her head. "Is there any job you can ever do right, Mrs. Walton?" "Don't insult me, Rose." Mrs. Walton said.

Rose pushed Mrs. Walton aside. "Watch and learn." She said as she made her way to meet Amelia.

Amelia was with her parents and they were searching for a phone for her. "What about this one?" Her father asked showing her an Oppo phone. Amelia collected it and looked at it. "Well, I like it." Her father nodded and paid for it.

"Over here." Laura's mom gestured as they went to the confectionery center where they saw cakes, cookies, and other confectioneries. Amelia was picking a cake for herself when she noticed the presence of someone. She turned her head a little and saw that it was the second ghost beside her. She pretended not to see her and continue checking out the cakes.

"I know you can see and hear me, so stop playing dummy," Rose said but Amelia didn't listen to her. "Is this how you want it?" She asked and when Amelia didn't respond, she nodded. "Fine by me." She said. She was about to push Amelia when Tessa came and held her hand.

"Not so fast honey," Tessa said. Amelia turned and she could see Tessa and the ghost.

"Tessa!" Amelia called.

"Excuse me." The attendant asked only then did Amelia realize she was with her parents and the cake attendant.

"What was that honey?" Laura asked.

"I meant Tester. Like can we have a piece of cake we can taste?"

The attendant smiled. "Sure." She gave them a piece of cake which they tasted.

"Go have fun baby girl... I'll handle her," Tessa told her as she and the ghost disappeared.

Amelia was so happy.

The ghost and Tessa went out of the mall and there they had a deep discussion.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rose asked.

Tessa shushed her. "Leave her alone."

"Your mission was to be in that house and find a way to get rid of her, I wonder what you've been doing for the past eighteen years," Rose said.

"Listen to me, I still haven't forgotten my mission but I decide how to get rid of her, I don't need you or anyone's help and tell Jason not to lay a hand on her."

Jason was the bloody ghost that attacked Amelia a year ago.

"Well, it's too late already," Rose told her.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think I was the only one that came in here?" Rose laughed. "In your face, Tessa, and just so you know, I'll be reporting you to the boss and I'm pretty sure you know how he can be to ghosts who don't follow orders." Tessa disappeared and went into the mall but she was too late.

Mrs. Walton already had her way, while Amelia was trying to avoid her, she didn't look where she was going and unfortunately, she used her back to hit a shelf where some confectioneries were kept. Everyone gasped. Amelia looked down at herself, her dress was ruined and so were the confectioneries. She looked at her parents and she could see the disappointment on her dad's face.

"We've got to take a video." One of the passers-by said as so many people took videos.

Laura helped her daughter up as the cake attendant demanded payment.

Andre settled the bills and told Laura and Amelia to meet him outside.

Amelia looked at Tessa and Tessa muttered. "I'm sorry."

Amelia knew when she got home, things will change. Only God knows what her father would do to her.

Amelia and her parents arrive home although the ride home was filled with dead silence, no one said a word. Immediately they entered the house, Andrea dropped his car keys on the table, and he turned to face Amelia. "Do you mind explaining to your mother and me what that was all about?" He asked folding his arms and waiting for an explanation.

Laura knew this discussion was going to be a long one. She tried to talk Andrea out of it but her husband wouldn't listen. "Leave me alone woman. I need some explanations if you don't." Andrea told his wife. Laura knew better than to argue with him, so she let him have that talk. Andrea turned his attention back on his daughter who looked messy with all the cake stains and other stains too. "Well..." "Dad... I'm sorry. It's not that I don't have any explanation to give but..." She paused as she held back her tears. ".. it's just that you won't believe me if I told you."

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"What... You're going to talk to me about seeing some ghosts???" Andrea scoffed. "Don't you get tired of that?" He asked. "You made a fool out of us out there. Is this what I get for wanting a child?"

"Dad, I'm sorry."

"When you were brought out into the world, I was happy so happy because I thought that you would be a blessing to us but I was wrong." Andrea paused. "All you've ever brought to us is nothing but pain and disgrace, even my own family can't visit me because you will scare them away. I can't invite my friends over neither can your mother."

Amelia turned to look at her mother and when their eyes met, Laura looked away. Amelia didn't even know when the tears started dropping.

"I have had enough of your madness," Andrea said.

"What do you mean?" Amelia asked. "Are you disowning me?"

"No, but very early tomorrow, you will be leaving for Texas."

"What?" Amelia asked. She turned to face her mom hoping her mom would say something but it looked like it had already been discussed. "Mom." She called hoping that her mother would somehow talk dad out of it but she didn't. "I can't believe this," Amelia said. "Who the hell do I even know at Texas?" She asked. "This is unfair."

"It's for your good honey," Laura said as she came to meet Amelia. She touched her by the shoulders but Amelia shoved her away.

Amelia knew it was wrong to talk back at her parents but since she was leaving, she should give them a piece of her mind. "Can I ask you both something and permit me if I'm being rude..." She paused. "Have you guys ever asked me what is it I want?" She asked them. "No tell me, have you guys ever asked me what has been going on with me for the past eighteen years? Have you guys ever wondered why I'm seeing these things? Do you guys even care about my feelings? Do you think I'm happy not being able to live like everyone else? Do you even know when I'm happy or not? She waited to hear their response but nothing came.

"I see.." She threw her hands up in frustration. ".. and here you are telling me it's for my good. How is sending me to Texas for my good? I'm pretty sure this is just your way of abandoning but it's cool. Just like you wished I was never born, I also wished that I was given a better understanding of parents and not the kind of parents that sees you as crazy or abnormal or a disgrace."

"Amelia," Laura called but Amelia raised her hand and shushed her.

"I thought you'd be a lot different since you were the one that went through the pain for nine months... I thought you'd be the one to understand me and believe me even when the whole world doesn't... I thought you'd be the one to stand up for me when the whole world called me crazy but instead, you believed their words more than the words of your daughter." Amelia looked at her mother who was shedding tears. "I wish I was never born at least that would have saved you all the embarrassment... And Texas...

"'ll go and I'll prove to you and the whole world that I'm not crazy and but rather I'm someone special and amazing just that you all are blind to see that." After she was done with her speech, she didn't wait to listen to any more talks, she ran up the stairs and got into her room, shutting the door behind her as she rested her back on the door, and immediately the tears she had been holding in started flowing. She cried her heart out and when she looked everywhere for Tessa, she couldn't find her which made her cry even more.

Where is everyone when she needed them? She asked herself.