Summary

Claire is your average apathetic highschooler, with an extra layer of standoffishness to boot. She used to be a little more outgoing, not chatting with everyone she came across of course, but she could be cordial when needed. She had a warm sort of quiet about her, and always looked forward to spending time with her brother, Andrew, after school. They would often go ghost hunting, exploring abandoned houses and creepy forests, snagging a treat at the gas station on the way to their “haunted” destinations. They never found anything, but they weren’t really trying to.

Andrew passed away when Claire was sixteen. It’s been a year since it happened, and Claire has changed. Her quiet warmth was replaced by cold silence, ignoring those around her, unwilling to participate unless absolutely necessary. She hardly speaks to her parents anymore, and her school friends tend to get snapped at or ignored more often than not. She still ghost hunts after school from time to time, albeit alone. It feels better to uphold their tradition then to let it die too.

And in the back of her mind, she wonders if she might find him again, in a different form. It’s a thought that goes unvoiced— it’s too hopeful. Too unrealistic. She’s too skeptical for it—and though she doesn’t find Andrew, she does find someone else, eventually.