Red

Let me first start off by saying that this is the first story I have written on this site, so please be patient with me. This is a true story, and I would like to share it.

When I was seven years old, I didn't have many friends and to be quite honest, I wasn't interested in making friends with the girls at school. My best friend in my eyes was my uncle, and his name... Let's say it was B. Uncle B never called me by my name (which is Ella) but instead called me 'Red' because of my natural auburn coloured hair.

Unfortunately, Uncle B was diagnosed with leukemia and lost his battle. I no longer had my best friend, and I didn't really understand what was happening. All I knew was that I missed him terribly.

When I was around the age of thirteen, I was holding a stuffed elephant that Uncle B had given me a few days before he passed away. I was thinking about him and how much I missed him, and how much I would love it if I could just talk to him one more time.

I went to bed that night, holding that elephant in my arms. I, however, woke up to a loud thump on the side of my wall. I shook it off and tried to get back to sleep. I then heard a male call my name (Note: Nobody was up, it must have been early in the morning as it was still quite dark). Immediately I shot up and yelled out, "What is it?" I had no reply. I shook it off again and laid back down and tried to fall asleep again. This time I heard somebody say, "Hey Red" and I shot back up again, at first I was quite confused. I didn't know if my brothers were playing a trick on me, if I was imagining things or what I had just experienced was real.

The next morning I woke up to find my stuffed elephant sitting on my desk facing towards me. I remember asking my mother and father if my elephant had fallen from my bed while I was sleeping, and they placed it on my desk and they both said they didn't touch it. I also asked my brothers and I got the same answer.

I thought about it and remembered that the only person who has ever called me "Red" was my Uncle. After that night, I haven't had any encounters with who I believe was my Uncle. I truly do believe that it was him though. I am now 15 years old, almost 16 and sometimes feel like there is somebody watching over me. I'm curious to know if it actually was my Uncle? Was it just his way of saying that he is at peace and not to worry?