The Family They Never Had

I had never put much thought into ghosts until I moved to Nova Scotia.

I was 6 years old, and I loved the house. It was so roomy, so welcoming. It was two weeks before my birthday. I was in my bed room, trying to sleep. I looked over to my wall. From the corner of my eye, I saw the shadow of a man looking at me from the corner of my wall. I looked over to the door, and it was gone.

This continued for one year. When I was seven, I was braver and bolder and got irritated easily. I saw it again, the black figure of a man, and he appeared to be wearing a coal mine hat. Once again, I looked to the door, and it disappeared. Well, I got mad. So, I shouted at it: "If you don't go away, I'm telling on you!" Never saw it again.

So, when I was eight, we were getting ready to move to Ontario. My mom went out to Halifax to visit a friend, so it was just me, my dad, and my brother. My dad rented us a movie, and we watched it with some chips. When the movie ended, my dad tucked us in for bed. Then he watched his movie.

It was another sleepless night for me. I was in my bed, petting my dog. My dad had gone to bed, and my brother was sleeping. Then, I heard the footsteps. It sounded like someone dragging their feet across the floor in the kitchen. I sat up, terrified, as my dad came into my room and yelled at me for going into the kitchen at oh-dark-stupid. I explained to him that it wasn't me. I was as scared as a mouse getting carried off by an owl. He went out to the kitchen, did a thorough investigation, and sat down in the living room to watch the rest of his movie.

Those are just two of the paranormal encounters I had experienced there. I remember, when I was 7, crying myself to sleep and wailing "Why me? Why can I only see them?"

Now I am thirteen years old. I have had many more encounters. But last week, I learned the history of my old house.

Sometime in the 1900's, a coal mine bomb exploded, and 26 people lost their lives. My house was built on top of that coal mine. I respect the ghosts of house 2351, and I wish I had been nicer. Now, all I think about is a father, looking at the little girl he never got to have.

May they rest in peace, and know I will never forget them.