No beings are more restless than ghosts. Especially those that died early in life. These ghosts only have one goal – to be free from where they are bound.

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Sadie was no different. She was bored of the river she died in and wanted freedom. Despite having been in there for nearly 300 years, she still had the beautiful looks of the thirteen-year-old girl she once was.

 

For the first time in all the years that she had inhabited the river, the ghastly colourful fields that ran alongside her river didn’t flower. The leaves never grew back on their trees. The water lilies wilted and died. She knew luck was coming her way, so when the Madison family moved into the house that neighboured the river, Sadie was certain that the time to step over into the living world was now.

 

 *     *     *     *

As the youngest child, overshadowed by her two elder sisters, Annie struggled with almost everything she did. Whilst her sisters juggled perfect grades and parties every other night, she struggled to hold onto mediocre grades and one ‘friend’ that ditched her every day. She thought that moving into a small house by a farm would be no better, if not worse. She didn’t realise how worse it would be.

 

Annie’s dad opened the front door and fumbled about for the light switch. They flicked on and faded as the bulb died. Plunged into darkness, her eldest sister tutted at Annie’s shivering and turned on the torch on her phone.

 

Whilst the rest of her family explored the house, Annie clambered over the weeds blocking the back door into the garden. She would never admit it, but her house already creeped her out. Maybe it was just the fact that there were no lights. She already preferred the garden, even though the slight darkness told her that rain was on its way. Once she was past the hedge, she was free – nothing could see her from the house - this should’ve scared her, but it didn’t, instead she breathed a sigh of relief and hopped down the overgrown path that led down to the bottom of the garden.

 

The stream that ran at the bottom trickled gently, but as Annie neared, the water hit the rocks surrounding it with a more ferocious excitement than before. For hours, Annie sat with her legs dangling into the water letting the occasional drop of rain run down her hair.

            “Hello.” A twinkling voice sounded out in the gloom.

“Ahh!” Annie jumped, her eyes searching for the voice which she found floating elegantly in the water. A girl with stunning blonde hair sat at the water’s edge on the opposite bank of the river and smiled exultantly at Annie. If she was in her right mind, Annie would of seen that her smile was too wide and her sparkling blue eyes glinted with something more than happiness, but blinded by the fact that someone that beautiful didn’t treat her like dirt on the bottom of her shoe and would willingly talk to her, Annie blanked all of those thoughts and smiled goofily back at her.

“Hi.”

            “I’m Sadie.” The girl said boldly. “And you’re Annie.” Annie nodded, entranced by the girl’s beauty. She drew her eyes away with a shake of her head, and instead gazed into the river, where sparkling caught her eye.

            “What’s that?” Annie asked pointing to what her eyes were drawn to.

            “It’s a ghost diamond. If someone dies and becomes a ghost, a diamond is placed where they died and is that ghost’s source of power.” Smiling wider at Annie’s confused face, she continued, “The ghost is bound to where that diamond is, and can only leave if someone else dies in the same way as her and the diamond’s power is transferred, causing the first ghost to break free.” Annie nodded enchanted by Sadie’s voice, processing but not understanding the ruthlessness behind it.

            “But that diamond can do many wonderful things to the people that find them. It could give you whatever you wanted.” Sadie said softly, still emphasising her forced sweetness in her voice.

            “Really? Even to be noticed after thirteen years?” Annie asked sceptically, her eyes wide.

“Of course. If that’s what you want.” Sadie laughed at her desperation, but quickly stifled it at Annie’s confused glance. Annie tested the warmth of the river with her toe and immediately jumped in.

“No, Annie! Not now! Do it later! Or…”

“There’s no time like the present!” Annie interrupted, and started wading in. Blinded by desperation, Annie waded forward, despite Sadie’s protests. In an attempt to stop her, Sadie tugged at her shirt, only for her hands to go straight through it. Two voices were steadily growing louder. Sadie groaned.

“Annie, dinner’s ready.” Annie’s sisters called out as they passed the hedge. “Annie! Annie, stop!!” They screamed as they saw Annie half submerged in the water, her eyes glazed over. “Stop, Annie!”

Annie turned in alarm, as if it just dawned on her what she was doing. She looked at the diamond sparkling in the water, and the realization that it was to far away cleared her eyes. She took a step backwards, towards the house. The diamond glowed suddenly, and Sadie surged forward. Annie had come too far for Sadie to let go of her freedom. She grabbed wildly at Annie and grinned maniacally as her hands caught onto Annie. Sadie smiled as she swam deeper. She smiled as she watched the colour drain from Annie’s face. She smiled as her eyes widened and her arms flailed wildly. She smiled when she saw those arms still. Annie’s sisters’ screams brought her joy, but then their screams merged into hers. Distracted by how close freedom had been, Sadie had forgotten that her prey must die without interference from the ghost.

Sadie would remain bound to the river. Bound with the angry girl she killed. River bound.