Trade

It was summer, when the hot winds blew against Emma's face, and the humid air clung to her skin like leeches. Summers in Florida were never too pleasant; it was hot, wet, and the pools were always so full it was hard to enjoy them. Most of Emma's friends went to Universal Studios or Disneyworld, but Emma stayed at home in her small home with her mom and dad.

She stumbled through the forest to an abandoned treehouse, one she hadn't seen in years. It had been so long since she and Mia had played in it. 

Her father built the treehouse years ago for her and little sister and best friend, Mia. Everyday she and Mia would climb up to the treehouse in the woods behind their house and sit in it, playing cards and board games and talking and laughing. She smiled sadly, overlooking the wide lake they used to run around and try not to fall in. Memories came rushing back, although Emma tried pushing them away.

When she turned around, Mia was laying against their pillows they pushed against the wall to act as a bed. She had a blanket on her legs and a smile on her face. It felt strange to see her sister like this. "Mia?" Emma asked.

Mia looked up at her older sibling. "Yes?"

"How-"

"Don't worry, sister. I'm okay. You're so scared of an alternate reality, but the truth is, you don't have to be."

Emma raised an eyebrow at the girl standing before her. She shrugged, deciding not to question it. "I thought you-"

"I didn't. It's just in your imagination. It was just a scary dream. You have nothing to worry about, sis."

Emma didn't want to argue, so she said nothing. Instead, she went to Mia and laid down next to her, looking out the treehouse window and into the sky, where the birds flew by and and the trees loomed over them. They picked one of the shorter trees so that it wouldn't be hard for seven year old Mia to climb. Wow, it had already been five years since Mia turned seven.

Emma looked down at her with a sad smile. It's been two years since-

"Hey, sis?" Mia asked. Emma nodded in response. "Do you want to play cards like we used to?"

"Sure! What should we play?" Emma chuckled. "I know Crazy 8's is your favorite!"

Mia shook her head. "How about we play rummy?"

"Rummy...?" Emma asked, confused. "You hate rummy. You never want to play it - you only do when Mom forces you to."

Mia laughed sweetly, but it felt so wrong. This doesn't even feel like Mia... but she said it was in my imagination, Emma wondered. But no, she's here right now. I can feel her, I can see her. Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine. "Emma, I love rummy! It's my second favorite card game!"

Emma shook her head, standing up and looking down at her sister. "You don't like rummy. You never have. What is going on with you?"

Mia stood up too, looking confused as well. "What do you mean 'what's going on with me'? Everything is perfectly normal. Nothing is wrong at all. If you don't want to play rummy, I understand. We can play anything you want to!"

She sighed, putting her hands on her head in distress. This felt so weird, like a dream. But she wasn't dreaming, she was sure of it. She looked up at her sister and held out her arm. "Pinch me." Mia raised an eyebrow. "I said to pinch me."

"Whatever you say, captain," Mia said, shrugging. She pinched Emma, but nothing happened. Emma didn't wake up, she didn't move, nothing changed. I must not be dreaming, then. 

"I'm not really in the mood for cards. I just wanna sit here and relax. I haven't been up here in so long, it feels nice to take a moment to remember all the good times we spent here. You know, moving away is going to be sad. I'm really going to miss this place, especially our tree house."

"I know what you mean, Em." Mia never calls me Em. Why is she starting to do all this weird stuff now?

She didn't understand what was going on. This couldn't be real, could it? But it felt way too real to be a dream, and she had Mia pinch her. Unless that was just a myth...

"Mia, you see that box over there-"

Suddenly, their mother came up into the treehouse. "Who are you talking to, Em?"

Emma nodded off to Mia, who was standing there with a strangely blank face. Their mother gave a weird look. "Mia. Who else?"

"Honey, Mia isn't here." 

Emma frowned. "What do you mean she isn't here? She's standing right next to me."

Their mother put her hand on Emma's shoulder in condolence. "She... I know you have a hard time getting over it, dear. And I promise your father and I are here for you whenever you need it. I don't mind you imagining what life would be like if she hadn't passed away, but she isn't here with us anymore, at least not physically. I'm sorry, Em."

Emma's eyes went wide with sudden realization. She looked back at Mia, who was still standing there, not bothered by what their mom was saying. "Mia? Are you here? Mia?"

Mia didn't respond. After a few moments, she looked back at Emma and shook her head. "I can't believe you're pranking me like this, Mom."

Their mom just sighed and turned away, climbing down the rope and exiting the treehouse. Emma didn't know what that was all about, and she really hoped it was just a prank. But it had to be, right? It was a serious sounding prank, but a prank nonetheless.

"Why would she say something like that? It's so ridiculous of her. She even acted so sad, like she really thought I was gone. Like, excuse me? I'm standing right here," Mia complained, and Emma nodded in agreement, although she wasn't sure what to believe. Her mom sounded very serious, and she wouldn't prank the girls with something like that. But Mia was right there, talking and touching Emma. There was no way she was... dead.

Then Mia turned to Emma with wide, excited eyes. That felt more like her younger sister. "I have an idea. How about we perform a fun ritual? I read about it online. Apparently it allows you to speak with the dead."

"Ooh, sure!" Emma said. She loved creepy and scary rituals like that. They were always so much fun to do.

"Okay, all you have to do is lie down while I sprinkle salt all around you and chant something. Close your eyes and spread your arms and legs out like you're making a snow angel," Mia explained.

Emma nodded, following her instructions. Then, Mia began to chant. "Come, come, take my soul. Hold it tight, then let it go. Let me free into the dark, into a world which I belong. Trade a life for a life, the cycle continues, the balance stays right. Grant an unfortunate being a chance, whisper the words in a truthful chant." Emma suddenly felt her body sinking, as though she was moving but not physically. She tried to stand up, to scream, but she couldn't. All she good do was watch Mia and the cold smile on her sister's face.

"What's going on?!" She managed to croak out.

Mia laughed sourly, stroking her sister's cheek. "Poor Emma, you have no idea what you got yourself into! Should have listened to our dearest mother while you still had the chance."

"What did you do to me?! Who are you?!" Emma screamed.

"I'm your younger sister," Mia said, smiling. She leaned back against the treehouse wall, her eyes lighting to a bright golden brown. "I used to be dead, but then I got a chance for escape, so I took it. All I had to do was trick you into performing this ritual in a sacred space - our treehouse." Emma was so confused and distraught. What was happening to her? 

"A life for a life, Emma. I took yours, and now, the tables have turned. You're the one that died, not me." 

With a cold, evil laugh, Mia and all of Emma's vision disappeared.