If anyone gets my name/location reference, let me know. 

So, this is a short ghost story, and if it's to creepy, frightening, scary, don't feel like you have to read it. Also, Admins, feel free to crop a few things if you need to.  

I was walking home from the diner when I remembered it. The old story my brother told me, when my fears were about monsters in closets and phantom things under my bed. You see, this town is old. Before-Salem-Witch-Trials old. Anyway, this old, knarled tree was in a park, across from a creepy Victorian. The Victorian was said to be the home of an extremely rich man. But one day, he was murdered. People said it was a duel act, and they framed two men, the nephews of the murdered man. One man always claimed he was innocent, while the other had been convicted before. They were both hung at a knarled old tree across from the Victorian. 

The Victorian is still here, but it's been renovated and preserved. But the tree is still alive. Walking past the park, I feel a shiver. I stop under the tree, and look up. Something is hanging on the branches. It looks like a necklace. I jump up, and grab hold of it. But it's not a necklace, it's something else. 

Rope. 

And my hand is tangled in it 

I frantically try to undo the rope, and hit the ground with a thud. Dusting myself off, I feel almost safe. Almost safe. I shrug my feelings off and continue my walk home. Making a detour, I walk around the tree, looking up. No rope. Just when I thought I was safe, I felt a rope around my neck. 

~Kieran felt terrible that night. Their head pounded and throbbed, like a hammer hitting a nail ceaselessly. Their hands were clammy, homework left in a mountain, undone at 11 pm. Their fingers shook and they clutched their churning stomach. The world was lopsided and spinning. They wanted to cry out, but couldn't. Tears slipped down their face and they didn't even realize it. They felt like nothing could save them.

Eve stared around at her bedroom with guilty pleasure. She had everything that so many others did not. And not just the material goods that surrounded her, the forgettable creature comforts. She laid back on her cozy bedspread, feeling like she was so selfish, and showing off all of her goods to those who didn't have them. She had a warmth inside of her that she wished would belong to someone who had nothing at all.

Kieran grew worse, and felt a sort of despair, and they could hold on to themselves no longer. Kieran wished for something to hold on to. Something to keep them going.

Eve got better, when she needed to the least. She didn't want this feeling anymore. It could belong to someone else. Eve wished that Kieran, her best friend, could have all of her hope.

And that night, they both got their wishes granted.~ 

A fog had blown into the city, although it was early April. Over the rooftops a drizzling rain fell gently on all below. A girl sat beneath an evergreen behind a dilapidated house. Her eyes squeezed tight shut. Whenever she looked around, the weedy lot, the crumbling stonework, the tilting fence made her heart leap into her throat. It reminded her where she was, when all she wanted to do was run back to her old home. At this time of year, her yard would be filled with flowers. Pink, blue, green, yellow, cream, but her favorites were the red poppies. Every spring she would run through the yard with Juni, fulling her arms with them, and weaving poppies into her hair and Juni's coller. Her heart squeezed. If Juni was here she could be happier, but they had left her behind. The sound of her frantic barks as the neighbors car drove away were too much. The girl pulled her knees up to her chest. She knew why they had to move. The farm failed. Her father got a job here, in Seattle, and they had left Iowa. The girl sat still, trying not to think of anything.
"Hey, you're new around here, aren't you?"
The girl whipped her head around. A boy stood on top of the fence, leaning casually against the evergreen trunk.
"Yes, I'm new. I moved in a week ago."
"Ah. Welcome to the neighborhood. I'm Diego."
"I'm Lauren."
"Hi Lauren. Goodness, if you've been cooped up in here for the past week, you must be feeling dreadful. I was surprised that anyone would ever buy that lot. I swear, this is the ugliest place in Washington. I'll show you around the city sometime, if you like, and you'll see all of the nicer places. Carkeek park is nice, and Seward park, and Mapleleaf. Do you want to come over? Mom just made brownies, and you can see our new litter of puppies."
Lauren was stunned. Finally she got her voice back. "That sounds good. What breed of dog are the puppies?"
"Mut. Will you come over? They are super tiny and cute."
"Sure."
"Great, see you then. come in throught the front gate." Diego disapeared over the fence. The corners of Lauren's eyes crinkled. She stood up. "Brownies are my favorite." She muttered. She was about to walk off, when something under the tree caught her eye. She smiled. It was a bright red poppy.