Trissa sucks in a breath and starts shaking her foot under the blankets. She rests her head back and closes her eyes for a minute, bringing her face closer to mine. I carefully lean back to put some space between us, although that’s really the last thing I want to do. I know from earlier that she wants me to touch her, but when I do I lose my head. I need to get to know her. I want to mean something to her, not just fulfill some paranormal fantasy. I swallow thickly and whisper, “I’ve been a little lost since my dad died, no one that I really care about to visit anymore. But… I could find my way to Kismet Falls for someone special,”ding.
Trissa lifts her head to look at her phone and a slow smile stretches her lips. She stares at the text for a long while, and if it wasn’t for the smile on her face I would be shaking with nerves. Her eyes look a little misty as she types.
Trissa: I’m so sorry about your dad. My parents are gone too, and I know all about feeling lost. And alone. This is probablyway too much to drop on a total stranger, but there’s no one else I can really talk to about this without feeling guilty for all of my baggage.
Tears are streaking slowly over Trissa’s flushed cheeks, and she sniffs as she continues to type. My heart kicks up even faster and I hold my breath as I wait to read what she types next, feeling lousy as I resign myself to watching her suffer.
Trissa: My parents were killed in a car accident. I was at a friend’s house for a sleepover. They were having a date night. This will probably sound nuts, but I knew. I had a nightmare that night… it was so realistic. I watched as my dad slowed down the car and pulled off to the side of the road. I watched my parents embrace each other and then just sit there… I saw the headlights in the rearview mirror, I screamed at them to move… to do something. My mom looked spooked, and it was almost like we could see each other then. She told me she loved me… that everything would be okay.
Trissa sobs and her shoulders wrack with the force of her sorrow. My chest squeezes painfully and I curse. I wish I could comfort her without turning corporeal. I want to help her without having to worry about inappropriate bodily responses. I gasp as I feel that rippling sensation run through me again, but this time when it does, the ripples are visible. A deep green viscous-looking substance flows out of my body, dancing and flowing almost like Seth’s shadows. My heart ticks up a notch and I reach out to touch it, wondering what the fuck ishappening now. I expect my hand to pass through it like smoke, but it doesn’t. It has a consistency akin to slime. It’s cold and slightly sticky feeling, and I try not to gag as I attempt to push it back into me. I’m panicking now because, honestly,what the fuck.
I glance at Trissa and thank the stars her crying has slowed down, but now she’s typing again. Shit. I need to figure this out now. I take a shaky breath and try to concentrate on willing the slime back to wherever the fuck it came from, praying that it works the same way as my new air trick. Slowly, very slowly, the slime recedes and swirls its way back into my body, rippling along the surface of my form before disappearing completely. Thank fuck. My relief is short-lived, as Trissa finishes typing and I lean in quickly to read what she wrote so that I can respond.
Trissa: I don’t talk about that part a lot, but the dream is a big part of why I’m terrified of vehicles now. It’s kind of taken over my life actually… I know we don’t know each other and this is probably the worst way to introduce myself, but it’s like a huge part of being in my life. Because I don’t drive. Or like, leave my house. Ever…
Trissa: Shit, I’m so sorry. I’m reading this all back now and I sound absolutely unhinged. PLEASE just pretend that didn’t happen.
“No, you don’t,”ding. I’m panting, trying to breathe around all the adrenaline coursing through my body. If I didn’t have to lean over her shoulder to see her side of the conversation this would be so much easier. Nearness to her is my new obsession, but I’m pretty sure it’s also what’s causing all these new feelingsand… abilities. Adjusting to it all is disorienting and so fucking exhausting. “I’m so sorry about your parents, Trissa. I used to have a friend who was very into… erm, the occult. Some people say you can see things in dreams, things that happen in real life. It’s awful that you had to experience that, even in a dream, but it doesn’t make you crazy. I think however you have to heal and deal with the trauma is legitimate,”ding.
I watch Trissa read my words and breathe a little easier as her dark expression evaporates before my eyes. She smiles again, and I decide to take another risk to help lighten the mood.
“Besides, all of my favorite activities are best done behind closed doors.” I take a quick breath before I lose my nerve and add, “Winking face, and a heart,”ding.
Trissa’s mouth falls open and she lets out a whoop before roaring with laughter. “Oh my LANTA! This is a fan-fucking-tastic day!”
I grin and fold my arms over the top of the couch, resting my chin on them. I’m far enough away that I won’t materialize as I settle in but close enough to smell her delicious scent. My confidence grows with each laugh that I earn from her, and I marvel again at this bizarre stroke of luck.
Chapter nine
Aliens and Tentacles
Trissa
Okay, so maybe my sanity took a little vacation and I’m currently living it up getting frisky with a ghost and borderline sexting a possible axe murderer. That’s really not so bad, right? I sit up and stretch my cramped muscles. As much as I love this couch, I’ve really gotta try to make it to a bed. I frown and glance toward the hallway where the stairs are. Casper didn’t visit me last night. I hope he wasn’t waiting upstairs all night. I bite my lip as I stand up and trudge into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. I unpacked the essentials in the kitchen last night—essentials being my mugs and coffee maker. I had a grocery delivery yesterday as well, so really all that’s on my agenda today is trying to unpack some of the mountain of stuff that’s currently residing in the dining room. I groan at the thought of all those boxes and wait impatiently as my coffee starts to sputter and drip into my cup.
At least one box of it I know I can put out on the porch. Technically, the ‘Kyle’ box is my stuff, as it’s things I’ve bought for him over the years that he’s left at my place, but I don’t wantto hang on to any of it. I’m still a little hurt about everything that happened between us yesterday, but enough is enough. I definitely don’t want anything romantic with him anymore… and after last night I’m not sure we’d be able to stay friends, even if he had been open to the idea. Besides, I have two new romantic possibilities in my life now, courtesy of my haunted house and a wrong number. My stomach does a little flip as I stir some sugar and cream into my coffee. Casper and Cian. Warmth spreads across my cheeks and I sigh as I pull my cup to my lips and take a sip. Of course, I don’t actually know Casper’s name… but until he decides to share that little tidbit with me, I’m gonna keep putting positive vibes out and refer to him as afriendlyghost.
I walk over to the couch and grab my phone before heading into the dining room.Holy cheeseballs. The table is covered with boxes on one side, and the walls are lined with them. I huff and set my cup down on a bit of the table that’s clear of stuff, trying to pick out which boxes might be most important. This is gonna be a long day. I spot a box labeled ‘bathroom’ and decide to start there. As I busy myself walking the box back to the table and opening it, I try to picture Cian. I learned that he’s my age, that he works from home as a ghost-writer, and most importantly—he’s single and he’d be willing to come to me if we decide we want to meet in person eventually. I know it’s insane.I know. Which is exactly why I’m not going to tell Gabbi about it. I wrinkle my nose and carry an armful of linens upstairs to the bedroom Casper led me to yesterday.
I don’t want to keep my best friend in the dark, but she already thinks I’m crazy for having the hots for a ghost. I don’t want her to try to dissuade me from talking to Cian… I think… deep down I think I need this. This connection to someone new. Someone who seems to really listen and care. I mean, he totally could have ghosted me after I dropped all that heavy stuff on him yesterday, but he did the opposite. I can’t explain it, but I felt so calmtalking to him—but so giddy at the same time! I smile again as I put the linens away in the small closet in my bathroom.
When I come back out into the bedroom a tingle travels down my spine and I feel a brush of air against my side. I stop in my tracks and grin, “Oh, hello Casper. I missed you last night. Did you miss me?” A feather-light wind travels down behind my ear, and I shiver at the sensation. I debate staying and egging him on, but my coffee is getting cold and those damn boxes aren’t going to unpack themselves. Still, I pause… “Any chance you have tentacles?” No response. Damn. “In that case, this will have to wait ‘til later.” I plunk back down the stairs just as my phone signals a text.
I run over and snatch it up, opening my messages in a rush.
Cian: Good morning, gorgeous. I hope you slept well. What’s on the agenda today?
My face hurts from the giant smile plastered on it. As pathetic as it sounds, this is my first ever ‘good morning, beautiful’ type of text. Of course, Cian doesn’t actually know what I look like yet. My face falls and I bite my cheek. Oh crap. What if I’m low-key lusting over a grandpa? Or like, an alien? I mean… why not, right—if ghosts are real, why not aliens? I bounce on my heels to try to calm myself down. I’m being ridiculous. I tilt my head to the side and squint as images of giant blue aliens from a romance series I read flash through my memory. Okay. Actually—I think I’m good with aliens.
Trissa: Any chance you’re an alien? It’s just, you seem too good to be real. Haha…not much today, just unpacking. How about you?
Cian: Unfortunately, no. I’m actually a tentacle monster. Sorry to disappoint. Nothing much for me today, just some writing.
I blink. How odd. A prickling sensation makes my arm hair stand up, and I glance around the room before smiling and typing out a response.
Trissa: Who’s disappointed?
I chew my lip, hoping that’s not too much… who am I kidding, I know it’s too much… but after Kyle I just can’t find it in me to pretend. Either he likes me and my weird sense of humor and sexual fantasies, or he doesn’t. I’d rather not get attached if it’s the latter option. My phone dings and I look down at a Cthulu GIF and bust out laughing again.
