Since no one else is going to talk, Istart asking some questions. “Where are we?”
Theodore’s head perks up. “We’re a few milesoutside of town,” he says, nervously rubbing his hands together, “in the forest.”
As if confirming his statement, a gust of wind sweeps past the house causing theice-coveredbranches to tap noisily against the window.
Simone drops to the floor to sit next to me, tucking her legs to the side and leaning her weight on one arm.She tries to wipe away the layer of dust that’s clung to her pants, but the act is futile.Finally,she asks, “So you said you’re from here?”
“I was born here,” Itellher. “But we moved when I wasjust twelve.”
Simone frowns and scoots closer. “What do you think brought you here?”
A dejected sighreleasesfrom deep within me. “I really don’t know.” A beat passes as I realize my new set of circumstances. “I’mnot stuck here, am I? In this house? Now thatI’mtethered, can’t I come and go as I please?”
Simone’s mouth opens and closes, then she looks to Calliope.
The older witch tilts her head, as if we should all know the answer. “Yeah, I mean, just ask him.” She throws out a hand, gesturing to Theodore. “You’re not stuck in this house, are you?”
But then her face falls. She gazes at him with sudden focus, and with a softened tone she says, “Wait a minute.I’venever seen you in town.”
“When Aidan told us about the house, you acted like you knew who he was,” Simone states.
Calliope’s eyes never leave Theodore’s. “I did. But only because of my grandmother. She told me about the Vanderbilts…but it was a long time ago.”
Theodore shifts under her scrutinizing gaze. Whatever Calliope is about to place her finger on, he already knows it.
Simone glances between the twobefore shooting hereyestome, but I only shrug. Whatever twisted history is unfolding here has nothing to do with me.
Unexpectedly, Calliope sucks ina breathand straightens. In an unnatural pitch she says, “It looks like our job here is done!” She addresses Theodore, but now shewon’tlook at him. “You know all about this whole ghost thing, right?You’vebeen around for a while. I thinkit’sbest if we let you two have some space to talk.”
She takes Simone by the arm and urges her to get to her feet.
Simone groans. “Hey!”
“Come on, Simone.Lessonsdone for the day,” she grumbles under her breath.
I watch with rapt attention as the two witches rush out of the room. Less than a second later, the front door opens butdoesn’tclose. Out the front window, I see Calliope scrambling to get off the property and a very confused looking Simone being tugged along in her wake.
Whenever things get too serious, my defense mechanism has alwaysbeen to turnto humor, soitshouldn’tsurprise me that my immediate response to what just happened is to laugh.
I let out a snort, then cover my mouth apologetically. “What the hell was that about?”
Theodore is completely still, his dull gaze staring blankly at the other side of the room where the girls so quickly dismissed themselves. The muscles of his jaw flex and tighten, then instantly go slack. He slowly swivels his head and looks at me. “Not a dratted clue.”
And just like that, his ghostly body disappears.
“Wait!” I cry,reachingout as if I could hold him in place, but the wisps of his form dissipate like smoke.
I look at my own hand and see that my body is fully visible, every detail of my skinclearand tangible, and I realize how little I know about being a ghost.
Dropping me off like a kid at daycare wastotally irresponsibleon the witches’ parts, but Ican’treally blame them. I asked them to perform a seance, andthat’sexactly what they did. I never expected them to stick around afterwards and explain all the nuanced details of being dead.
Should I have?
There’s no rule book when it comes to the afterlife, and the closest thing I have to a teacher has now disappeared on me. I need him. He’s the only one who truly understands what I’m experiencing and has the answers I’m looking for.
I get to my feet andcallhis name. “Theodore!”
The house creaks and groans, butit’sthe only response I get. MyConversepresscarefully against the floorboards as I take a step. The floor shifts and settles, butit’ssturdy. Everything about this house screamshaunted. IfI’dknown about this place when I was a kid, I would havedefinitelytoldeveryone there was a ghost here,just to sound cool,even if Ididn’tfully believe it. Now, the setting is so on the noseit’sironic.
