“Well, Kendra, it’s really nice to meet you, but I’mkindaon the clock here.” I glance around the cafe, making sureeverything’sstill in its place and Ihaven’tbegun to fade. “I don’t know how long I have before I disappear again, so I would really appreciate your help.”
She nods again, and I’m unsure if she’s actually listening to me or just nodding along to appease the spirit that appeared in her cafe.For all she knows,I’mthe ghost of Christmas past, come totake her on a tour ofall her sins.
“I need a witch,” I blurt out getting straight to the point. “Someone who can summon me to a single spot and help me staythere.” Rolling my eyes playfully, a smileplastered onmy face, I go on. “Honestly, I’m gettingreallytired of this afterlifeWhac-A-Mole game the universe has been playing with me.” I laugh dryly and shrug my shoulders.Maybe humorwill butter this woman up.
But the joke’s on me, because Kendra only continues to stare, now even more wide-eyed than before.
Just asI’mabout to try another tactic, Kiki bursts into the cafe from a back door Ihadn’tnoticed.She’sdressed in a matching yoga ensemble that clashes gloriously with her brightred hair.It’spink with stylishly arranged doodles around the calves of her pants and the band of her sports bra.She’sthinner than I remember her, and her face and neck now have wrinkles thatweren’tthere before. Other than that, she looksalmost thesame. Her face is flushed, either from the previously mentioned downward dog or the rush to get here, andshe’sgot the same stunned-to-silence expression as her sister.
Iwavefor the third time, and this time Igeta wave back. Kiki shyly twitches her fingers at me as she inches closer to Kendra,who’snow maneuveringaway from me andbehind the counter. She makes it to the little swinging door and slowly backs through it while Kiki stands guard.
“What’s your name, dear?” Kiki asks in a cautious tone.
Kendra answers with a loud whisper. “It’s Kennedy!”
If the situation weren’t so dire, I’d laugh. The two of them feed off one another like a pair of sitcom characters.
“Yes, I’m Kennedy. It’s nice to meet you.” I approach carefully, like I would a stray cat, hand extended and waiting for either a warm greeting or the less pleasant experience of slipping right through her fingers.
Kiki surprises me by taking my proffered hand andwe’reboth equally astonished by the fact that my handdoesn’tfall through hers. I feel the grip of her fingers around mine, her palm sweaty and warm, and the sensation is enough to bring tears to my eyes.
I yank my hand away quickly,before my emotions can run away with me,and take a step back. “So, as I was telling your sister,” I say, plowing right on past my moment of weakness, “Iam in need ofa witch.Somehow,I’vemanaged to hang around longer than usual, but Ican’tsay for certainit’lllast.”
Kiki nods agreeably. “Of course, of course. If youdon’tmind my asking, has anyone else in town seen you yet?”
The questionshouldn’tstrike me as it does, as ifI’man anomaly to lay claim over, but Ican’thelp but bristle. “I was able to speak to a young couple about my age in a bar. But I have no way of knowing how long ago that was.”
Kendra appears behind her sister’s shoulder, inserting herself into the conversation now thatit’sinteresting. “Can you describe them?”
“The woman was taller than me, withsort ofblondish-brownhair, and the man had shoulder-length whitehair. And he was super pale.”
Thesisters exchange a knowing look, their mirrored expressions making them look almost identical.
“You call Raegan,” Kiki instructs her sister, “I’ll call Aidan.”
Kendra nods and starts dialing.
Then Kiki turns back to me with a smile.“We know just the people to help.”
Chapter Three
KENNEDY
“This isn’t the proper place todothis,” an unfamiliar voice says. “And we can’t summon someone we know nothing about.”
“Has anyone tried to look her up online?” Another voice chimes in. “Maybe there was an accident outside of town we never heard about.”
A third voice speaks. “Look heruphow? By her first name and the word “dead”?Andwhatevenbrought her to Shadow Hills? Some unfinished business maybe?”
“That’s not how ghosts work, Simone,” the first voice says. “That’sall from the movies. Ghosts tend to end up in the place they felt thesafestin life—where they called home. Then, they either choose to stay or move onfrom this plane based on their personal wishes.”
I try to make sense of the conversation being had around me, but Ican’tseem to figure out whereit’scoming from. I thought I finally had a solid grip on reality, having finally made physical contact with another person, but I must have celebrated too soon. Without realizing, I slipped away again, only to hover somewhere in-between, hearing their voices but not being ableto see them. I focus with all my might, begging the familiar cafe to come back to me.I squeeze my eyes shut and clench my fists.
Please, please, please.
When I open my eyes, I scream. A young, Black woman withtightcurls appears right in front of my face, and I seem to have scared her just as much. She jumpsback,mouthwide,and hands pressed to her cheeks just like the kid fromHome Alone.
“Holy shit!” She exclaims.
