“I…” He took a calming breath. “I tried thinking and wanting itreallyhard.”
The man pursed his lips. “That can sometimes work. Though I have never heard of it working for something like making someone else see ghosts. Usually it takes a worded spell, and even then, that normally isn’t permanent.”
“Then how the heck did I do it before?! Because since then, Jahla has always been able to see and hear Annabel. Mind you, Red didn’t seem shocked that I was able to do it the first time, more like it was just normal.”
Noble frowned. “Maybe it is for your heritage?”
“Well, some of what I can do obviously isn’t.” Ollie sighed. “But I guess I never should have assumed I’d be normal.”
Sammy returned then and their conversation stalled as she cleared the table and floor, before having them move to another table once she was sure they wouldn’t step on any glass.
As soon as they were seated again, she said, “Meals on us today, and we’ll be throwing in some dessert for the trouble!”
“Oh, that’s not necessary!” he cried. “We’ll pay. We’d already finished eating, so nothing was wasted, and neither of us were hurt.”
Besides, it had likely been his fault, and he’d feel really bad getting a free meal due to something he did.
She sighed. “That stubborn side of you is about to come out, ain’t it?”
“I do not have a stubborn side,” Ollie huffed.
“Mmhmm, sure you don’t,” Sammy tsked. “Fine, you can pay for your meal, but you are still getting some sort of dessert for free.”
Ollie checked his watch, frowning at the time as he remembered he was supposed to host a kid’s craft program in about thirty minutes. And while it may only take about eight to get back, he did need time to prep. “Can you make it to go?”
“Sure can, what will it be?”
“Banana cream pie,” Noble said.
“A piece of your Oreo cheesecake.”
“Sounds good, boys. I’ll have that ready and waiting for you at the counter.” That said, she left.
Noble gripped one of his hands as soon as she was gone. “Ollie, don’t get so hung up on what is ‘normal’. There is nothing wrong with you. And I’d rather you be you, than whatever the world has decided is normal right now.”
Ollie blinked rapidly when tears started to flood his eyes, while a warm feeling spread through his chest. “Thank you,” he softly rasped.
The man smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. “Love you.”
He beamed back. “Love you too, but…” Ollie giggled. “Did it work? Can you see ghosts now?”
Noble laughed. “I don’t feel any different, but…doyousee the ghost right now?”
Ollie quickly glanced around, pointing when he spotted the ghost. “Behind you, near the counter.”
Noble looked back towards the counter, his eyes widening when he realized that ithadworked.
Leaning with her hip against the counter, standing between two chrome swivel stools with white seats, clear as can be, even if a bit transparent, was a colorless waitress. Her form was various shades of gray, black, and white. With pure white skin and short pale-gray hair styled in a way that reminded him of the fifties and sixties, the woman looked to be either in her late twenties or early thirties, and she had a beauty mark beside her left eye. She was obviously wearing make-up, and her waitress outfit consisted of a button-up dress with a collar and an apron.
“Wow…that’s…bizarre.”
“It worked!” Ollie whisper-yelled in excitement.
The question was…how had it worked? Being what he was, Noble should have felt it the minute any sort of magic was being cast on or around him. It was sort of ingrained in his makeup, due to what he had done to stop the aging process after becoming a fully-fledged witch hunter. So how had it worked without him even feeling it?
God, there were just so many unanswered questions when it came to Ollie’s powers.
Looking back at Ollie, he said, “I see what you meant when you said it was like someone dropping a person from a black and white film into your vision.”
