Ghostly (Ian Hecox)

Chapter 5 - Faith

"Help you?" I yelled and stormed off around him. I stopped and turned to face him. "I don't even know you! How am I supposed to help you when I don't know anything about you!" I yelled and started quickly and forcefully walking back downstairs to my room.

"Eleanor! Stop and listen to what I have to say at least!" He pleaded. I stood still for a moment and slowly walked back over towards the desk where he was still standing.

"Okay. I'll listen. But you better make it snappy because I'm tired and need sleep." I told him as I crossed my arms and made a displeased face.

"Take a minute to think how it must feel to be trapped on one property for nearly 80 years. And on this property you were killed and you can't remember who killed you or why and as if that wasn't bad enough, you have to sit back and watch your family be slowly torn apart by it. All I want is to move on Eleanor. Find my peace and leave this horrible property. That's all I want." His eyes started to look glassy and that's how I knew, that I need to help him.

"Okay..." I sighed. "I'll help you. But I have a few questions first." I said and he nodded, urging me to continue. "Okay, first of all, how do we put your soul to rest?" I asked.

"I'm assuming that means finding my killer. No one gave me clear instructions on how to be at peace but that's a pretty safe guess." He sighed.

"Okay second. How do I do that? This case has gone unsolved for.." I paused to do the math in my head. "77 years. How does one girl all these years later, miraculously solve a murder case?"

"I have faith in you. But you won't be able to do it alone." He said and ran his hands through his hair.

"And who are you suggesting, help me?" I ask with a confused look.

"The only man who gave a god honest effort to solve the case.." Ian sighed.

I thought for a second. I thought back to all I've read over the past day. "Anthony.." I realized. "Who was he? A police officer?" I asked curiously.

Ian chuckled. "I wish. He was my best friend. He lived with me in this house for two years before I was killed. He put years of work into theories and trying to get the police to do something. After, oh I don't know, ten years? He gave up, left everything here and moved out of this house. I haven't seen him in this house for 60 years. He visited the house a few months after both of my parents moved out, he posed as someone interested in purchasing the home." Ian explained to me.

"Oh my gosh Ian.." I took a few seconds to think about all he's just told me. "Has any of your family members or friends know that you're a ghost and still trapped?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Being a ghost isn't all it's cracked up to be. I can't walk through walls, I can't disappear whenever I want. I had to hide while my parents and friends lived in and visited the house. I couldn't bare for them to see me stuck here. So I hid. Never let anyone know I was here. It was always better that way." He told me and I truly pitied him. He has gone through so much.

"Wow.. Okay I'll help you. You said I'll need the help of Anthony. But is he still alive? If he was he'd be nearly 90 years old.." I explained and Ian put his head down.

"I honestly don't know but if he is, he's our only shot at getting me out of here." He said and I nodded.

"I'll start everything tomorrow. Right now I'm exhausted and I need to go to sleep." I smiled at Ian and he smiled back.

"Goodnight Eleanor." He smiled and ran his hand down my arm. I felt the same sensation as before. Chills and electric shocks.

"Goodnight Ian." I smiled.

I walked downstairs and a few minutes later in was in my pyjamas and fast asleep in my bed.

I woke up to my bedroom being freezing. Assuming my covers fell down or off my body, I reached to pull them back up but felt them covering my body up to my neck. Why was I so cold..? A thoughts crossed my mind and I shot up from my bed and felt my feet touch the cold wood floor. A few seconds after my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw him.

"Ian? What are you doing here? It's like.." I looked down at my MK watch on my wrist. "7 am.." I groaned and he smiled.

"That's the perfect time to wake up!" He said cheerfully and I groaned even more.

"Not when you went to bed at 5 o'clock in the morning.." I sighed and sat down on the edge of my bed.

"Eleanor, I've waited 77 years for you to come along to help me and I refuse to wait another minute." Ian stated and I gave in.

"Okay fine.." I sighed. "I'll meet you upstairs on the third floor in 5 minutes. I need a cup of coffee." I said and he nodded and left the room.

As I went downstairs, I noticed that Aunt Carol's door was still closed. I had to be as quiet as possible because I didn't want to wake her up and because I need as much alone time with Ian as I could so he could answer some of my questions. A couple minutes later, I was walking up to the top floor with a cup of coffee in my hands.

"Okay Ian, I have a few questions for you." Ian was sitting on one of the small couches near the windows so I walked over to the desk, grabbed some old paper and an even older pen and sat near Ian.

"Okay go for it Eleanor." He smiled at me. He was truly trying to be helpful.

"Do you have any idea where Anthony moved to? It might help narrow down the search for him if you have any clues to where he might have gone." I asked and Ian thought for a second.

"I can't remembering him every talking about where he moved to when he visited here for the last time. When we were teenagers, moving was a subject we often talked about. I don't think Anthony would have ever left California." Ian said. I scribbled down important notes and went back to asking Ian questions.

"I need to know everything about the day you were killed. How old were you? Can you remember where you last were? What's your last memory?" I asked.

"I was 19 years old. I was killed a month and a day before my birthday. One of my last memories was spending time with my family downstairs in the living room a few days before I was killed but that's really my last memory."

"Well then." I sighed. "We have a lot of work to do."