ghosts

sixteen

"Yeah I'm taking a week off of work. I'll be back next week, just gonna see family." Shane said, like a liar, his phone against his face.

The voice on the other line is concerned, but understanding. I'm guessing it's Ryan, considering they work together, and are friends.

"Sure thing. I'll see you when I'm back." Shane hangs up and beelines to his room, ignoring my appearance, clearly upset that he lied to his friend. "I wasn't completely lying by the way." He mumbles, hearing me lean against the doorframe. He's gotten used to the subtle cracks of the house that were different than before I lived with him.

He's packing his little heart away, putting in shirts and pants into his suitcase. "Visiting family, huh?"

"I am visiting family. My parents is family. I haven't seen them in a bit. The main goal of this is to make a deal with a demon and.." He looks up at me, hesitant to continue, deciding not to, and works back on packing things.

I give a frustrated sigh, throwing my arms about and desperately wishing he wouldn't do this. I'm dead for a reason. Why does he so desperately not want me dead? Am I just not his type in the form that I am?? Wait a second. Is this an "I'm attracted to you" sort of thing or a "I'm your friend" sort of thing? What are his intentions with this?

"What's the plan?" I, at least, have to know what he plans on doing, whether that's about what he plans to do with this information he's been gathering from the internet or just about visiting his family.

"I need to stop at a shop, one that sells yarrow, cat bones, and graveyard dirt." He said, continuing to pack away his belongings. Once he finishes with his suitcase, he grabs a backpack and begins to put his laptop and such items in it.

"They're going to question you, most of them will know exactly why you're buying those items, and will also warn you exactly like how I'm doing here." I explain, though it will have no effect on him. Nothing has so far. He's going to do it anyways.

"Okay." He pauses. "I need a box to put those things in. There's a place nearby my parent's place that may work. I'll just drive to that place in the middle of the night."

"You really did extensive research on this, huh?"

"People on Reddit are very informative." He looks at me as he zips up the bag and takes it out to the car. "I'll get the stuff nearby, and also stop at a store for some snacks."

I'm going to hate this trip, for some reason. And once I do, become human if it even happens, will I appear with him, or near him, or here at his home? I don't even know how things will fall into place, because if I'm aware, my body is either in ashes, or in the ground, or something.

"Okay." I answer after a long silence. Shane is shuffling around, making sure he has everything before he heads out. I end up going back into my ghostly state and wait for him at the car.

xxx

Drive, fly, uber, pick up rental car, drive some more. So much traveling just for the day, but that's what you get going from California to Illinois. Illinois huh. "I don't think I've ever visited this state in all the family travels I've participated in." I comment, watching the trees pass by, the sun beginning to set.

Shane decided to not go to the store for snacks, or go to the witch shop for his stuff until after the flight landed. It would make the most sense, to be honest. He ended up getting a last minute flight, if that makes sense as to why. It's easier to travel by plane in this instance rather than drive the whole way.

"That's a shame." I hear him face my direction, but back at the road. Only a few minutes later, we arrived. He pulled into the driveway and parked, grabbing his bags and walking up to the door, pausing before knocking. "We can chat later." He whispers. I nod, even though he can't see.

He knocks.

The silence is stronger with each passing minute.

A footstep is heard, then another.

The doorknob turns, and a pair of eyes fall onto the man beside me.

"Shane!! You're early!!" His mom, embracing her son in happiness, she pulls him inside and I follow closely, knocking into him a couple times accidentally, to which he tries not to acknowledge it.