ATTACHMENTS || Twin Paranormal

Getting Out of Town (8)

It had been a couple of weeks since I'd gone to Howl's Tavern and gained Leana as an attachment. Life had been different for the first few days, until the inevitable loneliness and negativity had snuck back in. Zalaph was back and making frequent appearances every day while my silent shadows had begun drifting just outside my line of sight again. John was still being snippy, but I'd been too tired to engage in our usual banter, letting his jabs fall onto my already heavy shoulders. I'd mainly spent my days in bed most of the time, Leana just sitting in the armchair next to my window and staring out at the street beyond.

A few days after the investigation, Maya had come over to bring my car. True to their word, they'd gotten my windows fixed, the car looking almost like new. I'd invited her in for tea, but she'd only stayed for a few hours to chat, eventually needing to go back to help at the pub. I'd been alone again since. Usually, it wouldn't have bothered me, but after River, Ryan, and Wyatt had spent the night with their positive energy filling the space, the quiet stillness of the house suddenly felt incredibly crushing.

It was Thursday and I was in the kitchen making myself something for dinner after eating only crackers and cheese for three days when I felt the energy shift. I didn't need to turn around to know that Leana was standing in the corner, watching me with a frown on her face.

"You should be happy. I'm eating something more filling than crackers," I joked quietly, stirring the pasta as the water boiled. She'd been complaining for a few days now that I needed to get up, get out of the house, do anything.

"You're self-destructing," she responded in a matter-of-fact way that had me rolling my eyes. As if she could see the look on my face, she added, "don't dismiss me."

I frowned as I turned off the stove, stepping over to the sink and pouring the pasta into the strainer I'd set there. Her presence in the house the past couple of weeks had felt like having a mother criticizing you for letting yourself get too depressed and letting yourself go. "I don't think you know this about me, Leana, but self-destructive behaviour is the only thing I know."

"I've noticed," she remarked dryly, suddenly beside me. I jumped, setting the pot back on the stove and draining the last of the water before dumping the cooked noodles back into it. I added nothing but butter before grabbing the pot and a fork. Leana wrinkled her nose at the food but stayed quiet as she followed me back into my room, leaning against the door frame as I settled back into bed.

"Why can't you leave me alone like the rest of the spirits in this house?" I asked through a mouthful of food. She snorted, shaking her head as she looked into the hallway.

"They don't leave you alone, they add to your diminishing self-esteem," she commented. "John is the worst of all of them."

"Don't bring him into this," I said defensively. "John's just ... misunderstood."

"You're defending a bitter old spirit who constantly takes the opportunity to tear you down, Eden," she said, throwing her hands up in exasperation before walking over to the armchair and sitting on the edge, elbows on her knees as she looked at me. "Your problem is that you force yourself to be sad. You're punishing yourself by staying in the same house that terrible things happened to you in and collecting spirits and entities that just add to your pain. You're too comfortable with your own darkness." I paused with another forkful of pasta halfway to my mouth.

No, my problem was that she wasn't wrong, and I hated that. I hadn't been happy for a long time, robbed of my childhood and a good and loving family, and I didn't know how to not be consumed by the negative emotions that surrounded me. But I was in a bad mood, and I didn't feel like being lectured.