Ghostly (Ian Hecox)

Chapter 6 - Humanity

"Could I please borrow your car for the day Aunty Carol?" I begged.

"What in the world do you need my car for?" She raised a questionable eyebrow at me.

"I- I-" I stopped dead in my tracks. Should I really tell Aunty Carol the truth? Should I admit who I met in the attic last night or do I keep it a secret? I had to make up my mind quick. "Remember the boy Ian, he was murdered in the house?" I asked her.

"Yes I do but I still fail to see how a boy that was murdered so many years ago, is a reason to borrow my car!" She walked away from me and I followed her.

"This is going to sound absolutely insane.." I paused for a brief moment in time. "But I'm going to find out who murdered him."

Aunty Carol stopped dead in her tracks.

"Why on Earth does it matter who killed that boy?" She turned to face me.

"Imagine if someone murdered me in this house.. Wouldn't you want to know who did it?" I said in a sympathetic tone.

She let out a very low breath. "Yes, I would." Her head hung low.

"So please, let me at least try." I begged.

"Okay fine but I want you home before midnight tonight." She gave in and I let out a high-pitched squeak and gave her a huge hug.

"Thank you! Thank you!" I pulled away from her. "I still have some work to do before I'll leave so I'll yell at you when I'm about to go." I turned around and dashed for the third floor. I ran over to the desk and started to gather all the theory papers, Ian's murder report and anything else I might need.

"So, I assume everything went according to plan." Ian asked suddenly and nearly made me jump. Sometimes I forget how crazy this all is. I turned around to face him.

"Yes, it did. You really need to cough before you speak or something. Eventually you'll give me a heart attack and we might both end up stuck here." I laughed and went back to work on gathering the papers.

"That wouldn't be so bad now, would it?" Ian suggestively remarked in a very slow and quiet voice. I stopped shuffling papers for a moment and spun around once again.

"It must get lonely here." I said and he nodded.

"I've been stuck here for so long that I forgot what it was to be human. I died and started a much different life. Well, maybe life isn't the right word but you know what I mean." He chuckled half-heartedly. "You're the first person I've spoken to in over 70 years so you must forgive me if I'm awkward or extremely blunt." He smiled shyly at me.

"Ian it's fine. Trust me, I've been alive for 17 years and I'm still awkward and extremely blunt." I laughed and he laughed lowly with me.

"I've been dead for so long that I forgot what human touch felt like. So when you touched my arm, you sparked up whatever small amount of life I had left in me." He admitted and I could see he was embarrassed. He looked flushed but then again he was dead so it was hard to tell. "I can't believe I said that out loud. I'm so sorry." He apologized, looking down at the ground. When I spoke, he raised his gaze.

"You don't need to apologize." I smiled at him as kind and gently as I could. "I can't imagine how you must've felt all these years. I'm happy to help bring back your sense of humanity."

"Eleanor, could you maybe just hold me for a minute. I've been stuck in this house for so long that it feels empty, but when you're here, it feels like a home again." He said to me and I didn't hesitate to walk over to him and wrap my arms around him while he bent down and buried his face into the crook of my neck.

From one little touch of a finger, he sent electricity and chills through my entire body but when nearly half of his body was enclosed around mine, was a feeling that was indescribable. I couldn't feel my body but I had the sensation that I was floating and getting electrocuted all at the same time. It was a new, incredible feeling. The hug didn't last more than ten seconds but I didn't want it to end.

"Thank you Eleanor." He smiled at me.

Suddenly the air in the room became thick and heated from the past few minutes. I broke the silence by getting back on track.

"Okay, so since you are bound to the house, it's a pretty good guess that you will not be joining me on my search for Anthony." I said and Ian laughed and nodded.

"So what is your plan?" He asked.

"I'm going to drive to the California State Library in Sacramento and go to the California History Room and look for the Padilla's genealogy which will hopefully provide me with Anthony's last known address." I explained as I stacked all my papers.

"And if there is a last known address?" He questioned.

"Mr. Padilla will be receiving a visit from a teenage girl today." I smile and grab all the papers in my arms and start walking to the hatch.

"What time will you be home tonight?" He asked and I shrugged.

"Depends how my adventures go." I smiled at him and he smiled back at me.

"I'll see you tonight Eleanor." He said and I nodded.

After hours of driving, looking through countless books about local history. I found myself getting closer and closer to helping Ian. I mean, to solving the mystery.

I brought my arm up and closed my hand to knock on the door. A few moments later, the door swung open.

"Good afternoon Mr. Padilla. I think you might be the last person alive who can help me."