Ghost Whispers |-/ Joshler

ap·pa·ri·tion

/ˌapəˈriSH(ə)n/
noun
a ghost or ghostlike image of a person.

There was no denying it, there was a ghost in the Joseph household. Tyler was the only one who knew about it, of course, and that was all he knew.

He didn't know how to handle it, or how to speak to it, if he even could. He didn't even know if he could tell someone about it.

What with his suicide attempt and need for therapy, it might be written off as schizophrenia or just plain craziness.

There had to be someone who would listen, someone who at least was patient and could humor him long enough to hear him out. Someone who understood him.

"Oh my god," Tyler said aloud. "Andre."

He trotted down the stairs, searching for a house phone. Finding one in the living room cradle, he dashed back upstairs into his room.

He had kept the piece of paper with Andre's number on it ever since the hospital, tucked in the front pocket of a school folder.

It rang out. Tyler sat on his bed anxiously, biting his lip and hoping he would pick up. Joshua was awake, barely, next to him and waiting as well.

Andre picked up on the fifth ring.

"Hello?"

"I-is this Andre?" Tyler stuttered out. It had been a full day after the lamp incident and he was still shaken up.

"Yeah. Tyler?"

"Uh huh."

"Are you alright? You don't sound too good."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured him, "I just...kinda have something to ask you."

"Shoot."

"What would you say if I told you that I'm afraid I have a ghost following me around?"

"I'd say you're a crazy motherfucker cause ghosts ain't real."

"Andre..." Tyler sighed. "I need an honest answer."

"You think that wasn't honest?" Andre laughed, richly and heartily. "That's as honest as it gets."

"Never mind. I should go anyway, I'm being stupid." He made a move to hang up.

"Wait no, little man. What makes you think that you got a ghost following you?"

Tyler put the phone back up to his ear, eyes trailing up and down his floorboards.

"I don't know, a lot of things. I've had...things...knocked out of my hand," his mind flashed back to when the razor flew across the room after he attempted to cut up his skin, "And I've gotten random chills that I've never had before. Plus, I kind of have whisperings in my head."

Andre was dead silent. He was either schizophrenic or he actually had a ghost with him. Either way, he had a solution.

"Tell you what, you come down to my shop and I'll give you a little something to help you. And it's not paint."

"What is it?"

"You gotta come down here to find out. Peace."

"Andre, wha-" The dial tone sounded and Tyler huffed in frustration.

Halfheartedly slamming the phone back into its cradle once downstairs again, he went over to the foyer. He slid on his coat and was out the door, with Joshua walking alongside him.