Ghost Of You (Formally Titled Sebastian The Traveler)

Chapter Six (REWRITTEN)

Sebastian was still fuming over John as he followed Avery into the nearly empty subway car. She inspected a seat critically before falling into it and closing her eyes. The wrinkled skin between her brows should have been a warning to him, but he was lost in his own thoughts as well.

How often did she have to deal with John-type customers? Would Sebastian be fast enough to reroute the next piping cup of coffee thrown at her face? He was barely able to affect today's assault weapon. What would tomorrow bring?

He slumped in the chair beside her, chewing his nails as he had always done for as long as he could recall. He never questioned such a simple and meaningless act but as he wondered about it now, it occurred to him that he had done it more frequently since his forced shackling to the blonde beside him. Studying them now, he assumed he shouldn't have any nails left considering the new frequency at which he chomped at them. However, they remained unchanged—not longer than they should be, but definitely not shorter either. A loud, retched "Ahem," had his eyes immediately snapping to the woman across the aisle from them.

She smiled at Avery, "Miss?" The hair on her head had long turned snowy white, too short to even cover her ears. It was a stark contrast against her black skin. She clutched her purse tightly to her chest, knowing well that she could never be too careful these days. Avery opened her eyes, lazily returning the woman's gentle smile.

As if given the green light, the lady continued, "See ya here daily but never introduced myself. Seems like a good day now. I'm Veda."

"Avery," she spoke softly.

Veda nodded, "Just gettin' off work, huh? I can always tell when a person be leaving work. Ya'll carry the same exhausted face. I sure don't miss them days."

"Yeah," Avery chuckled, "Today was a rough one for sure."

"Well, the sun is a shinin' and the pigeons cooin'. You make the most of that. You're rather pale, baby." Her concern was endearing, the lines on her face deeping as she frowned.

The blonde girl grinned, not daring to argue with the wisdom of her elder. "Yes, ma'am," she chirped.

Veda waved her hand, as if an imaginary fly were bothering her face, "Pft. No need for pleasantries, we friends now. What about that young fella 'side ya? You work together? He be lookin' a bit worn for wear himself."

Sebastian sighed and clenched his jaw. He had yet to come across someone in New York that could see him, better yet vocally acknowledge his presence. Of course it would happen in front of Avery, innocently unaware of his proximity. "Yay. You see ghosts," he threw his head back, exasperated, not expecting Veda to hear him as well, but he should have known better. She sent him a warning glare, chastising him for his unwarranted rudeness.

The color drained from Avery's face. "What did you say?" She asked Veda with wide eyes. Her uneasiness seeped into her bones, her muscles now stiff as she slowly turned her head in the direction Veda had once been intently focused on.

Sebastian met her gaze, fully aware that she did not possess the same sixth sense as the older woman. However, it didn't stop that pesky knot buried deep in his abdomen from becoming a mangled pretzel.

"My mistake, dear," Veda quickly saved the day. "Old brain be playin' tricks on me sometimes. You'll understand when ya get to bein' my age."

Avery fiddled with her hands and glanced at the floor, "Oh. Okay."

"If there was someone there, would it really be so bad?" Veda pressed, sensing the young girl's distress. Sebastian shook his head, an act he hoped Veda would interpret as a conversation topic she should drop. He didn't really need to know that he scared Avery. He suspected she had been piecing together the odd incidents that had happened over the last twenty-four hours. She would soon figure it out but he hoped to put that off for as long as possible. He still hadn't figured out why he was attached to her. He needed more time.

"Someone following me around that I don't see? Yeah. It would be super creepy."

"It's all in how ya be lookin' at it. Some ain't that bad," She eyed him warily, her threat clear: don't mess with this girl.

***

When Avery arrived home, her back fell against the door. The thought of facing the scene she ignored earlier that morning weighed heavily on her. In fact, everything she had experienced since last night was crashing down around her and she wasn't sure how to face it. She had lived in this exact spot for a little over a year and there was never any indication that maybe, just maybe, it was haunted. Should she call a paranormal research team? An exorcist? A medicine man? Did she need to buy a gallon of holy water? What was the prayer she needed to recite to rid a home of demons? She couldn't remember much past, "Our father who art in Heaven." It had been too long since she visited a church.

Thankfully, Milo rescued her from a downward spiral on her sanity. He still avoided the corner by the door, growling quietly, but he wasn't being viscous as opposed to yesterday so Avery ultimately decided she would just ignore the strange happenings and believe it would disappear on its own.

If she didn't see it, it wasn't happening.

Once she made up her mind, she felt a new sense of determination settle within her soul. Peaceful, like a lullaby, it flowered a small seed of hope and she knew she would be okay.

That was, until the stereo from her bathroom suddenly came to life.