Phantom Moon (Nora's part)

Part 2

3

We wander around for a while, though we don't go far from the road, hopping that the others didn't get far. We find a gas station and take turns cleaning up as best we can with a broken soap dispenser, a single sink, and a hand dryer that sounded like it was a strangled cat strangling another cat. It wasn't easy, but we leave smelling like soap and feeling... better? Lisa insists on buying a bag of chips with the change she has in her pockets, though I figure there were better things we could spend that on. Like real food. At one point, we think we hear distant yelling, but we can't be sure. We figure it's probably best to avoid the yelling as it's likely a fight that would draw attention to us, and we don't want to risk getting killed before we could find the others. We walk mostly in silence, which is a terrible idea, as it leaves me and Hestia to shout at each other.

This is completely your fault! You practically left Ander unattended at the wheel!

Well, I'm sorry if I thought Ander could take care of himself!

Why would you ever think that?!

Oh, I don't know, maybe because he should be fine driving for a while!

While police are shooting at us?!

... good point.

"Nora, why are you making faces?"

I realize then that the others have stopped in front of me and were watching me. I feel myself blush.

"Well... It wasn't completely me."

"What, do you have voices in your head?"

I look at Rose, who I realize then that doesn't know about the occasional conversation I have with Hestia.

"Just one, actually. Hestia, my phantom."

"Are you being possessed?"

I smirk. "No, not possessed. Everyone has a phantom, which is sort of like their subconscious, but usually, they are just shadows of the actual person. Mine and Ander's phantoms, and other phantom witches' phantoms are more than that. They're more like real people, but they live in the phantom realm. We can sometimes communicate with them and channel their power, but it's tiring to do that for long. But Hestia forgets that sometimes and will shove her way into my head. Especially since..."

My voice falters and I look away.

"We should get going again if we ever want to find them."

Lisa lifts her hand as if she means to comfort me, but then thinks better of it and drops her hand. I start forward without looking back to see if they follow.

Hestia? Where do you think he is?

Do you mean your world or mine?

I don't know. Both, I guess.

Hestia doesn't respond, and neither do I.

The sky darkens. I glance up but continue walking. We've been circling around the crash site, slowly getting farther and farther, but we hadn't had any luck. I can hear the others' labored breathing from walking for so long, but I continue walking, afraid that if I stop, I won't get back up. That I won't be able to get back up.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and look up to see Lisa behind me.

"We need to stop. We can't keep going."

I try to shake her hand off, but her grip is like iron.

"We have to. What do you think will happen if we stop?"