Afterlife Home Agency

Two: Six Years Later

Time had passed like time usually does, winter to summer, fall to spring and everything seemed to pass us by as we went from motel to motel never truly settling for more than. Jane had graduated high school and was against my idea at first until she realized what was left for us was mainly nothing in Illinois. It wasn't a big city in fact it was the small poor side of the suburbs of Pontiac but I was tired of being a liability so we rode away. Six years had passed us by we were 23 our birthday had recently passed and the age could bring endless possibilities but my dumbass and my bold ideas an average job wasn't cutting it. I worked as a photo preparator behind the counter of a pharmacy to help pay for Jane's scholarship she had received a month before we left school. She had a $25,000 scholarship to Chicago University in the research department for psychiatry. Even though her goal wasn't to be in the medical field she took advantage of the opportunity that I had choose to neglect. I was driving toward her dorm because I had lived a couple miles away; I was staying at a small Motel 6 temporarily and had checked out that morning in search of Jane.

"Hello?" I hear that familiar old voice, my only other half. "Hey there, Janie I'm swinging by I'll be there in twenty." She goes quiet a moment, "Well gee you failed to tell me that detail I mean you literally ignore me for a month... What the hell happened?" She asks. That wasn't a lie either I had recently gotten busy between working full time and sent her money every week lately I had ran into trouble meaning I got fired and was onto the next big thing... Nothing. "Well it's a long story. I mean it's nothing bad but I just havent had the funds to send you lately something had happened..." Again silence, "Let me guess you lost your job? That's what the third time in six months. When are you going to learn you're not a teenager anymore, Kit? Neither of us are when are you going to get your life together for God sake." She complains I roll my eyes, "I saw that. Look just get here I'll be outside waiting. We need to have a talk." She says sternly than hangs up. This was Jane for ya wound up, more than serious and mature for her age group initially an old lady trapped behind a young, gorgeous body. College had changed my sister she used to have long light blonde hair just like me almost dirty blonde but a year ago she cut it all off to her ears and dyed it black. Soon her black pants and skirts gave way to black tight jeans and high tops... My twin had managed to find some small place in the world with a few friends that were just as willing to get high and read Edgar Allen Poe as much as she was.
I made it to her college campus and drove on in glancing about at all the teenage girls and young adult women with their short skirts and tank tops and some with brightly colored hair. What's ironic was I didn't want to go here but I did want to tap almost every girl on the way to her dorm. I get to her building and she's already outside with two of her awkward friends one of which I couldn't stand but I'll admit she was very attractive. "Sister! Get in the car." Jane finishes smoking her joint with her other goth friend, Sabrina Royale. "Hey piss stains." She smarts off, "Hey slut. Any new meat you been banging off to?" I ask Jane glares at me, "Yeah but actually he's a lot more of a man with a bigger dick than you so there's that. God, Janie why do you tolerate this moron?" She asks her boyfriend, Jackie laughs. "Hey, Kit. I heard you got shit canned." I roll my eyes driving off as soon as Jane was in the passenger. "What the fuck, J? Did you tell every dumbass or just your dumbasses?" She chuckles lighting a cigarette, "Fucking Sab overheard me on the phone with you I guess... What does it even matter anyway I mean what about me, Kit?! I have a scholarship that covers my school and room but what the fuck about food, K?! I can't live off air and sunshine, I'm not a fucking plant!" She's panicking typical small minded Jane is back. "J, Jane, Jane stop yelling at me ok?! Stop telling me things I'm already well aware of alright? You know you could get a job too it's not all on me..." She rolls her eyes looking a lot like me when she usually does it, "K, I'm not panicking I'm being realistic you be the idiot this time. Oh wait, you're always the moron in any situation! Why because you can't take responsibility as an adult. First it was the bank teller and you miscounted five hundred dollars, second was Juliana that was a bust..." I put on my brakes and look her dead in the blue eyes, "That one wasn't my fault and you know that. Juliana was a cheap slut who fucked a bellhop on our first date and I find out a month later so yes she deserved what she got." Juliana was a previous relationship that ended painfully a month ago. I met her when we were in high school but I wasn't aware the entire time she was having an affair with a guy that I had worked with during high school my first job. Since then I hadn't slept with anyone, I hadn't dated I chose celibacy and my sister over another devasting relationship tht would only end in betrayal and pain.

We continued to drive to a diner on the outskirts of town it wasn't a bad place but it was a mom and pop place that I recall from childhood a single detail before our moms death. We took a seat at a booth and we each pulled out a menu, "So are you paying this tab or am I?" I shrug looking over the menu when a pretty red head with black glasses comes to our table, "Hi can I get you two something to drink?" She asks smiling over at me oh boy here we go. "Yes I'll have a coke." She nods at me and then looks to my sister, "I'll take a sprite with rum. If you got it if not just a sprite." She nods I shake my head, "Boy alcoholism is running rampant with this one isn't it. God, what happened to you, Jane? You used to be fun." She laughs a mocking tone. "Look just because it's twelve and I want to be wasted doesn't matter much were 23 do you really think anyone would judge me? I mean I have to hang with the lights of you don't I?" The red head comes with our drinks and flips her hair over to me, "Do you know what you want to order or would you like more time?"
"Yeah I'll take a grilled cheese with fries." I say handing her the menu Jane glances at her next, "I'll take scrambled eggs with a side of bacon and an English muffin." She concludes closing the menu and sending it over. I chuckle at Jane, "What? I literally had just woke up ten minutes before you got there and that's because I was up all night studying for a stupid exam on Biology." I snort, "Were you studying or were you drinking cause there's a big difference, J." She doesn't reply back not even something smart.

After ten minutes the waitress comes back with our drinks and my plate, "I'll have yours in one second." She tells Jane who watches me picking at my fries, "You're so typical." She laughs I ignore her not realizing how hungry I really was. I hadn't eaten since eight last night and I'll admit I was starving. Jane finally gets her breakfast and goes right for the eggs. It's silent for a good ten minutes each of us eating that's when an idea comes to me, a rather stupid idea but people would believe anything nowadays.
"Hey Jane, have you ever seen this paranormal shows? Like the ones on TV?" She shrugs, "Wouldnt know I barely have time to shower anymore. Why do you ask?" She says biting into her muffin, "Now here me out but I have a way we could both benefit off money... I just dont know if you're willing to work with me." I say taking a last bite of my fries, "What are you getting at, Kit?" A few moments later as if she could read my thoughts, "It wouldn't work people arent as quick to be so gullible anymore you do know that? I mean yeah I don't have an explanation for half the things I've seen or spoke to yet alone neither do you but a paranormal research team? Get real, K... It wouldn't work I mean you dont even use a laptop right." I throw my bread crust at her, "Do you not get it, Janie? If we could pull this off imagine our lifestyle. I wouldnt have to live in crappy motels anymore I'd have a legit reason to settle. Like you said we're in our early twenties the possibilities and boundless. I mean you have the gift and I have the people skills and know how. Say we start small and grow upward from there it could be a whole new start. You wouldn't have to be trapped in that fucking dorm all the time studying, studying, studying." She shrugs, "Kit, I don't know. For one I'm on a scholarship why would I give that up in two more years I'll be a psychiatrist..." I laugh now it was my turn to mock her. "You told me what like three months ago college life wasn't working out didn't you? You said that you had a hard time passing math and biology and you were failing did you not? We could go back on the road again, Jane just like old times." She takes a sip of her drink; a long nonchalant look in her eyes almost as if she was processing what I said. "Kit... We're not kids anymore alright? We're not teens either what would people even think?" When we finish our meal I pull out two stacks of hundreds, "We invest, J... We invest this last three grand I made into equipment and we take off from there. We do this wisely because you were always the money savvy one I'm gonna trust in your ability. Have I ever doubted you before? Ever, Jane? No I havent I always believed in you. I always believed you'd go far and I'm giving us both that chance and you want to leave me out?" I get up and pay for our meal, "I always had high hopes for you, sister why can't you for once trust in me? Have I ever steered you wrong?" Just as I'm about to leave to the car because I needed a smoke and two this conversation was getting me nowhere Jane quickly follows behind me and pulls me aside. "Fine, Kit... Fine ok? Its true you've always had higher hopes for me because Im the logical one. No you haven't let me down, you're the only one I've ever had. I'm not saying I'm in but I'm saying that I'm willing to give it a try. I go on spring break next week I'll pack a bag and we'll head out." I don't know why I jumped up excited but I had a feeling this plan couldn't fail but now I was left with the weird question: where the fuck do you find a haunted house?