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Chapter 19:- Felonious Body Theft
We sat there, the three of us, just staring and smiling.
Technically, it was two of us. But The Ghost was there, behind my eyes, rolling about and bouncing around inside my head with the force of a tropical gale.
Anyone who doubts that non-corporeal bodies can move physical objects should have been in the room at that moment; I was having a hard time keeping my head from lolling about on the stem of my neck.
Ethan raised a streamlined, silvery eyebrow. “Well?”
“Yeah,” I said, grinning. “He’s here.”
“Congratulations.” His face broke out into an enormous smile. “Would you like me to give you some time alone to become reacquainted?”
I sat still for a moment, waiting for The Ghost’s answer. “No,” I said. “I think we’re too busy celebrating at the moment. Besides, I don't think that would even be necessary.”
“I see. So,” he said, sinking into thought, “you really were separated, instead of your friend just being silenced. He wasn’t there at all.”
“Yeah,” I said. “That’s pretty scary.”
“Would he like to tell us about it, do you think?”
I rested my chin in my palms to let him tell me what had happened. “Ethan,” I said, “I’ll let you know in a moment.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
* * *
“I heard static,” The Ghost whispered to me. His voice was soft, unhappy. He was still energetic, still rolling, but I could tell the story was painful.
He seemed to settle a bit before going on. Trying to calm himself. “I heard static, and then I saw nothing. I’m not sure how long this went on for, but when I opened my eyes I felt like I was underwater. I was being swarmed by those tiny little fish. They were shining like they were covered in holographic stickers and were swimming all over me. I fought them off and ran up the stairs but every motion I made felt like it was taking all of my energy to complete. I really can’t survive outside of you. I felt like I was dying.
I looked around at the top of the stairs leading out of the aquarium. You were staggering down the walkway, and you looked very sick. People were moving out of the way and staring at you like you were diseased. There was a small reddish-black halo around your head, but I don’t know if that’s something only I could see or not. It’s, uh… I’m really sorry. It’s still there now. I didn’t want to have to tell you but you really need to know. Something horrible happened to us down there.”
“I know,” I whispered, watching Ethan watching us out of the corner of my eye. “Thank you. Go on, please.”
He took a deep, audible breath that echoed like wind in a cavern. It swirled and spun itself out of my right ear. “I kept running towards you but you were still too fast for me, even though you were hobbling. By the time I got to the zoo entrance you were so far down the street that I knew I’d never catch up to you. I was so scared. I thought we were both dying. I mean, I thought you were dying and I was dying again, or something even worse was happening to us. It was terrifying. I hope you never have to see something like this. I really do.
I spent a lot of time wandering around in slow motion. I’m not sure how long it was. How long have I been gone?”
“A few days.”
“Damn. Seriously?”
I nodded.
“Oh, wow. Anyway, I’m not sure what I did. It was dark and I just wandered, looking for you, and time felt all distorted. It felt like years that it was dark, that it was night time or that I was dead, and then it gradually got light again. I could barely move but I saw I was standing in front of some small store in the shopping district. Not too far from here, really.
Right about then this weird girl walks by me. Woman, really. We saw her before, downtown, while we were wandering about. She tried to borrow your lighter, only you didn’t have one. Remember?”
I nodded.
“Okay, good. I knew there was something strange about her. I think she’s a hooker, too, by the way. Not that there’s anything really wrong with that. I’m just saying, you know? I think she’s a hooker.”
I chuckled. “Okay.”
“Well, anyway, for a second there I was kind of stunned to see her walking by me again. She really stands out. It’s hard not to notice her. She’s got those tattoos, and there’s something else about her that keeps catching my eye. I’m not sure what it is. It’s not like that gross halo-” He stopped for a second. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right.”
“It really is evil, though. I hope we can get rid of it as soon as possible. It freaks me out.”
“It freaks me out just hearing you talk about it.”
“Sorry. I’ll stop.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Okay, then. Anyway, there’s something weird about her, right? And for a second it’s all I can think about. Just a split second. And I reached out, but my reach was so slow that I only brushed her shoulder very lightly. That's all it took, though, and suddenly I didn't feel like I was fading away anymore. It was like drowning and then the instant before you're dead your face breaks the surface. I wasn't going to die, but I still felt awful.
“So, anyway, it’s not a comfortable place to be. Not like you. She fought it the whole time, and it didn't feel natural to me, either. Inside, it didn't even feel human. It didn't feel malicious in any way, but it just felt wrong to me. So I tried to move her legs as fast as I could to catch up to you, but you’d disappeared. I steered her to this place and that’s when she forced me out. I mean, I kind of went willingly at that point, but it still felt like I was being ejected. I felt like such an ass, like I committed some kind of felony. Grand Theft Body, you know?”
“Well, you kind of did.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better, you know.”
“Sorry.”
“Promise me if we ever run into her again that you’ll apologize.”
“I will?”
“Well, you know. I will, but you’ll have to be there for it.”
“Sure, I guess. I hope she doesn’t ask for an explanation, though.”
“Thank you.” He paused. “This is strange, but…”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t really read your thoughts, and I can’t feel your memories. Not without you allowing me. But with her, there were all sorts of things flying at me. Most of them felt like nightmares, but they were so realistic. People dying, a woman in a dancer’s dress being shot by an angry man, lots of sex, some people dressed in leather. Really weird stuff. If I could blush I would have.”
“That’s bizarre.”
“Isn’t it? I’m not sure why I told you. I don’t know if it’s important at all. Probably not.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “It might be. You never know, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m just glad to be back.”
“Well, I’m glad to have you back. I missed you.”
He laughed. “I missed you too.”
* * *
“I think that’s it,” he said. “As much as I can remember, anyway.”
“All right,” I said. “That’s a lot of stuff to repeat.”
“Not a whole lot happened, though. I wish I had more to tell you.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “As long as it’s over.”
“I don’t think it is, though.” He sighed.
“No, I meant just the separation bit. I know it’s not over, not by a long shot. Once I tell Ethan the rest of this we can try to figure things out a bit better.” I turned to Ethan. He was sitting across the table from me quietly, having said not a word the whole time. There was a slice of cake and a cup of tea in front of him, steam wetting and tickling his cheeks as he waited.
“I think I’ve got the whole story now. You ready?”
He nodded.
We sat there, the three of us, just staring and smiling.
Technically, it was two of us. But The Ghost was there, behind my eyes, rolling about and bouncing around inside my head with the force of a tropical gale.
Anyone who doubts that non-corporeal bodies can move physical objects should have been in the room at that moment; I was having a hard time keeping my head from lolling about on the stem of my neck.
Ethan raised a streamlined, silvery eyebrow. “Well?”
“Yeah,” I said, grinning. “He’s here.”
“Congratulations.” His face broke out into an enormous smile. “Would you like me to give you some time alone to become reacquainted?”
I sat still for a moment, waiting for The Ghost’s answer. “No,” I said. “I think we’re too busy celebrating at the moment. Besides, I don't think that would even be necessary.”
“I see. So,” he said, sinking into thought, “you really were separated, instead of your friend just being silenced. He wasn’t there at all.”
“Yeah,” I said. “That’s pretty scary.”
“Would he like to tell us about it, do you think?”
I rested my chin in my palms to let him tell me what had happened. “Ethan,” I said, “I’ll let you know in a moment.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
* * *
“I heard static,” The Ghost whispered to me. His voice was soft, unhappy. He was still energetic, still rolling, but I could tell the story was painful.
He seemed to settle a bit before going on. Trying to calm himself. “I heard static, and then I saw nothing. I’m not sure how long this went on for, but when I opened my eyes I felt like I was underwater. I was being swarmed by those tiny little fish. They were shining like they were covered in holographic stickers and were swimming all over me. I fought them off and ran up the stairs but every motion I made felt like it was taking all of my energy to complete. I really can’t survive outside of you. I felt like I was dying.
I looked around at the top of the stairs leading out of the aquarium. You were staggering down the walkway, and you looked very sick. People were moving out of the way and staring at you like you were diseased. There was a small reddish-black halo around your head, but I don’t know if that’s something only I could see or not. It’s, uh… I’m really sorry. It’s still there now. I didn’t want to have to tell you but you really need to know. Something horrible happened to us down there.”
“I know,” I whispered, watching Ethan watching us out of the corner of my eye. “Thank you. Go on, please.”
He took a deep, audible breath that echoed like wind in a cavern. It swirled and spun itself out of my right ear. “I kept running towards you but you were still too fast for me, even though you were hobbling. By the time I got to the zoo entrance you were so far down the street that I knew I’d never catch up to you. I was so scared. I thought we were both dying. I mean, I thought you were dying and I was dying again, or something even worse was happening to us. It was terrifying. I hope you never have to see something like this. I really do.
I spent a lot of time wandering around in slow motion. I’m not sure how long it was. How long have I been gone?”
“A few days.”
“Damn. Seriously?”
I nodded.
“Oh, wow. Anyway, I’m not sure what I did. It was dark and I just wandered, looking for you, and time felt all distorted. It felt like years that it was dark, that it was night time or that I was dead, and then it gradually got light again. I could barely move but I saw I was standing in front of some small store in the shopping district. Not too far from here, really.
Right about then this weird girl walks by me. Woman, really. We saw her before, downtown, while we were wandering about. She tried to borrow your lighter, only you didn’t have one. Remember?”
I nodded.
“Okay, good. I knew there was something strange about her. I think she’s a hooker, too, by the way. Not that there’s anything really wrong with that. I’m just saying, you know? I think she’s a hooker.”
I chuckled. “Okay.”
“Well, anyway, for a second there I was kind of stunned to see her walking by me again. She really stands out. It’s hard not to notice her. She’s got those tattoos, and there’s something else about her that keeps catching my eye. I’m not sure what it is. It’s not like that gross halo-” He stopped for a second. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right.”
“It really is evil, though. I hope we can get rid of it as soon as possible. It freaks me out.”
“It freaks me out just hearing you talk about it.”
“Sorry. I’ll stop.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Okay, then. Anyway, there’s something weird about her, right? And for a second it’s all I can think about. Just a split second. And I reached out, but my reach was so slow that I only brushed her shoulder very lightly. That's all it took, though, and suddenly I didn't feel like I was fading away anymore. It was like drowning and then the instant before you're dead your face breaks the surface. I wasn't going to die, but I still felt awful.
“So, anyway, it’s not a comfortable place to be. Not like you. She fought it the whole time, and it didn't feel natural to me, either. Inside, it didn't even feel human. It didn't feel malicious in any way, but it just felt wrong to me. So I tried to move her legs as fast as I could to catch up to you, but you’d disappeared. I steered her to this place and that’s when she forced me out. I mean, I kind of went willingly at that point, but it still felt like I was being ejected. I felt like such an ass, like I committed some kind of felony. Grand Theft Body, you know?”
“Well, you kind of did.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better, you know.”
“Sorry.”
“Promise me if we ever run into her again that you’ll apologize.”
“I will?”
“Well, you know. I will, but you’ll have to be there for it.”
“Sure, I guess. I hope she doesn’t ask for an explanation, though.”
“Thank you.” He paused. “This is strange, but…”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t really read your thoughts, and I can’t feel your memories. Not without you allowing me. But with her, there were all sorts of things flying at me. Most of them felt like nightmares, but they were so realistic. People dying, a woman in a dancer’s dress being shot by an angry man, lots of sex, some people dressed in leather. Really weird stuff. If I could blush I would have.”
“That’s bizarre.”
“Isn’t it? I’m not sure why I told you. I don’t know if it’s important at all. Probably not.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “It might be. You never know, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m just glad to be back.”
“Well, I’m glad to have you back. I missed you.”
He laughed. “I missed you too.”
* * *
“I think that’s it,” he said. “As much as I can remember, anyway.”
“All right,” I said. “That’s a lot of stuff to repeat.”
“Not a whole lot happened, though. I wish I had more to tell you.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “As long as it’s over.”
“I don’t think it is, though.” He sighed.
“No, I meant just the separation bit. I know it’s not over, not by a long shot. Once I tell Ethan the rest of this we can try to figure things out a bit better.” I turned to Ethan. He was sitting across the table from me quietly, having said not a word the whole time. There was a slice of cake and a cup of tea in front of him, steam wetting and tickling his cheeks as he waited.
“I think I’ve got the whole story now. You ready?”
He nodded.
