Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery

Chapter 3:

James stared at the girl blankly. Her innocent eyes staring right back at him. James would be lying if he said he wasn't the least bit afraid and creeped out. Nothing out of this situation was normal. 

He contemplated making a run for it. It wouldn't be hard to lose her in the afternoon crowd.

Suddenly, James felt a warmth surround his right hand and he instinctively looked down. Grasping the situation he looked back up at the girl confused. She was holding his right wrist but James felt nothing, yes he did feel a warmth sensation but definitely not a hand.

"I haven't held someone's hand in a long time." The girl voiced out.

The urge to tell her that he couldn't feel her touch died in his throat. And surprisingly, the initial fear he felt towards the mysterious girl vanished into thin air and was replaced with a soothing light-headedness. Like he was floating. 

"You're a ghost?" James managed to ask. 

"Yes, I'm very aware that no one can see me. I'll prove it to you. " 

The warmth prickly sensation on his wrist left along with her letting go. James gulped nervously as she stepped away from him, she stood in the middle of the crowd and James had to cover his mouth with his hand to prevent himself from yelling out loud when he saw people casually walking through her. 

She walked back to him and James only just noticed how unusually pale she was under the sun. 

"I c-can't believe this." James stated in disbelief. 

"You're really dead?" 

"I'm afraid so." She even had the audacity to joke. 

James scoffed trying to wrap his head around the situation. All he wanted to do was jump off the building but this time not only did the world decide that keeping him alive was a better option but to grant him the ability to see the supernatural. 

James pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes only to reopen them and be greeted with the girl leaning up to him, looking him straight in his eyes, her face a few inches away from his. 

James instinctively backed up a few steps, "W-What are you doing?" 

The girl merely backed up as well, "Checking." 

"For what?" James asked. His hands went to his jeans pockets to check if his phone and wallet was still there. There were. 

The girl giggled mischievously but offered him no answer. 

Passerbys were starting to look at him strangely and James hated attention so he took out his phone and put it to his ear, pretending to be on his phone while he walked in the direction of his apartment. 

The girl ghost following at his side and James realised that watching people pass through her was going to be a sight he needed to get used to. 

"You'll help me right?" The girl asked, looking hopefully up at him. 

I don't exactly have the choice. James thought. But instead he asked, "I know that you told me you don't remember anything but is there seriously nothing you can provide me with, a clue or anything." A backstory would prove useful. 

"It was like I woke up from a long slumber, the moment I opened my eyes I was in the middle of the crowd. I freaked out as people passed through me like I was invisible and I couldn't touch or talk to anybody. I remember nothing of life, absolutely nothing, not my name, not my age, I don't even remember what I look like." 

"How long have you been here?" 

"I've been a ghost for many many years." 

James knew that this question was irrelevant given the circumstances but it was a question he was interested in knowing. 

"Can you see other ghosts?" 

"No." I'm the only one here. 

James hummed, he didn't know what he was expecting or what he was going to do with the information so he threw it at the back of his mind. 

"Can you tell me how old I look?" The girl asked. 

"You look like you're 17." He answered. 

"Oh, I guess I must have died young." She replied nonchalantly. 

Pity was the emotion that James felt. 

"I think that my amnesia is what is causing me to not be able to move on. I think that If I at least am able to regain my memories of who I am, I would be able to go where the dead is actually supposed to." 

James let his hand along with his phone slide down from his ear to open his apartment room door. 

"Do you usually not lock your door?" The girl asked, noticing his already unlocked door when they arrived and him not locking the door after entering the premise. 

James had no idea why but he suddenly grew embarrassed, it was a habit and he didn't think twice about how weird it would look to guests. "I was hoping a serial killer would come and kill me in the middle of the night." 

James had expected the girl to be creeped out or react in an uncomfortable manner from his statement, instead she smiled and said, "Leaving your doors unlocked screams attention, no one would want to walk in to your apartment, let alone a killer." 

James knew that his death seeking tendencies would be deemed weird so he refrained from telling anyone about his thoughts, but then again, talking to a ghost can't be any better, so he told the truth. The girl was unfazed. James wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she was dead. She didn't even react when he told her that she was only 17. Does being dead desensitise one?

"If we're going to start working together, you'll need to have a name, you can call me James." James started. Sleep long forgotten. 

The girl nodded at the mention of his name before saying, "I like the name Adrienne, I think I'll go with that."

James tested the name on his lips, he realised that it suited her, wondering if she picked that name randomly or the name actually held any significance to her. 

Now that they've got the introductions down, James was truly at a lost, what was he supposed to do now? He agreed to help her, but how? 

"I don't know how to help you. There's so many possibilities and close to nothing to go off. I can't go to the police, they'll think I've officially lost it." James voiced his helplessness.

"I don't think I like police as well. Maybe the past me didn't have a good experience with them."

"Perhaps I can bring you to see a medium or a psychic?" 

"What are those? I've never heard of them before."

"They are supposedly people that are able to communicate with the spirits." 

Adrienne seemed interested. She nodded her head in approval. 

James only seemed relief. At least she was easy to get along with. 

"I'll bring you to see them tomorrow, right now I just want to sleep." James mentioned.

Adrienne walked towards the door. 

"Where are you going?" James asked.

"I'll come back when the sun rises. I don't see any need for me to stay here." 

James knew that it was pointless anyway but he held the door opened for her. 

She smiled warmly at his gesture. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

And for the first time in 10 years, James locked his door. 
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