He laughed as he let the hot water wash over him. After the night he had, a shower was exactly what he needed.
"I'll do my best."
Cindy's voice shouted from the living room.
"Did you ruin another shirt?"
*****
Alex regretted not taking the day off.
He felt like a zombie as he drifted through work. His mind played tricks on him, no doubt from a lack of sleep. There were times at the warehouse that everything seemed absurdly clear. He could hear conversations from across the floor, pick up details about his coworkers that he'd never noticed before. Then not even a minute later, it was like he was swimming through mud, unable to process anything. If he made it through the day without crashing the forklift into something, it would be a small miracle.
"Alex! Hey, Alex!"
He recognized his name. Bringing the forklift to a stop, he searched around him for the source of the voice. Finally, he saw Paul, his supervisor, standing not ten feet away, jumping and waving his arms.
"Teague!" Paul shouted. "Earth to Alex! Do you copy?"
"Yeah." Alex blinked, trying to focus his vision. "What's up?"
"Come with me a sec."
Alex groaned. He knew it probably wasn't a How about those Orioles talk. Adjusting his safety glasses, he climbed off the forklift and wiped dirt from his clothes.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
He said nothing. His brain was in too much of a fog to play a guessing game. Paul laughed and pointed at the forklift behind him.
"You want to shut that down?"
Luckily, Alex had to turn his back to reach for the forklift ignition. That way Paul couldn't see his face turning red.
He followed Paul across the warehouse. Paul was a good supervisor. Most of the warehouse liked working for him. The only issue was Paul's tendency to work from home, which most of the plant interpreted as napping on the couch. His office was in the corner of the warehouse, and Alex had to put up with the comments as they walked.
"Hey, look! Teague's in trouble again!"
"Aww, Alex! What did you do?"
"Don't worry, man. I'll call Cindy and let her know you got sent to the principal's office."
Alex rolled his eyes. He took most of the joking in stride, but the repeated comments about Cindy drove him crazy. Cindy was attractive, and the warehouse knew it. They saw fit to remind him of that fact while staring holes through her whenever she visited. He almost dreaded whenever she offered to stop by for lunch.
He followed Paul into his domain. His office was less of an office, and more like four shaky walls and a patchwork ceiling. It barely kept the noise out. Alex admired what he'd done with the limited space. A white-board was on one wall, pictures of his wife and daughter on the other. Paul gestured to one of two chairs across from his desk.
"Have a seat."
Alex did so, trying to think of anything he'd done wrong recently.
Paul took a dramatic breath as he sat behind his desk. Alex wondered if he was actually being fired.
"Yesterday, you loaded the wrong freight on the wrong truck. Again."
"Ah, man," Alex said, frowning. "Are you kidding?"
"I wish I was. Is everything okay? You haven't been yourself lately. Even now, you look like you're high on something."
"No way. C'mon, Paul, you know better than that."
"What is it, then?"
Paul was actually looking for an answer. Alex didn't know what to say.
"I just haven't been sleeping well lately."
"Alex, you can't spend every night banging that new wife of yours."
He held in a scowl, and forced a smile. It was difficult pretending like Paul had told a very funny joke.
"I'll get it together," Alex said. "I promise. Things are just a little crazy right now."
"Oh, hey. I know what you mean. I've been married twice. But, eventually—"
The blood-curdling scream came out of nowhere. Alex gripped the sides of his chair, his hands hurting from squeezing so hard. Paul continued to talk about something that Alex no longer heard. Only Alex heard the scream, and it took all his willpower not to jump out of the chair. The sounds of the warehouse and Paul's droning went on without missing a beat.
Suddenly, she was standing behind him.
"What the hell?!" she shouted. "What—?"
The mystery ghost was beautiful. She wore a gray skirt with a white blouse and vest, looking very professional. Alex watched her carefully without being obvious that he saw her. She looked around the office, not recognizing where she was.
"Where am I?" she said. "The truck. Oh my God. He didn't stop."
Alex glanced at the picture on the wall. It was Paul's wife.
His breath hitched in his chest. He'd seen it before. A fresh ghost, after loosening from the body, could end up in several places. Most, it seemed, stood outside their corpse. Others went to places of comfort, like their home. Sometimes those places of comfort were people.
Like a husband.
Paul didn't know it, but whatever he was saying was meaningless. No lecture of Alex's work habits could match what was happening in his life at that moment. Alex watched in horror as Paul's wife slowly absorbed more pieces of the puzzle behind him.
"I was taking Lisa to school. The truck…." She went quiet. Leaning forward, she tried to put a hand on Paul's desk, only for her arm to slip through. She fell to one knee and looked at her husband next to her. "Paul? What's happening?"
"Alex?" Paul said. "Are you there? Have you listened to anything I've said?"
"Yeah," Alex lied.
"Oh, no," she said. "I'm…no. No no." She stood up. "Julie! Where are you? Paul? Can you hear me?"
"So, how is the family?" Paul asked. "Is everything going okay on the home front?"
Alex looked down at the floor, trying to ignore the crying ghost behind Paul.
"We're good. Cindy's great. I got real lucky there. We've known each other forever, so being married hasn't really been weird for us so far."
Paul smiled. "I know what you mean about luck." He pointed to the picture on the wall. "It took me two tries for my luck to finally kick in. Ann is amazing. Gave me a wonderful daughter. I don't know what I'd do without her. No matter what, keep your family close."
Ann tried to hug Paul around the shoulders, but couldn't. She broke down crying, on her hands and knees. It was one of the most difficult things Alex had seen in his entire life. Paul smiled, laughed, told a joke about how Ann and their daughter Julie fought over which bathroom was theirs. He was unaware that his life would never be the same.
Only Alex knew, and he could say nothing. Not without giving up many of his secrets. He wasn't ready for the people he worked with everyday to know about who he was. He wasn't sure if he would ever be ready.
"Do you plan on having kids?" Paul asked.
Alex wanted to run. He wanted to escape, hide in a corner, forget about Ann crying behind her husband. But all he could do was answer the question and avoid looking at her.
"We've talked about it," he said, his voice shaking. "We're not really too sure. It's years away, anyway. Listen, I'm not feeling too well." Alex grabbed his stomach for effect. "I might have to hit the bathroom."
"Okay. Don't worry about management. I smoothed it over, I don't have to write you up or anything. But tell Cindy to give the naked mambo a break. Get some rest."
"You got it. Thanks, Paul."
"Yeah. Holler if you need me for anything."
Alex stood and turned, and only then could he relax somewhat. He almost felt a tear coming on as he left the office. Sometimes his powers were a wonderful experience. Then there were the times he wished he didn't have them.
*****
The lunch bell was music to Alex's ears, as well as his coworkers, his fellow brothers-in-arms. It was like the last day of school as the bell echoed throughout the warehouse. Everyone dropped what they were doing and ran for the doors. Cars peeled out of the parking
lot. They only had a half hour for lunch, and they had to make every minute count. The seasoned veterans sped down the road, already knowing exactly where they were heading. Alex spotted a group of rookies, casually walking to the lot, debating on where to go. Those were the ones who would be back late.
Alex had to nearly dodge a car leaving the lot. It was dangerous to be on foot at his work at lunchtime.
Behind the parking lot was a wooded area with a few picnic tables. On nice days Alex liked to eat in the shade, enjoy the weather. It was still unseasonably warm in October. He wanted to enjoy as much time outside as he could. There was the added lunch bonus of being able to talk to Cindy, through texting on his phone.
He was in the middle of idle chat with her, talking about their days, when Paul sprinted out of the warehouse. Alex put his phone on the table, unable to take his eyes off his supervisor.
He couldn't even imagine what Paul was going through.
The look on his face said it all. Paul had received the call telling him his wife was gone. Alex didn't know whether his daughter was alive or not. He prayed she was. He half-expected Ann to come running out of the warehouse with him, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Paul jumped in his car and drove away as fast as he could.
"I'm sorry," Alex whispered aloud. "Good luck."
Glancing down at his half-eaten sandwich, he'd lost his appetite.
Alex noticed a woman wandering the lot near the warehouse dock doors, seemingly lost. He couldn't make out many details from his position behind the parking lot, but she looked young. She was probably one of the girlfriends that occasionally showed up to take her boyfriend out to lunch. The warehouse wasn't easy to navigate, and Alex's coworkers took great pleasure in sending some of them all over the place.
He was impressed with himself, as he'd learned a new skill. On his phone, he'd managed to split the texting app and Internet browser, and was chatting with Cindy while also searching the local news. Information traveled fast in the world they lived in, but there was nothing yet on Paul's family. Nausea settled in as he thought of Paul's wife, Ann, desperately trying to get his attention.
Alex could have helped. He could have told Paul about his ability to see ghosts. All he had to do was take Paul's hand, and husband and wife would have been able to talk to each other. Case closed, as he liked to say.
But he chose the normal instead.
He tried to give himself a break. Allowing Paul to talk to Ann would have brought to light his unusual gifts. There would have been no way to prevent that from spreading all over the warehouse. It would have changed his life, and possibly not for the better.
He texted Cindy about what happened earlier in the day, and how he was kicking himself. Cindy's simple response brought a smile to his face. She had that magic about her.
You did the right thing. I love you. I'll take care of you when I get home.
Movement in the parking lot caught his attention. Looking up from his phone, the woman from before still wandered the lot, walking in between cars. Alex laughed to himself at the thought of her possibly being drunk. She peered into random car windows, and he wondered if she was actually looking to steal something.
With her being closer, he could pick out more details about her. He was correct about her being young. She was younger than he thought, maybe seventeen or eighteen. There was a slight geeky look about her. She wore glasses that were too large for her face. Her light brown hair hung in her eyes, which she constantly pushed away. Alex liked her clothes. A simple pair of jeans with sandals, along with a magenta shirt with a cartoon cat on it. Quirky and funny. It was much different than what others her age might wear. As an older brother, there were times Alex wanted to smack Alicia for her wardrobe choices, especially now that she was dating Kevin. Less wasn't always more, but she loved to make the witch drool.
They made eye contact. She frowned, and seemed to be studying him as much as he did her. Alex wasn't sure why. Eating lunch alone wasn't nearly as suspicious as loitering about a place of business.
She made a beeline toward him. He sighed and put his phone down as she headed his way. Her frown deepened as he watched her. She turned once, to see if he was looking at someone behind her. Her glasses sat lower on her nose than they were supposed to. She fixed them with a quick poke.
"Hi," he greeted as she approached. Alex tried to think of who she could be looking for. "Are you here for Billy? If you go to the front desk, they'll page him—"
"So," she said, putting her hands on her hips as she stood over him. "You're the one that can talk to ghosts."
Alex took note of her sarcasm, the edge in her voice. He smiled in return, hoping his unpleasant mood was obvious. It had already been a bad day.
"That's me. I can talk to ghosts." He animated spookiness with his hands. "Commune with the dead."
Her lower lip twitched. Her eyes turned glossy. She pushed hair from her face as she suddenly struggled to breathe.
"I'm…dead," she said. She was on the verge of breaking down. "I'm a ghost. I'm dead."
"Oh God, I'm sorry," Alex said, jumping to his feet. A ghost that willingly revealed themselves often didn't trigger his cold chill. He felt horrible as he rushed to her side. "I…didn't know. Are you okay?"
"Am I okay?" she repeated, laughing and crying at the same time. "What does that even mean?"
Alex took her by the hand. She let him lead her to the picnic table. After taking a step, her eyes bugged out of her head.
"You can touch me?"
"I can," he said, offering a genuine smile this time. "One of my little perks."
She nearly jumped into his arms, nearly knocking him over. Alex hugged her while keeping an eye on his surroundings.
"I can feel you," she said, her words almost unrecognizable. "I can actually feel you. You're so warm."
"Yeah, well." He pried himself loose and held her at arm's length. "Let's relax a little on the hugging, okay?" He glanced at the parking lot. "People are starting to come back from lunch."
"I'm sorry. I just…."
She didn't finish. She sobbed in between heavy breaths. Alex waited patiently. He wished he could offer her a tissue. It was a strange sight to watch tears run down her cheeks, then disappear as they fell. As absurd as it was, he couldn't shake the thought that he'd never seen a ghost with glasses before.
"I'm Kylie."
"Alex."
They shook hands. He wondered how long Kylie had been a ghost. Her raw reaction suggested not long. Days, perhaps? He tried to push away sadness at the thought of a girl who'd barely started on life having to adjust to being a spirit.
"I was starting to think I'd never find you," she said. "I need your help."
The lunch bell rang. Everyone slowly made their way back to the warehouse, emptying their vehicles. Several cars sped recklessly into the lot, looking for the first spot available. Alex wanted to talk, but his main job came first. It had to. It paid the bills, at least for now.
"I'm sorry, but I have to get back to work."
Kylie wrinkled her nose as she looked him up and down.
"I thought you'd be older, and less…dirty. What do you do here?"
Alex wasn't sure whether to be offended or amused. He chose amused as he stood up.
"I didn't know there was a minimum age to be able to talk to ghosts."
"Oh! I didn't mean it like…." She struggled for words. "I'm sorry. Just ignore me."
He laughed. "I get off work at four. Can you be here? We can talk then."
"Yes. Believe me, I'll be here."
"Okay. I'll see you then."
She grabbed his hand as he walked away.
"Thank you," she said. "Even other ghosts have given me a cold shoulder, and I thought we were supposed to help each other out. So…thank you for not ignoring me."
He squeezed her hand. "You're welcome."
Alex hid a frown as he walked away, trying to push back bad memories. The last time a ghost asked for his help at w
ork was only a month ago. He ended up fighting for his life. If it wasn't for the help of Jack Kursed, he'd be a ghost as well.
He would be very cautious in talking with Kylie.
CHAPTER 5
Alex waited several minutes when the bell rang at four o'clock. He punched out and sat in the break room. He wanted the parking lot to have cleared out by the time he left the warehouse. Several times in the past he'd been caught by other employees talking to thin air. His reputation had already taken a hit, with him labeled strange. There was no need to push the title any further.
Kylie was sitting exactly where he'd left her at lunch, at the picnic table. He wondered if she even left at all. She stood up when she saw him, but didn't move. Alex leaned against his truck and gestured with his head as best he could, signaling her to approach. A group of employees hung out by their cars a few spots over, talking and laughing like they always did. They discussed plans for the evening, which bar they were going to, whose house they were going to crash.
"Hey, Teague!" Damien shouted. He was the leader of their group. "You want to head out with us tonight?"
"Ah, no thanks," Alex said. "I've got too much to do. I'll probably pack it in early."
He wondered how long it would take for someone to bring up his wife.
"How about Cindy?" Damien asked.
Apparently not long.
"Yeah!" Mitch said, pumping his fist. "She can stay at my place."
Alex forced a smile. Good-natured joking or not, he couldn't wait for the warehouse to focus on someone else's attractive significant other.
"Sorry, guys. She's in with me tonight."
"Damn," Damien said. "Maybe next time, then."
The guys went back to conversing amongst themselves. Alex turned to check on Kylie, only to see her standing three feet away. He jumped and put a hand to his chest. Ghosts didn't make noise when they walked. Technically, they didn't walk at all. They could be as quiet as they wanted, or shake a house with the force of an earthquake.
"Sorry," she said. "Didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay. Trust me, I've seen scarier things. Do you mind if we go back to my house? I really want to get away from here."
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