by A. J. Locke
But God, his lips, so soft and warm and as tantalizing as they had ever been, felt so good pressed against mine…
“What would it take to bring you back to me?” Micah whispered when we broke apart. His hands cupped my face and he’d pressed his forehead against mine. Tears splashed onto my hands and I didn’t know if they were mine or his. “What would it take, Selene?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “I…I don’t know if it’s as simple as that.”
Micah pulled back enough to search my eyes with his. “I love you,” he said. “And I will give you space even though it kills me to do so.”
“Micah…” He kissed me again, then let go of my face and grabbed his messenger bag.
“I am not giving up on us, Selene. I will do whatever it takes to bring you back to me. I swear it.”
I don’t know what I would have said to that because just then my phone beeped and it startled both of us. I picked it up to check the message, which was from an unknown number. Once I read the text, I realized it was from Carlos.
“Carlos has spotted one of the crossover ghosts,” I said to Micah. “On Liberty Island, of all places.”
“I’ll let Tielle know.” He was already pulling out his phone and heading to the door. He stopped and turned to me, but there was nothing more for us to say right now. So I just offered a little wave, then he nodded and left. I guess that meant the break was official.
I felt hollow. Part of me wanted to crawl into bed and have a good cry over all this, but tears would do me no good. This was what was best for us right now. I just hoped that things would get better. Somehow we had to dig our way out of the lies and personal decisions that devastated each other.
Once again, I needed to clear my head. Last time I’d gone for a run, it had helped once I forced myself to stop thinking about the things I needed space from. Plus, it would also help me work on getting my physical strength back because I didn’t think my doctors would accept violent altercations and explosions as acceptable strength training. I freshened up, threw on some warm workout clothes, and headed out for a run with the setting sun.
* * *
I jogged to my neighborhood park, then proceeded to run a few laps around it. The crisp, fall air on my face was a welcome contrast once I started sweating, and the longer I jogged, the better I started to feel, as though with every step my body was getting stronger. My upbeat music also helped, motivating me to keep pounding the pavement when I felt like stopping and running off to the nearest coffee house for some hot chocolate.
Around the middle of my fourth lap, I sensed that I was not alone. I had been the only one running around the park, and I still appeared to be, which was why the feeling that I was being watched was particularly unnerving. I slowed my run so I could have a better look at my surroundings. It was full nightfall, but there were numerous streetlights providing ample light. Still, the area was kind of quiet with only the occasional car driving by or person walking past, so I felt uneasy.
I soon realized that it was the presence of a ghost I had picked up on.
And then the ghost presented itself. I stopped running abruptly when I saw a male ghost step out from the shadows of a tree several yards ahead. But he wasn’t alone. Another male and a female also appeared. They all wore energy runes. From the sinister looks on their faces, I was sure they didn’t want to ask me directions to the nearest ghost agency.
“Selene Vanream,” the female said. She was petite with an unremarkable face, and brown hair that was the recipient of a bad haircut when she was alive. One of the males was stocky, dark-skinned and bald, and the other was tall and lanky with dark eyes and hair.
“Who’s asking?” I took my headphones out and shoved them and my phone into the carrying belt around my waist.
“Ain’t no one asking,” Baldy said. “We already know who you are.”
“That’s great. I don’t know who you are, but that’s fine too. So you three have a good night.” I wondered if these three ghosts were new or crossovers. No way to tell without asking them questions I was sure they wouldn’t take the time to answer.
In true Selene fashion, I had not brought my rune gun with me. I didn’t think I’d need it while out for a run. I should know by now that I’d need my rune gun even if I was just going to the damn bathroom.
I took a step back and they took one forward. I did it again, and they did the same. I stopped and sighed. Another ghost attack? Really? This was the last thing I needed. I was tired from my run and wanted to go home.
“What do you want?” I asked. “I’d ask if I did you wrong while you were alive, but I don’t even know who you are.”
“I’m Vivienne Cha—”
“Shut up!” Baldy said, nudging her. “Why the hell would you tell her your name?”
“Sorry,” she muttered, then resumed trying to look menacing. I almost laughed out loud, but had to keep in mind that I appeared to be in a dangerous situation.
“So I didn’t do anything wrong to you—”
“Oh, you’ve done plenty wrong,” Tall Guy cut in. “And now you’ve got to pay.”
“What a generic bad guy statement,” I said dryly. I don’t know if I was too wired to be scared, but I found myself more annoyed than anything that there was a blockade between me and home.
“Come on,” Vivienne said. “Let’s just do what we’re supposed to.”
My eyebrows rose. It sounded like they were here at the behest of someone else.
Interesting. And not good.
They advanced on me and I realized that now was the time to run. So I ran.
The trio started shouting and cursing as they pursued me. I dug deep, found whatever energy I had left, and put every ounce of it into running for my life. I ran into the park and had to deal with obstacles like benches and trees while I tried to get away. My wannabe attackers were relentless, and they were catching up.
I was tired to begin with, and the odds of three against one were not in my favor. Especially since they were ghosts and would not get tired. My throat burned, my chest was tight, my breath gasping. Sweat beaded my forehead and trickled down my back, but I kept running. The park was huge and I had run far into it, so now I really wished I would come to an exit and make it to a more populated area where they might hesitate to attack me.
It was no use wasting energy calling for help. There was no one around to hear me.
They were catching up and I was running out of steam, which was evident by the number of times I stumbled and almost face-planted the ground. The ghosts were coming after me like they were ravenous lions and I was the only antelope left in existence. Panic surged through me when it became evident that I was not going to win this chase.
Especially when I tripped and fell. The wind was knocked out of me so I could do nothing but lay there stunned. When they caught up, they made sounds of triumph. I shakily rolled onto my back and looked up at them. I tried to sit up, but only succeeded in getting halfway there until my limbs decided they no longer wanted to be my friends after all the running and falling. I couldn’t blame them.
“Couldn’t have asked for it to work out better,” Baldy said. It was then that I saw that he was holding a knife. All three of them were.
My eyes widened, and if possible, my heart started hammering even more.
No. Fucking. Way.
I struggled to my feet, and while I did so, Tall Guy advanced on me. I squared off with him, sore in every muscle of my body, but not prepared to get a taste of his blade. Tall Guy had no more cliché lines for me. He lunged, holding the knife out, but just before he reached me, I ducked and wrapped my arms around his waist. I threw my weight forward and we went crashing down. This time it was less jarring since he took the brunt of the fall.
He was unhappy that I hadn’t just stood there and gotten stabbed, and started thrashing. I grappled with him, trying to get the knife from him, but his wild swings were making it impossible since I also had to focus on not getting slashed.
He kneed me, causing me to detach and move back. With most of my weight off him, he quickly sat up and lunged at me with the knife. I moved to the side, grabbed his arm, and twisted it. He snarled, but didn’t drop the knife. Before he could get his arm free, I used my free hand and yanked his energy rune from around his neck. I fell through him and quickly rolled into a crouch. Now that he was intangible, he was no longer a threat. One down, two to go.
Vivienne jumped onto my back. The momentum caused us to fall, with me taking the worst of it. I tried to roll over and push her off me, but she had wild and sharply manicured ghost nails coming at my face so I had to throw my hands up to protect myself. She tried to get at my throat, and when she bent closer, I raised up and head-butted her as hard as I could. She yelped, and I used the moment to throw her off me. But before I could get up and start running again, I was dragged up, and Bald Guy had me in a full Nelson that I could not get out of.
“Die,” Baldy snarled. Moments later, Vivienne plunged her knife into my stomach. Searing pain shot through my body, and blood poured from the wound. With the blood it felt like my strength was also draining, and I sagged in Baldy’s hold.
“One more for good measure.” He pushed me to the ground, and I looked up just in time to see him bringing his knife down.
Just as I braced for impact, Baldy grunted and was suddenly airborne, flying away from me. Just as quickly, Vivienne was also dispatched with a yelp, and I was free, grateful, and confused. Until my eyes landed on my rescuer, who was standing a few feet away from me holding up the two energy runes he’d snatched from Vivienne and Baldy.
Kyosuke.
The name came to me in an instant, as did a flood of memories that would have knocked me on my ass had I not already been sitting down. It was him I’d seen in the Underground. And the niggling feeling in the back of my mind that I couldn’t dredge up had, in fact, been memories from when I’d been dead. Memories from when I’d been in the In Between and encountered Kyo, Renton, ghost monster pits, and some hulking ghost that attacked me right before it all went dark.
Kyo grinned at me.
“I save you in the Afterlife and now I save you on this side as well. I should start charging.”
“What would you need money for?” I shot back. I was shocked to see Kyo here, but not as shocked as I would have been if I didn’t already know that ghosts were crossing back over.
“I’m sure I could find something to spend it on,” he said before he turned around. My attackers were hovering nearby, looking at each other uncertainly.
“Now, here’s how I see it,” Kyo said. “You three no longer have the means to hurt my friend, but you’re welcome to try, although I should warn you that you’d have to go through me first. Even with three against one, I don’t think you’d like your odds.”
They looked at each other, then without saying a word, turned around and fled.
“I thought so,” Kyo said. He turned back to me.
“Well Selene, it’s nice to see you again but…” He trailed off and his eyes grew wide and concerned.
“What?”
“Not to be overly alarming, but are you aware that there is a knife plunged into your stomach?”
I hadn’t forgotten, but the initial pain had subsided. I looked down at my body. “Oh, right.”
“Oh, right?” Kyo repeated. “Shouldn’t your reaction be more along the lines of screaming and me looking to get you some help?”
“Not exactly.” I took a deep breath, grabbed the hilt of the knife, and pulled it out.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, that hurt.
I stayed hunched over, breathing hard for a minute while my vision crossed, nausea rolled through me, and my body tried to figure out just what the hell was going on. I tentatively touched my stomach, but though it was slick with blood, there was no wound.
“Um, wow,” Kyo said. “And…what?”
“Help me up, help me home, and we’ll talk. Between the two of us, I bet there’s a lot to cover.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Once we got back to my place, I almost felt back to normal.
I don’t think I would soon get to a place where I could fully comprehend that I was able to endure stab wounds and essentially shake it off. However, this was the third time I had been attacked with the intent to kill, so I wasn’t going to dwell on the impossible, mind-blowing aspect of it. I was just going to be grateful.
I left Kyo in the living room and went to take a shower. I came out to find him sitting on the couch staring in amazement at the television, which I had left on before going for my run because Luna didn’t do well when no one was home and the house was completely quiet. She was currently circling Kyo’s feet, sniffing him, and moving away when he reached out to her. She’d grown used to Ethan so she was probably wondering who this new ghost was. She trotted over when she saw me and I picked her up.
“This thing is incredible,” he said. “So there are people who spend their lives just acting things out every second of the day so you can be entertained?”
“Not quite.” I took the remote from him and changed the channel, instinctively putting on one of the channels Ethan used to love watching. Some anime show came on, one of the ones where people got into big metal suits—mechas, I think Ethan called them—and fought other people in mechas. The concept of anime was really lost on me.
“Whoa,” Kyo said. “Those aren’t real people. What is that?”
The bewilderment in his voice was highly amusing. “It’s a cartoon,” I said. “People draw pictures, then use various tools to make them move and they record human voices as their speaking voices.”
“Wow, someone drew all these moving pictures? And colored them?”
“Yup. But to answer your other question, yes, there are people who act and are recorded for our entertainment, but they don’t do it all day long. That would be quite impossible. The things you see with real people were recorded weeks, months, or even years ago. The people in them could be making new recordings right now or just living their lives until it’s time to record some more. Sometimes you can watch things going on in real time, which is called live, but it always ends at some point.”
Kyo sat back against the couch, shaking his head. “That is so weird,” he said. “I’ve been spending a lot of time in the Underground, so even though I have witnessed how different things are now, I have not had a lot of time to experience them.”
“When exactly did you die?” I asked.
“Hmm, calculating from what year I found out it currently is, I’d have to say it’s been about three hundred years.”
“Three hundred? Damn! Just about everything is different now.”
“Yes, I see people no longer get around by horse and carriage.”
“It’s a novelty these days. You can pay money to have someone drive you around a big park with your face in the back end of a horse. It’s supposedly romantic.”
Kyo laughed. “Not to you I see.”
“Definitely not my idea of romance.”
“What dance shall we dance, what darkness repel, what light shall be called forth for a chance to break your heart with my romance?”
My eyebrows rose. “Fancy yourself a poet, do you? If you worked, I’d tell you not to quit your day job.”
Kyo laughed. “I fancy myself a lot of things.” His face sobered. “But on to serious matters for a moment. Just how in the world did you survive getting knifed?”
“Part of my soul is missing. That’s pretty much the explanation. When I came back to life, part of my soul did not.”
“Oh…” Kyo was frowning deeply and seemed to be thinking something over.
“Oh?”
“The attack, right before you disappeared,” he said. “That ghost I’d been fighting, Garrus, was trying to absorb you. Ghosts organically strengthen the longer they are in the Afterlife, but the process can be accelerated by absorbing other ghosts. That’s what Garrus was trying to do to you, but he only got a small amount before
I got him off you.”
“Shit.” Well, that was some explanation. “So part of my ghost is just wandering around the In Between inside some asshole?”
“Pretty much,” Kyo said. “But that may not be the worst thing. You now have a direct connection to the Afterlife. Part of you, even if it is a small part, is technically still dead. And that’s why you can get knifed, then get up and walk away from it. The part of you that is dead absorbs the blow and leaves the rest of you alone.”
That was along the lines of Tielle’s explanation, but it was still crazy to hear.
“You’re becoming more and more intriguing by the minute, Selene.”
“You’re a mystery yourself,” I said. “Thank you for saving me back there, but how the hell are you even here, and how did you know where I was to rescue me? I know I’ve caught sight of you before, why didn’t you come up to me?”
“I wanted to reach out, but I needed to know I was safe first,” he said. “I spotted you but didn’t think it was the best time to make an appearance. And to be honest, I am not entirely sure how I ended up back on this side. Therefore, I thought I’d lay low and try to figure things out and learn about the current times. I found my way to the Underground, which is something that existed even in my time, and was able to procure some energy runes as well as a lot of updates about your modern world.”
“You still could have shown yourself. I could have helped catch you up.”
Kyo shrugged. “My sense of self-preservation kept me in the shadows. But I kept an eye on you. That’s how I saw you getting attacked. What was that all about?”
“I don’t know. I have no clue who they were and why they wanted to kill me. I think they were working for someone. Which is a headache I don’t even know how to deal with. Especially if—like you—they aren’t even supposed to be here.”
“What do you mean?”
“You aren’t the only ghost from the other side who ended up back here. There are at least five more.” I then recalled the ghosts I had seen when I was searching for Ethan in the Underground that had been wearing clothes from different eras. It was likely that they were crossovers too. “Actually, there are probably a lot more than five.”