“Wait. So you didn’t put that mark on him,” Macklin states rather than asks, like he’s starting to see where this is going.
I furiously shake my head side to side and once again point an angry finger in Knox’s direction, really hammering this point in.
“Hmm,” Macklin murmurs. “He didn’t do this. Something must have happened when the two of you saw each other. Did either of you feel anything?”
Both of us shake our heads this time.
“Interesting. We need to figure out what this means. But wait, you motioned to your wrist," he says as if he's having an epiphany. Looking at Knox, he continues, "You were rubbing your wrist as if you could wipe the mark off." He looks back at me. "Then suddenly you were here?"
I nod with a purse of my lips, throwing my hands to my hips in what I hope illustrates my level of indignation. There is no way this was all just an accident.
“Is she trying to say that Knox called her here by rubbing on his mark? The one she swears she didn’t have anything to do with?” Cole asks doubtfully, aiming a glare in my direction.
I’ve opened my mouth, ready to show him just where he can shove that doubt he’s throwing my way, when Knox cuts me off.
“Whoa. Calm down, little ghost. This is all just a little confusing. He didn’t mean anything by it. Plus, he’s naturally a prick, so you might as well get used to it.”
“Hmph!” I release the pent up breath I had been holding in and cross my arms over my chest. I hate when a well-deserved tantrum is interrupted.
“Let’s give it a try,” Macklin invites eagerly. “Fate, you go...wherever it is you go when you’re not here with us. Let’s see if Knox can call you back.”
I look at him for a moment, trying to discern his angle here. Is he really trying to help, or is this all some sort of game? Can I trust him? Can I trust them? That little wary voice in my head says I need to be careful, that I could get hurt, but my heart wants me to throw myself at them and never let go. When did I become so damn fickle?
Macklin is watching me patiently, waiting for me to make a decision. He isn’t pushy or demanding. He looks a little curious, almost hopeful, and a lot excited.
I’m starting to think maybe they know as little as I do. Decision made, I nod before poofing myself back into my little attic space. Poofing isn’t the technical term for it, but cut a ghost girl some slack. It’s been quite an eventful morning already.
I’m not waiting long before I feel the burn, followed by a sort of itch. As I begin to go hazy again, I try to fight it, try to stay locked in place, but it doesn’t work. Before I know it, I’m once again standing in front of Knox. Like I’m a damn genie or something.
I glare up at him, not at all happy that he has this power over me.
“Well, obviously that worked,” Macklin exclaims, way more excited about this than I am.
Knox leans down near my face and whispers loudly, “Don’t worry, little ghost. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.” Then he winks.
His nearness, along with that easy charm of his, sets all my nerves a buzz. I can’t even respond as I’m held captive by his hazel eyes.
“What the hell does all of this mean, Macklin?” Cole snaps.
Macklin glances my way. He takes me in, his brown eyes considering all of the details we’ve just learned and formulating a hypothesis. I wish he was using his uber smarts to somehow formulate a plan to make me real again because damn, these guys have me worked up something fierce. What? This ghost girl can dream.
“We’ve seen firsthand her level of power and heard about the history of the house, the stories of people experiencing all sorts of phenomena. It’s what brought us here in the first place.” He pauses for a moment. When he continues, though his response is aimed at Cole, his eyes never leave mine. “I honestly believe we were drawn here for her, not the house or the area.”
Then he speaks directly to me. “Don’t worry, Fate. We’re here now. You’re not alone anymore.”
And I melt, the rightness of those words settling somewhere deep inside me. They’re here...for me. My soul wants to weep at the thought.
My eyes are holding his like they’re my lifeline. There’s a softness there but also a hidden strength he doesn’t let many see. He doesn’t pity me. He simply understands and wants to help.
I mouth a simple, “Thank you.”
He whispers back, “You’re welcome.”
The laptop screen is starting to blur. I rub the heels of my hands over my weary eyes, exhausted after analyzing the data we’ve collected over the last few days. The voice recorder was a bust, and that is highly disappointing. I expected to capture at least a few solid EVP - electronic voice phenomena - considering her level of power and the fact that she tends to rant and ramble to herself a lot. That much we’ve all noticed. Honestly, though, I really just want to hear her. Talk, laugh, something. A part of me is desperate for that connection to her, and that thought is a little disconcerting. Lack of evidence usually doesn’t cause a pit of sadness in my chest. I make a mental note to think more on that later. I’m not usually one for avoidance, but this seems as good as time as any to start.
I’ve been sifting through the video evidence for so long now that I feel like my body has melded with the chair I’ve been sitting on. And still no sign of our beautiful spectral resident. Sure, she’s been manifesting in front of the group fairly often over the last few days, almost like she knows when we’re talking about her and refuses to be left out of the discussion, but I was hoping to catch a glimpse of her unaware. Learn more of what makes her tick when she’s not putting on a face for our benefit.
She still doesn’t trust us, not that I blame her. I’m sure spending ten years isolated and alone has really affected her ability to open herself up to anyone new - people and spirits alike. I have to remember this is all uncharted territory for her as well.
“Any luck with the video?” Cole asks from the doorway to our command center.
It’s really just a storage room that I claimed early on as a place to set up the numerous computers, charging stations, and other spare equipment we’ll use during our time here. As one of the only empty rooms on the main level, it gives us plenty of space to work with. No windows means no light or sounds from the outside to distract or interrupt us when we’re reviewing all the material we’ve recorded. It’s also an ideal place to watch the live video feed from the cameras we have set up around the house.
I pick up my glasses and put them on before turning to Cole. “Nothing on the voice recorder. Video is coming up empty so far as well.”
“Any luck with the research on the property?”
“I’m expecting a call from the local library any time now. They were hunting down some old news articles for me that were only available on microfiche. They expected it to take a few days to get it all together.”
“Has she dropped in on you at all? I know she’s been showing up to all of our group meetings, and she’s spending a lot of alone time with Knox. I swear, if he’s giving her confidential information, I’m going to throat punch him.”
“I haven’t seen her outside of the group meetings.”
“Okay. Keep me posted if she starts coming around. There’s something about her that makes me uneasy. If you find anything about the property that’s worth discussing, send a text to the group so we know we’ll need to meet up. I’m going to do a more thorough search of the attic and see if I find anything there. Thad and Levi have the basement. I’ll check back in later.”
With that, Cole walks out. No goodbye or see you later. His mind is already on his next task, leaving little room for small talk. He’s visibly irritated, or maybe distracted is a better word, and I’m not sure what to make of that. He’s normally so self-assured and confident that seeing him off his game is a little disconcerting. But hasn’t she done that to all of us? Thrown us off and forced us into circumstances we aren’t exactly used to or comfortable with?
I’d
meant it when I told her that we’re here for her now. Her predicament is enough to send my mind into a million different directions, all of them wanting to solve the mystery of her existence. But there’s also something about her that draws me in just as much, if not more. For the first time, I don’t need a puzzle to piece together or a riddle to decode to capture my interest. She’s done that all on her own without even trying. The fact that she’s a ghost rather than a living, breathing woman simply makes it less intimidating and takes the pressure off. I don’t have to try to be someone I’m not.
The other guys have never suffered from lack of female companionship. Women have come and gone throughout the years, none of them sticking around for more than a night or two. When you move around as much as we do, long-term relationships just aren’t in the cards.
As the resident and self-admitted nerd of the group, I’ve always been too busy to bother with dalliances. Honestly, I’m much more comfortable in the background, working out our next steps once Cole has decided on a path and making sure we’ll have what we need to get us there. My ability, this endless well of information that I can pull from at any given moment, has gotten us to where we are today but isn’t really a highly sought after trait with women.
Need a map of the area? I can help with that, no Google Maps required. Need to know what the average temperature of Nebraska is in the middle of June? Roughly seventy-two degrees - in case anyone was wondering. If it’s factual information you seek, I’m your guy. Our team definitely utilizes that fount of knowledge on a daily basis. There are plenty of other things, though, that I can’t answer. Things about an individual’s life or circumstances, for instance. I could have saved us years of useless searching otherwise. Though I suppose all of our seemingly meaningless wandering has brought us here, to her.
Until now, women have never really held my attention long enough to pull me away from my instinctive quest for answers.
Until her.
It might be the sense of familiarity we’ve all admitted we feel when we’re around her. It might be the way her eyes light up when she’s worked up into a fury. It could be the sheer mass of power she somehow contains within that lithe ghostly body of hers. Or it could just be the simple yet stunning smiles she’s graced me with that have made me a bundle of nervous mush where she’s concerned.
And I know it’s not just me.
Knox is borderline obsessed, seeming to seek her out on an hourly basis. Something about their linked emotions has formed a strong and immediate connection between the two. He may use his looks and skills to get what we need when we’re out hunting down information for our research, or on the rare occasions we go out for entertainment, but I know it’s really all for show. Down deep, he’s as desperate for a real connection as I am.
Meanwhile, the twins are jealous of the attention she gives Knox. They’re doing their damndest to tempt her away, and I’m sure they’ll succeed eventually. Apparently, the whole twin thing is a big draw, and girls just swoon over the chance to be with two guys at once. I mean, they share everything else, why not women too? Personally, I don’t get it, not that I have much experience, but to each their own.
Cole, on the other hand, is openly hostile toward her, practically snarling in her direction any time she’s close by. His attitude is something I can’t explain. He’s never been the social butterfly of the group, hell, he’s almost more closed off than I am, but his obvious contempt seems unwarranted and is starting to grate on everyone’s nerves - including my own.
The Mario theme song starts playing somewhere in the room, startling me.
Dun dun dun - dun dun da dun.
I search the tops of both desks and under the table on the far wall before I find my cell. Unfortunately, I’ve missed the call, but I recognize the number as the library. Looks like it’s time to get some answers.
“What the hell am I doing here, mate?” asks Knox, for what seems like the millionth time. I’m seriously questioning my logic in bringing him along on my library adventure at this point.
“Mate? Really? Have you been watching the Crocodile Hunter again?”
“What? I’m trying out something new. I mean, it’s your fault for telling me that mate actually derives from the German word gemate which means to share a meal at the same table. That makes us mates. It’s kinda catchy.”
“Remind me to never share knowledge with you again. It gives you crazy ideas.”
He just rolls his eyes.
“Anyway, you’re here to help me sift through this mountain of information. The others are busy scouring the house for clues.”
“Who are we? The gang from Mystery, Inc?”
I just cut a glare in his direction.
“Fine,” he sighs, “and what are we looking for exactly?”
“Anything unusual that might give us a lead on Fate’s background. I’ve requested all records from the last hundred years or so.”
“Dude, that’s a lot of data. You’ll never get through it all.”
“Hence the reason you’re here with me. You can sort out the irrelevant information, so I can focus on the important details. This should help me later. Since I’ve been exposed to it, I’ll be able to recall all of the facts and can piece together a theory a lot faster.”
“Lucky me," Knox mumbles as he bites into an apple.
“You know there’s no food allowed in here, right?”
“Does it look like I give a damn? You want me here, this is what you get. Do you want me hangry, or do you want me helping?”
“Helping. Definitely helping. I’ve seen you hangry, and it’s worse than a mogwai fed after midnight.”
“Then you’re safe from the gremlin. For now. So, where do I start?”
Debate settled, we finally get down to business. Sitting at a table deep within the library where they have their microfiche machines, I get him set up. The librarian provided everything she could find. News articles for the surrounding area dating back a hundred years. Title transfers and tax documentation on the house from the time it was built back in 1865. Any and all photographs taken at or near the property.
There is a real possibility we’ll be here all night.
“What do you think happened to her?”
Before answering, I take a moment to contemplate his question while flipping through the first article.
“We know so little about her and her situation, but I know it can’t be a coincidence that her story so closely resembles ours. The only difference is that we aren’t spirits. Hopefully we find something here that will help us unravel both mysteries.”
“Do you think…” he trails off, and I notice him running his fingers over her mark on his wrist.
“Do I think...?”
He hesitates, obviously reluctant to say what’s on his mind.
“Do you think she’s really a ghost?”
“I think the activity we’ve witnessed so far leads to her being a spirit stuck in the mortal realm as the most likely explanation. She must have something left unresolved, or the circumstances surrounding her death were so violent that she can’t find her way to the other side.”
“You don’t think her abilities - the fact that they far exceed the average poltergeist - or her incredible self-awareness might indicate she’s something...more?”
“I suppose anything is possible. Look at us, after all. The evidence, however, doesn’t necessarily fit with that theory.”
“I just…” He pauses, running his hand through his hair, his tell. He’s unsure, and that frustrates him. He angrily chucks the apple core into the garbage can at the end of the table. “She feels so much more than any spirit we’ve ever encountered. The emotions I get from her are more like what I get from you guys or other living beings. The fact that hers seem so intimately tied to mine...I don’t fucking know.”
I study him for a moment. Knox has always been more sensitive than the rest of us. Which is only logical considering he’s bombarded by emotions twenty-four hours a d
ay seven days a week. His line of questioning, though, has me wondering if this obsession is far more serious than I even anticipated. The answer is obvious.
“You’ve developed feelings for her.”
“What? No. Of course not,” he denies quickly, absently rubbing his wrist.
“Knox, I’ve known you for fifty years, and I’ve never seen you like this. Constantly wanting to be near a woman. Worried about her. Caring about her. I get it. You formed a deep bond with her rather quickly. It would make sense if you feel deeply for her, but I have to suggest proceeding with caution. At the end of the day, she’s still an apparition. She’s not alive. Her future ended the day she died, and a relationship can’t go anywhere.”
Somewhere, deep in the recesses of my mind, I repeat that mantra to myself. More than once.
“Obviously I know that. I just can’t help feeling like she’s meant to be here. Not just with me. With all of us. I can’t explain it, but it feels like it’s always just been this way.” He pauses for a moment, then releases a deep sigh. “But you’re right. Maybe I need to back off for a while. Give myself some space. Maybe it’s just the fast connection and close confines of the house that are making this connection seem like more than it is.”
“I think that’s a smart idea. Take some time. Clear your head.”
He nods and turns back to the machine. I can tell he isn’t happy with my suggestion, but I know Knox will do what needs to be done. Though I’m sure it won’t be easy given that Fate isn’t held by the same earthly confines we are. Locked doors are no match for her.
It feels like we’ve been sitting at these machines for hours when Knox’s sudden exclamation has me almost knocking my coffee right off the side of the table.
“Crikey, mate! I think I’ve got something! Look at this.”
I narrow my tired eyes at him.
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist. Seriously though, I found something.” He points to an old photograph showing the back portion of the property.
A Fate Unknown: A PNR, Why Choose Novel (The Ghost Girl Series Book 1) Page 6
