Page 9 of Threads of Fate

Chapter 5

Noah

God forbid this woman do something that may be good for her. The only reason I am in this house is because she wants to be. Why? I have no idea. She really is mildly crazy and this cements it. Who the hell would stay in a house that is haunted by weird glitching ghosts? If I hear one sound, we’re out. I’m going to throw her over my shoulder and toss her in my damn truck. She is the most stubborn being on this planet.

I wouldn't have her any other way though. I have been in love with her type of crazy for years. The way she still laughs even when people have judged her all her life, always whispering behind her back. Her snarky attitude. The way she doesn’t let anyone push her around. Clearly not even a ghost can push her around.

How she still finds joy in a town that has shunned her on more than one occasion. All because she sees ghosts. She could have probably hid that fact if the ghosts didn't torment her throughout our school years. Making it hard for her to keep that part of herself hidden.

She always acts as if it was never bad but I remember the red marks on her arms and wrists. Bruises on her arms like someone tried to hold her in place while she tried to escape. Ghosts trying to tell her something but never getting more than a word out and that word was always unintelligible.

Those moments left her drained and tired. She missed lots of school recouping. I always brought her homework over to her apartment and helped her get it done. I wasn’t the best tutor but we both passed.

Some of the ‘feral’ ghosts, as she calls them, have hurt her the worst. Leaving a mark more than physical, something that lingers in her mind. She still flinches when we walk past the alleyway beside the theater. I remember that like yesterday. That moment seared into me like a core memory.

“I will never watch that movie again. What the fuck was that?!” Dana yells at me while laughing. I chuckle and grab her hand, heading towards the movie theater exit.

We came to see a new horror movie that is clearly not sitting well with her. I laugh at her tirade as we leave. People give us strange looks as we maneuver through the crowds.

“That could be a very real documentary about me in the near future. ‘The possession of Dana Greenback’. I can’t with you right now. Thank you for sending me on my next spiral. You are a gem, Noah.” She whisper yells at me. Failing spectacularly when several heads turn our direction.

“You are being dramatic. It wasn’t even that bad. She just got chased around-”

“By a demon possessed body!”

“Dramatic.” I chuckle as I push the door open. I’m still holding her hand. She hasn’t pulled away and I’m not about to let go either. I know she is clinging to me solely because she’s being a chicken shit right now but I will enjoy it while it lasts. We turn left heading down the street to the parking lot to hop in her car.

“Should we get some Corner Cafe? Some real grub sounds good. My stomach is hating me for the amount of popcorn I just inhaled.” I rub my stomach with my free hand. “I have regrets and nausea.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I think I still have some antacids in your glove box for you.” I turn my head to her.

“You do not!” I scoff at her.

“Oh, I do. How many times have you eaten too much and made yourself sick? Or inhaled the large bucket of popcorn?” She raises her brows at me. Waiting for an answer.

We reach the end of the theater building when Dana is suddenly jerked back. I stumble slightly and whip around wondering who is messing with us. What I see though firmly cements that Dana is never safe. Her arm is pulled straight out and I can see indents of a hand on her forearm. She tries to pull back but whoever has her, has a steel grip. Dana starts yelling, panicking.

“Let go! Let go! I can’t help you!” I try to pull her arm below the elbow trying to break the spirits grip. I can see the drain it’s having on her. I can see her pulls are getting harder, almost lethargic.

People are starting to gather. Gawking at her. Maybe thinking she’s doing it to get attention. Well, this will be hot gossip for months. Nobody comes to help. The small crowd was just watching the second act.

I put my arms around Dana’s waist and yank her. Breaking the hold and probably hurting her at the same time.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I say pulling her up into my arms. I ignore the talk around me and get her to my truck. I put her in on the passenger side and ran to the driver side. As soon as we leave the parking lot she scoots across the bench seat and curls up under my arm.

“Do you want me to drop you off or do you want me to stay?”

“Stay, please.” She chokes out, gripping the side of my shirt.

I stayed with her that night. I helped wrap her wrist and ice it. I sat in her chair at the foot of her bed. When her mother came home and checked in on Dana, I had never seen anyone move so fast in my life. She had her hands wrapped around my neck ready to strangle me. I threw my hands up showing I was not a threat. When she realized it was me, I saw her deflate slowly. Putting away whatever crazy momma bear strength she had. She obviously wasn’t expecting a boy to be sitting in her daughter's room. I didn’t blame her but I did get up, leading her out into the hallway. When I explained what happened, Naomi's face went from murderous to fearful that night. She abruptly excused herself, letting me know I could stay the rest of the night. She left the hallway and hurried to her room. I sat back down in Dana’s chair and watched her all night without sleeping a wink.

I still wonder how she had never run into that ghost before. We had walked that same path a hundred times at least. We went to the movies often. That next day the rumor had spread wide. It was all over town. The amount of people who exaggerated the details was sickening. Saying she was floating, she was chanting, her eyes were black. The rumors were wild. The crowd around us was small, maybe seven people and by the next day basically the whole town knew some version of what had happened. I corrected the people who tried to embellish the details at school.

Classmates never understood my friendship with her but it wasn’t their job to understand. It was their job to mind their own business. That never happened though. Small town mentality is a thing. It’s exhausting. I only stay because I plan to take over the ranch when my parents decide to retire.

I wasn’t popular but I had a lot of ears. It was most likely because of my parents. Our ranch is very well known around here as it has been in the family before Plains was even a town. It was just a couple of farms before it became more populated.

People listened to me except when it came to Dana. She was the hot gossip. Always. I tried to curb the rumors. Correct things that happened. Some people would listen, others would not. Dana and I just figured those people were bored and had nothing else to do with their lives.

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