Shrugging, I sagged back into the kitchen chair that I’d confiscated years ago to use at my desk. We didn’t have a lot, and most of what we had was old, but I splurged on the various computers I’d bought over the years. It made it easier to do the necessary research that came with having my sleep plagued by dreams of otherworldly things.
“It’s nothing, really. Just not sleeping as well as I’d like.”
Her mouth formed a thin, tight line. “Your dreams,” she stated. She’d known before I’d found the words to express to anyone else the confusing visions and glimpses of people I’d never met and places I’d never been. They weren’t necessarily scary to me. Not until recently, anyway. Even now, I wouldn’t call them terrifying, but they were certainly disconcerting enough that I fought sleep, while it seemed to beckon me more and more.
“Yeah, they’ve been a little weirder than normal.” I hadn’t told her about what had been going on out at Willowhope Manor.
When I’d first mentioned that Jetty had started working there, she’d become agitated and spent the next several days in bed. Since then, I’d avoided any mention of the property. All I’d told her was that Jetty had a boyfriend now and that I spent a lot of time with them. What I’d failed to mention was that his boyfriend, Chance, had been called to the property from the other side and also happened to see ghosts.
Grandmother’s stance on the town of Willowhope being haunted had always been a little unclear to me. The rambling messages she used to give people seemed to suggest that she absolutely thought we shared our small beachside town with those who’d passed on, but when I brought it up at home, she’d merely smiled and changed the subject.
“Hm. Well, weird dreams call for my special hot chocolate, I think.” She turned and shuffled back out of the room while I stifled a groan.
The scoop of hot chocolate mix she put into the tepid milk didn’t cover up the odd flavor of whatever else she added to it or the thick texture of some form of root or weed that she chopped up into it. Quite honestly, it was terrible. She’d given it to me often as a child when the dreams had first started. But as I’d figured out how to find the places I’d dreamed of and went exploring, the dreams became more manageable, so she'd given it to me less and less over the years.
My phone chimed with a text notification, and my heart skipped a beat. There was a time when the only person I heard from was Jetty, but with him dating Chance, my social circle had somehow grown. Chance often reached out to me when a ghost came his way, and he needed information about what had happened to family members. It was easier for me to find out than it would’ve been for him with my job as a clerk at the township. I also enjoyed helping him. It felt more important than what I actually got paid to do.
Oftentimes, the lonely spirits he encountered crossed over once they realized how long they’d been wandering this plane and that there was a strong probability that they had descendants already waiting for them on the other side if they just went. Even though Chance owned a now-prospering bed and breakfast, he didn’t hesitate to stop what he was doing to help them move on.
But that wasn’t why my heart was currently skipping like a stone across a pond. Nor was it because I thought it might be Chance’s parents or our new friend, Scotty, all of whom liked to get together or just check in on me. It was the possibility that it might be Chance’s best friend, Skylar, who’d followed him from the big city.
Skylar twisted me up so badly I didn’t know up from down or right from left when he was around. Sky, who was vibrant with life and hummed with energy. I couldn’t figure out why he tried so hard to be a part of my life. I understood that our besties were dating and all, but that didn’t mean he had to give me the time of day, no matter how much I actually wanted him to.
Jetty used to defend me in school because people teased and mocked me for being big and goofy—for being different. I’d appreciated his friendship and loyalty, but he’d been fighting a losing battle. What they said about me was true. Iwasdifferent.
Years of dreaming about things I shouldn’t know, couldn’t possibly know in the natural world, had created an obsession in me about all things supernatural. If we weren’t talking ghosts, I had little to offer in any conversation and no real idea how to converse, even if I did. Yet Skylar treated me like I was one of his favorite people, like talking to me made his day. Hearing from him definitely made mine.
After checking my phone, my heart stopped abruptly for a beat before galloping away like a horse spooked by a gunshot. It was Sky.
Sky:Heyyyyyyy. Whatcha doing? I’m home now, and I’m bored. Wanna come over?
Glancing at the clock, I saw it was already 8:30 pm, and I had work tomorrow. Normally, that wouldn’t matter that much, but with my lack of sleep, I didn’t even think it was safe for me to drive out to Jetty’s old place where Sky was living.
Chance’s mom, Elyse, was training him in all things witchy—not that they referred to it that way—so he spent a lot of time at the B&B, but even that was too far. I rolled my eyes at myself. How did I tell him I couldn’t tonight without sounding like a boring old man instead of only being in my thirties?
Me:Sorry. My gran is making us hot chocolate right now.
Sky:Booooo. If you’d just let me come over, I could be having hot chocolate with you two.
I didn’t know why, but he’d been begging me relentlessly to come meet my gran. I couldn’t let him come over. She’d want to know how we met, and he’d get excited and start babbling away, and then she’d find out all about what I’d been up to lately. Would she approve? Who knew? But I couldn’t let her ask me not to go out to Chance’s place because I wouldn’t be able to help myself. Willowhope Manor and its property had given me access to all the things I’d been obsessed with my whole life, like seeing ghosts.
Me:Someday.
Sky:Yeah, yeah. You say that every time I ask.
Sky:Will you be here tomorrow night?
Sky:Mr. Harry said he’s making lasagna rolls because they’re your favorite.
How in the world did he text so fast?
Me:Yeah, I’ll be there. Tell Mr. Harry when you go over that he doesn’t have to go to any trouble on my account though.
Sky:LMFAO.
A GIF came through from him of a panda bear rolling down a hill. He often sent that to me with aLOLor aLMFAOor aBahahahaha, but I didn’t know why. I’d have to ask Jetty.
Sky:Did you fall and knock your head on something? Are you concussed? There’s no way I’m going up against Mr. Harry. Not even for you, Kingston. Sorry, not sorry, but I love my life, and I’m too young to end up haunting the manor.
