Reverse This Curse

Chapter Five

"Ask him to leave and he makes himself comfy on my bed. On my bed! Who does he think he is?” Erin muttered to herself as she walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

“Who are you talking to?” her dad asked as she walked into the kitchen and she stopped still, turning to see him sitting at the dining room table, a mug in his hands and his expression confused.

“Myself,” she answered, sighing and turning away from him to open the fridge.

“Ok then,” he said from behind her.

He knew she’d developed her gift and thought his daughter was talking to a ghost. He had always noticed the little things, like the little crinkle between her eyebrows when she was deep in thought.

“I got a really horrible shock today,”Erin said, turning around with the cold bottle in her hand and her dad’s brown eyes widened encouragingly, though the knowledge danced behind his eyes.

“I saw my first ghost and he's really annoying and I don't know how to get rid of him and he wont leave me alone until I agree to help him but I can't agree to help him because I don't know how to help him—” she rushed in one breath, stopping only to inhale deeply and refuel her lungs. “And now he wont leave me alone and I can't get rid of him. What do I do?” she finished, staring at her dad, pleadingly though he only stared at her blankly, his salt and peppered short, dark hair now accommodating his eyebrows.

He inhaled deeply and looked down. “I'm not sure I'm the right person to ask there, kiddo. I have no idea what to say.” He shrugged, looking helpless and guilty over the fact that his daughter needed help and he couldn't offer her any, being as clueless to the psychic deal as she was.

"You should ask your mother that one,” he offered and Erin sighed, slumping against the fridge door and nodding.

“Ask me what?” a female voice asked before the short, blonde woman that the voice belonged to, entered the kitchen, grabbing the mug of tea from the counter beside Erin and sitting down opposite her husband.

“Erin saw her first ghost,” he said proudly and her mother’s jaw dropped, steely blue eyes bugging out, before she turned to her, gaping like a fish.

“A ghost? You? Really?” she asked incoherently, shocked that she hadn't birthed the only female in a very long family line without the ability to contact the dead. Now, though, with the unwanted arrival of Jake, she could rest easy that she hadn't stopped the family line of psychics.

“My mum can finally stop telling me I had damaged eggs! I knew that one glass of wine when pregnant didn't have any damage!”

Erin’s jaw dropped, aghast at her mother’s comment, before fixing her with a scowl.

And he wont leave me alone and I have no idea how to help him and he's so annoying!” she exclaimed finally but her mother merely smiled, proud, her maternal eyes glittering behind their glasses.

“Sweetie, your first ghost!” she exclaimed, happily, completely forgetting that Erin needed help.

"Yep. Now how do I make him disappear?” she asked and her dad chuckled.

“There isn't a way to 'make him disappear',” she said, using air quotes and Erin inwardly groaned at the embarrassing sight. “You have to tie up whatever is keeping him from moving on. That's the only way you can help him,” she said and Erin sighed.

“I know that, but I can't get through to him to find out what was so unfinished before he died, other than you know, living his life. The dude is annoying as all hell. Can't you talk to him or something? Maybe you can get through to him and he'll leave me alone.”