Helping The Poltergeist // H.S.

Chapter 19: Never Mine

               

Harry

               

[Two days ago...]

               

"I'm sorry. I should've warned you about it."

With my gaze cast on the floor, I said, "Does it always happen to her?"

"Not really. She told me about it but I've never witnessed it before. I took her words lightly and I feel so guilty for that." Eirylle sighs.

Her bruise on her forehead, caused by my disastrous encounter with Amber yesterday, progressed into the colour of greenish-brown.

"You okay now?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"I don't understand though. You said that she's supposed to be unconscious for uh... these t-things to be able to go through her." I said slowly just to make sure. "My-" I can't believe I'm having this conversation with Eirylle. "Uh... Amber, she was the one who took over..." I broke off.

"Hollie told me that when a person touches her or have the slightest bit of contact with her, as long as the emotion that clung there is strong enough, she sees death." She pauses, fumbling her fingers with the duvet. "The worst is when that happens, it takes its toll on her, especially when she's taken over, hence, the nosebleed and losing her consciousness."

 "You say when a-anyone touches her, she sees them?"

"She doesn't necessarily have to have a direct contact with people to see ghosts. Random spirits that lingered here on Earth appears before her. Only when she touches a certain someone, she sees his or her darkest past which is almost always a loss of a loved one."

A pang of guilt twisted my gut and I try not to squirm. The year Hollie moved to our school was a year after my sister died. Memories during the last year of my high school flashed back in my head like endless cars on the road of Longmurnan.

"Is she okay with that? Is there a way to stop it?" I asked incredulously.

The first time I met her; the day when she bumped on me; the day when I wrote that stupid letter and she handed it back to me...

And the day when I kissed her in her sleep.

"Of course she's not okay with it. She seeks help when she pools enough money but nothing's changed." Eirylle's voice popped my bubble of memories. "I accidentally touched her once and she saw my dead boyfriend." She bites her lower lip. I guess she's a little uncomfortable talking about her late boyfriend.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's okay. That was long ago. I can never forget about him, and so the pain remained. But when Hollie came, she helped me alleviate the pain away."

Yeah, she does that.

"I can't help but ask though; how are you related to that girl? Amber?"

I paused and just stared at Eirylle for a couple of minutes before saying, "She's my sister."

Eirylle's hand flies to her mouth. "Oh, sorry! I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you or-"

"So you believe her." I said to dismiss the awkward air.

Eirylle smiled more to herself. "I-It was hard at first. But you'll see in her eyes that she's not one to lie to anyone. Hollie's too nice to do that." She pauses and continues. "I know how bizarre it is to talk about these things that we don't use to. Now there are two of us who can look after her. I know I'm asking too much, but she needs you."