The Ghosts

Chapter Two, Part Two

“I think you liquefied my body,” I groaned.

We’d gone from the harness to a trampoline. Why he was so centered on flips, I didn’t know but my stomach and back muscles were now killing me.

He chuckled and ate the piece of steak speared to the end of his fork. He motioned at my plate.

“You need to eat. What you have next, you’re going to need the blood sugar.”

“What are we doing next?”

“You’re getting your first marks. For the four kills you made while you were in school.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “They won’t be arrows until you’re inducted into the Guild. Instead they’ll be lightning bolts.”

“Great.”

I looked down at my plate, at the chicken sandwich and salad I’d randomly put on my plate. I didn’t intend to eat, just grabbed something that was offered. I wasn’t hungry.

“So eat.”

“I’m not really…”

“You’re hungry. It’s just your brain chemistry fooling you into thinking you’re not. It’s an emotional anorexia. Eat. I heard your stomach growl earlier. It was nasty sounding.”

I rolled my eyes and ate what was on my plate.

“Are you going to eat with me everyday?”

He smiled. “Yes which means I’ll be here, every day, to make sure you devour three meals a day. For the rest of the year, we’ll be joined at the hip.”

“Really? Because…”

“Except for when I decide it’s bedtime or if you have to use the bathroom. There’s a strict no men in the woman’s bathroom policy.”

“That would be weird.”

“I could make it even weirder and make you sleep in the same room as me.”

“Please don’t.”

He smiled. “I’m not in the business of making you uncomfortable so I’ll go home at night and come get you in the morning, bright and early.”

“How early?”

“Five.”

“God that’s definitely early.”

“You’ll be fine. First thing in the morning we go for a run then we train until noon. After that you get to follow me around as I do my job.”

“Goodie,” I said sarcastically.

“You’ll learn more than any recruit here. You should be excited.”

“Oh I’m jumping for joy.”

He finished his steak and then got up. “Ready?”

“At some point I need to stock my fridge. It’s empty.”

He nodded. “We’ll go to the market when I get off.”

I smiled and tried really hard not to laugh. How I wished I had a virgin’s brain again. But smiling again…it felt nice. Not smiling for days is just depressing but it was nice he could get something out of me.

“What?” he said.

I couldn’t keep it inside anymore and the laugh erupted. “I’m sorry,” I said. “But that was…sorry.”

He thought about it for a moment, probably going over everything he’d said. When it dawned on him he rolled his eyes. “Ha ha. You have a dirty mind, Vertigo. Come on.”