Warmth and Cold

Communication

The investigators and the family sit down at the table with different devices strewn about. "We're going to ask the spirit questions," Robert says, "don't be alarmed if you hear or see things. It's not likely but this is just a fair warning."

Jake looks apprehensive but Jess and Frank look eager, the parents as interested as their two children.

Henry stands to the side of Jake and looks out at the group of gadgets and wonders what he's even supposed to do.

"Is there anyone here who would like to speak with us?" Robert asks. "Yeah I guess," Henry replies. Nothing happens. He speaks again but still nothing.

Frustrated, he walks away and knocks a cup off of a table in the corner.

Everyone turns their head towards the noise. "If someone is here with us please speak to us," Robert continues. Henry's words still don't register.

"Would you like us to leave?" Jordan asks. "No!" Henry says, "I don't care, I just-" The device from earlier lights up when he steps closer.

He walks back to stand beside Jake and the the device is ringing.

"Would you happen to know the name of the young man who was killed?" Kayla asks gently. "Henry," Frank says, "it was Henry Eckhardt."

And just like that Henry can feel his loop pulling him. He quickly steps away from Jake in case he becomes visible and is suddenly no longer in the living room. He is back in his room, responding to the father of a girl whom he has never met that decided he needed to die. He goes through the painful motions of dying.

With his final scream he thankfully flies back to the present, standing and shaking with eight pairs of shocked eyes on him. The kids look in horror, the parents with tears in their eyes, and the investigators with somber curiosity. He says sorry but the fact that none of them react tells him they can't see him.

At least it was only one loop. He can get caught in those for hours if he's not careful. "That was the guy from the picture," Jake remarks. It's a sound that seems to shock everyone out of their stupor.

"What was that?" Lauren asks, raising her hand to her mouth. "That was a shade," Robert explains, "it's like a recording of the spirit's death. This must be the guy that got murdered. But that's weird! Wouldn't the shade be stuck in the place that he died? Why is it in the dining room?"

"I don't think it's just a shade," Kayla says, her head tilted towards Henry, who stands awkwardly apart from the group, "what you just said helps but, I'm not getting the same energy as I do with shades. Those are more weak; this is, a personality."

"Was that you Henry?" Jordan asks. "Yes that was me!" Henry says. This time when he speaks one of the devices starts crackling. Then the realization of what they just saw hits him. "I'm sorry," he says quietly.

His 'I'm sorry' comes out of the device as he says it.

All three of the investigators' faces light up while the family watches in silent shock.

"What are you sorry about?" Jordan asks, "Are you Henry Eckhardt?" Henry flinches but manages to keep himself rooted. "Don't say my full name," he says, his voice shaky, "No one needs to see that." Only the first part comes out through the EVP reader and Robert quickly writes it down.

"So, just Henry then?" Kayla says gently, "how old are you." "Eighteen," Henry responds, rubbing his arm nervously with his hand. His voice doesn't go through.

He looks down at the ground for a moment before thinking of a way he could get his age across. He moves over to the wall and taps it. Everyone perks up at the sound. He repeats this seventeen times and Dan says "Eighteen?"

"Why were you killed?" Frank asks, earning a panicked look from Robert.

Henry inhales a shaky breath and tries to explain it. But none of them hear. Because he's so close to the switch he makes the lights flicker and accidentally scares them in the process. But he probably already scared them with his shade.

"Why are you here?" Robert asks, "what is your purpose haunting this family?" Henry walks back to the spot beside Jake and looks up the table at Robert, sitting at the head. "I don't know," he sighs before reaching forward and moving the EVP reader, the EMF reader whistling.

"What is it doing?" Lauren asks, to which Jordan responds "maybe he's trying to communicate. We don't usually get this much contact."

Henry scratches at the table, making Jake jump at the noise.

Stepping away from the table again with restless energy Henry feels the flickering inside of him settle. He doesn't know if it's from them giving him something to focus on or if it's him wanting it to stop but he closes his eyes and wills himself to be seen.

The gasps tell him it worked.