Peter (The Devil On My Shoulder)

Claire The Witch

Short, fill in chapter :)
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Coffee.

The smell of it was the only thing that could wake me up in the morning. And Claire knew that.

"Wake up shitface, it's already 7 o'clock." she said as she sat next to me in the bed, waiting until I pushed myself up into a seated position before handing over the warm mug. "You may be suspended, but I still have class to attend."

I rolled my eyes, "Nerd."

"Don't make me confiscate that mug."

"Okay, fine," I said, "Sorry."

She let me finish the coffee in silence, as she scrolled through her phone. Claire was the kind of best friend that knew me better than I knew myself. And she knew that for at least a few minutes right now, all I needed was silence and coffee.

I took one last sip before setting the mug down on the bedside table. Claire was replying to an email on her phone, when I noticed a newspaper folded up on her lap.

"What's with the newspaper?" I asked.

She put away her phone and looked at me, "Remember I told you we had something important to talk about?"

I nodded my head.

"Well this is it." She opened the newspaper and handed it to me, as she pointed to one section in particular.

        PETER HEDMAN,
        of Galesberg, has been pronounced
dead, after a long and grueling investigation
into his disappearance, 5 years ago. Peter will
be remembered as an intelligent, kind hearted
student, who always looked after his friends
and family. He is survived by his parents, Linda
Steinsky and Jeremy Hedman; and brothers Eli
and Sam. A private memorial was held by his
family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made
to the Galesberg Police station, to show support
for the officers who worked around the clock to bring
justice to Peter and his family.

It was the obituary.

It was Peter's obituary.

I knew Peter had died. He told me he did. But seeing it in writing made it more real, somehow.

I stared at the paper, reading and rereading the same small paragraph over and over again before I practically had it memorized. The first and last sentences of the obituary made me lose my breath. Investigation? Disappearance? Five years ago?!

"Oh my God." I breathed out.

"I couldn't believe it when I read it," Claire said, "But that's his picture and that's his name. So I knew it wasn't a mistake."

"Oh my God." I repeated, unable to form any intelligent sentences.

"I googled him and his family, and apparently they just found his body..." She looked at me, taking the newspaper away so I could focus on her, "And guess who found him?"

Dad.

"So Peter is involved in Dad's case?" I felt my stomach twist at the thought.

"What I don't understand," Claire said, "Is how was Peter with you last night?"

I met her gaze, but was unable to say anything because I didn't know what to say. No one would ever believe what has been happening to me. They'd all think I was crazy. And I wouldn't blame them.

"When you called me earlier this year, freaking out about Peter following you around like a ghost, you really weren't hallucinating...were you?" She asked me.

I shook my head.

Claire wrapped an arm around me, "Daisy, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you. I thought you were just going crazy, but then I saw him last night, and I realized that you were telling the truth the whole time."

"It did sound a little crazy when I told you. Actually, it still sounds crazy talking about it now." I let out a defeated sigh.

She pulled away from me and grabbed a black, leather bound book out of her backpack, "Listen, I've never been into witchcraft and I've never believed in it, but if a ghost can follow you around then anything is possible."

I stared at her in bewilderment, "What are you-"

"I did more research, and I found this book, which has all these spells in it, and I found a banishing spell. One that can send unwanted spirits away from you." She said as she flipped open to a marked page.

"Claire!" I shouted, shocked, taking the book away from her and throwing it in the trash, "Have you lost your mind!? Spells? Witchcraft? You think I want to banish Peter?"

She walked over to me hesitantly, "Yeah? I thought he was the reason you've been acting weird lately. The reason you always seem so depressed."

I laughed, "Claire, Peter isn't the reason I've been acting strange. With my dad wrapped up in this case and Reggie being distant, I can't help but worry about them. And by worrying this much I just get more and more stressed and so I haven't been feeling normal or happy. But the last thing I want is for you to be practicing fake witchcraft," I laughed, "or potentially practicing real witchcraft and then hurting yourself in the process."

Claire looked at me with an unsettling expression, "I got the book from a really creepy store, so I think it may be legit."

"So if something's creepy then it's real? So if you see a creepy guy trying to sell you candy from a van then it must be legit, right?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, 'I guess my logic isn't foolproof."

"No I guess not."

She grabbed her keys off her desk, "I'm sorry, I know it was kind of irrational of me but I was just so shocked from last night that I suddenly thought everything could be possible."

"Maybe it is, maybe it's not, but I don't think it's up to us to find that out right now." I took the black, leather book from the trash can, "Plus, this says made in China."