Shards of Red Glass (A Ghost Adventures Story)

Drinking War

6 months later...

I laugh at Aaron's joke, which I barely hear over the music in the club. It's been six months since I tried to kill myself at Scire Creek. We were all chilling out at a club in Vegas, getting over a long drive to Maine for a few demons.

Zak sits next to me, his arm around my waist. We've gotten even closer over the past few months, even sharing some of our severely personal experiences in life. Aaron sits on my other side, drinking from his beer. Billy sits across from me, sipping his own beer as he looks out across the dance floor. Jay and Ashley are somewhere out there in that mess of light and sound, dancing because Ashley wanted to.

I don't understand the need to dance. I've never been much of a dancer. I like to watch people dance and video it, maybe write about it, but not do it. Zak is the same way.

Aaron taps my shoulder and points to the dance floor. I look where he's pointing, and see two girls walking towards us. I take a breath, already knowing what's going to happen. Zak follows our gaze, and I see his shoulders stiffen slightly then relax as the girls stop in front of him.

"Hi! Are you Zak Bagans?" one chirps, sounding like the birds that sing in the nice spring weather of May outside my bedroom window. Zak smiles and nods, saying,"Yeah, that's me." The girls squeal with delight, and ask,"Can we take a photo with you?" Zak nods and stands, and the girls catch sight of me behind him.

"Oh, you're Saira Collings, right? Zak's, um..." one starts, looking at her friend. Her friend looks equally flustered, so I fill in,"Girlfriend. Yes, I am. Go ahead with the picture. Actually, I'll take it for you." They still look embarrassed as they hand me their phones. I take a step back into the crowd, and quickly snap a few pics with each phone. At least neither of them are too touchy-feely, probably because I'm here.

Zak's and my's relationship had been suspected from the beginning, when I put the video of us in the ASPCA shelter on Twitter. Now, though, we didn't care who knew. As far as we're concerned, it doesn't affect our jobs, so it's okay.

I feel a hand on my shoulder as I give the phones back to the girls. "Hey. We meet again," a slightly-familiar voice behind me says. I turn, and see a man standing there. Sky blue eyes, blond-brown hair, jean and cowboy boots. "Justin. So we do," I reply. I make no move to shake his outstretched hand, so he runs it through his messy hair.

"So. You never got around to texting me, Saira," he says, his bright eyes locked on mine. I shrug, and say,"I never meant to, honestly. I don't text random people who approach me in airports. Sorry." I sense Zak watching me as the two girls leave, but I ignore him, focusing my gaze on Justin.

"Well, I could be the one for you, and you'd never know," he says, his eyes roaming over my body, even though I wear a thick silver shirt and loose jeans. I growl,"I already have someone, thanks. Someone who obviously knows what to look for in a woman besides her body."

Justin's eyes flick up to meet mine, and I see an all-too-familiar hardness in them. I saw the same hardness in Luke's eyes right before he tried to rape me five years ago.

"I value more than your body, Saira," he says. I snort,"Sure you do. You don't even know me, Justin. Or are you stalking me online? 'Cause that seems like a more and more likely theory the longer you talk." Justin's eyes flash in anger, and he takes a step closer to me. I sense Zak stand behind me, but Justin hisses,"I know about your past, Saira Collings. I know about how you helped in the death of my brother, Luke."

My blood freezes when Justin says this. "I didn't have anything to do with your brother's death," I say quietly, and Justin sneers. "You caused him to drive off that night. You didn't do what he wanted. If you had, then my brother would still be alive," Justin growls. "So I should've let him rape me? No fucking can-do, Justin. If you wanted to meet a girl who's an easy pushover, you've come to the wrong person," I snarl back.