The stores are closed and streets are empty as Harper walks home from work. Strange, because she never walks home from work since she lives too far away. Why did she decide to walk again? Why couldn't she remember?
Snowflakes flutter from the sky, and even though she is only wearing a skirt and a light sweater, she feels perfectly warm. Cozy even. Something about watching the falling snow against the backdrop of the streetlights reminds her of being home as a kid and watching with Kye the snow piling up in the streets, praying that it would last long enough for school to be canceled the next day.
School... why does school feel important right now? She's not in school anymore. Unless something happened and they took away her diploma? No, that's silly. She must have passed a school on her way here. But where is here? And where is she going?
Why can't she remember anything?
A small cry draws Harper's attention to a car parked on the side of the road. As she gets closer, the noise increases in frequency until the poor creature is crying out nonstop. Crouching down, Harper peers under the car and sees a tiny kitten tucked near the back tire.
"You poor thing. Come here. I won't hurt you."
She slides her hand under the car and wiggles her fingers around until a sharp pain starts to radiate from her finger.
"Ow! Did you have to bite me?"
But as she pulls her hand back, Harper notices that it is not a bite but a slice straight down the back of her hand. Too perfect to be caused by anything other than an extremely sharp piece of metal.
"What the hell?"
As she glances up, Harper's whole body froze as she caught sight of herself in the side mirror of the car. Deep purple and green bruises litter her face as blood pours down from her hairline. A large slash creates the illusion of a necklace draped over the base of her throat while scratches run up and down the side of her neck.
Why didn't anyone save her?
Why didn't Aeron save her?
Why didn't Kye save her?
Why didn't Misha save her?
...Misha? But she hasn't seen Misha in almost ten years. Why would she expect Misha to come save her?
Wait...
"Misha!" Harper's eyes fly open as she wakes up with a gasp, her ex-boyfriend's name echoing through the room. Regret instantly fills her as her head starts pounding as soon as the rest of her body gets the message that she was awake.
"Oh god. What the hell happened last night? Did someone spike the punch at the Winter Formal," she moans as her eyes flutter shut.
"Do kids really do that or is it another one of Hollywood's lies about high school?"
"Shit!"
Harper's torso shoots up in panic as an unexpected male voice comes from her doorway. Is the stalker finally making his move? But why didn't Lily wake her up if someone broke in? Or better yet, why didn't she let Dave out take care of him? What was the point of having a zombie living in your house if he didn't scare off intruders?
A wave of nausea interrupts the rabbit hole she started going down, reminding Harper that sudden movements might not be a good idea for a while. Her stomach rolls as the pressure behind her eyes increases to the point that her eyes feel like they will pop at any moment. She hums, hoping to stop herself from vomiting, but it is obvious that she is going to lose this battle.
With a sudden lurch, Harper flops to her side so that her head is hanging over the bed and begins to throw up. Salty tears roll down her cheeks as throat and nose start to burn from the acid. Each heave of her stomach is matched with a painful throb in her temples. She is vaguely aware of a hand tracing random patterns on her back while someone pulls her hair back, but Harper pays little attention to the human attached to the hands.
Eventually the heaving stops and Harper dangles over the edge of the bed, panting in exhaustion and fighting to keep her eyes open.
"Here." A glass of water appears in front of her nose. "Use some of this to wash some of the taste out of your mouth. Then try to take a few sips if you think you feel up to it."
"Don't feel like it," she grumbled as she gave in and let her eyes close. "Just leave me here to die. Hell has to be less painful than this."
The voice let out a deep chuckle."I see you are still a fan of dark humor. Hate to say it, but if you are well enough to joke, I think you live. Guess your trip to Hell will have to wait, minstrel."
Harper feels her breath stutter at the nickname. Only one person ever called her that. He somehow found out that her name meant "one who plays the harp" and said he found it cute, so from that point on she was his "wandering minstrel".
But how was he here?
Only one was to find out.
"Misha? What the hell are you doing here?"
"Well, this is my house so I live here. And since when did hell become your favorite word?"
"Kind of dating a satanist right now. Why am I in your house?" Taking in a deep breath, Harper opens her eyes and tries to sit back up but ends up flopping back the other way across the bed so that she is lying parallel to the headboard. "And why does everything hurt so bad? I feel like I got run over. Several times."
"You don't remember what happened in the parking lot?"
"Not really." She runs a hand down her face, wincing when her fingernails catch some of the torn skin. "I remember being at the dance, and then suddenly being cold, and I am pretty sure someone jumped me...next thing I know is that I am waking up to weird nightmares in a bed that is apparently not mine."
"Weird dreams?"
"My face feels like it has been pulverized which probably means I got a concussion somehow. Is it really strange that I'd have weird dreams after my head has been shaken like a fidget toy?"
"Fair enough. I can fill you in on what happened last night from the part where I got involved onward but there are going to be a lot of gaps that I won't be able to fill. Sorry."
"No, nothing to be sorry for. I'm sure the memories will come back after a little while. And maybe I was smart and got something on my phone...wait!" Harper starts patting her clothes and the bed around her. "Where is my phone? Oh my god, Lily is probably freaking out. And Aeron. Oh man, I need to get in touch with him before he starts to burn the city down to the ground. Where is it?!"
"Hey, hey. It's okay!" Misha interrupts, crouching down to look Harper in the eye. "I picked up your phone and purse and brought them with us. I have it charging on the dresser. Want me to grab it?"
"Yes, please. I really need to check in with my family."
With a small nod and a pat to the top of her head, Misha stands up and walks over to the dresser. As he unplugs the device, Harper can't keep herself from admiring her ex-boyfriend. Not much has changed over the years. He is as graceful and poised as he was when they were dating. Actually, now that she is starting to be able to focus her vision better, Harper notices that nothing besides his haircut has changed in the nine years since their break up. His hair is the exact same honey color it has always been; no gray hairs to be seen. And his gym routine must be the same or even better because the hint of abs she just saw as he raised his arms could have been carved out of marble. His appearance is identical to his twenty-six year old self: it was as if time refused to touch Misha.
"Damn, I wish I had his genes," Harper mumbles half in awe and half in jealousy.
"Hmm?"
"Oh nothing. Wait..." Harper glances down at her lock screen as he hands it to her and feels a weird combination of anger, hurt, and confusion. "It is eleven o'clock? On Friday? It is still the same day? I was only out for a couple of hours? Wait..that still sounds bad."
"Yes, it is the same day," Misha sighs. He sits on the edge of the bed near her head. While Harper should protest against him being so close to her, the warmth radiating off him made some of the aches disappear, so she ignores it for now. "And yes, you were out for a few hours which, again yes, is still bad. But my physician came by and gave you some stitches and meds, so you will be okay as long as you take it easy for a while."
"You have a physician? Since when?"
"I've always had one."
"I call bullshit," Harper mutters half-heartedly as opens up her phone to check the messages.
There was one from Principal Shepard saying she's sorry to hear about Harper's family emergency and to go and be with them during their time of need. So it looks like Amy lied to her boss and had something to do with whatever landed her in this state. Great, guess she needs to find a new student of the month nominee for December. Cause there is no way the kid who sets up her to get beat up is getting her vote. Gotta have some boundaries.
Surprisingly, Aeron didn't send her any messages. Actually, not surprising as of late but definitely disappointing. She could have really used his help tonight, and yet he never even read the message she sent him earlier. If Misha hadn't come by when he did, Harper would have been kidnapped and killed, and Aeron wouldn't have known anything was wrong until it was too late.
But at least one person would have known something went terribly wrong. On her phone were numerous notifications of messages and voicemails left by Lily, and they grew more worried and suspicious as the night progressed.
How is the dance? I never really went to dances
as a teen, so take pictures for me! New memories!
The kids must be keeping you busy. Or you fell asleep.
Dont fall asleep! Youre not that old.
Sooo...how made will Kye be that I broke his PS2?
It was an accident, I swear! I got bored and wanted to try.
Apparently ghosts aren't supposed to play fatal frame.
It's an old machine, so will that make him more or less mad?
You okay? It's not like you to not check every once and awhile?
Okay, a little freaked right now. Dance is ending soon.
You coming home after?
Har, did you go out with friends? Or did the stalker come????
Harper! Answer me right now or else i let dave chase sherlock!
Okay, I won't let dave hurt the kitty but i'm really scared.
Please come home.
I called Aeron but the jerk didn't answer. Break up with him
Harper.... Call me please... If you don't call me by midnight, I'm calling
Kye. He is far away but might know what to do. I'm worried. Please call.
"Shit, shit shit." Harper struggles to hold the phone steady as panic races through her veins. Finally she is able to get to the right screen and pushes the button to call Lily. The ghost must have had the phone sitting right in front of her because she picks up the phone on the first ring.
"Finally!" she wails, her voice echoing through the speaker. She sniffles as if she has been crying, sending a jolt of pain through Harper's chest. "Where have you been? Was your phone dead? It better have been dead! Cause if you have any other answer than that I am going to freak out, and I don't think I can handle any more big emotions tonight. I'm emotioned out."
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Lily. I really am. I never meant to scare you like that. I'll find a way to make it up to you."
"Tell me what happened, and then I will decide if it is something you need to ass-kiss for and at what level."
"I... I don't remember everything, I think some guy jumped me in the parking lot."
The phone is silent for a moment before Harper hears something shatter on the other end of the line. "Lily! What happened?! What was that?"
"Sorry," Lily whispered. Embarrassment could be heard in her voice. "I might have just had a poltergeist moment. So I owe you a new mirror somehow instead of you owning me something. But what do you mean you got jumped? Like was it a kid made about their grades or their crazy parent? Or was it your stalker?"
"Honestly, I don't think it was any of them."
"Wait, you get threatening letters for weeks, and you don't think it was your stalker?"
"No. I don't remember why I feel that way but I know that something made me think that the attacker and stalker are two different people."
"...So you have one person promising to kill you for dating a demon and one person who tried to attack you for no reason?"
"And a student who tricked me into going out to the parking lot alone."
"And I thought my life sucked. Remind me to never complain to you about how being dead is the worst. Cause I think having multiple people trying to kill you is worse.:
"Yeah, I don't think anyone would disagree."
"Ri--t. I'- j--st gla---yo--- ay." Lily's voice starts to fade out, signaling that the ghost is near her max energy output for the day. "S-- ---u soon."
"See you soon, Lily."
The phone call ends, and Harper tosses the phone to the side before burying her face in her hands. What was supposed to be a fun night celebrating the end of the quarter with the students is now a tangled knot of problems that Lily needs to deal with but doesn't even know where to begin.
"Sooo, want to tell me about this stalker and the death threats you've been getting?"
Oh, that's right. Misha is still in the room. And apparently heard everything she and Lily said.
Well, guess this is as good of a place to start.