The badly aimed marshmallow hit me square in the forehead, making me jump.
"Sorry, Hannah, I meant to hit Jacob!" The apology reached me from across the fire, the tall flames banishing the deep shadows of the fast approaching night from Eliot's features intermittently, making his face look eerie.
I shuddered as I pulled myself from my reverie, focusing on my friends and their campfire chatter. Unlike me, they were all so excited about spending a night by the lake in the forest. I preferred the unexciting safety of my own bedroom. If they could see what I could see, they would, too, prefer staying at home, I mused, smiling at Jacob, my... boyfriend, who wrapped his arm over my shoulders.
Boyfriend. The word was still too fresh to feel comfortable, we only got together a couple of weeks ago. This was our first weekend spent as a couple, and that was the only reason why I agreed to come. There were so many things we still don't know about each other, I mused as my eyes skipped to the trees of the forest encroaching the lake, where we had set our tents on a small clearing between the shore and the woods. I should have told him at least that...
But how on Earth was I supposed to say to a boy I just got together with that I could see ghosts, and that was why I liked to avoid places where I could meet them? Not because they were dangerous, but because seeing them meeting their death, being forced to witness the imprint of the moment when their soul left their body when I least expected it, freaked me out.
My friends' cheerful conversation about the local unsolved mysteries wasn't helping, their words made me scan the treeline continuously and move closer to Jacob as their words penetrated my ears.
"Have you heard about the girl? Her body was found with her phone in her hand. They don't know how she died, or at least they did not say..." Eliot said.
We had all heard about it. The girl used to attend our school and though none of us knew her personally, we knew who she was, where she lived, who her friends were.
"And you know what's weirder still? They say that her mother spoke to her on the phone after she died, and they found something weird written in her notebook... like something about demons..." Alison said in a half-whisper, her eyes, intent on the bright fire, avoiding the darkness around us.
Andrew chuckled, making me gape at him through the flames even as I felt my face flush with anger-- how could someone laugh at something like this?!
"Now that's an urban legend," he said. "But do you know where they found her? Not far from here, actually... " he let his voice trail off mysteriously, making me shiver. "On the other side of the lake somewhere."
"Is that why you chose this place, mate?" Jacob asked, his arm pulling me closer to his side. "Do you think it's funny?"
"Not funny. Just... super cool?"
I stared at him incredulously while Jacob shook his head, before looking at me, his lips forming a silent, 'Sorry.'
Attempting a smile I squeezed his hand, hoping he would understand that it was time to retreat into our tent and leave the rest of our company to their talk. He did. Standing up, he pulled me to my feet and after a quick goodnight we left the group gathered around the fire behind, their childish, annoying, low whistling, a few chuckles, and a comment about our eagerness to be alone, following us into the night.
"Would you mind a walk before we go to sleep?" Jacob asked and I nodded, letting him lead me beyond the tents, to the water's edge.
We walked in silence only disturbed by the sound of the pebbles under our feet and an occasional splash caused by fish hunting for insects breaking the black surface of the lake, sending ripples through the water, and shivers through my body.
And even though I knew it was bound to happen, I froze when I saw her emerging from the forest, passing quite close to us-- her nearness making the temperature around us drop momentarily-- then continue on her way to the other side of the lake.
Noticing my sudden, strange stillness, Jacob followed my look, then pulled me in an embrace.
"I swear I didn't know where we were going until we were on the way. I wouldn't have brought you here otherwise," he said, cupping my face in his hands, making me look at him.
"W-what...?" I stammered.
"We should have talked before... I can see them, too..." he muttered, staring in my eyes for a long while, letting the words sink.
"The... the ghosts?" I tried, hoping he would not think I was crazy.
He nodded.
"Can we... do something for her?" I asked, unsure if I wanted him to say yes or no. The idea of following the ghost, to see what had happened to her, was freaking me out.
"I don't think we can. Whenever I tried before, I could only see them die, again and again... But those were all people who passed away under explained circumstances. Maybe if we follow her, we will see who killed her."
I nodded. It felt right that if she was murdered, someone should be punished. Maybe if we informed the police, they could prosecute the person who had ended her life, and that would help her somehow... "Let's go." I whispered.
Jacob kissed me quickly before he took my hand in his, as, together, we pursued the ghost girl along the lake.