Chapter 22 - Ghostbusters
“Zayn,” I call later the next day when we were playing some Xbox to relax a bit.
“Hmm?” He mumbles, still focused on the game and not paying me attention. He’s kicking my butt, everyone can be sure of that, but in my defence it’s because I can’t really focus on killing zombies when I have other things in mind.
“Do you believe in supernatural things?” I ask this time and I get a sceptical look from my friend before he looks back at the telly. “I mean it.”
“And I’m trying to think of an answer,” —he says still playing— “without losing this game.”
I chuckle but I let him finish this round and when he does —and of course I long lost all my lives— he puts the controller next to him and turns to watch me, a little frown on his face. “Are you asking me that for real, Liam? Is everything okay? Are you seeing dead people now?”
I chuckle at the reference to Sixth Sense but I dismiss it quickly. In movies they always portray how hard it is to tell your friends slash family that something may be out of ordinary. They don’t exaggerate. You really can’t find the words and you are scared they may think you’re crazy. But in all honesty, how do you say something supernatural may be happening to you without someone wanting to call a mental institution or thinking you are a Supernatural fan? And I mean the TV show. It’s epic, okay? When Cassie made me watch Doctor Who, she also introduced me to Sherlock and Supernatural. She told me that Superwholock was the best —that’s the three fandoms combined, in case you didn’t know.
But this is nothing like Supernatural. There are no Winchester brothers here, no demons —I hope so— or angels. I don’t even know what’s here.
“No. At least no one has told me they are dead,” I add and that makes him laugh because he knows I’m not serious about that. “But… ugh, how do I explain this?” I ask to myself, looking down and pinching the bridge of my nose. “Promise me you won’t put me in a madhouse or anything, okay?”
“Saying that doesn’t play in your favour, Liam. Are you conscious of that? Should I get worried?”
“No. Yes. Ugh, I dunno. Let me organise all the shit in my head so I can explain it you.” He doesn’t say anything and raises his hands in surrender so I take a deep breath before I start this. “Well, you know about Jake already and that he was Cassie’s best friend and everything. And about the dreams, as well.”
“And we said it was because she told you those stories,” Zayn comes in and I nod.
“Yeah, but I’m starting to think there’s something more.” At those words Zayn arches one eyebrow. “Okay so I met with her yesterday and I told her I fancy her and I kissed her.”
“You kissed her? That’s my boy! I’m proud of you, mate. Well done!” He congratulates me, patting my back and I can’t stop smiling at the memory of the kiss. “Aw, look at you. You are disgusting.”
I burst out laughing, I can’t help it and I’m glad he’s making me laugh. It lightens up the mood a tiny bit. “Anyways, besides that, which was great, mind you, she told me she still has feelings for Jake, and she didn't want to use me to forget about him.”
“I like her better for that,” Zayn said. “A woman of honour.”
I smile again at the way he phrases that. “Yeah, well I don’t mind if she wants to use me as long as she gives me a chance, but still, that’s not the point. The thing is that she showed me a picture of her and that boy, Jake.” Zayn tilts his head and looks at me inviting me to go on. “And the thing is, that guy from the picture is exactly the way I’ve dreamt. Exactly the same, Zayn. But I never saw him before until she showed me that picture. How’s that even possible?”
My friend doesn’t reply immediately and I know he’s thinking of what I told him, trying to understand. Well, good luck, mate, because I’ve been breaking my skull to figure out what the hell is going on and I’ve got nothing.
“You sure she never showed you a picture or a video or that you never saw him in campus?” Zayn asks and I shake my head.
“Absolutely positive about it. Believe me, I freaked the hell out when she showed me the picture. It makes no sense. Why do I see him in my dreams? How could I know how he looks like? Even if I have those dreams because Cassie told me these stories, that doesn’t mean I have to know how he looks like.”
I know I’m getting anxious and I’m speaking too fast. Zayn grabs my shoulders and tries to make me sit down again. I didn’t even notice I was standing up.
“Relax, Liam. There must be an explanation,” the black-haired boy tells me and I take a deep breath.
“There must be one, but I don’t know it yet. This doesn’t make sense to me, Zayn. And I swear that I hear someone in my head. I thought it was my conscience but it sounds like Jake… well, the Jake from my dreams, if that’s how he really sounded like. And this voice keeps telling me there’s more.” Zayn looks at me with wide eyes and I know I’m scaring him, and I don’t blame him, this sounds crazy. “Am I going mental, Zayn? Or is there something else going on? I know that he died the same night I got stabbed and was dead for three minutes. Could it be that I’m connected to him or something?”
Zayn blinks in confusion, overwhelmed with all the things I’ve told him and I groan, grabbing my head as I keep trying to calm down. Saying these things out loud makes them more real than they were when I would only think of them and I’m scared I’m actually losing it.
You’re not losing it, just relax and open your mind, my inner voice speaks and I jerk.
“Not now!” I shout and Zayn pulls back, taken aback by my sudden outburst and I shake my head, hating that voice that comes in the most inappropriate moments.
“Liam?” Zayn asks and I lower my head, ashamed for what I’ve done, for not controlling it. But it’s just… it’s just that the voice sounds so real and that scares me. “Relax, mate. Okay? I’m not calling the mental hospital or anything. We’ll figure this out, okay?” He speaks carefully, like he’s talking to a child blowing a tantrum. I groan because I know it, Zayn thinks I’m crazy. “Maybe there is something more, as you said it. Maybe you do have a connection with Jake, who knows? We’ll figure that out even if it means going to some medium. Whatever is going on, we’ll figure it out.”
I look at him, not really knowing how to feel. I can see in his eyes that he doesn’t believe there’s something supernatural going on, and that he says these things just to put me at ease. I’m grateful for that, but still, I wish he would actually believe me. But then, believe what? I don’t even know what I want him to believe. I don’t really know what’s going on, whether there is a supernatural thing happening or not.
I just wish this guy Louis from my dreams would come and tell me what’s going on.
You wish he would explain something. The dick has issues, the voice says and I shake my head, desperate to get rid of it before I can say something out loud.
“Liam, hear me out. It’s gonna be fine. Whatever is happening, you’ll be fine. We can go to the hospital right now and find out more about Jake. Or you can ask Cassie about him. Maybe you don’t know and you’re lost brothers or something.”
“He was from Cardiff. I don’t think so, plus, we were the same age when he died,” I tell him and he throws his hands in the hair.
“Twin lost brother. Maybe he was the evil one!” I laugh at the thought and he smiles.
“We are not that much alike,” I offer and Zayn rolls his eyes.
“I’m trying, okay? But that’s not the point. Maybe there’s something that connects the two of you and we’ll find that. If not, then we’ll go to a medium like in the movies. Maybe his ghost is haunting you.”
I don’t say anything to that. Could that be? Could it be that Jake’s ghost is with me and it’s not a voice in my head but actually his voice speaking to me? But why me? I guess Zayn is right, we do need to find out how Jake and I are connected.
“Do you believe in ghosts?” I ask him and Zayn loses his smile.
“I dunno. I’ve never seen one but maybe I’ll end up believing in ghosts.”
“That or I’m schizophrenic,” I suggest and Zayn shakes his head.
“Always so positive, Liam. Jeez!” I chuckle and I can’t help smiling at him.
Zayn is a good friend, cheering me up when I think I’m losing my mind, helping me even when he doesn’t believe in supernatural stuff. I guess that if I didn’t have him I would totally go and intern myself in a madhouse, voluntarily.
It’s a really good thing he’s an open-minded lad.
“Maybe we could even call a priest and do an exorcism, you know?” And now he got creepy.
“Isn’t that only for demons slash bad spirits? I don’t think Jake is a bad spirit,” I point out and he shrugs.
“He may be the evil twin brother, you never know. And if not an exorcism, then we call the Ghostbusters!”
I burst out laughing when he suggests that, playing the scene in my head and it’s even funnier. And then when Zayn starts to actually sing the theme of the Ghostbusters, I totally lose it. I laugh out loud and I even join him, just to keep laughing.
Man, the Ghostbusters were great.
But jokes aside, who knows? Maybe we’ll have to call some kind of ghost hunter if it comes to that. I don’t know but maybe it’s true, maybe Jake’s ghost is still here. I don't know why. Once I’ve heard that people who die in accidents don’t realise they are dead and they stay wandering in this world. Maybe that happened to him. Maybe he doesn’t even know he’s dead. I don’t know, but I’ll find out. Zayn and I will find that out.
“Thank you, mate,” I say when I finally stop laughing and Zayn smiles at me.
“Don’t worry, bro. I’m here to help.”
“Really. Not only for helping, but for you know, being a bloody amazing lad. One day I’ll give you a medal.”
“I’ll keep you on that,” he jokes along and I smile. “But for now, let’s solve this mystery. Grab your jacket, Payne. We’re going to the hospital. Ugh, and I thought that once you were cleared up I wasn’t going to go back there. Damn you, Liam.”
I laugh again as I stand up and go for my jacket. He’s right, it’s time to solve this mystery and I hope we can actually do something about it. And if it is indeed Jake’s ghost I can maybe help him to, I don’t know, follow the light or something. Maybe he has an unfinished business and he needs my help.
Yes!
Hmm… maybe. We’ll see about that, for now, first things first and let’s start with the hospital and the things that Jake and I may have in common.
-:-:-:-
Who else is crying because Midnight Memories is perfect? *sobs* I can't.
Dedication to @NeverShutUsDown and yes, Jake is being selfish but that's because he's not a person anymore. He is fading away, slowly, and becoming only a purpose. There's nothing else for him. If he stays longer, soon nor even his purpose will make sense but he'll keep trying. That's a bit more explained in The Carrier.
Bel, xx