(remembrance)
The sky was a dull gray behind her as Rosa stepped into the dark house. It seemed less ominous now that she knew what lurked within, but the lonely, skeletal feel of it still sent shivers up her spine.
"Hello?" Rosa called out, searching for signs Rachel's presence that made the cold house feel brighter. The barren rooms were oddly quiet and grew darker with the setting sun, but Rosa felt herself walking farther down the hall that led to the kitchen, taking her time to poke around as she went.
She opened every door she came across after she investigated the living room. Every door handle was well worn- if not rusted- and the walls had the kind of patterned wall paper one might optimistically call vintage. After she had discovered a second storage closet, a face popped out from behind the closing door, causing Rosa to jump back.
"Rachel," she said after her hunched shoulders relaxed a bit, "I didn't even hear you coming!"
Rachel's downcast eyes were sheepish. "Sorry, but I don't really have a lot of weight to throw around."
Flicking her eyes down, Rosa stared at Rachel's barely suspended feet. "Oh." It was as if she had already forgotten that Rachel was dead. A bit sad, considering it was one of the few things she really knew about the girl.
Rachel led her into the kitchen yet again. "Tea?"
Rosa shrugged. She wasn't really much of a tea person, preferring coffee for its higher caffeine content. She felt awake enough at the moment, thankfully.
Rachel hummed. "Well, I'm making it."
She paused. "Can ghosts... you know... actually consume things?" Rosa would think it would pass right through, considering Rachel was less than solid. She didn't really need food for carrying out life processes, either.
Rachel frowned. "No, but I can feel the warmth. Tea has always been a comfort thing for me, and it works out, me being cold and all." Rosa remembered the care Rachel took while preparing it, and the way she hand picked a mix of herbs for her tea. She clearly spent a lot of time with it, and although the taste was strong, it was clearly a perfected recipe.
"How can you hold it?" Rosa gestured to the mug.
"Lots of focus."
Rachel must have been great at meditating, Rosa mused. Or she just had a lot of time to practice.
Thinking of Rachel's other source of comfort, Rosa pressed. "No kitty tonight?"
The ghost swayed over to the window, a fond smile softening her features. "He only comes late at night. Doesn't like being noticed while sneaking out." Rachel flicked her gaze back to Rosa. "Thank you for coming back."
Rosa froze. "No problem." The words had slipped from her mouth while her heart dropped from the weight of sympathy. "I fell on your lawn, drank your tea... I could at least keep you company."
"You didn't have to come back," Rachel insisted.
"But I did. I'm practically part of the family now, yeah?"
"Yeah." Rachel's smile wavered, but she the heavy gaze she eventually turned back on Rosa was warm. "Yes, I suppose you're right."
/-/-/-/-/
Family. Rachel's memories flooded into view. Family.
A scolding mouth, down turned and ruby red came into view. Perfectly manicured nails. Slammed books and a kettle whistling. And- and "ladies don't yell" echoing, said with venom. Her grandmothers cookies and her father's hugs. The crows feet framing her grandfathers eyes.
Suddenly, she saw herself crying in her room, isolated in a booming house.
And then was small again, tripping and spilling chubby limbs onto the grass. Her sister shushed her, smoothing her hair back in a "I'm sorry".
It all stopped, and Rachel's head was reeling.
It was more than she had remembered in years.
Her sudden silence had Rosa shifting in her seat with nerves. "Did I hit a soft spot? I'm sorry, I didn't realize- I mean, my family's not perfect either... if you want to talk about it-"
Rachel felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth despite her guilt at making the other girl worry. "It's fine, really. It's just that you helped me remember a little more."
"Oh," Rosa said, stunned.
Rachel set her mug down and stared down at the amber liquid inside. "It's... hard to remember most days. It's as if memories can only be contained in a skull. In this form they just slip through... It feels like my life was a movie I watched all those years ago. I can only tell you the basics of my own life and-" Her entire form flickered as the frustration creased her brows.
Rosa tried to project her understanding with her gaze as she looked into Rachel's eyes. "Do you want to tell me about them? Your family?"
Rachel gave her a wobbly smile before telling Rosa all she knew, which, granted, wasn't much.
She had parents that were well off, her father a lawyer and her mother a secretary. She had an older sister. Her grandparents on her mom's side lived in the same town, so they were constantly in the house. Her sister liked pink.
When it got too hard to remember, Rachel sighed into her almost-empty tea cup.
The new information was safely tucked into a corner of Rosa's mind as she got up and left soon after. The sunken-in face Rachel had, however, stuck with her the whole walk home.
She need more information.
/-/-/
Rosa honestly tried to avoid calling her mother. They had a "weekly" call but more often then not, Rosa didn't attempt to reach her mom.
But tonight? It was a different story.
Tapping her foot impatiently, Rosa listened to the rhythmic buzz of the dialing tone. On the third ring, an croaky feminine voice answered. "Hey, girlie."
"Hi Mae," Rosa said, not put off at all at the other woman's voice. "Is my mom busy?" Mae often answered her mom's phone, considering they were always together, and the other member of their psychic trio hated the hassle of modern phones.
"Yeah, she's with a client right now. Sorry."
Rosa huffed at the inconvenience. "It's fine, I can just call back later."
Mae hummed absentmindedly. "That's not what I'm hearing. What's on your mind? I'm sensing your ever-present curiosity. Do you ever, just, I don't know... chill?" The slang lilted awkwardly on the older woman's tongue.
Rosa considered her options. Mae, being a psychic that specialized in sensing past events, would most likely be more helpful then her mom. As for trusting her... Why not? Mae was like an aunt to her. "Can I ask you a question?" Rosa blurted.
Shuffling could be heard on the other line. "Shoot."
"How do ghosts come to be?" Rosa inquired, exhaling softly into the phone she cradled.
The other end went silent for a moment. "That's easy. Injustice."
Rosa blinked. Mae had always favored the vague, living for the dramatics that came with her job of reading fortunes. It was one of the reasons her mom liked her so much. "Can you explain?"
Mae tapped the phone. "It's complicated. There are a couple ways-"
"Hey! Who you talking to?" A second voice came across the line. Another one of her mom's "coworkers", Reese. There was mumbling, feedback as the phone was handled clumsily, and then line went dead.
Cut off by Reese's inability to handle technology yet again.
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A/N: me, rushing? what?
anyways sorry for the delay and the writing-- i'll probably clean up later. I'm thinking of adding banners to the top of my chapters??? idk stay tuned
one of my fave characters is going to be introduced next chap and i'm so excited!!
also i love my psychic parents omg you don't KNOW how much like i just invented them but-- can they adopt me???
reese is nb, bad with phones, and i love them ok