I wasn't sure what woke me up. It could have been the temperature dropping suddenly. Or some sort of sound. When I opened my eyes into my dimly lit room it was freezing. Under the red glow of the Christmas lights I had hung up in my window I could see my own breath. I shuddered and pulled my blanket closer to myself, while rolling out of bed. I went to the thermostat and found that it was turned to 65F but the heat was not running. I turned it up and heard the soft 'click' of it kicking on, followed by the hiss of the heat beginning to blow into the room.
I shivered and licked my lips. Since I was awake, I might as well go get a class of milk. I pulled my blanket tighter around myself and stepped out into the hallway. It was even colder than my room. I shivered violently and my teeth started chattering. As I walked down the stairs I caught the sight of a strange blue flickering on the first floor landing. I swallowed back my unease and began to approach it.
As I got closer it resolved itself into the flickering image of a young man. He couldn't have been more than a year or two older than me. He turned and peered at me, sticking one hand into his ghostly pocket. He was dressed in a pair of old time slacks, a long sleeve shirt, and a vest. He pulled a watch out of his pocket and peered at it before looking toward me.
"Excuse me, Miss." He spoke to me, his accent slightly different than those I had been hearing all day.
My jaw dropped. It was a ghost. I had a ghost talking to me. I had felt my Oma's ghostly servants before, but I had never seen one of them. I most definitely had never been spoken to by one of them before. I felt dizzy and decided it would be a good idea to sit down. So I did, right on the bottom step of the stairs and looked up at the ghost.
He frowned at me and squatted down to peer down at me. He put his hands on his knees and said, "I guess this is a bit of a shock. Yes, I know Miss, I'm dead. Dead as a doornail."
"I can't see the dead!" I exclaimed, pulling my blanket tighter around myself. I stared in transparent face, seeing the outlines of the family pictures on the wall behind him.
"Clearly, Miss, you do." He patted his hands against his knees, and they made the soft patpat noise of flesh against cloth. It startled me, because I was pretty sure he didn't actually have a body.
Curiosity overtook me and I reached out toward him. My fingertips skimmed over his knee. It was like touching freezing jelly. My fingers slipped into his knee, and it felt slightly wet. He jerked faintly and gave me a scowl before hopping backward from me. I looked down at my hand and found it covered in a slightly luminescent blue substance. I rubbed my thumb over my fingertips and it slowly disappeared.
"What?" I asked looking up at him.
The ghost stood up, and so I did as well. I wrapped my blanket around myself tighter again, constantly adjusting it. I wrapped it around my shoulders, and then shifted on my feet nervously.
"My name is Nelson." He put his hands into his pockets and rocked on his ghostly feet a moment. He looks briefly confused and said, "I am surprised that a child of The Death Lily does not know more about ghosts."
"Death Lily?" I asked, and felt my blanket slip once more. I shifted the fuzzy material of my shoulders, draping it like a cape. I tilted my head in his direction. "Wait. Do you mean my Oma? You call her Death Lily?"
"No." said Nelson, the ghost, with reproachful expression. "We call her The Death Lily, for that is what she is. As far as us lost souls are concerned she is a Goddess."
I blinked a moment and gave a small bob of my head. "Oh, yes, that I know. My Oma is a Goddess. Are you here to see her? I thought ghosts couldn't get in unless she wanted them in?"
Suddenly I was alarmed. How did he get past my Oma's protections? I took a step backward, retreating a step up the stairs. His ghostly features twisted for a brief moment but he raised his hands, palms up. I saw him layered over himself. His see through palms showed the outlines of his chest, and through that I could see the front door. It was a little bit dizzying looking at him.
"I am not here to hurt you, Miss." said Nelson with another soothing gesture of his hands. "I am allowed into the Goddesses domain. I am one of her Jungiro. I am surprised you do not know more. You are the Enkilin, are you not?"
"Enkilin?" I blinked at him. I puzzled over the word for a moment and asked, "Enkelkind? Grandchild?"
"Yes. Are The Death Lily's Enkilin. We are supposed to protect you at all times." said Nelson, his hands going into his pockets once more. He took a step toward me and peered at me intently. "Why don't you know more? Why has she not taught you?"
I laughed at his words and said, "My Oma believes that I have the find out things like this on my own. Same with my Baba."
"Aah." said Nelson and he gave a small nod of his head. "Yes. I remember now. She was like that with me. Do you-"
He started flickering suddenly. I blinked and he was gone. I blinked again and he was back.
"-The Death Lily?" He was asking me something, but he blinked out of existence once more.
I rubbed at my eyes and looked around the room. Where had he gone? Was he still standing there and I just couldn't see him? I took a step forward and for a brief moment felt a chill sweep through me. I gasped and stepped back. Yup, he was still there and I just couldn't see him anymore.
"Um." I said, staring at the space where he had been before. "I can't really see you. I don't know if you can still hear me. I don't really know how this works, but uh. Nelson it was nice meeting you, but I'm going to get a drink and go back to bed. Sorry to just, uh, leave but I can't see you anymore."
I stood there for a moment or two, feeling stupid. I was talking to a ghost that I couldn't see anymore. I puffed out a breath and shook my head. I turned and started walking toward the kitchen. I felt a cold breeze just to my left. The coldness walked with me and I looked to the side. I still couldn't see Nelson, but I was sure he was there.
I squinted and asked of the empty air, "Wait? You said you had to protect me at all times? Why?"
Of course there was no answer. Or there might have been one and I just couldn't hear it. I heaved out a sigh and reached up and rubbed my eyes once more. I turned and looked at the spot to my left that was cold. I narrowed my eyes as much as I could, trying to see him once more. I felt something clench in my chest. Like a muscle I wasn't aware I had suddenly flexing. For a brief moment I saw a flicker of blue once more.
"..Lily has enemies." I heard Nelson's voice, but it faded away as fast as I caught it again.
Excitement ran through my blood stream and I wanted to do it again. I tried to find that muscle I had just flexed, but instead of seeing any blue flickering I got black dots floating in front of me. I suddenly felt dizzy, and tiredness swamped me. I slumped against the wall and puffed out another breath.
"Alright." I said to myself, "Water and then I am going back to bed."
I padded my way into the kitchen. The cold followed me. I made it as far as the dining table before I needed to sit down. I flopped into and wrapped the blanket tighter around me. The coldness left my side. I heard the sound of glasses tickling against themselves a moment later.
I looked up to see a clear glass floating from the cabinet now to the faucet. The tap started running a moment later, and the glass dipped underneath it. The water shut off and then came in my direction. It landed with a soft clink on the tabletop. I smiled softly and reached out for it. The water freezing cold and delicious because of it when I took a long drink. The cold water eased some of the pain and dizziness, made me feel a little bit better.
"Thanks." I said with a small smile. I took another long drink before saying, "I, um, tried to see you and managed for a moment. But when I tried to do it again it hurt. Maybe after I sleep I can try again, and see you. Uh, tomorrow? I'll try after I come home from school. Okay?"
There was silence in the kitchen. Or at least as far as I knew there was silence in the kitchen. The ghost could be talking to me and I just couldn't hear him. I shook a small shake of my head and stood up. I wasn't as dizzy now, but I was exhausted. I stumbled through the house and back to my bedroom.
I'd talk to my Oma or my Baba about it tomorrow.