𝟎𝟏. 𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒
( CHAPTER ONE ) - 𝐋.𝐏.
"Where you headed this late, kiddo?" Ms. Daniels asks, her hands folding a black shirt that she held. Freezing at the sound of her voice, I slowly turn to send her a small smile. Why is she doing laundry at 11 at night?
"Ran out of a few things. Just stopping by the store and I'll be back," I nod. She gives me a worried gaze, peering down momentarily at her left wrist, she frowns further upon checking the time.
"Are you sure you want to go this late hun?"
"I'll be fine Ms. D," I smile, waving her off. It took her a second, her eyes scanning over me as I did my best to seem throughly okay, before she let out a sigh in defeat.
"Be careful," She warns. Humming back, I wave and she returns the gesture before allowing me to walk away, disappearing from her view at the laundry mat doorway. Nice lady, I'll miss her.
Letting out a breath, I adjust my bag before pulling up the hood of my hoodie. Pushing open the apartment gate, that truly had no purpose other than decore considering it was always broken, I cringe at the rusted creek that filled the air.
Slipping past the gate, I look around the area. Squinting to see the best that I could, the only light came from a lamppost that flickered occasionally further down the street.
Following the main road, I keep my head down as I walk down the middle of the street. Making sure to avoid the sidewalk in hopes of staying out of everyone else's business, I turn the left corner at the end of the street.
Two blocks.
Two figures came into view through the lamppost lights. Speeding up slightly, my eyes stay glued forward. Don't look at me. Don't look at me. I'm minding my business. Don't look at me.
From the corner of my eye I could see one of the two perk up. Shifting in my direction causing me to wince. Damn it. Adjusting the bag, I move faster, picking up a jog for a few seconds before moving to a run. Turning a right, I came around the corner. Street lights filled the area more which inherently allowed for less people to lurk in the shadows.
One block.
Looking back, I slow down seeing as the figures didn't follow from before. A sigh of relief left my lips. Hearing the swig of liquid in the bottle, I shift my bag once more to stop the noise. A small smile quirks at my lips as I turn the final corner.
The main strip was lit up, lights shining bright throughout the area and the streets packed even if it was nearing midnight. Hollywood never seemed to stop buzzing with life.
Pulling off my hood, I take in the sight. Smiling occasionally to passing people, some returning the gesture with others completely disregarding me. It didn't bother me though, the sight nervousness bubbling in the pit of my stomach mixed with excitement kept me occupied.
Bright red and white filled my view. The Orpheum spelled in cursive indicated my stop. Turning down the alleyway just beside the theater, I make sure to look for any passing people before slipping past the fire escape. Shoving my bag through the gap in the gate, I pry open the locked metal the widest I could before wiggling through. A small huff leaving my lips after having to pull my foot past the gate.
Making it to the window, I pull open the glass knowing well enough the guards never lock this particular one. Tip toeing inside, I blink having to adjust to the darkness in the building. Feeling my hand glide against the wall, I stop once I felt my feet hit the stair railing.
Gotcha.
Carefully stepping, I walk up the set of stairs. Counting all the way up to fifteen before stopping and feeling out for the door. Pushing the handle out, the cold air hits my skin and no alarm went off. Thank god for Stanly working Mondays and always forgetting the alarm.
Peering around the corner, I smile seeing no one was nearby. Intending to exit out, one hand stayed holding open the door but I freeze once three figures came in view. Shit.
Frozen, I debate on whether turning around and leaving all together but didn't have enough time considering the three turned around in less than a second. I didn't plan this for the past month for three white boys to ruin it.
"Who is she?" The one with the leather jacket asks, taking a step forward.
"How am I supposed to know?" The one in purple snickered rhetorically.
"Why is she just standing there?" The last one mumbles, eyes focused on me with a curious gaze.
"Why are the three of you talking about me like I'm not here?" I speak up finally. This getting a more than dramatic reaction considering leather jacket ended up letting out a small scream. "Keep your voice down! Someone is gonna hear and you'll get us caught,"
"You can see us?" The purple hoodie blurts, eyes wide as he held a hand out to the one beside him in the middle.
"No, you guys are invisible and I'm having a conversation with myself," I retort. They pause at this, sharing a look causing me to refrain from an eye roll. "Yes I can see you! What are you supposed to be, invisible or something?"
"Yes,"
"Or something,"
"Ghosts actually,"
The three of them answer the question simultaneously. Blinking, I pause trying to process it, especially the third one.
"Oh...Kay," I nod, holding my hand on the door. "Are you guys leaving soon 'cause I didn't know people actually came up here still. I was sort of planning to have the roof to myself tonight,"
"You can actually see us?" The one in the middle echoed again.
"Oh my- yes. You're normal human beings visible to the rest of us okay? I don't know what shit you guys took but seriously, how long do you think you're gonna be here? I'll just come back-"
"We're dead," Leather jacket boy states blunty. This earned a smack from the purple hoodie guy.
"What?" I blink. Seriously, what trip are they on?
"Look, I know how it sounds but it's true. We're ghosts," Middle boy rushes out, biting his lip waiting for my reaction at this.
Running a hand over my face, a sigh escapes soon after. "Listen, I know Hollywood boys are weird but tonight isn't the night. I don't have time for this-"
"Do you have a phone?" Blond boy (purple hoodie) interrupts me. Biting back a remark, I nod, slipping the device from my back pocket with my free hand.
"Who doesn't?"
"Look up Sunset Curve," He instructs. Ignoring my last comment, the three wait expectantly, gesturing toward my phone. Alright I'll play along if it gets them to leave sooner.
Unlocking the screen, I open a tab and type in Sunset Curve as instructed. It takes a second but numerous links pop up under the search. Frowning my brows, I hit the first article and a new screen loads.
A picture displayed on the screen, showing the exact same boys in front of me but the article dates back to 1995.
Tragedy Falls Upon New Upcoming Band Sunset Curve, Members Dead at 17.
"Is this a joke?" I snort, reading the first few lines before looking up. "You're dead. Dead because you ate shitty hotdogs?"
"Not our best moment but yes," The one in the middle nods, his hands running through his hair and making it messier than before.
Looking at each of them, I study their faces and look back at the screen picture. Switching through numerous articles and seeing the same thing every time, I shut off my phone.
"You're not freaking out?" Leather jacket asks, a sheepish smile playing at his lips in a form of comfort to the whole thing.
"I've accepted that I've gone insane," I shrug.
"But you're not. We're actually ghosts, you're just the second person to actually see us," Blondie states taking a cautious step forward with the other two following his lead.
Second person?
Shaking my head, I refrain from asking. I've gone insane. I've officially lost it. Blinking, a sigh leaves my lips before turning back.
"So you're ghosts... but in a band. A ghost band from the 90s?" I snicker, waving a finger at the three of them.
"Well.. yeah basically," The blond one shrugs, slowly rocking back and forth on his heels.
"Alright," Blowing out a puff of air from my mouth, I walk away from the roof door and let it shut behind me.
"Doesn't that lock?" The one with the leather jacket questions. Nodding back, I move my way to the center of the rooftop. Tossing down my bag, a small clank is heard causing me to wince forgetting the glass bottle inside.
"How are you supposed to get down?" The one in the middle spoke. His brows were frowned but a certain look hinted past his confusion.
"Well if you must know, pretty boy," I began. Walking over to the railing, I place a hand on the ledge and look out across the busy city lights. A small smile quirked at my lips as I turned back to the three who were watching me, two of which seemed to pale with realization while the third had his head tilted in confusion.
"Tonight is the night I'll be jumping,"
"What?" Leather jacket breathes out, finally connecting the dots with a worried expression falling on his features too. "Y-you can't do that,"
"Why not? You're ghosts remember? Not like any of you can stop me," I snicker.
"You can't be older than sixteen," The middle boy mumbles, a pained look on his face that I refrain from rolling my eyes at.
"I am sixteen," I correct, stepping away from the ledge and making way to my bag.
"Doesn't matter! You still have so much to live for, you can't do that," He blurts, walking up beside me. "T-the building isn't tall enough. It wouldn't work. You can do this,"
"By the time someone finds me it'll be over," I shrug. "Besides..." I pause, pulling out the glass bottle. "I plan on chugging all this so if the impact doesn't kill me, I'm sure the alcohol poisoning will,"
"You have friends, family.. you have things to live for," Blondie speaks up, his voice far quieter than before.
"I moved here last month, I have no friends and my only family wouldn't even know I was gone, much less care," I reply with a small laugh, though it was more of a bitter one rather than holding a convincing sound. "Trust me, there's nothing to live for,"
"There's everything to live for! You have dreams don't you? Things you want to do? You can grow up, have a family, live your dream, fall in love!" Brunette boy lists off, crouching down to be at my eye level.
"Look, I've thought about this for the past year and I've planned it since the day I got here. I weighed the options, made the pros and cons list, cried more times than I can count about how much I want all of that but I'm tired, okay? I need it to stop. I need it to end now. I'm not letting three ghosts that are probably a figment of my imagination stop me so leave me alone and go away," I huff, pulling the courts screw from the neck of the bottle.
Lifting the glass up to my lips, I barely had the chance to tilt the glass before a jolt shot through my body. Dropping the bottle, my eyes open to see the messy haired one gripping my wrists.
"Dude!" I whine, looking down at the shattered glass and wasted vodka. "You fucked up my plan B, good job now I won't be drunk off my ass and able to shove myself over the edge,"
"Luke..." Blondie interjects, his voice cutting through the air and bringing me back to the feeling of a set of hands holding my own. "How are you touching her?"
"What?" I blurt, frowning my brows but stop once it connects. Oh. Right. He's supposed to be a ghost. This whole imagination thing is going too far.
"I-I don't know," Luke, I think, stutters out. His hands adjusts, a small squeeze to my palm sending another volt between us.
"Well stop! Every time you move it feels like a tiny taser," I huff before Luke finally drops our hands. Feeling my usual sense of cold flood back to my body, I shiver involuntary.
Leather jacket guy stepped forward. His eyes focused on his pointer finger as he leaned down. Quickly reaching out, he aimed for my shoulder but his hand ended up going through me, or well, I went through him? What the hell.
"Alex you try," Luke waves over the blond, his eyes still focused on me while leather jacket guy pouts at the revelations that he couldn't physically poke me.
Alex stepped forward. An apologetic smile was on his lips but I shook my head and held up my hand. Aiming for a high five, Alex dipped down but his hand passed through my own.
"Woah," Leather Jacket mumbles. "Luke do it again and see if it still works,"
Nodding back, Luke carefully holds up a hand. "Sorry," He apologizes before touching my hand once more. He didn't pass through like the other two, instead his hand fit against mine and the same jolt shot between us causing me to wince.
"You feel that too right?" I groan but Luke grins instead of complaining like me.
"Yeah, yeah I feel the shock," He says softly. "Can I do it again? Last time I promise,"
"Why?" I ask, throughly confused as to why he would want to be shocked.
"It.. it makes me feel alive again," Luke answered sheepishly.
"Like when we played earlier?" Leather jacket guy inquired, butting into the conversation.
"Exactly Reggie," Luke nods happily. Turning back to me, he holds a soft look on his face. "Please? Just once,"
"Fine," I nod, pulling my hand away with the same coldness washing over me.
Shaking out my arms, Luke doesn't seem to be phased by the cold that comes after, that or he doesn't feel it. Letting out a small sigh, I hold up both hands this time and gesture for him to copy my actions.
Completely ruined my initial plans but there's no way I'd be able to pull this off sober now.
Locking eyes with Luke, he gives me a look as if he was asking to make sure it was still okay. He might've ruined my night but he is nice to look at. Nodding for him to continue, Luke immediately pressed his hands to my own.
This time the shock wasn't as bad. In fact, the warmth from it was almost relieving. Luke must've felt it too considering he let out a breathless sort of laugh.
"Holy shit,"
"This is weird," I mumble, focused on the tingling sensation spreading from my hands through my arms. The warmth carrying over my body.
"Is it hurting you?" Luke quickly asks, his brows frowning just as he was going to pull away.
"No it's okay!" I rush out far too fast for my own liking. "Sorry, I just meant how my hands feel all tingly you know? And warm, it was just weird,"
"Dude you can feel warmth?" Reggie gapes, stomping his foot like a little kid. "Lucky!"
"What does it mean?" Luke asks, putting the question in the air but no one had a definite answer.
"Don't look at us, we were stuck in limbo for 25 years and barley made it out like, 5 hours ago remember?"
"And I didn't know ghosts existed until 15 minutes ago so," I add to Reggie's comment, still holding onto Luke. I'll admit; maybe it's the fact that I'm touch starved but this isn't so bad.
"So none of us know why this is possible?" Luke snickers. "Great, another thing to add to the list of 'why does this work even if i'm a ghost?'"
"You guys have a list?" I interrupt, biting back a laugh.
"Yes, yes we do," He nods, answering in all seriousness while I cough to avoid smiling. Suddenly clapping his hands together, Alex gains our attention.
"We have to go tell Julie,"
- NIKO SPEAKS "
edited ( 21 july 2021 )