Page 3 of Shadowing My Dreams
I sighed. “That was old Jack. New Jack might be different. I don’t know.” I hadn’t been a very good friend, not even to my bestie. I was lucky that Daveed had stayed by my side.
“Jack is a ho, no matter what.” He laughed loudly.
“I haven’t been laid in close to four months, Daveed. Shit, I think I’ve only masturbated once because, you know, how much privacy you have in a hospital room. The funny thing is – I’m not even really horny.”
“What did you do with my friend?”
“Maybe I’m tired of being a fuckboy. I’m about to turn thirty, and I almost fucking died. I think it’s time to grow up, don’t you?” I had been thinking about this a lot – but to say it out loud made it real. I wanted something more than a tumble with a cute boy. I wanted to live a real life.
“Are you just saying this to get me to go out with you?”
“I mean it. I think. Come on, Daveed, I’ve only been out of the hospital for like,” I glanced at my phone, “maybe thirty-sex hours? I have no idea what I want except for some Danny’s pizza and a gin and tonic at Mickey's. Beyond that, I’m a fucking lost cause, bro.”
“You have never been a lost cause, man. You just had a moment of bad luck.”
“And a life of bad choices.” I frowned. “I’m glad that they didn’t convict that lady. She was old, and it was an accident, but I am happy that they took away her license. I’ve been wondering what I’ll say if I see her at Trader Joe's. She only lives a block away. It’ll be weird, but I’m not mad at her, you know? She fucked up, and I didn’t die.”
“You’re a fucking miracle man. I’m gonna go grab another beer. You want anything?” He stood up and gestured to my vitamin water.
“Dude, I’m in good shape. My muscles are fine, and I’m walking ok – don’t treat me like an invalid,” I huffed.
“Fine, dude. I’m just asking if you wanted anything because I'm going into the goddamn kitchen,” He laughed as he walked out of the living room.
I glanced down at my phone, and something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I turned to see if Daveed was fucking with me, but the room was empty. I glanced around. I was sitting there alone.
Daveed walked back in and plopped down on the chair he had been sitting in.
“Dude? You just… You ok?”
“I…” I shook my head and then nodded. Knowing I was giving some fucked mixed signals. “Yeah. I think so.”
“You were all white there for a minute. Looks like the blood is pumping again. Do you feel ok? You sure?” He sat back down and stared at me as if he was worried I had broken down.
“Yeah, it was… I thought I saw something. Honestly, I thought it was you sneaking back in to scare me or something. But it wasn’t… I swear it looked like someone walking between the front door and the window. I don’t know. I guess I’m seeing things.” I glanced back over where I had seen the shadow. Sunlight streamed in.
“Was that a side effect or anything? Shit, man. Are you having a stroke?”
The look on his face made me cackle. “Dude. No. It was… it wasn’t anything, just my imagination or a shadow or something, I guess. I'm not stroking out. I’m in perfect health, remember?” I flexed my chest.
“And I’ve never been happier about anything in my entire life.”
But I knew what I had seen. I swear it was a man walking through the room, but that was insane. No one else was here. I knew that. But if it wasn’t a person, then what was it?
2
Archie
“You’re not welcome here,” I whispered into the ether of the old house and waited. The ghost had communicated, but it was broken and difficult to hear. Sometimes, the veils between the Earthly plane and the ghostly one were thick and impenetrable. Other times, they were as thin as the air itself. It depended on so many variables. Not all ghosts were the same.
“I know you can hear me.” I opened my palm and tried to feel the other side. My hand tingled. The veil was fragile, and I knew that my words were resonating with the undead person still lingering within these old walls. “Speak to me. I want to help you find peace. This realm is no place for you.”
I live here.
“You used to. Now, you no longer live. It’s the way of all things. We’re born, we age, and eventually, we pass into the unknown. But you are in between.”
No.
“I am afraid so. You’re trapped in a loop of your own making. You died many years ago. Do you remember your name?”
