Page 52 of After Life
“It’s your word against mine, mate.”
Harrison sighed, shaking his head as he laid back against the pillows. “I’m glad that, even in a crisis, you two don’t change.”
I shot him a double digit salute, though neither of them could see me.
After five more minute so trying, I was feeling worn. Not tired, just less substantial somehow, like the first day after a long illness. “I can’t,” I muttered. “Either I’m just not doing this right, or something isn’t letting me.”
“Possibly because you’re not an actual ghost, just... displaced,” Ezra suggested.
“Possibly,” I allowed. “Has Harrison had any luck?”
Ezra relayed the question and Harrison answered me directly. “I’d have let you know, Oscar.”
“I know, I know.” I sighed.
“He knows, he knows,” Ezra mimicked though not unkindly. He hesitated before adding, “Ozzy, maybe... We need to ask for help.”
“We?” I huffed, exasperated beyond measure.
“We. I’m not letting you do this alone, you twat!” He shoved to his feet, starting toward my general direction before stopping mid-step. “Damn it! How can I hug you when you’re incorporeal?”
I reached out, letting my fingers brush against his arm. He shuddered, closing his eyes and pressing his lips into a tight line before he gasped on a choked-back sob. “Stop that. It’s freaking me out,” he muttered.
“How do you think I feel?”
He shook his head, eyes still tightly closed. “I hate this, Oz. You’re not supposed to be... ghosty and shit! We’re supposed to be ghosts together, okay? In like ninety years!”
I nodded, though he couldn’t see me. “We’ve got plans, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Guys, I hate to interrupt but have you considered maybe calling in some reinforcements for this?”
We both looked at Harrison, who was now fully dressed much to Ezra’s disappointment. Ezra had gone as far as putting on pajama bottoms but insisted that, even in a time of crisis, he was going to be comfortable. Harrison spread his hands in a Well? Gesture. “Like who?” Ezra asked. Then, “Oh! Oh, yeah, you’re right... Oz—”
“I can only think of two people,” I sighed. “And I don’t want to bring either of them into this.”
“Three,” Ezra said with a small, pleased smile.
“Lisa, Heinrich, and... Jesse?”
Ezra shook his head. “Nope. Enoch.”
“He’s a child!” I cried. “He’s, he’s...”
“He’s the most likely to be able to reach Julian or know someone who can,” Ezra said. “And he’s older than you were the first time you had to reach out to the other side, yeah?”
“We have very different abilities. He’s in a bad place. He’s not ready to do something like this.”
“Sounds more like you’re projecting, Oz,” Ezra murmured. “I think Enoch would know best when it came to what he’s able to do and ready to do, don’t you? Besides, didn’t you say he knew others with his ability, too? If he can’t, maybe he knows someone who can.”
“And bring even more people into this?” I groaned. “I don’t know—”
“Ozzy, how much of a choice do we have?”
Harrison broke in then, a softly voiced warning. “According to local reports out of South Carolina, Broken Palm Island is one of a handful of locations without power or cell service right now. It’s expected to be restored after the hurricane passes but they’re not sure how long after. Anywhere from a few hours, given the small size of the area, to a day or two.”
“Fuck my life.” I sighed. “Alright. Let’s get hold of Enoch.”
