“Is that why the cougar ate you?” Sven snapped.
Erickson frowned. “I can see you need time to wake up. I will leave and later, I will regale you with tales of my existence here.”
Erickson turned into a ball of blue light and rocketed from the room. Sven just groaned and got up. He hoped Flo hadn’t been scared off, but then he heard clanking from her room. Just a small clink. He made his way over to the door, which was closed, but that didn’t matter. He just glided through like she would’ve done.
She was sitting at her vanity and opening the various pots. They weren’t hers, but he’d found them in an antique store and they reminded him of her old ones. He was relieved she hadn’trushed back off to her secret hiding place, because after seeing the state of it, he didn’t want her to ever go back there.
Her place was with him, so he could keep her safe.
“What were these for?” Flo asked, examining each one.
“You kept cosmetics in them, hair pins, things like that,” Sven responded.
“I see.” Flo set a lid down and then spun around on the stool where she sat. “Not that it will do me much good now. I’m sort of stuck wearing this.”
“Have you tried to change?” he asked. “Like when you’re solid? You’re not a ghost, so I don’t think you’re really bound to their rules. Revenants are different.”
Her green eyes widened. “No, I suppose I really haven’t. The ghosts can’t change or do much like that, so I just assumed I couldn’t either, but you’re right. I’m not a ghost and perhaps I’m not bound by their rules.”
“Would you like to try? I don’t have any clothes for you, but you could try taking off your gloves.”
Flo stared down at her gloved hands. She pulled on the fingertips and the satin glove came off. The moment she dropped it to the floor, it withered and aged. Since it was no longer connected to her, it aged instantly the moment it left her body. Flo gasped.
Sven’s stomach twisted in a knot. “That’s…interesting.”
He didn’t think that it was a good sign at all.
“I’ll say,” she whispered. “I suppose I should dispose of the other one because what’s the use of having one white glove?”
“Right.” Sven chuckled. “You’re not the king of pop.”
Flo cocked an eyebrow. “The king of what?”
“Remind me to introduce you to some modern music later.”
She smiled shyly. “You know, I never liked wearing gloves.”
“Is that from a memory?”
“A feeling?” she said cautiously. “Did I tell you that in the past?”
Sven nodded. “You did, but you also were quite fashionable. It’s why I bought you that dress you’re wearing.”
Flo looked down at her golden dress with the fringe and ran her bare fingers over the fabric. His body reacted, watching her touch herself, and he wished he could be the one touching her now.
Take it slow. She’s trusting you. Don’t rush this.
“I do like this dress. I guess it’s not in fashion anymore.”
“I suppose not, but no one but me and Mercedes can see you.”
Flo nodded. “I would hate for it to rot away like the glove did.”
“We have all the time in the world. Remember, immortal. I guess we both are.”
She pulled off the other glove, dropping it, where it did the same as the other one. “Right. I wonder what else I can do?”
Sven rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, we know you can read books and you sleep. Have you tried eating anything?”
