“It’s not really a thing. It’s a requirement.” I lifted my monitor. “To confirm our initial theories, we need to catch something on our cameras. Without it, we’ll have to keeptrying until we succeed. Or leave, labeling this case as unresolved.”
Her jaw ticked as she considered.
“I know it’s difficult,” I said softly. “Rehashing this stuff with a stranger. But you said you’d be honest with me. Help me leave faster.”
“Right,” she whispered and sat up taller. “So…what’s on my chest? I haven’t been able to sleep in this room since that night on the camcorder. I’ve lain in this bed with the lights on, wide awake, staring at that closet like a little kid who needs someone to check for monsters.”
“Lucky for you, I’m certified in checking for monsters.” I got up.
“Rae…” Octavia stood, too, but remained near the window.
I opened the closet door without pause and pulled down the chain light switch. Orange warmth brought life to the dusty space. The closet was full of old cardboard boxes and plastic containers stuffed with binders and photo albums. Besides a handful of dust bunnies, there was nothing in the dark corners.
“See, no monsters.” I stepped aside so Octavia had an unobstructed view.
She leaned forward without moving a step closer. Her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she did her own inspection. When she came up with the same findings as I had, she cleared her throat.
“Right, of course.” Her fingers were in her hair, shaking as they busied themselves with detangling.
“There will never be a moment in which you are alone,” I said, lowering my voice in hopes of better communicating my stone-hard seriousness. “These cameras are for thermalimaging. If we see something on our monitors, we’ll wait until we have enough data. Jonah and I will be in here before anything can happen. The cameras are the final bit of confirmation needed to stay on and work here. But your safety is our highest priority. We won’t ask for over thirty seconds of proof before ending the observation.”
Octavia nodded numbly and moved to the bed. She sat with one foot tucked underneath her, a fingernail between her teeth as she digested my words.
“It kills me,” she finally confessed. “Not understanding this.”
I resisted the pull to join her on the other side of the bed, opting for the bench again. I rested my hand on the turned-down comforter, not reaching for her but still stretching toward something akin to an offer of comfort. Companionship.
“You think I’m ridiculous for not believing in ghosts after the footage? For having no real solution forward?” There was genuine curiosity in her gaze. Her hands pulled in a tight fist, bracing for the impact of judgement or mocking. Octavia was so unmoving in her stance, yet so conscious of it, that it affected her interactions. I’d never met someone so self-consciously headstrong.
“You should know, my favorite kind of people are often non-believers.”
Octavia shifted her position, so her knees pointed toward me.
“I don’t think you all are ridiculous,” I said. “Who can blame you all for not jumping on the bandwagon and riding it into the sunset?”
She laughed under her breath. “How often do you guys ride into the sunset?”
“Every evening. The point is, I think a woman whostands her ground and favors logic amid uncertainty is intellectual. You can be wrong and not ridiculous, Octavia.”
Her fingers relaxed and opened.
“I’m going to figure this out for you,” I promised. “Whether it’s a ghost or imagination.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. “I appreciate that, I do, but I think this is something I’m eventually going to figure out myself.”
The crushing weight of sleepless nights cast dense shadows under her eyes. I admired the will to carry the responsibility on her own despite clear, back-breaking exhaustion. Her fire for the future burned without flickering. I used to have that same flame about this job. Until now, I didn’t think its fading was that noticeable. But next to her, all I owned were cinders.
“And I will.” Octavia threw a couple more logs onto her fire. “Figure it out. Once I get back to my usual self. Get some real sleep. Once you’re gone.”
I couldn’t spend the night arguing with a woman determined to forge her own path. And even though I wanted to, I couldn’t continue basking in awe and hoping some of her sparks settled on my skin. But I could offer a bit of peace for one night.
“Would you like me to stay here until you nod off?” I asked.
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
“I could bring a chair in here.” My gaze settled on the closet. “Set it there? That way you won’t have to worry about anything coming out because if it does, it’ll have to go through me first.”
She laughed, head shaking as if it sounded silly. When I didn’t join in her amusement, Octavia’s smile faded. Hereyes held fear of what this might mean for her. A big, strong rancher in need of company to fall asleep.
