Page 43 of See Through

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“Give me the recorder.”

He hands it to me, and I know exactly what he’s thinking. He wants to pull me out of here and get me as far away from this place as possible, but I can’t do that. I need closure. I need some sort of reassurance that my brother is here. This might be the only time I’m able to talk to him again, and I’m going to stay here as long as it takes.

“Any EMF spikes?”

“None,” he whispers. “Go ahead, Aubs.”

I look at the camera, speaking right into the lens. I’ve been bad at doing my usual thing on this investigation, but this one is different from anything we’ve done before. This video going up on my channel might feel more like a found footage horror movie.

“We’re going back to using the recorder. I’m going to ask questions specifically to my brother. I’m sitting on his old bed, in the same spot I used to when I would bug him after school while our parents were working.”

I set the recorder in front of me while Dean walks around the room, trying to get different b-roll shots for other parts of the video before he settles on me again.

“These questions are for Adrian Spencer only. If you’re not my brother, then get out and go bother my friends downstairs, but be nice to them. They’re newbies.”

Dean tries and fails to hide his laugh as he clears his throat.

“The day you died was the worst day of my life, Adrian. I felt it. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I could feel you dying. I was studying with Dean, and my neck had started to hurt. Then, I got the call from Mom a few minutes later. I need to know what happened. I need to know if you were pushed down the stairs. I need to know if something in this house hurt you.”

I wait a few seconds before I speak again, but all the charged energy that felt like it followed us around the house has dispersed. It’ll come back, I know it will, but I’m hoping to talk with my brother first. I’m hoping the other spirits in this house will let me have a moment alone with someone I love.

“I need you to know I think about you every day. There’s not a moment or milestone in my life when I’m not thinking about you during it.”

More silence as I wait for him to answer.

“I started doing investigations as my job, as you can see. Dean and I have gotten fairly good at it, and I started right after you died. I figured life was too short to not do what I love, and thankfully, it’s working out so far. Everything I’m doing has been for you. I wanted you to know that, even though you’re gone, I’m still carrying you with me. I hope you’re okay with that.”

I see Dean nodding his head. I know what he’s trying to say. I know he’s telling me Adrian would be proud of me. Part of me wants to hear him say it himself, but I know that might not happen.

“Let’s review it,” he says as he brings the camera closer to the recorder.

I play it back, hearing the echo of myself on the recording. I always hate the way I sound when I edit my videos and hear myself talking.

As soon as the first question stops, I hear something.

“Rewind it,” Dean says as he leans in closer.

“Fell,” comes through as my heart sinks. I keep listening and hear another familiar word. “Sis.”

I pause the recording. “I knew he was here.”

“Wow.” He shakes his head. “That’s undeniable, even for me.”

“Let’s keep going.”

I hear something else.

“Proud,” crackles through. “Be safe.”

I laugh, tears flowing freely as I have one final conversation with my brother. Although it’s not the conversation I wish I could have with him, I’ll take anything I can get. I miss the days when he would interrupt me during one of my long tangents, or when he would yell at me for going somewhere we’re not allowed to go without him.

He always did say if you’re going to do something stupid, at least do something stupid with someone by your side and not alone.

I like to think that’s what Dean and I are doing with my channel. We may be doing some stupid stuff, but at least we’re doing it together.

“I love you, Adrian. I hope you can have some peace now,” I say to the room as Dean’s head turns toward the door. “Is something wrong?”