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Maybe if I echoed those words in my mind a thousand times, I’d remember that fact. But even as I repeated it, I suspected it’d turn out to be a battle I would inevitably lose.
Once outside, Kipp stayed quiet as I searched for any place that looked like an entry point. By the time we approached the backyard, there hadn’t been any hint of trespassing.
The night had fallen upon us and a couple bright stars twinkled above me in the dark sky. I took a quick look at my watch. Nine o’clock. My body experienced the strain of the day and exhaustion settled in. A cold shudder ran through me. I gasped and took a step back. “Sorry,” I said to Kipp. “I didn’t realize you stopped.”
He stood in front of me with his head bowed. I walked around to face him and saw the despair in his expression. “What’s wrong?”
“Here.” He looked up at me, pointing to the ground. “The night I died…this is where…”
I followed the direction of his pointing finger and along the concrete patio was a large stained area, which I assumed had been his blood. “Oh, you were shot here.”
Kipp knelt down, placing his hand on the darkest area. “I feel…” His gaze returned to mine. “It feels strange to be back here.”
Yeah, I bet it does. “An unhappy memory happened here. Of course returning here wouldn’t be pleasant.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s more than that. For the first time since I woke up, I feel as if I’m in the right place.”
“The right place?” I repeated.
He pondered, only a moment, and apparently, the answer came to him, since his eyes widened. “Home.”
Now he’d lost me. “What do you mean home?”
“It’s the same feeling you have when you walk through your parents’ front door. You know, the one that says you’re right where you belong.”
It’d been some time since I experienced such a feeling, but I understood what he meant. Maybe more so because I had longed to feel that again for years. “Yeah, I know the feeling.”
His gaze pleaded for answers. “Why am I experiencing this?”
How should I know? “Maybe it’s because some of you remains here, at this place, because your life ended here.”
He stood in one swift movement and closed in on me. I gasped as the coldness of his presence washed across me. His movement had been so fast, supernatural for sure, and I had never witnessed such a move before. For the most part, ghosts appeared normal and his move simply wasn’t.
“Holy crow! How did you do that?”
His eyebrow arched. “Do what?”
“Move like…” I paused in an attempt to find the right word. “Something out of a scary movie.”
He looked at me reprovingly. “I’m a ghost, Tess.”
“Yes.” I returned the look. “I know this.”
“The rules you live by are no longer mine.”
The idea of ghosts didn’t scare me because they appeared somewhat normal. This whole spooky nonsense freaked me out. “So, you can move quickly?”
He nodded. “As quick as I want.”
How much did I not know? Creepiness ran up my spine. “What else can you do?”
Kipp stared intently. “There’s more, but I don’t want to frighten you.”
“I’m not frightened,” I retorted.
“No?” He trailed his icy fingers under my eye. “In here, I see fear.”
I moved away from his touch, since my initial reaction had been to lean into him. “I’m not saying it’s not a little strange, but I can handle it, so spill.”
