Just Lucky that Way (10 page)

"Blake," Blake said, from behind her.

Becca jumped, and rolled her eyes, laughing. "Not you, idiot."

"I'm not answering them." The thin voice came from behind Zed, who shivered as icy air enveloped him.

"We might not be able to hear her until we watch the video," Kitty said. "Keep talking to her."

"Are you Opal Townsend?" Becca asked.

"She says she's not answering you," Zed told them. For some reason, hearing the voices with a lot of people around didn't bother him half as much as hearing them when alone. He'd have thought either way would terrify him. But, as he was still unsure as to whether what he was hearing was a ghost or purely part of his fucked up psyche, Zed was happy to go along with the ghost theory. It made him seem less crazy -- and he wasn't exactly sure how that was. Probably because everyone else went along with that theory, even though they knew his history.

"Is she there?" Kitty squealed and reeled off half a dozen photos of Zed and the area around him.

"Look, you can see his breath," Mel chimed in.

"Oh, my God, you're shivering." Rhys moved closer to Zed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you getting this, Kitty?"

"It is colder here," Blake said, and Zed shrank in on himself as everyone moved closer, crowding him. This wasn't good; he hated being closed in like this. Yes, claustrophobia was just another problem. Mainly being in situations he couldn't get out of immediately.

"Back off!" Alex shouted, making his friends pause in their examination. "Give Zed some room to breathe, for fuck's sake."

"Now you give a shit?" Rhys asked.

"Fuck off -- and get your hands off him."

"Get off your high horse, Alex." Rhys wrapped his arm around Zed. "You've done nothing but be an ass all day."

"I loved you." Icy fingers run down Zed's cheek, chilling his face."Why did you leave me?"

"I didn't leave you!" Zed shouted, wanting to flee. To get to his car and get the hell out of Dodge. But he couldn't, his 'friends' had him trapped in the fucking barn with a fucking ghost who was crazier than he was.

"Is she talking to you?"

"Ask her if she's Opal."

"Why is she here?"

"What does she want?"

"Tell her to go to the light."

"Shut up!" Alex forced his way through the crowd to stand protectively in front of Zed. "Back. Off!"

"Fuck, Alex, we're just trying to get some answers," Jon said. "Zed's a big boy; he can take care of himself. He doesn't need you to protect him."

"I'm warning you... back off."

Zed knew that tone well. He'd heard it many times before; every time Alex had stepped in and fought off the bullies in high school. Jon had better watch his step; he'd already become acquainted with Alex's right hook. Maybe things weren't as bad as Zed thought, Alex was protecting him. Alex still cared.

Zed placed his hand on Alex's shoulder. "It's okay."

"He's mine!"

Zed watched in horror and Alex was thrown against the wall of the nearest stall.

"Fuck!"

Zed wasn't sure whose voice that was, as it was drowned out by the girls' screaming. The light on Kitty's camera dimmed and went out, throwing everyone into gloom.

Zed cared only about one thing. Alex.

The voice could go and fuck itself, as could any half-hearted apparitions and Chanel scented cold spots.

The barn erupted into chaos, everyone suddenly only concerned about themselves, their focus shifting from Zed. Rhys had grabbed his arm, trying to make him leave the barn, but Zed wasn't going anywhere, not until Alex was with him. The panic continued around him until Alex finally looked up at him, from where he'd landed on the ground, and gave a tired smile. Becca, who had been ensuring Alex wasn't too injured, caught the smile and stood.

"He's all yours. Nothing broken." She glanced to the door of the barn. It was becoming quite dark outside, but was probably lighter than the inside of the barn. "Um... I might just wait for you two, if that's okay."

"Okay." Zed nodded and knelt next to Alex. He felt surprisingly calm in the aftermath, even though his heart was beating fast. Maybe it was the adrenaline spike calming him. "That was pretty awesome. Didn't know you could fly." Cracking a joke, no matter how bad, seemed the thing to do.

"I've got moves even you haven't seen yet." Alex winked. "You okay?" He rested his hand on Zed's thigh. "Is she still around?"

"I don't know. I'm not cold anymore." Zed looked around, not sure what he was expecting to see in the darkness. "Um, can we make up later? I wanna go."

"Sounds good." Alex slowly stood. "Seems the whole 'ghosts can't hurt anyone' theory is a myth."

"She's jealous," Zed said by way of explanation. "Apparently I loved her, but I left her." He slid his arm around Alex. "Are you okay to walk?"

Alex nodded. "That makes no sense. You've never loved a girl."

"Maybe she's getting me confused with you." Zed gave a small laugh and bumped Alex's hip with his. "I dunno, I think ghosts are easily confused."

"I don't even want to think about the psyche of ghosts."

"Can we get outta here?" Becca asked, huddling close to Alex. "I don't want to be here when she gets back."

"I don't think it works that way." Zed huddled close to Alex's other side. "But yeah, I'm outta here."

"Poor Phil," Alex commented. "I don't think he'll get anyone to stay and help renovate."

"If I were them, I'd sell the place," Becca said weakly, as if she didn't want to be overheard by the ghost.

"I just want to get in the car and drive home." Zed gently nudged Alex toward the door.

Twilight had descended over the farm. The booms, cracks, and fizzes of fireworks cluttered the distant night. High, shrieking whistles pierced the air and colored stars flashed in the black evening. Purple, blue, red, silver, gold, green -- reminding Zed of the opal he'd found earlier. People were having fun and celebrating and partying while all hell was breaking loose here. Zed never had good luck with anything. No, that wasn't entirely true. He did have Alex.

Heated voices overshadowed the fireworks the closer they got to the impromptu parking lot.

"What the fuck?" Travis barked. "Mine's dead, too."

"What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"Zed, start your car." Travis climbed down from his Jeep and headed toward the Mustang.

"I'm sure Zed's car will be the only one to work." Blake stood next to Travis and was soon joined by the others. "Even if it does, we can't all fit in there. What are we going to do? Draw straws for the backseat?"

"What're you talking about?" Zed asked fishing the keys out of his pocket.

"All the cars are dead!" Mel panicked. "Our cell phones too!"

"We could always walk," Blake, ever practical, suggested.

"I wouldn't advise it." Phil's voice was surprisingly calm. "It's dark. There aren't any street lights. It's the Fourth of July -- drunk drivers aplenty. And not to mention the occasional black bear that swims across the river looking for something to eat. But if you want to risk it -- go right ahead"

Everyone huddled together as they contemplated their options. It reminded Zed of those maritime stories of sinking ships, and the people treading water in large groups -- each praying they wouldn't be the first to fall to the sharks. Zed's fingers clutched around his keys, the metal biting into his skin.

"Let me try my car." Zed walked over and unlocked the door. "The ghost likes me; maybe she spared my baby."

Alex grabbed Zed's arm. "It's you. You're the connection. Whenever she's been around, you have too."

Zed rolled his eyes. Nothing new to him, but he was hoping he was wrong. "Yeah, I know." He unlocked his car and slid into the driver's seat, immediately wishing he'd left the windows open a crack to relieve the blast furnace conditions. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zed pumped the gas once and turned the key.

Nothing.

Not the dying whirr of an engine trying to kick over.

Not even the driving beat and darkness of My Chemical Romance's 'This Is How I Disappear' coming from the CD player. And that was very sad.

"She wants to keep you here," Travis grouched. "And for that to happen, we're all stuck as well."

As if Zed couldn't feel any worse. "Not my fault," he mumbled, unreasonably depressed that his car didn't work.

"I like having you here."

Silence.

A few fireworks whistled and popped, but it was like a vacuum. Kitty's eyes went wide and, for once, she reached for Travis instead of her camera. Mel and Becca screamed, shifting closer to each other and the group. Blake pointed to the roof of Zed's car before Becca bumped into him. He dropped his arm around her.

"Fuck..." Seemed to be the general word that covered an event like this.

Zed twisted out of his car and there was his ghost, a mere two feet away from him. He backed up, straight into Alex. "Tell me you can see that."

"Short black hair, white lace Flapper style dress, mottled neck -- glowing? Yeah, I see her." Alex rested his hand on Zed's hip. "She's pretty strong for such a petite girl."

Zed nodded, quietly snorting a mirthless laugh. The ghost appeared to be ignoring them all, but no one moved. Where were all the questions everyone was throwing at him before? Where was the bravado? It was all right when Zed was the only one being haunted -- he wondered briefly whether they'd even believed him or whether it was just an interesting enough distraction. But now that the ghost had manifested, they were all as scared as Zed had been. Except that now, Zed wasn't as bothered by her. Unless, of course, she hurt Alex again.

"Opal?" he called.

She looked straight at him, her eyes narrowing when she caught sight of Alex standing so close."Why do you touch him?"

Alex pulled Zed closer. "He's mine."

Opal frowned and her gaze shifted from Alex to Zed and back to Alex. "No. He's mine! He said he'd love me forever! He found my brooch."

"This?" Phil pulled the opal from his pocket. "Well, I have it now."

Opal's head turned quickly and she narrowed her eyes at Phil. "Why do you play with me? You'll be sorry."

"Don't!" Zed shouted, just as Phil flew backward, much the same way Alex had.

Opal turned her wide eyes on him and laughed before disappearing.

Then it started. Everyone talked at once. Tania was crying, over where Phil had been flung. Both Rhys and Becca were with her, even though Becca looked as horrified as Tania and kept glancing around. Mel was shouting that she wanted to go and she didn't give a damn about what might be out there -- Zed presumed she was referring to Phil's previous warnings -- it had to be safer than what was here. Blake and Jon were both trying to calm her. Kitty was telling Travis to get the Jeep started. Like the other guys, he was quietly trying to explain the difficulty with that.

"You think she's buried down there? Under the still. And I disturbed her when I dug out that opal?"

Alex shrugged. "Maybe. Judging by the marks on her neck, I'd say she didn't die of natural causes. She definitely has unresolved issues."

Zed rolled his eyes. "Master of the understatement. She's got more issues than I do."

Alex gave a wry smile. "No one has more issues than you." He pulled Zed close. "Kidding. You're doing just fine. But maybe... maybe that's why she's targeting you."

"'Cause my brain's defective?"

"Ha, funny. No, 'cause she senses a kindred spirit." Alex shrugged. "Something like that."

"Do you think--"

Zed was cut off by Kitty's panicked voice. "I don't give a rat's ass! I'm not staying here."

"We don't have working cars or flashlights." Travis tried to be the voice of reason. "It's too dangerous."

"Not as dangerous as here." The sky was illuminated by a series of colorful explosions. Kitty used the light to find a branch. "I'll make a torch."

"We'll each make a torch and take some replacement batteries. Maybe she hasn't fucked with them yet. If we get far enough away they might work." Mel was already scouring the ground for usable branches.

Travis sighed. "I guess if we stick together and stay alert we should be all right." He gently pried Kitty's fingers from around the branch. "That won't stay lit without an accelerant like kerosene, and I don't want to be messing with that. Not with a psychotic and possibly murderous ghost around."

Mel dropped the branch she'd found and glanced around, wide eyed. "Good point. It might be light enough with the fireworks anyway."

As if to reinforce her hope, more fireworks filled the sky, illuminating and casting long shadows at the same time. The hoots and hollers of celebration were entirely out of place with the scene unfolding at the farm. More and more, leaving sounded like a damn good idea.

"Sure," Zed whispered in Alex's ear. "Let's go to the farm, hang out with our friends, party have a good time -- what could possibly go wrong?"

"Well, it sounded like a good idea at the time." Alex leaned his head against Zed's. "How was I supposed to know there would be ghosts and mayhem?"