Phriek (For the moment, She is on hold.)

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

                Flabbergasted. Truly, utterly, and completely gob smacked. It wasn't just me. The insufferable git was just sitting there with his mouth hanging open. Jayce was laughing like a madman. Completely bonkers.

                "I know what you must be thinking..."

                "You've no bloody idea what I'm thinking." I couldn't help but cut Jayce off. How in the hell could he assume he knew what I was thinking?

                "I do, actually." He leaned over and pushed my jaw up with his pointer finger, a smile playing on his lips. "By the way, seeing dead people isn't the only gift I have. You should really try to keep your thoughts to yourself."

                Bloody brilliant. A freaking mind reader to boot.

                "STAY out of my mind. And get back to you seeing dead people."

                "Well, I was always able to read minds, as you call it. I didn't start seeing spirits until my thirteenth birthday, when I drowned. I was resuscitated, of course, and since then, I've been able to communicate with the dead."              

"Ever hear of 'information overload'?" Even as shocked as I was, sarcasm rarely left me. Jayce and Jason chuckled.

                "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the first time I saw you. I just had to make sure you were the right girl."

                "How many broads named 'Phriek' could you possibly know?"

                "Shut up Jason. Nobody asked you." I stood up and headed for my room. "I am going for a run. I need time to process all this."              

                "But it's raining outside."

                "Never stopped her before. Rain clears her mind, or so she says."

                "I heard that!" I could hear them chatter from the wall of my room. I couldn't even begin to process what all I had heard.

                Dressing once again in a running outfit, I grabbed my jacket and headed towards the door.

                "Make yourself comfortable," I told Jayce. "And stay out of my stuff." Glaring at Jason, I headed out. The fine mist of rain hitting my face had an immediate effect.

                Even though I had only been out of the hospital for a day and having been told to rest, running was one of the few pleasures I really had in life. I mean, come on, my roommate is a dead dude. How relaxing could that possible be?

                Thankfully, I didn't see any creepy ghosts. I'll be the first to admit that I don't enjoy my gift. I didn't ask for it, I wasn't born with it, I didn't like it. I wanted to be normal, I really did. However, being named Phriek didn't grant a lot of normalcy. Stupid parents and their stupid drugs.

                An hour and a half later, I return to my place. I could hear laughter ringing from the door. Apparently the cop and the bane of my existence were hitting it off phenomenally.

                "Phriek-a-zoid! You're back! Welcome home!" Jason grinned up at me from his chair. I couldn't help but groan. Great, now he was back to his happy, sarcastic, dead self.

                "Why didn't you pick someone else to haunt? It's been made pretty apparent that I'm not the only one unlucky enough to see you."

                "Ah, darling, you're breaking my heart."              

                "Bugger off."

                Once again, their peals of laughter filled the house. I dashed back into my room and changed into 'normal' attire. Apparently, even my fashion sense was a tad bit screwy.

                "Jayce, could you do me a favor?" I was back in the living room now, headed towards the kitchen with a bottle of pain killers. I didn't usually rely on drugs to keep me from hurting, but remember, I had just been hit by a freaking car.

                "Sure, darling, what's up?"         

                "First off, don't call me darling..."

                "Yeah, I'm the only one allowed to call her that."             

                "Shut it Jason. Anyway, don't call me darling. Second, could you possibly take ghost boy away for a bit? I'm sure he's thrilled to find out that he can converse with someone else, and I would really like a quiet nap. Nothing much is quiet with him around."

                "Sure, no problem." He stood up to leave, motioning for Jason to follow, which he did gladly.    

                "See ya later, darling."

                I growled, but was relieved that they were gone. I didn't plan on sleeping, I had things I needed to do, and I couldn't do them with Jason hanging around.

                Swallowing the pills and chasing them with some water, I grabbed the phone and called Alyssa to let her know I was ok. After agreeing to meet up later for some dinner, I walked into my room and took out the box.

                The box was a gift from an old voodoo priestess from New Orleans. I had gone down there the summer before the accident. The simple gift didn't make much sense at the time, but now I am grateful for it.

                Lighting candles in my room, I sat down in the middle of the floor, opening the box. I rarely felt the need to use it. The silver lid fell back with a soft thud, a soft white mist floating out. Most people couldn't see the mist. It was used to call a spirit to you, hence why I didn't use it often. I didn't have a problem calling spirits to me, if they needed me, they found me. It was my chance to return the favor.

                "Lila, I need you."

                Nothing happened. I inhaled deeply and tried once again to clear my mind. If I was thinking about other things, this wouldn't work.

                "Lila, I need your help. I need you. Please."

                I felt the room start to spin. The mist from the box started to take form, and soon, the once beautiful Lila was sitting across from me, a sweet smile on her ghostly lips.

                "Hello, Phriek."

                "Hi." Her voice was just a beautiful as her face. There was something inviting about it.

                "I know why you've called me. I want to help."

                "Thanks. I realize this must be hard for you." She smiled once again, but it didn't reach her sad eyes.

                "Keep him safe, Phriek. He doesn't understand what he's dealing with."

                "What could possibly happen to Jason? He already died."

                "Not Jason. Jayce."

                "Jayce?"

                "He needs you. Without you, he will die."