Bonded

Chapter Nine

I walked to nearest bus stop, and paid to get on the first one that stopped for me. The driver was an old man with some substantial scruff, but what he lacked in grooming abilities he more than made up for in warm smiles. I sat in a seat near the front of the almost full bus, so that I could ask to be let off at a moment's notice when I found the right house or street I needed. Seth had retreated into the depths of my mind again, abandoning the freedom of his physical form. He said that he found comfort in my thoughts, and I couldn't deny him that one thing since he'd lost so much.

When I got off the bus, something seemed wrong. I mean sure, there were the shady people that always hung around next to the grocery store, and also around the corner from Alyssa's house, but this was different. It seemed like there was another presence, and I recognized the feeling from when I'd first detected Seth. There are ghosts around here, aren't there Seth?

Yeah, he answered, there are a few. I did not question it any further, since a sad feeling started radiating from him.

Walking down the street, I could not seem to find Christy's house. I came across a girl sitting on the sidewalk, though, who pointed out the building for me when I asked her. Rainbow-striped gloves concealed the girl's small hands, with the ends cut off to reveal her unpainted, bitten-to-the-quick nails. "Christy lives there. Mama told me not to go near her." Her small, childish face turned back to the chalk drawing she'd been working on before I walked up. "Mama says she's a demon trying to get back home." I picked up some chalk pieces that had rolled away, and set them in a neat pile next to the small girl, and smiled.

"Thank you for showing me the way."

Her bottom lip trembled slightly, "Don't get eaten up."

I shook my head, "I promise you I won't get eaten up."

The house must have been empty, because knocking on the door did nothing. The whole place was dead silent. After a few minutes of trying, I decided nobody was home. But I didn't come all this way and get my hopes up for nothing. I pulled a sticky note out of my pocket, and looked at the phone number on it; the website said it was Christy's personal phone number.

Taking my cell phone out of my pocket, I dialed the number from the sticky note and listened to the beeps. After a while, a feminine voice answered, sounding a bit muffled.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi. Is this Christy Kaizen?"

"Who wants to know? You know what- never mind. Yeah, that's me. What's up?"

Is this how she treats everyone who calls her for help?

"Well... This is going to sound weird. My name is Diana Bloodworth, and I know about your brother Seth."

Don't creep her out.

"Seth is dead. Five years dead." Christy did not sound amused.

I took a deep breath. "Christy, Seth isn't gone. He's in my head. We have this strange...bond. He's a ghost, and he wants to talk to you."

That's it, I thought. I'm going to lose her. She's just going to hang up. To my surprise, she did not do that at all. I heard a gasp from the other end of the call, and then the sound of something falling, followed by a yelp and string of curses.

"Diana? If you're in town, meet me at the café down the street from my house-building-type-thing. And... please bring a pair of size 14 pants if you can. I just spilled my tea on myself."

"Uh, okay. Be there in ten minutes." So that was that. Mission accomplished. However, it felt strange finally having the option to even try severing my bond with Seth. I had grown used to his company, and the thought of him leaving made me have mixed feelings about seeing Christy. On one hand, I wanted Seth to have his freedom to go wherever he wanted and do anything that he wanted to do, like a ghost should. On the other, I didn't want to lose somebody who knew me inside out. It was more than a physical bond, it was an emotional one, and we had learned so much about each other in just a few days. Never in my whole life had I ever gotten to know someone so well. Not even my parents, or my best friend. I had finally met a person who understood my actions, thoughts, emotions, everything flawlessly and knew how to handle them...

Diana? Are you okay?

Hearing that voice inside my head –that pained, boyish voice– made me want to scream in frustration. I could lose that if I talked to Christy...

Yeah, Seth. I'm okay. Let's stop by Alyssa's and borrow some pants. We've got to talk to your sister.

(Seth's POV)

Does she know I can hear every thought she has? She is so open when she thinks of me.

It scares me.

It scares me that she is having the same thoughts and doubts as I am. Are these really her thoughts? Or... oh God are they mine? I'd heard that when a person is possessed or harboring another spirit, their thoughts and desires become more and more like those of the spirit, and the other way around too. I can't tell what I want anymore. Diana and I really are becoming the same.

I have to find a way to end this. This is going to drive me insane!

I severed my connection with the girl, diving deep into the recesses of her mind. I closed off every complaint, every thought, every emotion but my own. My mind cleared, and I let out a mental sigh of relief. I couldn't do this for long, but I had to get away from reality for a while. I knew that Diana would panic, knew that she would be worried, but in that moment, I did not care. If I became confused about all this, it would only end badly. So I prayed that everything would be okay until I resurfaced.

(Diana's POV)

Seth?

Seth!

No answer. I panicked, trying as hard as I could to find him inside my mind. There was nothing but a tiny pulse to tell me that he was there at all, and there were no thoughts, no feelings, but my own.

It felt normal, actually, as if nothing had ever happened. I noticed that my mind cleared, letting me see what needed to be done. I had to free Seth from the chains that were this bond.

First, I had some pants to steal.