The X-Philes

Chapter 4

 "It's three thirty in the morning-"

Phil barged his way past Dan into his room.

"Someone's here," Phil repeated.

Dan looked around. "Who? Where?"

"A spirit," Phil clarified, making a beeline for the desk. He grabbed the hotel pen and notepad.

"Oh, a spirit," Dan repeated in a sarcastic "of course" tone.

Phil didn't respond.

"Do you know who it is," Dan asked, playing along with whatever Phil was doing.

"No, but they're trying to tell me something... tell you something..." Phil's eyebrows furrowed.

"Here, take it," Phil insisted, thrusting the pen and notepad towards Dan.

"I don't want it!" Dan shoved away Phil's hands.

"They want to talk to you!" Phil reiterated, bringing his hands back in front of him.

"Great, tell them I said no." Dan shoved Phil's hands away again.

Phil gripped the notebook and pen tighter, clutching them to his chest.

"I don't know how much information I'm going to get out of them," Phil stated firmly.

"I don't care," Dan stared at Phil's wide eyes, making sure Phil knew he was serious.

Phil's face fell for a second before becoming stiff. His eyes took on a glassy look, staring straight ahead, as if he was looking through Dan, and his hand moved across the pad stiffly, almost as if it wasn't of his own accord.

Just as quickly as it came, whatever it was, it went.

Phil looked down at the notepad.

73

"Does this mean anything to you?" Phil asked, turning the pad away from him to show Dan.

"Seventy-three? Does seventy-three mean anything to me?" Dan asked incredulously.

"I told you I didn't think I would be able to get much-"

"You know what Lester? Just go, okay? Get out of here, go."

Phil hesitated.

"Out!" Dan's eyes flashed with anger.

Phil clenched his teeth and looked away, like he was trying not to cry. He returned the notepad and the pen to the table and walked out.

Dan ripped the paper off the pad. He crumpled it up and threw it in the wire waste bin.

"Seventy-three," he repeated to himself spitefully.

He got a drink of water, used the bathroom, and then crawled back into the motel bed.

*-*-*-*-*

Phil woke up to a pounding on his door.

This time it was Dan standing outside his motel room.

"Breakfast is downstairs and then we're going," Dan informed him before turning away to swipe his key card to his own room.

"Where are we going?" Phil asked, rubbing a fist in his eye.

"You have half an hour."

Dan shut the door behind him.

"Alright then, keep your secrets," Phil quoted under his breath.

He closed his own motel door and made his way over to his suitcase which was laid out on the desk.