Ghost Perfume | ✔

Chapter 2: See Me (Part 1)

I jerked awake to a cacophony of sound; I couldn't remember my dream, but I knew that in its murky depths I'd tried to go through the portal yet again and failed.

I called it the Master Dream.

I'd had it, once in a while, as far back as I could remember. But lately it'd come with a vengeance night after night.

It didn't make any sense. I had no trouble forming a little circle out of the end thread in my chest.

But it wouldn't work as a key for me.

The portal never let me through.

I looked at the portal now. There it hung, gorgeous and golden and open, never far from my side, a great shining circle I never lost sight of, not really, not with my inner eye that never quite closed - and I knew it, I knew this strange door, hadn't it been my faithful companion for four years now, and how many souls had we ferried together? Didn't it know me? Why wouldn't it let me through?

The alarm still screeched. I blearily reached to turn it off.

"Rose!'' It was Tommy, banging on my door. I realized he must have been there for a while. 

"Open the fucking door!''

"What do you want?'' I called.

"For you to turn your alarm off.''

"I did.''

"And open your fucking door.''

I unlocked and opened it a crack. He slammed it all the way open and I had to stumble back a few steps.

Tommy snickered, leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms.

I bit my lip as he looked me up and down. "Where've you been?'' I asked.

"None of your business.''

His hair was wild, his eyes over-bright. I'd rarely seen him up at this hour before. I suspected he hadn't woken up early - he'd simply never gone to sleep.

"We're basically out of food,'' I said in my least confrontational tone of voice.

I sounded like I was apologizing to him about it.

"It would help if you didn't eat so much,'' he told me.

I kept my poker face.

He laughed. "Relax, psycho. I'm going to the store today. I'll take you to school on the way. Hurry up.''

"Okay.'' I turned to pick out a sweater and a pair of Mom's old jeans to change into.

He didn't budge from the doorway.

I kept my poker face and just edged around him to go to the bathroom. He laughed again.

"Any visitors come by last night?'' he called through the bathroom door.

Tommy was the only one I ever told about the ghosts. I thought he'd understand, because ... it was just me and him in this world. But he called me psycho instead. At least he didn't treat the issue as anything more than a long-running joke; he didn't try to have me committed, and as far as I knew he hadn't told anyone about it.

"Are we safe? Should I pick up extra salt or garlic at the store?'' he went on.

"It would help with the vampires, for sure,'' I said.

"What was that, pipsqueak?''

I cleared my throat. "That would help with the vampires!''

He wheezed and I heard the sound of what I thought was him slapping his thigh.