THIRTEEN FOR DINNER

Sixteen

SIXTEEN

            The continual slamming of the wooden shutter wakens me from my sleep. Opening my eyes I scream, mistaking the long white curtains, billowing in the wind, for ghost. It's an honest mistake; I am uncomfortable about sleeping here. It took me nearly two hours to relax enough to fall asleep. Despite the stifling heat I kept the quilt pulled over my head as to block out any ghouls that might decide to hover around in my bedchamber tonight.

            "I'll get it, "Quillan says rising off the bed we're sharing. My heart accelerates even more when I remember where I am sleeping. If it isn't bad enough that I am forced to sleep in this horrible haunted mansion but circumstances being what they are, warrants me to share a bed with Quillan; this only hastens my anxiety. I watch him walk over to the window, his hair is out of the pony tail and he's shirtless. Can my trembling heart take anymore? My best bet is to turn away so he doesn't catch me gawking.

            "Looks stormy out there," he says, pulling the wooden shutter closed, then turns up the wick on the lamp giving a dim glow of light to the dark room.

            "Great," I mumble. "Why would I expect anything different? I am spending the night in a haunted mansion; a thunderstorm is the appropriate ambiance."

            "It's not haunted," he corrects me as he climbs back into bed.

            "Maybe not yet," I say defending my knowledge of the place, "But it is in our time. A lot of my friends came here and saw things. Even Mike said he saw the silhouette of Emily hanging in the cupola, and Mike doesn't lie or exaggerate."

            "Your boyfriend speaks out of ignorance," He says sourly.

            "He's not ignorant," I am quick to defend Mike. "Actually he's one of the smartest people I know; and I told you before, he's not my boyfriend."

            "There is no such thing as ghost Avery, so let's dispel one of your fears right now. We are eternal spiritual beings so any apprehension you or your friends saw was merely a person in another dimension standing at a thin place where the membrane between the two worlds is so thin you get a glimpse inside." He fluffs his flat feather pillow but doesn't lie down. Instead he sits there staring at me as I lay on my back looking up at him. His hair hangs in his face and the way he's looking at me steals my breath again so I sit up and hug my knees, joining him in conversation.

            "So you're saying when Mike saw Emily in the cupola he was actually seeing her hanging? Like she does a month from now?" I can tell immediately that Quillan doesn't like any reference to Emily's unfortunate demise. He stares at me and I see anger behind his eyes.

            "She can't hang herself a month from now Avery. When you say it you are conceding defeat. Good God, do you not have any optimism in you at all; any courage that things can change or are you too afraid to hope too?"

            Okay I am a little embarrassed by his disappointment but instead of admitting my defeatist attitude I make matters worse by launching into self-defense mode.

            "I'm no psychologist Quillan. I spent some time with her this afternoon and she has issues that's for sure. How do you reach someone who lives behind a façade of smiles and works hard at keeping up appearances? I knew girls like her at school and believe me they would die before letting anyone know they had any imperfections at all."

            "Did you ever try?" He asks in an accusing tone, "Or did you allow your jealousies to interfere with someone else's wellbeing."