Calliope Chained

Chapter Five Lipstick and Blood

Not sleeping is the worst part about being dead. You get no breaks. What you do get is good at zoning out.

So, while Beaver silently destroyed the lives of internet gamblers, I found a sunbeam and floated there in that almost asleep state.

He threw a brush through me.

Let me tell you something about ghosts. If you want to piss us off fast, the quickest way is to remind us we don't have a physical body. Not being able to touch things, like a hairbrush, is, well, a touchy subject.

"What in the name of Moses did you do that for!"

I got all big and prepared to let loose, but was shocked to find Beaver squinting at me like I was the criminal.

"What," he folded his arms, "did you do?"

I blinked. I hadn't done anything.

"What do you mean? I've been with you?" I rolled my eyes and jingled my chain.

"This isn't funny, Calliope." He moved to the side so I could see Todd on his computer screen.

A tingle rushed through my ectoplasm.

"He's dead?" I asked.

"In a coma. It's all over the news. They found him down the street from my school-- just lying on the road. Didn't have anything with him but his jeans and the note painted on his chest."

"I know what you did." I read. "Is that blood?"

Beaver shook his head.

"Lipstick." Beaver took a threatening step towards me, "did you do this?"

I blinked.

I wasn't exactly Todd's biggest fan, but he didn't deserve such a horrible fate. Death? Maybe, but not this dreamless life. Not half-naked on the news and laid out like a fillet.

My insides squirmed.

"I swear." I blinked hard a few times, "you know I can't get too far."

He nodded.

Silently we studied the screen.

"Who was he?" Beaver asked.

"My ex." I tried to swallow, forgetting I had no saliva. "Can you turn that off? I don't want to see him like this anymore."

Thankfully, Beaver didn't say anything. He just clicked the screen closed.

...

August 20th, the week before school started, I met Beaver's one true love. We were walking around Rodgers Memorial Park together, he taking in the sun, me soaking up a bit of shadow when all of a sudden, who should turn the blind corner except Gren Birewood (a.k.a the slut queen. Told you that you'd hear more about her later.)

She walked with long strides and a swinging backside like she owned the nice side of town. She happened by the tree Beaver and I had just been under.

"Did you just hiss?" He whispered to me.

"Did I? I didn't mean to. I just saw her." I pointed to Gren. She wore one of those tiny skirts and tank top outfits that always look good on mannequins, but when normal-sized people try them on, they look like bloated sushi shoved in its wrapper.

"Who? Oh, Gren." Red hot blood crept up his neck and ears. "She's a junior at my school."

I blinked at him.

"You're kidding me." I glanced between the two. "You think she's pretty.

Beaver studied his laces.

"Look at her."

I did. I really tried to study her in an objective way. "Ok, I guess she's all right if you're into that whole perfect skin, hourglass body type. But honestly, she's an absolute troll. I mean brown hair and eyes? I guess whatever demon designed her ran out of paint."

"I think she looks... nice."

I yanked his chain.

"She's a bad person."

That's when I noticed someone interesting around Gren's wrist.

A charm bracelet.

A glowing charm bracelet.

The leaves fell, and the air grew chilly.

"Um, Calliope are you ok? You're sort of glowing."

"Are you scared?" I asked.

"A little."

I grinned.

The pencil hadn't moved because it didn't have any unfinished business. It didn't have any of that fear, anger, or grief that could anchor me to life.

Not like the little slut queen with the glowing wrist.