Lucky Number Seventeen

Chapter Seven

"Colby!" Sam entered the room, placing a hand onto his chest. "I thought something happened to you! I've been calling your phone for twenty minutes!" He reacted loudly, breaking the softness of the previous tone in the room. 

"Sorry, my phone died." Colby got off the floor, picking up the lysol wipes. "What's up, did you need something?" He asked as Sam sniffed a couple times. 

"Did you... light some candles in here? And clean the room?" He glanced around, noticing the freshly shining cabinets and bed frame. 

"Yeah, I was trying to contact one of the spirits. Nothing worked." He spoke without thinking. Why did I just lie to my best friend? 

"Well, witching hour is over, so I thought we should head home." Sam wrapped his arm around Colby, the pair exiting the room as he glanced back at the apartment one last time, wondering whether he dreamt the whole thing or if it actually happened. 

The drive home was nothing but Sam talking, Colby weirdly silent, which was extremely unusual for him. He usually was the one talking, but Sam barely noticed it as he filled Colby in on all of the random bangs and whispers he heard. The second they got home Colby climbed up his stairs, collapsing onto his bed and instantly falling asleep. 

The softness of his familiar bed seemed to instantly change as he rolled over, rubbing his hands over this new found material. He was back in the apartment building, laying on the bed of apartment seventeen. He sat up slowly, adjusting to his new location. How did I get back here? Did I ever leave? 

"Hello?" Colby called out, standing up as he stumbled slightly, a long slender arm reaching out to help him steady himself. He glanced up instantly, meeting a girl's green eyes. It was the woman from the photo, wearing a similar dress to the one she was pictured in, except this time it was a light blue, and the skirt was less fluffy. It also had flowers over the chest, a thin layer of white covering where cleavage would usually pop out. Something about her demeanor was respectful, and kind, very kind. 

"Be careful, you wouldn't want to trip." She spoke up for the first time, her voice smooth like honey, wrapping around Colby's ears like a melody. "Now, now Benedict. Run along, you already scared the poor man once." the enchanting woman spoke into the other room, a figure running quickly along, seemingly familiar from the evening before. 

"It's you, the woman I spoke to earlier." Colby sighed, taking in her features. She had big round lips and a small button nose, hair that was quite curly and just the perfect amount of messy. Her hands were anything but perfect, her nails bitten down to stubs which contrasted the entirety of her attitude, but it made Colby even more intrigued to find out who she was. "What's your name?" He asked, following her in a trance. 

"I'm not going to give that up so easily now, am I?" She giggled, the sound floating into Colby's ears and lingering there. Her laughter was contagious, making Colby smile slightly. "Would you like some tea? Brandy?" She walked into the kitchen, the room looking exactly the same as the apartment he was in only an hour ago, except this time it felt alive, and comforting. 

"I want to know more about you. Please." Colby begged as the woman placed a tea cup in front of him. "Where are you from? How long ago did you die?" The girl pretend to be offended, biting her lip to suppress a smile. 

"I guess you'll never know, will you?." She sat next to him, skin barely touching yet a chill still went up his spine. He reached out to touch her hand, parting his lips to say something when he abruptly woke up.