Ghosting You

Chapter 15 - Presence Meets Funi

Presence stood in front of apartment 402, her heart pounding with the rhythm of bad decisions. It was 8:00 AM on a Saturday, and the universe seemed to be laughing at her predicament. She should have been in class, desperately trying to cram two years worth of knowledge into her brain before exams hit like an academic apocalypse. Instead, she was here, knocking on a stranger's door, all because of a boy.

Not just any boy. A dead boy.

Kel stood beside her, his ghostly form shimmering like a mirage in the harsh fluorescent light. He was biting his nails – or whatever the afterlife equivalent was for someone who no longer had fingernails, or fingers, or a physical body at all. Presence wondered, not for the first time, if the afterlife came with a manual on how to navigate these impossibly awkward situations.

She glanced at Kel, taking in his translucent features and the way his eyes darted nervously between her and the door. It struck her then, how absurd and beautiful and terrifying this moment was – standing on the precipice of something unknown, with only a ghost and her own questionable judgment to guide her.

Presence took a deep breath, her hand hovering over the door. She was about to step into a story she never expected to be part of, one that defied logic and reason. But then again, she mused, aren't the best stories always a little bit impossible?

"Are you sure she's even in?" Presence asked, her voice tinged with exasperation.

Kel's response was immediate and impatient. "Yes, she is."

"Okay, okay," Presence said, raising her hands in mock surrender. She'd hoped for a bit of their usual banter, something to lighten the mood. But Kel's face remained serious, his eyes fixed on the door as if he could will it open.

Presence regarded him curiously. There was something in his expression, a mix of longing and anxiety that she hadn't seen before. It made her wonder...

"What's your deal with Funi, anyway?" she asked, her voice softer now. "I mean, I know you were together, but... you're dead now. Is she still your girlfriend or your ex?"

Kel's form seemed to flicker more intensely at her words. He turned to look at her, and for a moment, Presence saw a depth of emotion in his ghostly eyes that took her breath away.

"It's... complicated," Kel said finally, his voice echoing slightly in the empty hallway. "We were together, right up until... well, you know. But now..."

He trailed off, his gaze returning to the door. "I just want to make sure she's okay. I need her to be okay..."

Presence felt a pang of sympathy. It was easy to forget sometimes that Kel wasn't just a ghost – he was a young man whose life had been cut short, leaving behind a tangle of unresolved relationships and emotions.

"That's why you need me to talk to her," Presence said, understanding dawning. "You can't just... ghost her." Her eyebrows waggling.

Kel's ghostly form stiffened, his finger shooting up in warning. "Don't..." he began, his voice a mix of exasperation and reluctant amusement.

Presence's grin widened, ready to volley back with another pun, when the sound of the door lock clicking froze them both. In an instant, Kel vanished, leaving Presence alone as the door swung open.

Presence's head whipped around, an awkward, overly bright smile plastered on her face. "Hi!" she chirped, her voice an octave higher than usual.

Funi stood in the doorway, her eyebrow arching skeptically as she took in the stranger before her. Her hair was mussed, dark circles under her eyes hinting at a sleepless night. "I'm sorry, you are...?" she asked, her tone a mixture of confusion and wariness.