Ghost Behind You

1.27. The Conversation (1)

Even though Zach had assured her that his requirements weren't difficult to follow, Rose still felt frustrated.

She was now sitting on the floor of Zach's room, tightly wrapped in a blanket, with only her eyes and nose exposed. Zach had claimed that this would help the blanket conceal her human presence. When Lana's spirit appeared in the dead of night, Rose was supposed to breathe slowly and make no sound so Lana wouldn't detect her. Zach checked the protective charm she was wearing once more, then grinned and joked, "You look like a giant snowman."

"I'm roasting in here!" Rose complained. "How long do I have to stay like this? If you can't summon her spirit, can I come out?"

"Don't worry, I'll summon her," Zach said confidently. "If you wait until the middle of the night to hide, Lana will know you're here the moment she shows up. That's why you need to be hidden now." As he spoke, he lit three incense sticks in the room.

It was around 8 p.m., and night had fully settled in. With most of the guests gone, the hotel felt eerily quiet. Zach's room, on the top floor, was even more isolated. Though a few staff members were still cleaning up in the restaurant downstairs, their sounds didn't reach this high. The stillness unsettled Rose; her ears were muffled by the blanket, and there were no voices, no insects—only the thudding of her own heartbeat.

"Hey, when you talk to Lana, will I be able to hear?" Rose asked quietly, trying to ease her nerves.

"Probably not," Zach replied, sounding slightly impatient as he lit another cigarette. The long wait seemed to be getting to him. "But who knows? I've told you before—you're not exactly an ordinary person. Maybe you will hear it."

"Have you done this before?" Rose asked. "I mean, summoning spirits?"

"Yeah, a few times. But it's dangerous, so I don't do it often. Summoning a spirit is easy. Sending it back is the hard part. Once you communicate with them, they sense this world again, and they become restless, unwilling to return to their own realm."

"What's their world like?" Rose asked, curiosity piqued.

"Their world's similar to ours," Zach said, his thoughts seeming to drift. "But they've lost the ability to perceive this one. For them, it's pitch-black. They can only sense other souls—the dead, the living, and other entities. When we summon a spirit, we have to give them a medium so they can sense this world and communicate."

"How do you do that? What kind of medium do you use?" Rose pressed.

"Each summoner has their own method. Some let the spirit possess them, others use special tools, and some project their soul directly. It depends on the spirit's energy. Sometimes the summoning fails because the summoner's energy doesn't match the spirit's, or they didn't choose the right medium."

"So, what method are you using this time?"

"Lana's energy is too strong for possession—it's too dangerous. I'll talk to her directly. She'll want to show herself."

"Will I be able to see her?" Rose asked, scooting closer to Zach, still bundled in the blanket.

"You want to see her?" Zach turned to look at her. "You said you didn't."

"This time, I do. It's a rare chance. Of course, I want to see her."

"I think you will. She won't hide from you," Zach said.

Rose nodded, falling silent. She thought back to her days in the forensics lab, performing autopsies, examining bodies in search of the cause of death. She'd held skulls in her hands, sometimes talking to them as if they could hear. Back then, she hadn't been afraid. The possibility that spirits might exist had never occurred to her. But now, with no body in front of her and only the idea of a ghost, she felt a chill. The world seemed suddenly vast and filled with things she couldn't comprehend. She wondered if they'd really be able to learn the truth from Lana's ghost.

A sudden wave of heat woke Rose. She opened her eyes to find the room completely dark. What happened? she thought. She remembered sitting, wrapped in the blanket, with the lights still on. She must have dozed off. But why was it so dark now?

"Shh..." Zach's voice whispered from the shadows. As her eyes adjusted, she could just make out Zach sitting cross-legged on the bed, his silhouette faintly visible in the dim light from the window. He turned his head slowly toward her and asked, "You're awake?"

Rose's body ached from being in the same position too long, reminding her of sleeping on trains during long trips home. She had slumped into a half-lying position while asleep. Now, sitting up, she pulled the blanket tighter around herself and whispered, "What time is it? Hasn't she shown up yet?"

"It's almost midnight. She'll be here soon," Zach whispered, his eyes gleaming with anticipation in the darkness.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," Rose whispered.

"No worries. The show's just beginning. Now, stay quiet and follow my lead." Zach's voice grew more intense. "She's here—she's entered the hotel."

Rose's heart clenched, and goosebumps prickled her skin. The air from the AC cooled her in the blanket, but sweat still began to form. She wanted to ask where the ghost was, but she didn't dare speak.

"She's on the first floor, near Room 104," Zach whispered, his voice barely audible.

"She's moving toward your room. She's at your window," he continued, excitement creeping into his tone. "She's entered your room... she knows you're not there."

A fresh wave of goosebumps surged over Rose's skin. In her mind, she pictured Lana's glowing figure moving through her empty room, searching for signs of her presence.

"She's leaving your room, heading somewhere else," Zach said, his voice suddenly tense.

"What's wrong?" Rose whispered, unable to keep the fear from her voice. Zach's tone carried a note of unease.

"Who else is on the second floor? Someone connected to Lana?" Zach asked urgently.

"No one. Just the owner," Rose replied.

"No, it's not the owner's room," Zach said, his voice sharp, like a hound that had caught the scent of something dangerous. Rose's nerves tensed in response to his growing agitation.

"There's another spirit!" Zach suddenly hissed. "It's Gary's!"

"What?!" Rose gasped, horrified. Could Gary's ghost have become another one of Lana's servants, just like that shadowy figure? Why was he appearing now? What did Lana want with him?

"It's Mary!" Zach's voice cracked with alarm. "Damn, we're too late."

"What's happening to Mary?!" Rose sprang to her feet, tossing the blanket aside. "Is she in danger?!"

"Don't move!" Zach leaped from the bed, tackling Rose back down and quickly wrapping her in the blanket again. "Mary's not dead—she's probably just being drawn into a dream. But you can't say anything! Lana knows you're here now!"