Don't Fear the Reaper

Chapter 5: 'Recent' Events

I sat there, watching the large glowing box, watching as little drawn characters moved around like they were alive. It was almost like magic. I liked the black and white cartoons a lot. They made more sense to me.

Richard looked over to me. "This is a propaganda cartoon from the second world war."

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean a SECOND world war?"

Richard's eyes widened. "Shit, I forgot you died in 1919. You've missed a lot." He paused the TV on the picture of the pig with a small line of a mustache.

After an hour and a half of the basic rundown of what happened during the second world war, my cheeks were wet and I had a pillow clutched to my chest.

I wiped another tear from my face. "How could someone do that to so many innocent people?"

Richard shrugged. "I don't know. The same way that priest did all that to you. Some people are just evil."

Collin brought some tea into the room, setting a cup in front of Richard. Richard nodded and thanked him, taking a sip. I missed tea and coffee a lot.

Richard could see the longing in my eyes. "Sorry. This must be like waving a steak in front of a starving dog."

I shook my head. "Nah, the dog could take the steak." I reached for the cup and my hand passed through it. "I can't even touch the tea."

"I wish I could read something about all the time I've missed." I sighed, thinking about all the stuff I couldn't do.

Richard smiled. "Actually, you could watch some documentaries on the glowing box and you could get caught up a little. They're just a little boring." He took the remote and looked up an educational documentary on what he called "You-tube". I watched intently, my eyes following each little thing. All of this was so fascinating and wonderful. At least it was more interesting than what happened at the cabin.

He chose one of the documentaries on the 1920s, and instantly I heard gunshots and saw men in pinstripe suits with bottles of booze. I screamed at the gunshots and the lights went out, which only scared me more.

"What the fuck?" Richard exclaimed. Turning the flashlight on his phone on. "I'll go check the breakers in the basement."

"Are least we don't have to worry about ghosts..." Collin said quietly.

"Sorry." I said. I felt weird.

The lights turned back on.

Richard looked at me, confused. "Jasper, you're glowing."

I blushed.

He rolled his eyes. "Not like that. You're literally glowing." He reached for the light switch and I noticed that the air around me was alight.

"Sorry." I said again, not really knowing what else to say.

Collin smiled. "You're fine, Jasper. Are you okay?"

"I just feel a little funny."

Richard nodded. "Funny how?"

I shrugged, the air around me crackling with energy.

Collin looked really interested. "I think we have a regular haunting going on. Jasper hasn't been around electricity almost at all in the last hundred years, maybe he's just getting how to draw from it."

"I'm sitting right here." I complained. Just because I didn't understand completely didn't mean they should talk like I'm not here.

Richard ignored me. "Like the phone earlier! Yes!" He smiled, eyes lighting up like they always did when he was intrigued by something. I wish he would look at me like that...