Ghosts are People Too

I remained still and silent as a group of people moved around me, chatting and laughing. I intended to bide my time and, when the moment was right, I would strike.

But first...I had to select my prey.

He walked past me and I grinned. I loved catching him off guard. He shivered and I froze, worried that he might realize what was happening.

After a moment, he continued on his path, returning his gaze to the cell phone in his hand. My smile widened. My fun wouldn't be ruined after all.

I glided forward, careful not to touch the people that surrounded me. While they wouldn't know what I was, the deep chill I left on their skin would alert them to my presence. As I approached, he glanced behind him. His eyes moved right over me.

Without hesitation, I reached out and grabbed his butt.

"What the hell?" he yelled as he took two jerky steps forward.

I floated closer to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Goddammit, Teri!" he roared.

I laughed so hard that I bent forward, clutching my belly. Stony looked around, his eyes wide and wild.

"My ass is off limits, even to ghosts!"

Before I could torment him further, I felt the familiar tingle in my abdomen. "Shit."

The tingling and tugging sensations increased until I found myself yanked toward Stony. As I passed through him, he yelped and jumped to the side, swearing at me again. I yelled as I flew toward the wall, throwing my arms up in front of my face even though I knew it wouldn't help.

When my body met the brick, there was a brief resistance before I slid inside and popped out in another room.

Zoe Thorne stood in front of me, her arms crossed over her chest and one hip cocked to the side. She tilted her head and her long dark ponytail swung over her shoulder. In the last thirty years, she was the only person who could hear or see me. When she bought the house that my spirit was bound to, I did my best to make her life miserable, but now I loved her to bits. She needed to loosen up a little though.

"Seriously, Teri? This is the first time you've been out with me to film, but the rules haven't changed," she complained. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop harassing Stony? You may be a ghost, but that doesn't give you free rein to run around grabbing people's asses!"

I winced as her voice lifted into a shout. "No need to shriek," I stated.

"How many times do I have to tell you the same thing?" she repeated.

Somehow, I managed to keep a straight face as I replied, "Just one more."

"Uggghhh!"

I couldn't hide my smile as Zoe released a frustrated, wordless yell.

"When we're on set, you need to behave yourself," she declared a few moments later. "We all have jobs to do and I won't bring you out on the road if you can't respect that."

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Zoe couldn't leave me behind even if she wanted to. A few months ago, the spirit of the man who killed me returned to the earthly realm and tried to kill her. I was the only one who could contain his non-corporeal form and I'd nearly been banished to Hell along with him when she created a spell to cast him out.

Somehow Zoe managed to tie my essence to her life force. After I died, my spirit couldn't leave the confines of the house where I was killed. Now, I was joined with Zoe and I went where she did.