Eidolon

Chapter 23: The Curse

"So you're saying he can just ride in the car with us?" Juliette asked as she put Alex's bag in the trunk of her car. Juliette's car was certainly a step up from her brother's, a sporty red compact with leather seats.

"Uh-huh," Alex confirmed. "He won't phase through the car unless he wants to."

"Huh," Juliette said thoughtfully. "So what if the car was all full? Could he share a seat with someone by selectively phasing through them, but not the car?"

Alex turned her head to Lucas, who nodded. "Yeah, I think so. It would take a little bit of concentration, but it wouldn't be that difficult."

"Apparently so," she confirmed.

Juliette sighed, a sad look in her eyes. "I wish there was some way I could talk to him directly," she lamented.

"Well, maybe there is," Alex offered, remembering the book Professor Richter had given her. "I need to do some more research on it, but there are apparently some rituals that might actually work. Plus, I know that some ghosts learn to physically manifest or interact with objects." She turned to Lucas. "Lucas, have you tried that at all?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but I haven't had any luck so far. I'm not really sure what to do, except to just concentrate and will it to happen."

Alex chewed on her thumb thoughtfully. That was pretty much how she summoned her eidolon. If that wasn't how it worked, she had no idea how it did. "Well, Spooky did say most ghosts take years before they manifest those kinds of powers. But maybe he'll be able to help, whenever we can talk to him again."

"Hopefully," Lucas agreed.

They climbed into the car, and headed out to go pick up Cynthia from her house. When they arrived, Cynthia greeted them carrying a massive duffle bag, stuffed to maximum capacity and bulging in the sides were she had obviously crammed in more than the bag was designed to hold. It looked incredibly heavy, but Cynthia had it casually slung over one shoulder.

"Jeez, what all did you pack?" Alex asked. "We're only going to be gone for one night."

"There's no telling what we're going to find there," Cynthia replied. "I brought some weapons, just in case—a couple of knives, a baseball bat, a can of mace. I also brought some basic camping gear, in case we get stuck out in the woods. Oh, and most importantly..." She unzipped a side pocket and pulled out a bag of Gardettos. "Snacks!"

"Smart thinking," Juliette said, popping the trunk so that Cynthia could put her bag in it. "We should try to be prepared for anything."

Cynthia hefted the duffle bag into the trunk, then opened the passenger side back door.

"Actually," Alex said gently. "I kind of wanted to ride in the back with Lucas."

"Oh, right," Cynthia said, raising an eyebrow suggestively. "Of course."

Alex was glad to see that her and Juliette seemed to be getting along alright. She had been concerned at first, as Cynthia had been a bit leery of bringing Lucas's sister along, much as she had been with Spooky Jay. It didn't help that they were seeming opposites; Juliette was the popular preppy girl who got straight A's and went to every school fuction. Cynthia was a troublemaker, a delinquent that everyone but Alex seemed to steer clear of. Under normal circumstances, the two would probably never associate with each other.

Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a slight tingling sensation on the back of her hand, like a mild electrical charge playing across her skin. She looked over to see her hand, which she had unconsciously placed down in the middle seat between her and Lucas, with his hand resting gently on top of it. She met his eyes and gave him a bashful smile, which he returned. They didn't say anything, just silently holding each other's hand as they drove. It was nice.