Ghosting

10

"W... What do you mean?"

Valerie took another deep breath, gesturing to Thomas' car. "The kid in the passenger seat. With the black hat."

"Mother, Maiden, and Crone..." Logan mused, "This is interesting. How can she see Damien but not the rest of us?"

"You- You can see him?"

"... Yeah?"

"You can see him, but none of the others?"

She glanced back at the car again. "All I see is that one kid."

Thomas glanced over at Logan, who looked equally confused. "Val... that kid is a ghost, too. He's the one who led me here."

To her credit, she was taking this ghost thing remarkably well. "But... why can I see him and not the other one?"

"Thomas-" Logan interjected, eyes sparkling with excitement, "Perhaps Damien's spirit is tied to this property as well as the hospital. And she, as the property owner, can see him but not the rest of us because he is the only one tied to the property."

"Logan thinks it might be that Damien is tied to this property, so you can see him. They're all tied to the property I bought, so I can see all of them."

"Wait- The kid's name is Damien?" Her eyes widened, "He wouldn't happen to be Damien Deshu, would he?"

Okay... this conversation was getting weirder and weirder. "Yeah... how'd you know that?"

"Oh... my... God... Guys, get him and come upstairs, right now. The last door on the left-" SHe bolted up the stairs and Logan flew after her, following her up to a dark bedroom. A thin, whispy on woman sat in a rocking chair, looking out the window. A man sat in a nearby desk chair, and a woman was on the desk. All three looked over at Valerie when she ran in, and the younger man and womans eyes went to Logan. "Kate- you know that kid you're always telling me about? The one who went missing in the thirties?"

"Yes... Damien, his name was," The woman tilted her head slowly to the side. "Who's that with you, Val? In the doorway."

Valerie glanced over her shoulder, straight through Logan. The man walked over to the elderly Kate. "He's another spirit. Valerie can't see him."

"Ah- Anyway, what about Damien?"

"Kate, he's here." The man and the woman stared at each other.

"Kate, what does she mean?" The man asked. "Ask her what she means. Is our Day alive? Has he come home at last?"

Kate nodded, "Royce wants to know what you mean."

Valerie took a long moment, choosing her words, "He's a ghost, Kate."

"Oh, God..." The woman on the desk whispered, burying her face in her hands.

"Calm down, now, Aya. He's returned here, that's all that matters. Where is he?"

Suddenly, the pieces clicked. Aya and Royce- Damien's parents. The ones who died on the property. But if they were tied to it, why couldn't Valerie see them? Why did they have to communicate through Kate? And why could Kate see him?

Logan drifted over to the woman, trying to get a good look at her. Her eyes seemed to stare right through him, and he realized then something else-

She couldn't see him. She was blind.

"Hello there," Kate said, smiling, "Aren't you a curious one. What's your name?"

It took a moment for Logan to remember the English language through the shock. "I- I'm Logan."

"Nice to meet you. What are you doing here?"

What on earth was going on- 

"Where is he?" Aya asked. "Where's Day?"

Logan turned to her, "He should be coming. Thomas went to retrieve him."

Speak of the devil- the door pushed open slowly and Thomas and Damien, followed by the others. Damien glanced around the room, then froze, eyes widening, as he noticed his parents.

"DAMIEN!!"

He ran into Royce's waiting arms and was lifted off of the floor into a tight hug. Aya wrapped her arms around both of them. Kate got up out of her chair slowly, walking carefully over to Thomas. "Come on, let's give them some time." Thomas, having no idea what was going on, nodded and followed her out into the hall, Valerie and Logan following soon after.

-

"What's going on?" Thomas asked.

Kate smiled wryly. "After Aya and Royce died, they stayed behind to look after their baby boy. But, because he vanished, they've been stuck in the plane between, unable to look for him with no place to start. I spent most of my life looking for him, but I never found out what happened to him. Thank you, young man, for bringing him back where he belongs. As for the box, yes, it's still there, buried by that old tree... I think that should be your reward, for laying those poor souls to rest," she shook Thomas' hand. "I'll lead you to it. And afterwards, I think that boy should be buried with his parents- Tell me, what did happen to him?"

"Um..." What was even happening right now- "Well, he got sent to a nearby mental hospital. He died there when electroshock therapy equipment malfunctioned."

She sighed, "I was afraid something like that had happened. Unfortunately, autism wasn't treated nicely in his time. Our aunt only narrowly avoided the same fate."

"Wait-" Virgil interrupted, "You're related to him?"

Thomas was about to repeat the question when Kate nodded. "Yes, we're cousins on his father's side. I'm the daughter of his uncle Emmett, who set the money aside for him to own the farm."

"You can hear us?" Remus blurted.

"Yes, young man. Now, time is running short. Come, follow me," she ordered, walking past the stunned Thomas and very confused Valerie and down the stairs.

Thomas and Valerie glanced at each other, then followed.