The Living Among Us (white x pink)

Chapter 6

I instinctively backed up from the daunting man in front of us. The man holding the sharp, glinting knife in his left hand. He glared down at me menacingly, "Just you?" his voice was gruff and made my skin crawl, "I thought I heard voices."

Peony floated beside me, staring wide-eyed at the knife in the man's hand. But his eyes went right over her. Like she wasn't even there.
"I asked you a question," the man growled at me.
'Y-yes sir," I jumped, "er I mean no sir, it's just me. T-talking to myself?"

He raised the one eyebrow he had and sighed, sheathing the knife at his belt. He then turned back into the room he had come out of and called, "Just the janitor... talking to himself."
I realized we were standing outside of the Security room. The man in the black suit glanced at me suspiciously one last time, shook his head and headed back down the hall, towards weapons. 
I breathed out a sigh of relief as a walked away.
As the security room door slid shut behind him I caught a glimpse of red eyes staring at me through the door crack. My heart jumped as I realized The Commander worked in Security. 

"Let's get out of here," I muttered under my breath to Peony. She floated silently beside me. 

Once we were a safe distance away from Security I said, "Okay, who was that? A- and why was he holding a knife?" my hands were cold and clammy.
She seemed to be deep in thought, "That was Sir DarkHawke, he works in weapons."
What a cheery name.
I glanced down at the cut across Peony's stomach, it was a knife wound for sure, the exact kind that would come from the knife that DarkHawke was holding.
"Okay, so what was he doing all the way down in Security?" I asked.
Peony shrugged, "It looked like he was talking to The Commander."

"Or murdering him," I muttered under my breath which just made Peony sigh.

"Alright well," I said trying to change the mood, "I know who my number one suspect is."

"Hmm," Peony said, "Just because he looks scary doesn't make him a murderer..."
"Are you kidding?" I waved my hands in front of me as I spoke, "if Sir DarkHawke works in Weapons he has complete and total access to any weapon-ry he wants, including the weapon that killed you."

Peony shivered a bit and fell silent as we entered Electrical. It wasn't a particularly large room, but the walls doubled back so you couldn't see the second half. Circuits lined the walls. This had always been my least favorite room on the ship. It was always darker and colder than the rest of the ship combined and the downloads in here felt particularly long.
"I think the bigger question is-," she said turning to look at me, "why couldn't he see me? Weren't you wondering about that?"
I nodded, "Yeah I was wondering actually, am I the only one who can see you? And that leads into something I was going to ask earlier- why would you come to me of all people to help you, if you have so many other friends aboard the ship?"

Peony pulled at a lock of her hair, "That's a fair question and the truth is, I did try to go to rest of them. First I went to Georgiana, one of the twins, she wears a lime green spacesuit. I would say she was my closest friend on the ship before I- anyways, when I realized she couldn't see me I became really discouraged, but decided to try everyone else too. You were the only one who consecutively noticed me popping in and out of rooms.
I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea why you, the garbage boy, of all people can see me when no one else can."
I thought for a moment about what Peony said, "Maybe I'm more in tune with my spiritual side or something?" I offered, grasping at an explanation. 
She shrugged thoughtfully, "Yeah, maybe."

We stood in the entrance of Electrical for a moment, both stewing over what we had just discussed, and neither of us wanting to go further into the room.
I thought about how scared and lonely Peony must have felt in those first couple of days, being invisible to everyone around her. I know I'm not the best company but suddenly I was glad I could see her, so that she wouldn't have to be so completely alone anymore.

But that does leave the question- Why could I see her and no one else could? I never felt particularly spiritually in tune, whatever that meant. None of this made sense. Her friends being able to see her would make more sense than a random guy she's never met before, right? I groaned inwardly, I had no idea what was going on.

Peony interrupted my thoughts, "Alright let's get this over with," she said and we moved further into the room.
"Anything look familiar? Triggering any memoires?" I asked.

She shrugged, "It all looks normal."

We got to the end of the room and looked around, electrical boxes lines the walls, someone had left a toolbox open on the floor and one of the paneling's wires were exposed but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Maybe we got the location of- the location wrong?" I suggested, tripping over my words.  
Peony shook her head, "No, this feels right, I know I died here, but how?"
I sighed and sat down on the ground, slumping over and placing my hands on my cheeks. This whole thing was starting to feel hopeless, especially if it was DarkHawke who killed Peony. What were we supposed to do against that guy? Besides, there was nothing in here. If Peony had been murdered in Electrical the killer had done a really nice job of cleaning up after themselves. 

"Hey wait a minute Whyn, get up," Peony suddenly said, waving at me.

"What? Aw man I just sat down," I complained. She coldly glared at me, her eyes seemed to grow more and more icy every moment I spent with her. I shuttered.
"Alright alright," I said as I stood up. Something shifted then clicked underneath me. I quickly jumped away and looked down.
Oh dang, I thought as I saw what I had been sitting on.

I glanced over at Peony, her face scrunched up, like she was trying desperately to remember what had happened to her here.
An air vent was tucked neatly into the floor almost unnoticeable in the dark Electrical room. 

---
Yay the author is alive!
Sorry for the little hiatus and the short chapter.
 Now, with Christmas Break coming up, I'm going to have much more time to write! 

But if I don't see you until after Christmas, Merry Christmas everyone! <3