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Being a ghost was amaze.
She could eat whatever she wanted without gaining weight, drink as much as she wanted without blacking out, and hang out with a bunch of people who were being slowly murdered one by one without the fear of dying herself.
It was great!
But then sometimes it wasn’t.
Sometimes, when she was too tired to concentrate, her hand would slip through an intended handshake, and her skin would suddenly feel freezing from the lack of contact.
Sometimes, she would watch as her human friends spoke about their lives, and remember she didn’t have one of those anymore.
Usually, she got over these minor upsets quicker than you could say “totes.” But one night, she didn’t.
She had been looking at herself in the mirror, swishing her skirt from side to side and humming a new song Annabel had played on the piano that afternoon, when something happened. There was a shadow of some kind on her ribcage; a strange, dark shape.
Then, she realized it wasn’t a shadow, but the chair behind her.
She could see it.
She was becoming translucent.
Lifting a hand to her cheek, she traced the shape of the clock on the wall, and the shelves below it, her fingers trembling.
Until that moment, she had not really thought about what would happen to her in the future. She was very much so a live-in-the-moment kinda gal. But now, as she stared into her own vaguely transparent eyes, her future came crashing down around her. Someday, she would look into the mirror and see nothing.
Someday, HG would look at her and see nothing.
The last thought took her by surprise. Why should she care if that little nerd could see her? I mean, sure, he was hella adorable, and her best friend, but why did the thought of his eyes looking right through her send a stab of pain to her heart?
Shaking her head, she shrugged off the discomfort and stared down the mirror, concentrating with all of her strength until her skin was once more solid.
“There, no biggie.” She sighed, eyebrows furrowing.
Then, she turned to open the door...and her hand drifted through the handle.
Instantly, she burst into tears.
That night, Lenore couldn’t sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was HG’s soft smile looking up, then distantly staring directly through her as though she did not exist.
She imagined reaching out to touch his cheek, only to have her hand pass through his face.
As these images persisted, her panic began to spiral.
If she concentrated, she could still be solid, but how much longer would that last? Would the day come when she would never again feel the sensation of another person’s warmth against her skin? Would that day be soon?
And would it come before she had felt HG’s warmth beside her?
The very idea made her breath catch in her throat. Until that moment, she had not realized just how much she desired that feeling. But now that it had entered her mind, she indulged it. Would his lips be as soft as his voice? Would his arms be strong from carrying his stupid contraptions? Would he murmur to her as he lay beside her, hushed tone rambling on about everything and nothing?
Suddenly, Lenore became sure that if she did not experience these things that moment, she would die for the second time.
So, climbing out of bed, she resolved to do just that.
Concentrating as best she could on her hand, she wrapped her knuckles against HG’s door.
The house was silent. So silent, in fact, one could hear the crickets outside, and the faintest echo of Poe snoring in the basement.
He was probably asleep.
This was a bad idea.
Nevertheless, Lenore knocked again, feeling another wave of panic in her throat.
After a moment, the door creaked open.
HG stood, candle in hand, shirt partially unbuttoned, looking both confused, and concerned. “Oh, Lenore, is everything-”
Shaking her head, she pushed past him (or through him, rather) to stand in the center of the room.
“Are you...not feeling well?” He suggested, lifting his eyebrows tenderly.
There was something so warm about him, so damn warm and comforting, that Lenore nearly broke down.
Instead, she simply shook her head again.
He looked still more confused. “Oh, um...what can I do for you-”
“I’m starting to disappear.” She interrupted, voice deceptively light.
“Um, you’re what?” Taking a step forward, he reached out his hand.
He was going to touch her.
He was going to touch her and it was going to go right through.
So, she drew away from him. “Oh, you know how it is with us ghosts. We die, we haunt, then someday, no one can see you anymore. It’s basic, I know, but it happens to all of us.”
Despite her casualness, HG seemed to sense her panic. “You certainly don’t look translucent to me, Lenore.”
“Yeah, well, that’s because I’m concentrating hella hard. I’m like, really good at being a ghost.”
He smiled softly at her brag. “I’m sure. I have quite a lot to learn from you.”
Returning the smile in a strained manner, Lenore crossed her arms.
“So,” he continued, “what brings you to my room?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Ah. Would you like me to make you some tea? I find that lavender really soothes a person when they-”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.” Shaking her head, she moved to sit on his bed.
“Oh, um, alright, then.” His eyebrows knitted together as he approached her.
“It cool if I crash here tonight?” She asked quickly, before she could change her mind.
What’s the worst that could happen?
He could say no.
Oh god, what if he said no?
“Crash?” He asked, mouth twitching into a smile.
“You know, crash! Sleep.” Grinning nervously, she began to slip under the covers.
“Oh, um, sure. I shall...sleep on the couch-”
“Or you could sleep here.”
He paused.
And somewhere deep inside her, her heart began to beat again, an echoing whisper.
Quicky, she blurted out, “You don’t have to, though. I can go back to…”
She trailed off.
He was climbing into bed beside her.
In a moment, the two were settled, both keeping their bodies frigidly straight, both holding their breaths.
Then, HG asked, voice wavering slightly. “Do you, um, sleep with a light on, or-”
“Can I tell you something?” She blurted out, rolling onto her side.
“Of course.”
“I want to...touch you.”
It sounded stupid now that she said it.
His reply was delayed, and slightly panicked. “You want to...t-touch me?”
“Yeah, like, feel your skin...or something. To make sure I can still feel stuff like that. I don’t know. Sorry, just forget it.”
Suddenly, she felt a hand lifting hers. Meeting his eyes, she watched as HG placed her hand on his cheek.
And it didn’t pass through.
“Like this?”
Beaming, she replied softly. “Yeah. Like that.”
Beneath her fingertips, he felt warm and solid; velvet skin, dotted with stubble. After glancing into his welcoming gaze, she grew bolder and stroked her thumb against his cheek.
His eyes fluttered shut.
“HG?” She whispered after a moment, body inching closer still to his.
“Hm?” He replied, voice distant.
“I’m gonna kiss you now.”
At this, his eyes flew open. “Please do.”
So, she did. Falling forward, her lips met his, and the world felt perfectly right. He was a better kisser than she had expected. After a moment of nervous hesitation, his hand had moved her trace up her back and pull her against him, and his lips had moved with hers.
Sighing into his mouth, she ran her fingers through his bed-messied hair, enjoying his reaction when she tugged it slightly. They carried on this way for a dizzying eternity, which was over far too quickly.
HG pulled away first, but only slightly, his breath heavy.
“That was-”
“Yeah.” She grinned.
“I quite liked it.” He spoke as one might about a scientific observation.
It made her long dead heart flutter. “You did?”
“Mhm.”
Collapsing back onto her pillow, she reached out to stroke his cheek once more.
Then, suddenly, her hand passed through his face.
She gasped, drawing away. “No! I’m-I’m so sorry!”
He responded at once, shaking his head. “Lenore, it’s alright-”
“No, it’s not alright.”
“You said it yourself, this is natural. Why are you afraid-”
“I’m scared someday I won’t be able to feel you, okay? That’s why I came here tonight! I needed to feel you...just once.” Clasping her shaking hands to her chest, she rolled over to face the other direction.
The room fell silent as her confession faded into the air.
Then, she felt HG’s fingers tracing up her arm. He didn’t say anything, letting his gentle action speak for him.
Tearfully, Lenore found her words. “It...it’s getting harder. To concentrate, I mean. Now, if I want to be solid, I have to really pay attention.”
“But why do you? Want to be solid, I mean?”
Eyebrows furrowing, she turned to face him once more. “So I can, like, feel stuff. Duh.”
“Well, what if you didn’t have to be solid to experience...this sort of intimacy?”
He blushed slightly when he said “intimacy.”
It was adorable.
“What do you mean, HG?”
“Here, may I-may I show you?” Sitting up, he took her hand.
Lenore nodded, swallowing.
“Alright, now, I want you to concentrate on...on not concentrating.”
“You’re really not making sense, babe.”
“I know. I, um...What I mean is, allow yourself to be transparent. Will you do that for me?”
“Anything.” She replied, meaning it with every fiber of her being.
“Alright, then.” He beamed at her for a moment. Then, he gently guided her hand to his chest.
It went through.
But not all the way…
It felt warm, heating her body to the tips of her toes.
“There.” HG spoke nervously, lowering his head. “Now, you have been where my heart once was. You have...replaced it.”
“Oh.” She said, eyes growing wide.
Guiding her hand back to her side, he gave her a lopsided smile. “So, you see, my dear Lenore, there are other ways to...feel one another. Far more poetic ways, if I’m being honest.”
Feeling her nerves calming with the home-like murmur of his voice, the ghost sunk back into the pillow with a soft smile on her lips.
HG lay beside her, his arm settling across her waist.
After a moment, she spoke. “Hey, um, HG, when I fall asleep, your arm...I won’t be concentrating anymore, and your arm might, you know…”
“How about if tonight, I concentrate for you?” He whispered back, voice warm against her ear.
And he kept his word. For the next morning, Lenore awoke to find that his arm was still draped around her waist, and his nose was nuzzled into her neck.