Chapter 5
-Cash-
Walking along the streets, I wave at the few ghosts I see out and about at this hour. Most of us go to hang out at our graves during the night; it’s a comfort thing. Still, I don’t need there to be a lot of ghosts around because I know of one in particular I want to talk to.
Phasing through the occasional wall, I make my way to an underground abandoned bar where a lot of ghosts frequent because we can just go right through the barriers and walls. There is next to no lighting in here, with ghosts instead just mingling in the dark. It’s not like anyone will get their toes stepped on so it’s fine.
Heading to the darkest back corner, I sit down on the faded red leather seats. Or apparently they’re faded red leather but it’s too dark to see. “Well if it isn’t the little boy who drowned,” purrs a deep voice.
Not bothering to fake a smile, I just clear my throat instead. “Madame Koriovitch. Would you mind answering a few questions for me on contracts?”
Madame Koriovitch laughs brittlely before stopping abruptly. “Now now little boy, you know that I don’t tell just anyone about contracts. I let you silly little bitches know my name because with my contract, I am untouchable. But my information on contracts themselves? Well, that makes you a threat to me now doesn’t it, little drowned boy?”
I wince slightly, feeling very uncomfortable in her presence. “Of course, but I am only a threat because that means you know how to annul a contract. And you see, Madame Koriovitch, I accidentally entered a contract and I would like to leave it.”
I hear her inhale sharply before a familiar coldness takes over me as a ghost phases through me. “Such an interesting thing you just told me, little drowned rat,” she purrs from directly behind me.
Shifting in my seat in discomfort, I force myself to stay here until I know how I can leave Wrigley and go back to my life of eternal nothingness.
“Well, how about this. I shall tell you everything I know on contracts, and in return, you tell me your name.”
I had guessed that she’d pull this move; Madame Koriovitch is notorious for having a very powerful spiritualist as her contractor, and she spreads her power to others like a loan shark by learning their names.
Names are precious to us ghosts; it’s how we enter the most important stage of our deaths, a contract, and I assume it is also how we leave them. I’m not entirely sure why Madame Koriovitch would want my name, but I’d do anything to get out of this contract.
Because I don’t want to be stuck with a human who will never care about me. I’ve already spent two years wandering around alone, and that sounds better than being tied down to some charlatan who doesn’t care what happens to me either way.
Contracts are supposed to be special and precious, but whatever it is Wrigley made us enter…it isn’t special and it definitely isn’t precious. It’s just an inconvenience for us both, so we might as well break it up before I get attached.
Because the thing with me is that I get attached easily. I mean who wouldn’t after two years of solitude? And then a cute guy comes along and he’s warm and he’s annoying, sure, but he’s also fun and I can talk to him and he can see me and when we touch I can actually feel things.
And that’s incredible, it really is. But I don’t want to get excited about something which I can’t have. And I definitely can’t have some charlatan spiritualist who can literally go and touch anyone, get heat from anyone, talk to anyone.
Wrigley isn’t like me; he actually has options. So why would he ever choose the dead guy over literally anyone else? Well, he wouldn’t, so where’s the point in me hanging around when I could wait for a contractor who deliberately summons me, a spiritualist who actually wants me?
I’m just wasting my time with Wrigley Johanneson.
—————
-Wrigley-
Stretching my arms over my head, I let out a silly little squeal of satisfaction as all my joints thank me. Glancing around my room, I smile half smugly, half curiously. Cash finally left me alone, but will he be coming back?
Do I want him to come back?
I mean, he drives me up the wall, but I spent the first two decades of my life living in the same house as my stuck-up older sister, so. I’m pretty used to that. Still, as much as Cash is an annoying ass, he was decently fun to argue with.
And I love arguing, it’s so cathartic. The problem is, people normally get offended too quickly and just give up or I get really genuinely frustrated. My arguments with Cash were a nice mixture of me wanting to slap him with a piece of soggy bread and actually enjoying the cathartic release.
Deciding that today is a hair-wash day, I spend the next faaar too long washing and drying my hair before getting dressed up in my fake spiritualist outfit and going downstairs to set up shop. I have a few pre-booked appointments today and dotted between them I have a surprisingly decent number of random people visit too.
All in all, it’s a pretty great day for the shop today. As the last customer for the day walks out, I flip the sign on the door and let out a little sigh, closing my eyes for a moment. When I open them again, I almost have a heart attack.
“Fuckedy fuck Cash what the hell?! Don’t just phase through the wall like that! I didn’t even know if you were coming back,” I say more gently as I go around blowing out all my candles.
“Thanks for talking to my mum.”
Glancing up from the latest candle I’m on, I raise an eyebrow. “For what? I scammed her didn’t I?”
Cash just shrugs, leaning against a wall somehow without phasing through it. “She was at my grave this morning. It was nice to see her again. It’s been a while. And then I was able to follow her back to her new house. I can go visit my family any time now, so, thank you.”
Feeling a grin spread across my face, I stride over and place a hand firmly on Cash’s shoulder. “See? Maybe I’m not such a charlatan after all.”
The ghost gives me a disbelieving look before scoffing. “Yeah sure. I can literally feel no spiritual power from you. Anyway, I talked to a ghost, and I know what to do.”
I blink a few times, finally removing my hand from Cash’s shoulder and watching his form get a little less solid, a little less grounded in reality. “What do you mean? What to do with what?”
Cash glances back at me before looking at the floor. “I know how to annul the contract, so let’s get on with it.”
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