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Samantha winced when the ghost flickered in the reflection then appeared even closer to her. Frigid air sprouted goose bumps all over Samantha’s back and arms. Unlike the movies, she couldn’t just close her eyes and banish the ghost. If it touched her, it would gain mass and become solid.

“If you want me to help, tell me who you are and who killed you,” Samantha said in an even tone.

“Why did he kill me?” the ghost sobbed. “Why?”

Swiveling about, Samantha braced herself against the sink. The ghost was scant inches from her. Though the wounds were heinous and the ghost had the appearance of a fresh corpse, Samantha couldn’t smell anything other than the vanilla air freshener sitting on the back of the toilet.

“I’m sorry he killed you, but you need to tell me who did this to you,” Samantha insisted.

The ghost covered her face with her hands, sobbing.

“Hey. Ghost girl.” Samantha started to reach for the phantom, then thought better of it. Did she really want the ghost to solidify?

?

?Why?” the ghost lifted her head and screamed. “Why?”

Samantha flinched, sliding away from the specter. “I don’t know, but I’ll help you. Just tell me-”

The lights went out, plunging the room into darkness. Dragging in a deep breath of cold air, Samantha waited for the inevitable touch of the ghost.

There was a rap on the door. “Sam? Are you okay? The lights just went out.”

“Uh, there’s a ghost in here with me,” Samantha answered, edging along the sink and toward the door. “She’s kinda upset.”

There was a long beat, then Jeff said, “Shit.”

“He let me die,” the ghost said, her mouth so close to Samantha’s ear it chilled her flesh.

Samantha’s hand found the doorknob, unlocked it, and jerked on it. The door swung open to reveal a gloomy hallway with a dark shape barely illuminated by the street light filtering through the windows. Samantha hoped was Jeff.

To her relief, the figure said, “Is she still here?” Jeff’s warm hand closed on her arm and drew her out of the bathroom.

“I don’t know.” Samantha shivered, her teeth clacking together. “Maybe. It’s so cold.”

“Yeah, I feel it. It’s isolated to the bathroom.” Jeff tugged her from doorway and further up the hall.

“She’s just like Cassidy. All torn up.” Samantha automatically lowered her voice and wasn’t sure if she was doing it because it was dark, or because of the ghost.

“You let him do this to me!”

A gush of cold, dank air roared out of the bathroom.

“Okay, I heard that,” Jeff gasped.

Placing herself between Jeff and the ghost, Samantha strained to see into the murk. “Hey, ghost girl, no one let anyone hurt you. I promise. We want to help.”

Jeff tried to change places with her, but Samantha shoved him back with her elbow.

“Don’t let her touch you or we’ll have trouble,” Jeff muttered, obviously hoping the ghost wouldn’t hear.

“Please, we want to help you,” Samantha said into the murk filling her vision. Maybe it was her eyes trying to adjust, but she kept catching glimpses of other shapes in the blackness.

There was a low rasp, then the bathroom door violently slammed shut.

“Are you guys naked in here?” Eduardo called out from the front of the store. “What’s with the lights?”

As if to answer his question, the lights flicked on. The brightness hurt Samantha’s eyes and she covered her face with her hands.