Page 97 of Medium

Ms. Jackson materialized their Ouija board.W-H-A-T-A-B-O-U-T-T-H-E-V-I-C-T-I-M-S

Arch shrugged. “We’ll take them to TWIST and help them get back home or wherever they want to go.”

I opened my mouth, but Manny was faster. “You mean you’ll just load them on a bus or something? What if they need medical care?” He pointed at himself. “Nurse, remember?” Pia high-fived him on her way to the fridge.

Ms. Jackson sparkled out,M-A-N-N-Y-A-N-D-I-W-I-L-L-G-O-V-I-C-T-I-M-S-W-I-L-L-N-E-E-D-U-S

Arch appeared to be debating which argument would work against a being who could turn into a dragon.

“What about the ghosts?” Rory asked.

“Finally! I’ve been checking back every fifteen minutes. Really, Rory, couldn’t you have done all that sex stuff last night?”

I clapped my hand over my heart as Carlyle appeared next to Rory. Manny slammed the oven door shut, and Pia screamed before huddling behind him.

Arch didn’t get up, but his gun and knife were in his hands, both pointed at Carlyle.

“Arch!” Ellis stomped over to him. “Put those away. There’s a child present. This is Carlyle Blackbourne, Rory’s grandfather.”

Arch blinked and made his weapons vanish. “You’re the ghost we were speaking to yesterday in the car.”

Carlyle looked down his nose at Arch. “The same.” He turned to Ellis. “I take it he wasn’t the bright one in the family?”

Ellis laughed, and I couldn’t stop myself from walking over and putting my arm around him.

Manny hooted. “Good one, Grandpa!”

Carlyle ignored him. “Rory, I have an update from Mercy and Garfield, but first....” He jerked his head toward the kitchen.

Rory tilted his head and scrunched his forehead. “What?”

Carlyle huffed. “This was easier when no one else could hear me.”

Suddenly he blinked out of sight.

Rory looked around at our shock and grinned. “I hoped that would work. Tell me now. Oh, hi.” His gaze moved slightly to the left of where he’d presumably been looking at Carlyle. “Hey, do you want to talk to....” His smile dropped. “Right. Yes. You’re welcome, and I promise.” He walked to the kitchen. Manny had pulled a casserole out of the oven, and Pia was carefully slicing it into squares.

“Pia, you saw my grandfather a minute ago, right?”

She set the knife down and looked at him warily. “Yeah?”

“I now have the ability to allow other people to see certain ghosts, just like you saw my grandfather. Your mom would like to talk to you.”

Pia’s eyes went wide before her face crumpled. “Mama? Where is she?”

Rory pointed at the back door. “She’s waiting for you in the back yard.”

Pia dashed around him and raced out the back door. We all watched her hug a slightly translucent woman with long, leafy hair.

“Lorraine wanted to say goodbye. She’s ready to cross over.”

“Oh, shit. Poor Pia.” I rubbed my chest where grief poured through our connection with her. She was sobbing in her mother’s arms.

“Fuck. Shane, do you have any chocolate? Something sweet can’t hurt.” Manny was rummaging through the wrong cabinet, so I went to show him.

When I came back to the breakfast room, Pia was alone outside, and Rory and Ellis were fidgeting near the window.

“How long should we give her?” I looked around, but noneof us were parents. “Where’s Carlyle? Does he know what to do?”