Page 71 of The Haunting of Lockton

“Skyler?” Paxton said in the tone of voice you used when talking to a scared kid.

I tore my gaze from the floor and looked at him. “He’s gone.”

“Mhm.” His worried eyes didn’t leave me. “Alan is… well. He’s a…”

Alan appeared directly in front of me. “I’m a ghost.” His body was translucent at first before solidifying, just like Roy had looked at Lockton. Alan seemed way more real though.

I suddenly felt light-headed, and the world tilted on its axis. Or maybe I was the one who tilted.

“Fuck,” Paxton said, reaching for me. “I think he’s about to pass out. Help me steady hi—”

The floor then rose up and smacked me in the face.

Lights-out.

Chapter Ten

Paxton

“I killed him,” Alan said, staring at an unconscious Skyler. After he’d passed out, we had moved him to the couch.

I blew out a rough laugh. “You didn’t kill him. He had so many theories of who you might be, but clearly, ‘ghost’ wasn’t one of them.” I knelt on the floor beside the couch and smoothed my hand over Skyler’s forehead. I’d caught him before he fully hit the floor, but he’d still smacked his head pretty good. “He’snotdead though, right?”

Alan was the one who laughed that time.

Skyler’s face then scrunched up, and he groaned before cracking open his eyes. “Pax?”

“Hey,” I said. “You know who I am. That’s a good sign.”

“Why does my head feel like I just got blackout drunk and woke up in a sleazy motel room with some chick named Veronica on one side and a bodybuilder dude named Joe on the other?”

“Wow. That’s detailed. I take it that’s happened before?”

“No,” Skyler said before laughing a little. One that turned into another groan. “Fuck. What happened?”

“You passed out.”

“I did? Why?” He became more alert as his gaze locked onto Alan. His lashes fluttered a few times as he blinked. And then he flew upward. “You’re a freaking ghost! I remember now. Oh my fuck.”

“Easy.” I dropped onto the cushion beside him and rested a hand on his back.

“I apologize for startling you,” Alan told him. “I suppose I could’ve gone about it in a different way.”

Skyler gaped at him.

“Do you, um, need me to take you to the hospital?” I asked. “To check your head?”

“Nah, I’m okay.” Skyler offered me a shaky smile, then returned his attention to Alan. “I think so anyway. So. He’s really a ghost.”

“He is,” I agreed.

“You’re a paranormal investigator, are you not?” Alan asked. “You must’ve seen ghosts before.”

“Not like you.” Skyler studied him. “You’re… well, you look too human to be a ghost. The ones I’ve seen have all been little glowing orbs or translucent apparitions.”

“You didn’t faint last night when you saw Roy,” I pointed out.

“Okay, don’t say ‘faint.’ I passed out.”