

© Copyright 2014 Amy Richie This is a work of fiction. All rights reserved.

UNSPOKEN

Chapter One

"Lights out!" a deep female voice boomed across the static filled intercom. Like most things at Nine Crosses, the system needed replaced with something more modern.

I cringed lower in my seat at the dreaded words. Was it night already? Trying not to be too obvious, I craned my neck until I could just make out the black night sky through the dingy window set high on the wall. My sigh came out too loud, deflating my shoulders until my chin nearly rested against the skin on my chest.

Nights were always the hardest.

"What's the matter kid?" a familiar voice called out. "Not tired?"

As if they weren't attached to the rest of my body and could act on their own, my eyes slid over to take in the tall dark haired man leaning heavily against the door frame. His thick eyebrows shot up on his lined forehead with a smile that offered no warmth. If his coffee colored eyes lit up at all, it was only the harsh glare of contempt.

Toby.

I hurried to pull my eyes away from him before the nurses noticed anything. The only thing worse for me than night was Doctor Moore's med increases. Maybe the tranqs would be welcome though, my thoughts sparked down a new path. I'd be able to sleep at least. The night couldn't affect me if I was unconscious.

Yes it can, a panicked corner of my mind argued. My eyes slid closed in defeat. Thinking about the last time I was rendered unconscious at night time was almost too much to bear, but the memories were already opened and there was no shoving them back in now.

No wonder I had landed a bed at Nine Crosses, I sniffed loudly.

"She's talking to you, Idiot," Toby's low voice hissed in my ear.

My eyes fluttered back open, the wide nurse with bleached white hair taking up most of my vision. I couldn't see Toby anywhere, but I knew he wasn't far.

"Are you alright Ren?" she asked in her estrogen-depraved voice.

How long had she been standing there? I shot immediately to my feet, trying to control my reaction to Toby's reappearance. No med increases, I silently pleaded, especially not at night.

"I understand exactly why your parents hid you away in here," Toby taunted cruelly. He stood with his shoulder against the wall, his mouth disfigured by an ugly snarl. "You're an embarrassment."

I kept my eyes carefully averted as I followed Nurse Grey down the long, empty hallway to room 36. "Do you need some help sleeping tonight, Dear?" she asked kindly while I slipped past her through the open door.

My head jerked sharply in response. Correcting the spastic movement, I shook my head softly - not looking back at her. My eyes strayed to the neatly made bed that wasn't my own, creating a new round of shudders.

"You'll need to keep an eye on Ren Collins in room 36, bed B," I heard Nurse Grey's loud whisper just before the door clicked shut.

A familiar chuckle made my shoulders stiffen. "You're pathetic," Toby sneered. "Your mom should have done the world a favor and finished the job when you were six."

My lips began to shake, as they always did when he brought that day up. The trouble with Toby wasn't that he was mean or cruel, or the fact that he only seemed to enjoy himself when he made me feel like I shouldn't be allowed to live. The worst thing about Toby was that no one else could see him.

"What a waste," he muttered.

I inched forward, always prepared to duck away if Toby lunged forward. Or if someone else decided to show up. Pulling back the stiff grey and white sheets on bed B as little as possible, I squeezed myself into the small opening. It was false comfort, I knew, thinking they wouldn't be able to get to me if I kept the covers tight - but it was all I had.

It wasn't until I started school that I realized that not everyone could see my ghost people. Talking about them only scared the grown ups and made my mother angry, so I stopped speaking. My eyes darted around the room, searching through the dark shadows for the ones that would take shape and stand over me. Although they were normally nicer than Toby, my ghost people scared the hell out of me.

I swallowed thickly, rejecting the idea to cover my head. It was best to see what was coming for me, even if I was scared. Maybe they wouldn't come tonight; sometimes Toby scared them off. I glanced over and made the mistake of meeting his hard glare.

"What are you gawking at, Crazy?" his top lip curled upwards.

I quickly squeezed my eyes shut, hoping for sleep but knowing it wouldn't be that easy. "Ren," a sharp whisper made me groan. "Ren, I know you're awake." I kept my eyes closed.

I had always seen the ghosts and until my mother told me otherwise, I didn't think anything was wrong with them. They came with their share of trouble though. Three years ago, at my "special school for troubled kids", had been the last straw for my already stressed father and he decided Nine Crosses was the only option for a daughter who wouldn't talk but tended to destroy everything she touched.

Even if I knew all the right words, he had stopped seeing me years ago - long before I got a bed at a mental hospital.

There was a sharp pull on my blanket, exposing most of my bare arm to the frigid cold. Giving up quickly on the futile game of tug-of-war, I wrapped my thin arms over my chest.

"Ren, wake up!"

The cold seeped deep into my body, making me gasp and scramble to the corner of my bed. Please go away. Despite my resolve not to, I peeked out at the newcomer. He wasn't someone I recognized.

A thick mess of honey colored curls were hanging haphazardly around his neck and ears. Deep set, shadowed eyes watched me intently. His full lips turned up into a soft smile. "I see you," he called lightly.

"We should just get this over with," I heard Toby say but I couldn't take my eyes away from the good looking stranger perched on the edge of my bed.

"She's not ready yet, Tobias," he murmured without taking his eyes off of me either.

"Then why are you here?" Toby growled.

The man shrugged one shoulder lazily. "I missed you?"

Toby snorted his familiar disdain, breaking my intense stare down with the man so I could peek over at him. "Old friends," he explained curtly with a jerk of his well chiseled chin.

"I guess that is one way to introduce me," the man grinned. I swung my attention back to him, careful not to talk out loud to the people that only existed in my own head. "I'm Tristan." He inclined his head while keeping eye contact.

"And this is Ren," Toby stormed over to my bedside. "Actually Rennota, but she goes by Ren." He shrugged. "She comes to anything though. Kind of like a dog, just depends on your tone of voice."

"Yes Ren," Tristan spoke kindly through his suddenly thinned out lips, "Toby has always been an ass."

"It's not you, it's me," Toby added sarcastically. "Oh, who I am I kidding?" He kicked the side of the bed with a low curse flying through his lips. "It's you, you're crazy and weak."

"Who are you to call anyone else weak?" Tristan scoffed.

"Now we've come to the part in the story where Tristan lures the pretty young girl out into the night so he can murder her, thus sealing my fate for all eternity," his eyes widened dramatically.

"I told you, she's not ready yet," Tristan snapped, his face scrunching with anger.

Who were they talking about? Me? Was Tristan here to kill me? Was that even possible? My ghosts had never tried to hurt me before. They caused me trouble, but never injury. My heart sped up as the two men held their glares for way too long.

"Relax Ren," Toby turned to me first, "he said he wasn't killing you tonight."

"The sisters are moving. I heard Nona was over this way." Tristan said the words nonchalantly, almost bored - but Toby's head snapped up in response.

"Why?"

"That's why I'm here." He stood up slowly until he was face to face with Toby. "Couldn't resist coming to see you while I was in town." For the first time since he had appeared on my bed, fear crept in when Tristan looked over at me. He raised his chin slowly, his eyes narrowing with the movement.

"As always, it's been good seeing you, Tris." The screaming hate on Toby's face contrasted severely with his words.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon for her." He was speaking to Toby, but his eyes stayed trained on me until he was gone. Vanished from the room.

Chapter Two

Toby stood still in the middle of the room for a long time after Tristan left. Cold crept into my body, leaving me shaking but unwilling to move the few feet it would take to put myself under the covers. Tristan was unlike any of the other ghosts that came to me. For one, most of them never talked to Toby. No matter how much he screamed at them, they paid him little attention. And no one ever left him shaken up. If Toby was afraid of Tristan...what did that mean?

"Go to sleep now, Ren," he half whispered.

I didn't want to listen to him , but as it often happened; my body responded anyways. Crawling obediently under the covers, I let my head fall against the stiff pillow. I didn't expect sleep to come as easily as it did.

I opened my eyes slowly, already knowing before the light even touched my pupils that I wasn't in room 36 anymore. A woman crouched low so her pale green eyes were level with my face, which was resting on hard concrete. Her lips were pressed into a hard line, which didn't change even when she realized I was awake.

"You're a hard girl to find, Rennota Collins," she declared in a surprisingly soft voice.

I struggled to sit up straight, not wanting to get any closer to the beautiful woman, but she didn't seem in any hurry to put distance between us. Her short black curls danced wildly in the nonexistent wind, further spiking my heartbeat. Where were we? How did I get out of Nine Crosses? I tried to look past the woman; only a long deserted highway stretched behind her though. At least, as far as I could tell.

"The brothers were trying to keep you hidden," she finally smiled at their apparent failure. Whoever the brothers were.

I scooted backwards a few inches.

"I know you have this strict 'no talking' thing," she rolled her eyes, "but that only counts in real life, right?"

I swallowed past the fear in my throat.

"Nope," she half way grinned, "this isn't real life. This is a dream," she waved her hand all around in front of her face. "You are still asleep in your comfy bed at that crazy house." Her body relaxed further until she was sitting on the ground in front of me. "I'm sure you have a bunch of questions?" she raised one eyebrow in a clear challenge.

"Do you know Toby?" It shocked me that my long neglected voice still came out clear and recognizable. I had expected it to be more raspy and deep. Maybe it was just the dream land playing with my mind.

Her eyebrow jumped back down to furrow low on her forehead. "Guess you're used to crazy, huh?" she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Who are you or what are we doing here would have been my first guesses." She shrugged. "Oh well, can't be right every time."

"I don't..."

"I'm Nona," she waved away my stammering.

"Nona?" My head jerked back slightly. Tristan had said she was here. Was she looking for me?

"I see you have heard of me. Has Tristan already been to see you?" Her lips tightened momentarily but then smoothed back out. "It's true, I have been looking for you. I thought it was time you and I had a chat."

"About what?"

"Your fate, Ren." Her smile grew until it took up most of her small face.

"M...my what?"

"Do you think just anyone gets to see the Cursed?" she asked as if I knew what that meant.

"I...I don't know."

"Toby," she snarled.

"He's a...Cursed? Is that why I can see him?"

"You can see all the Cursed."

"You mean the ghosts?" My voice dropped low at the taboo mention.

"Yes, I mean the ghosts. Toby should have told you about them by now. How old are you?"

"I'm not sure." I answered truthfully. It wasn't like we had big celebrations at Nine Crosses. My father hated being reminded that I was even still alive. Every day just became a blur after a while.

Nona rolled her eyes again. "You must be close to eighteen, maybe nineteen."

"Probably close to eighteen," I nodded.

"You should already know," she snapped at last.

"I've always known about the ghosts though."

She bit her lip, regarding me with that half glare that I couldn't decide if she was angry or just irritated. "So it's true, you've always seen them?"

I nodded.

"None of the others had the sight until they were well into their teens. What makes you special?"

A memory flew back at me, knocking the wind from my lungs. A lunch hall three years ago. Brenda Hall. "What makes you special? Freak!"

I shook my head quickly. "I'm not special," I answered Nona. "Not at all."

"My sister, who almost always speaks in riddles, said there would come along a woman who could destroy Tristan." Nona raised her chin into the breeze that had suddenly started up. "She would be special, a warrior."

"I don't know anyone like that," I shook my head. Did she think my ghost people could destroy someone like Tristan? "My ghost people don't really hurt people. I don't think they can"

"Not the Cursed." Her lip curled up in disgust. "I mean you."

Her words created a physical ache in my stomach, a panic that wanted to claw upwards. "Me? I can't...do anything. I'm not a warrior." I was supposed to be the crazy one here. Seeing people that weren't there and having conversations with a strange woman on a road that led to no where. Why was she saying things like that then?

"We're all warriors when we have no other choice." She kept her voice even, but the vein throbbed in her temple, giving away the intensity boiling inside her.

"No," I scrambled to my knees. "You'll have to find someone else. I can't do it. I don't even know what you want me to do."

"Destroy Tristan." She said the words as if it were no big deal. Killing a ghost that scared Toby; no biggie.

"I want to go back to my room now." I could feel the tension along my neck and down to my shoulders. My breath came out in short sounds, but luckily not raspy. Maybe she wouldn't be able to see how much her words shook me up. "I just want to go back to my own room," I half whimpered.

Nona sighed heavily through her nose, kicking up the wind again. I shifted nervously but nothing stronger than a light breeze hit me. "Tristan has already made contact with you," she explained impatiently - as if I should already know what that meant. "You can't just hide anymore."

I wanted to be angry with Nona; to tell her that I wasn't hiding. I had been stashed away so my father didn't have to tell anyone that he had a crazy daughter. But it wasn't hiding. I couldn't hide from the ghosts; they found me where ever I went. I didn't say any of that though. Instead, I asked a really stupid question. "Will he kill me?"

"He's certainly going to try," she replied without hesitation.

Behind Nona, on the empty road, the shadow of a woman appeared. Nona's eyes flitted closed but she didn't turn around. "Our time is running short," she warned without opening her eyes.

"You mean...he's going to kill me soon?" I couldn't seem to make myself afraid enough of that.

"I mean," her eyes popped back open, "you're waking up."

"Oh." I didn't feel any different though.

"I know you don't feel like a warrior right now, Ren," she said hurriedly.

"I'm not a warrior." There weren't many clear things in my life, but that was definitely one of them. I was no warrior; I couldn't be what Nona wanted me to be.

"It's already been spoken." Her forehead smoothed out. "When you wake up, you need to talk to Toby."

"Toby hates me." The words spilled out before I could think about them. It was true though.

"Tell him you've seen me," she plowed ahead as if I hadn't said anything. "Tell him Tristan will be coming soon. He needs to take you to a safe place until I come again. It's important that Tristan doesn't get to you before it's time."

I nodded mutely. Tristan had said I wasn't ready yet. Did he know I was meant to destroy him? The woman behind Nona shifted into focus. There was a small gasp and then Nona was gone before I knew what had happened.

I was left alone with the woman on the road. Her face was familiar to me. She came to me often; just to watch. Like now, she didn't say anything. Her sad eyes searched my face for something. I sat back until I was resting on my feet and stared back at the woman. Nona was gone but her words still echoed inside my head. Destroy Tristan? Even if I could - which I couldn't - why would I want to? He seemed nice.

Chapter Three

The shrill buzz of the morning alarm blaring across the speakers in the hallway finally forced my eyes back open to face another day at Nine Crosses. There were no windows allowed in the rooms on D ward. Most of us housed there would have jumped out just to see if we really could fly. The morning alarm was my only indication that the sun had decided to make another appearance.

Four more minutes and the aides in their all white pants and scrub tops would make their rounds to be sure we all got up out of bed. Four more minutes and they'd be in to pull my pink draw string pants on for me like I was an oversized Barbie doll.

I pulled myself up and let my feet slide off the bed and onto the floor. Toby sat in the corner of the room, oddly distracted and not throwing insults my way.

I rose as quietly as possible and scurried past him to the simple box-shaped bathroom, attached to the room but lacking a real door. I pulled the curtain closed without turning around.

Clean pants and a plain white tee shirt were folded neatly and setting out on the sink along with clean under clothes. There was no mirror, just a plain grey wall to look up at.

I was just pulling the shirt over my head when the door creaked open. "Ren?" a woman called loudly. Had it been four minutes already?

The woman standing by the bed with a ready smile wasn't a familiar face. My eyes narrowed momentarily but I moved forward until I was sitting on the bed. New aides were rare but she was wearing the white uniform and the cheesy fake smile.

"Shoes." She waved the all white shoes in the air before setting them down by my feet.

I never quite understood why they kept our shoes in the hallway at night. I could see their point if they had shoestrings so no one could hurt themselves; but these were Velcro. How could we inflict damage with Velcro?

"You want me to braid your hair?" the aide asked with her plastic smile and annoying rise in her voice.

Her own dark hair was cropped close to her scalp but I didn't object when she began working my long brown locks into three separate strands. I never bothered with my hair much, always preferring it long enough to easily pull back but not too long so that it became a chore. It hung straight and boring just past my shoulders.

"There," she declared happily, "now you're all pretty and ready for breakfast."

I tried not to glare at her on the way past.

I had had strange dreams before. Spending more than three years in a mental hospital and my entire life seeing ghosts had given my imagination plenty of fuel. Last night felt different though. It felt real.

Did that mean Tristan was really going to come kill me? And I had to count on Toby to keep me safe? I glanced over at him, sitting on the windowsill - glaring at everyone who couldn't see him. Toby wouldn't save me, he hated me.

"You better eat your oatmeal, Ren," he advised snappishly, suddenly right next to me on the bench style seat. I carefully picked up my spoon. "Good girl," he purred.

I had tried not listening to him before and my bowl ended up sailing across the room while I ended up strapped to a bed with a needle in my arm. I sighed lightly, pushing a spoonful of unsweetened mush into my mouth. I didn't like Toby either. No matter what Nona told me in a dream that probably wasn't real; I wasn't talking to Toby.

"Thinking about Tristan?" he asked abruptly.

I felt the heat rushing to my face, leading him to draw the wrong conclusion.

He clicked his tongue loudly. "Better just get him out of your head, psycho Barbie. He's out of your league."

Why? Because he was a ghost that may or may not want to kill me? I almost shrugged but stopped myself in time, years of careful stoicism coming to my aide.

I broke off a piece of crust from the dry toast and shoved it in my mouth. It was a little hard to chew but a swig of my almost cold milk washed it down easily enough. Meal times were never a grand affair here. Keep us from starving, but that's about as far as they went.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Toby abandoned his place next to me and slid into the open seat across from me. "More silent treatment and listening to Doctor Moore tell you how crazy you are?" He clicked his tongue and smiled extremely wide. "Fantastic!"

Toby could have been attractive, once upon a lifetime ago. It was all there in his face. From the deep dimples his smile created to the sharp cut lines his jaw made across his face to his chin. If only he didn't snarl and sneer so often. If only he would smile...ever.

I didn't know what I had done to Toby to make him hate me so much. I barely spoke two words to him and nothing at all in this decade. Could I talk to him now? What would he say? What would I say?

"Whoa!" He leaned back to look at me more fully. "There's some pretty deep thoughts going on behind those blank, dopey eyes- huh?"

I blinked rapidly, forcing myself to look away from him.

"Hold on," he growled, pushing me over on my side of the table so he could get right in my face, ""Something happened to you. What are you hiding?"

I tried to tuck my hair behind my ears but the nameless aide had braided it too tightly so there were no stray hairs hanging by my ears like normal. I swung my leg out from under the table, away from Toby, and rose swiftly onto shaking legs. He was right that something had happened, but I couldn't tell him. How could I? He would think I was crazy.

I stopped mid-stride, before I had taken more than three steps. I was crazy. I was in a mental hospital and I saw people that weren't there. I never thought of myself as crazy before; never allowed the possibility to take hold. What if it was true though?

"What happened, Crazy?" Toby appeared in front of me.

My mouth fell open but no sound came out. My tongue slipped out to glide across my bottom lip. It was strange how everything except Toby went out of focus. A low moan escaped my throat but no words formed. What could I say?

"Cat got your tongue?" Another voice taunted from just over Toby's shoulder.

I dropped my head until I was staring at my feet and shuffled from the room. Talking to Toby was hard enough - impossible even; talking with someone else in the room wasn't going to happen.

"Aww," the woman in really tight jeans called cruelly, "did I scare you away? Were you and Toby going to make out or something?"

My feet carried me away from the woman and into a crowded rec. room. My session with Doctor Moore was in fifteen minutes. Trying to make huge decisions was making breathing harder.

"Hey Crazy." Toby's voice actually sounded a little bit...concerned.

"I have to talk to you," I blurted out, then immediately slapped my hand over my mouth.

Chapter Four

I was pretty sure that Toby's wide-eyed shock mirrored my own. He blinked a few times but he didn't say anything. Finally uncomfortable enough, I hurried over to the only window on the fourth floor.

It was a small square that obviously hadn't been cleaned in a while with three thick bars running along its height. Not much light made its way through the glass but it was still my favorite place at Nine Crosses.

I sank heavily into the faded pink glider that was situated sort of in front of the window. Toby was nowhere to be seen. Out of the corner of my eye I watched the two ghosts that had appeared in the darkest corner of the room. So far, they were only interested in talking to each other. Maybe they hadn't noticed me yet.

I never should have said anything to Toby. He was already shaken up after Tristan's visit and then he knew something had happened to me. Why did I have to scare him off?

Toby may have been mean to me every chance he got, but he kept the ghost people at a safe distance. They didn't like him and he was always near me so they didn't come very close. That was the only good thing I could say about Toby.

A shockingly cold gust of air hit me with the force of a brick wall, stealing my breath and leaving me gasping. More ghost people had entered the room. At least half a dozen or more. The two in the corner stopped talking and they all turned to me.

Rising slowly from the chair, I glanced around the room for Toby. No sign of him. I considered calling for him but rejected the idea. Nothing good would come out of giving the nurses a reason to medicate me.

Suddenly, in a movement I hadn't seen, a woman with long pale hair and a white dress was just inches from my face. "Come with us," she hissed, sending a shiver down my spine when her cold breath washed over my skin. "Come," she cooed.

Forgetting about the chair directly behind me, I backed up and sent myself sprawling on the floor by her feet. Thick white fog hung heavily in the place where her feet may or may not have been. I scrambled to my hands and knees but there was nowhere to go, the other ghost people had come to surround me where I had fallen.

"There's no reason for you to still be alive," one of the voices whispered.

"No one cares if you live or die."

"Your own mother tried to kill you."

"Your father abandoned you."

"If your own parents can't love you, who can?"

"Everyone hates you."

"Just die."

"Why won't you just die?"

I fell to my side, clutching my hands to my ears and squeezing my eyes shut. "Nooo," I moaned pathetically. What were they doing? They'd never tried to hurt me before. Was this because of Nona?

"Ren?"

I felt hands on my arms, solid human hands. I looked up into the terrified eyes of Nurse Grey. She looked almost as scared as I felt. "Are you alright, Ren?"

"They're going to kill me," I sobbed, my voice broken and raspy. It was just how I imagined it would sound after so many years of silence. Of course, it came out clear when I told Toby that I need to talk to him.

Nurse Grey's eyes widened even further. "Who's going to kill you?" I clamped my lips shut. I couldn't tell her about the ghost people. I couldn't tell anyone. "No one is here. You tripped and hit your head on the chair, that's all."

Only when she moved her hand did I notice the bloodied towel she held. I rubbed frantically at my forehead and along my hairline, searching for the injury hidden there. I never thought the ghosts could hurt me; my lips went numb now that I realized they could. My fingers made contact with the sticky mess just above my right eyebrow. "We'll get you cleaned up." The fear was gone from Nurse Grey, replaced by the ground in fake patience. The ghosts were still there but a newcomer with honey colored curls seemed to scare them back into the shadows. Tristan. His eyes narrowed when he caught my stare.

"They aren't going to kill you," he promised with an authority that none of them argued with.

I pushed myself off the floor, refusing the help of Nurse Grey until the first rush of nausea hit. Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought. "I'll let Doctor Moore know what's happened," Nurse Grey continued talking all the way back to the small nurses station in the middle of ward D. "He won't expect you to come see him, but I'm sure he'll be in to see you later."

I didn't flinch as my head was cleaned and a large white bandage was slapped over almost the entire area above my eyebrows. It felt stiff, but luckily no stitches were needed. Tristan remained close the whole time.

"Where's Toby," he fired as soon as the door clicked behind Nurse Grey.

"Some rest is just what you need," she had declared with an absent minded pat on my head.

Tristan didn't look like he was about to kill me. In fact, he looked pretty pissed that the ghosts had tried to. He paced the length of the small room, his steps more pronounced with each round.

"He should be here," he said again. "I told him you weren't ready."

I sucked in a breath, prepared to ask what I wasn't ready for, but no words came out. Nona had said not to trust him. Should I trust her though? Could I trust anyone?

"What are you doing here?" a familiar snarl made both our heads snap around.

"Well Toby, how nice of you to show up." Tristan's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed.

"What are you doing here?" he repeated, slower.

"Doing your job." The two men stood facing each other, their chests still but their faces livid.

"I'll take it from here," Toby said through clenched teeth.

"You better." Without a single glance spared for me, Tristan was gone again. Had he really just come in to rescue me until Toby got back?

"What happened to your face, Crazy?" He wasn't even looking at me, how had he noticed my face?

"The ghost people tried to kill me," I replied in a low voice. No doubt, the nurses were right outside my door. Hearing me talk to myself wouldn't help things.

Toby's mouth fell open, then closed again. "You know," he began, turning his face to look at me fully, "It's a bit creepy that you quit talking for thirteen years and then one day decide that you have something to say."

Thirteen years? "So I'm...nineteen?"

"Next month."

"I thought I've only been here for three years."

"Four." He shrugged. "Close enough."

"I...I guess I lost count." Had I really been that out of it? It didn't seem like it.

"So," he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall behind him, "What made you want to suddenly start gabbing again?"

"Nona...told me to talk to you."

Toby went completely still, his smug smile disappearing. "Nona?"

I nodded, no smile forming on my lips. "I saw her in my dream last night."

"How do you know it was her?"

"She told me."

I saw his teeth chewing away at the tender skin on his bottom lip. Was that a nervous thing? I had seen Toby everyday for all of my life and yet I knew nothing about him. The realization hit me as I watched him following Tristan's path on the floor. How do you see someone everyday and not know them? Well, almost everyday.

"Did you hear me, Crazy?" he asked loudly.

"What?"

"I said," he was still overly loud on purpose, "tell me what she looked like."

"Nona?"

"No, I mean the hot little aide that came in this morning" He rushed forward to kick the edge of the bed. "Of course I mean Nona."

"Umm..." I had been more focused on what she was saying rather than what she looked like. "She had short black hair."

"Anyone can have short black hair. What was she wearing?"

The details of the dream were becoming hazy; like a childhood memory that was just almost there. "It might have been a white dress."

"Might?" His jaw tightened.

"She was sitting on the road so it was hard to tell."

"The road."

"Yeah. We were sitting on a road. There were no houses and no cars. It was just us." And the ghost woman, but she didn't come until later, when the dream was ending.

"Damn it," he whispered harshly, sinking heavily onto the bed. "That was Nona. Tell me everything she said."

Chapter Five

"So let me get this straight," Toby's eyes narrowed slightly. He had pulled his legs under him until he was sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed. The mattress underneath him had given in to gravity and was trying to pull me closer, so I was pressed as close to the bottom of the bed as the hard plastic frame would allow. "Nona wants me to take you to a safe place - away from here?"

"She said Tristan would be coming soon," I nodded.

"He was already here. Twice."

"He didn't try to kill me." My voice was low but my implication was clear. Maybe Nona was wrong about Tristan.

"Not yet."

"He saved me today."

"The Cursed can't hurt you."

My fingers traced the outline of the bandage across my forehead, arguing with Toby when my words failed me. I didn't blame them really- I had abandoned them for thirteen years.

"That was your own clumsy feet," he shot out just as quickly.

"They were..." My lips snapped closed at his glare.

"They were doing what they were created for." He looked over at me but his eyes only glazed over my face, not really seeing anything.

The Cursed were created just to scare the hell out of me? Nineteen years and today was the day to start? I sucked in my breath and held it there, waiting for Toby to say what we would do next.

"And that's all she said? Tristan was coming so I needed to take you somewhere safe?"

"Pretty much." No way was I telling Toby that she wanted me to destroy Tristan. I knew exactly what he would say about that.

His lips pursed until his jaw throbbed. "It looks like we don't have much choice, huh Crazy?"

"Can you..." It felt strange asking Toby for help. Normally, I tried my best to pretend he wasn't there.

"Can I what?" he growled.

"W...will you be able to keep Tristan away from here? It seems like he just pops up whenever he feels like it."

"We have to leave."

My eyebrows furrowed until my forehead felt tight with my confusion. "Leave Nine Crosses?"

"Look," he held his hand out in front of him, "I know this place is a wonderful home for you, but it's time to leave."

"They won't just let me leave." I didn't like how panicked my voice sounded. I wasn't all that attached to bed B in room 36, but it was safe here. Or at least, it used to be. I wasn't so sure anymore. "We should stay here...where it's safe."

"There is nowhere safe for you, Crazy." His finger traced an unseen pattern on the grey blanket.

I had already guessed that, so his words didn't scare me very much. "They'll find me where ever I go?"

"Afraid so."

"Then what's the point of running from them?" I scooted off the edge of the bed and hurried across the room into the small bathroom. The water didn't work on the sink so I couldn't even splash my flushed face with cold water.

"You just want to stay here like a sitting duck?" Toby's brash voice filled and then over filled the space inside the bathroom. "Give up?"

"How about accepting my fate?" I brushed past Toby, our arms touching on my way back out into the room. It was the closest we had ever been. I expected him to be cold like the other ghosts instead of the heat that boiled off of him. Fire rushed into my cheeks, creating a thin line of moisture on my upper lip.

"Your fate isn't to be killed by Tristan." He followed close behind me.

"Really? Cuz that's how it sounds to me. I can't hide from them, I can't run. How can you fight a ghost? Even if I could throw a punch - it's not going to hurt them." I was talking louder than I should and I knew it; it was hard to reign in the emotion though.

"I liked you better when you didn't talk," he growled. "Fine," he sprawled out on the bed, "you're not really worth the effort anyways."

"The more times you say that, the less bite it has." My lips jutted out into a pout but I held my ground.

Toby laughed outright, shocking the pout off my face. "Can't help it, Crazy. All the years I've been alive, all the generations I have witnessed - you are the most pathetic human I have met."

"Why?" I shrugged one shoulder. "Because my mom tried to kill me and my dad thinks I'm crazy?"

He moved his eyes to look up at me until only the whites of them were showing. "Nah, that's not it. I don't care if you're crazy; I've known a lot of crazy humans."

"Ren?" The door opened suddenly, cutting off all the questions I wanted to ask Toby. How long had he lived? And were they all crazy because of him? If he was with them, maybe they could see ghosts too. Was it possible that I wasn't the only one?

"Ren?" Doctor Moore stood just inside the door, watching me. "Are you alright?"

I nodded mutely.

"Who were you talking to?"

I glanced automatically at the bed where Toby was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Doctor Moore waited, but of course I didn't tell him.

"Nurse Grey informed me of your accident." He motioned me forward so he could examine my face more closely. "How did this happen?"

"She tripped over the glider," an aide supplied the answer when I continued to remain silent.

"And you spoke." It wasn't a question. "Who did you think was trying to kill you?"

The ghosts.

"Did someone threaten you?"

Yes.

"Were you thinking of your mother?"

"No."

He half smiled at the sound of my voice. "I'm glad you're finding your voice, Ren."

I turned away from him, hoping that I made it clear that I didn't want to talk to him. Speaking to Toby had opened floodgates I wasn't sure how to close again.

"We'll meet again in my office tomorrow." He turned slowly away, his eyes lingering at the now empty bed.

"You know, I've always suspected that he was into you," Toby said loudly from his new position leaning against the wall beside the now closing door.

"Maybe you're right," I whispered when the door was finally closed.

"Don't tell me you like him too?" His face twisted into a look of disgust. "Is that why you don't want to leave here?"

"No!" Irritation made my nose crinkle slightly. "I meant we might have to leave." I could be killed in my bed and no one would even know. I wouldn't be able to get away through the locked door. If I stayed here, Tristan would get to me for sure. If I left with Toby, I might have a chance. Maybe Toby knew more than he was saying.

"Hmmm," he folded his arms across his chest and leaned back to stare at me. "What made you change your mind?"

"Maybe I just don't want to die some horrible death at the hands of the ghosts." Wasn't he the one saying we needed to leave? Why was he being so hesitant now?

"You'll probably still die a horrible death- just not at the hands of the ghosts; as you call them."

"I know you say they can't hurt me, but they made me fall."

"Your fear made you fall."

Who wouldn't be afraid? Toby talked like my fear was a disgusting weakness, but who wouldn't be afraid? "So, when do we leave?" I asked in a low hiss. Better not to think of my eventual death until I had to.

"Tonight."

"So soon?"

"Why wait?"

"Don't we need some sort of... plan or something?"

"The plan is," he disappeared briefly and then reappeared to finish his sentence as if he never left, "to get out of here without being seen by the nurses or guards."

"Could I just sign myself out? I'm over eighteen."

"It would take too long. We'll have to use this." A small metal object clanked to the floor. A key.

"Is that to the door?" I scooped the key up in my hand. "How did you get this?"

"I have my ways." He bowed slightly at the waist. "Get some rest." He held one finger up to stop my protest. "You'll need it."

Like it so often happened, my body obeyed Toby even when I wanted to tell him where to stick it. I laid on top of the stiff grey blanket that Toby had vacated not long before and stared up at the off white ceiling.

My eyes refused to close, instead tracing the pale yellow designs that some old water damage had created. We would leave tonight, this would be the last time I would be sleeping in this bed. Toby had gotten the key that would unlock my prison. How had he done that anyways? He was a ghost; how had he carried a key?

Chapter 6

"Hey, Crazy."

My eyes popped open at the sound of Toby's voice. I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep. Last I knew, I was seeing a dragon on my ceiling. I looked up at the now shadowed ceiling, not able to make out any shapes through the darkness.

"What time is it?" I asked groggily.

"The night shift aides came on thirty minutes ago."

I rubbed furiously at my gritty eyes. "Is it time to go?"

"Your shoes are in the hallway. I'm going to open the door; you put them on quickly and then do exactly as I say."

My eyebrows furrowed to meet low on my forehead. When I laid down, my shoes were on. Why couldn't I remember anyone coming in to take them off? My mind still felt fuzzy. And I was in my nightgown. "Why... I mean how...?"

"They gave you a sedative last night," he sighed loudly. "In the late afternoon."

"What?"

"There's clothes in the bathroom; unless you'd rather go in that."

I made my way to the bathroom slowly; my legs shaking dangerously the whole way. I could barely walk, how was I supposed to run?

"Come on, Crazy," Toby called impatiently, "they'll be doing their checks soon. It won't look good if you're up doing your hair."

I pulled the drawstring tight on my pants and stumbled haphazardly through the doorway. "I'm ready," I whispered, nerves and fear adding to the sedative and making me shake all over.

Toby took in my condition and shook his head. "We'll never make it."

"Yes we will." Was that breathless declaration supposed to pass as confidence?

"Not if your legs won't work." His top lip snarled in disgust.

"I'm good."

"Not even close."

"Look," my hand shot out between us, "Nona said you're supposed to take me somewhere safe. You said you would. Either we're going or we're not. If not, let me go back to bed."

His breath came out heavily through his nose as he regarded me through narrowed eyes. "Let's go."

He disappeared and a few seconds later, the door swung open. This was it. I squared my shoulders, trying to gather my determination, and stepped through the door.

The hallway was different at night- with no people in it. Not that the hospital was empty. That would be way too easy. The faint sounds of a TV came from the rec room where the nurses probably watched TV after all the crazies went to bed for the night.

"Wait," Toby warned when we reached the end of the hall. The nurse's desk loomed large just a few feet away. A tall woman with her dark hair piled high on her head sat with her back towards me; a phone stuck to her ear.

"No Randy, I can't pick him up," her high pitched voice carried to where we were hidden in the hall. "Because I don't even get off work until 7:30." Her voice rose the longer she talked to the unknown Randy.

"You'll just have to be quiet," Toby whispered.

"What?" I felt the blood drain from my face, leaving me feeling faint. Did he really expect me to just be able to walk right by her? If she didn't hear my footsteps, she would definitely hear my heart hammering a million miles a minute. "No," I shook my head quickly.

His finger flew to press against his lips. "Yes," he nodded.

My eyes fluttered closed, defeat already settling in the pit of my stomach. "Well, you are just going to have to!" The nurse was practically screaming into her phone. Now or never.

Staying as close to the wall as possible, I crept out of the hall and past the nurses desk. The nurse never turned around. "No, Randy, you listen to me..."

The door to the stairwell opened easily, revealing several flights of stairs going in both directions. Careful not to make any noise, I only let go of the handle after the door clicked back into place. The tightening in my chest started to subside, but we were far from home free.

"This way," Toby called from several steps down. "Hurry up."

With only a little hesitation, I followed Toby down the steps. Since the day I came to Nine Crosses, I had never been off the Fourth floor. I wasn't considered "sane" enough to go outside and we had everything we needed to be self sufficient.

It was more intimidating than I would have imagined to open the door and step out onto the smooth marble floor on the first level.

"We need to get to the front door," Toby distracted my panic attack just before it fully blossomed.

"Wh..."

"Do you just take it black, Rod?" A female voice had me dropping to my knees and crawling behind a large grey desk.

"Yeah. What channel again?"

"I think seven." The woman passed close by, but luckily didn't look down as she walked like so many people did.

I stayed crouched in plain sight while the aide walked through a swinging door that I assumed was a kitchen. All she had to do was turn around and she would see me. Panic churned around in my chest, making it hard to breath.

"Over here," Toby called loudly, only adding to my panic. He waved his arm wildly, pointing down a short dark hallway. Taking a deep gulp of stale air, I took off after him.

I felt my panic start to subside slightly when the huge grey door finally came into view. I lurched forward until Toby stopped me with an upraised hand.

"Wait a second," he whispered. Why was he whispering? No one except me could even hear him. I nodded mutely, not even chancing a whisper. I could be heard.

I watched nervously as Toby crept forward without me to make sure no one was around. Freedom was so close, I could almost taste the fresh air just behind that door. Just a few feet and we were free.

Moisture beaded on my top lip and my mouth felt too dry. Should I just run for it? Even if one of the aides popped out, I would be able to make it to that door.

The sane part of my brain warned me that it would take more than just opening the door for me to be free. I had to actually get away. If one of the aides caught me now, I wouldn't be able to get away. The other part of my brain told me to make a run for it, though.

I shifted forward slightly on my knees in an effort to see better. As far as I could tell, there was no one out there with us. Even the ghosts had fallen silent as if they too were anxious about my escape.

Toby stood silent and still by the front door, listening for what I could never hear over the pounding of my own heart. Finally, after too many agonizing minutes had passed by, he motioned me forward with one hand.

He nodded down towards the door handle as soon as I had scurried over to join him. Grasping the cold metal between two trembling hands, I took a deep breath and turned hard to the right. Nothing happened. The knob wouldn't budge. Turning it to the left had the same affect.

My heart stopped and then sped back up. Of course the door would be locked. Had I really expected it to be that easy? How were we going to get out now?

"Try turning the lock, idiot." Toby pointed to the thin metal locking mechanism in the middle of the handle.

The lock turned easily to the unlock position. I would have been relieved if I didn't have to hear Toby's dark chuckle. "Shut up," I scowled. It wasn't like I was a pro at breaking out of a mental hospital.

With a grunt of irritation, I pushed the tall door open. The second my skin made contact with the cool night breeze, a high pitched wail filled the air all around me.

"It's an alarm," I screeched.

"There is no alarm on this door." Toby crowded close to me, scorching me with his bizarre heat. I wanted to sink into him, to savor in the protection I felt from that heat. "There," he pointed upwards where a thin ghost man was circling close to the ceiling. His light brown pants billowed out from his legs, giving him a strange "flying squirrel" appearance. The man's mouth was opened wide, emoting the high wailing.

I cowered close to the ground. "I didn't know they could fly!" I shouted over the noise.

"He can't hurt you, Ren." Toby's voice was intense as he watched the man circling above us like a vulture. "He can't touch you."

It might have been the first time Toby called me Ren.

"Hey!" We both turned to see the aide hurrying down the stairs at the same time. No doubt he had heard me screaming to no one. "What are you doing down here?"

"Go!" Toby ordered.

"What about you?"

"Just go. I'll be right behind you."

I didn't want to go without Toby; not because I was worried about his safety, but because I knew the ghost would follow me. He said he would be there though, and he hadn't let me down so far.

Besides, I thought as my feet sounded against the grass outside, what was the worst that could happen? The same thing that would happen if the aide caught me and locked me back up. At least this way I wasn't just giving up.

"Go, go, go!" Toby shouted.

I ran. Faster than I ever had before. I ran away from the ghost, away from Nine Crosses, and away from my fate.

It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Seven

Just as I had feared, the ghost people followed us into the night, calling out to me- making me trip. "Come on, Crazy, quit falling over your own feet."

I didn't waste any energy yelling back at Toby. It wouldn't have done me any good anyways. The ground grew more uneven as I ran, sticks and rocks littering the path where my feet hit.

The backs of my legs and my lungs started to burn after a while, proving just how out of shape I really was. The lack of proper nutrition didn't help either. I quickly fell behind Toby's lead. "Wait," I gasped.

Whether he heard me or not didn't affect his speed. Most of the time as I ran, I couldn't see Toby. He was too far ahead. I could only hope I was heading in the right direction. Trusting Toby didn't come naturally, but I didn't have much choice; I didn't even know which state we were in.

A large root sprang out of the earth, invisible to me until I was sprawled out beside it. "Oph!"

"What are you doing?" Toby almost screamed at me.

"I fell," I panted.

"Get up."

"Just give me a minute to breathe."

"Come on," Toby ordered loudly. "We can't stop here."

"I know," I snapped back. "I just need to breath for a minute. I don't have the luxury of ghost lungs like you do. Mine need oxygen."

"I guess I should feel sorry for you, right?" he snarled. "Being locked away in a mental hospital hasn't exactly kept you in shape."

I rolled my eyes, pursing my lips angrily. "You're such a jerk," I muttered.

"I can't tell you how much you're hurting my feelings," he clutched his chest sarcastically. "Now let's move it, Chubs!"

I really hated Toby. Couldn't he see how hard I was trying? "My mental health is fragile," I reminded him. "Don't push me."

"Ha," he snorted unattractively. "If I don't push you, we'll just be sitting still all night. You're terrible at escaping."

"Ugh," A rumbling noise came from my throat at his words. "So sorry to disappoint you. This is my first time."

"Do you have to make it so damn obvious?"

"I'll try," I snapped, raising back up to my feet.

"Not worth the trouble," he muttered under his breath. "Not worth it."

I pushed myself forward with a low grunt. I never really gave much thought to the running aspect of escaping; not that I'd been able to think about any of it for very long. My body was becoming more alert with each step we took, but I wasn't sure that was a good thing.

"You'll never make it," a man called from the dark shadows.

I couldn't see him, but I felt his coldness. "Yes we will," I murmured without much conviction.

"You might as well just give up."

"Who do you think you're fooling anyways?" Another voice chimed in.

I twisted my body to match the female voice with a face, but Toby blocked my view. "Ignore them."

"Easy for you to say."

"There is nothing we can do about the Cursed. They will always know where you are and be able to follow."

I peeked over my shoulder as I followed Toby deeper into the darkness. I was putting an awful lot of trust in Toby. He was one of the Cursed, too; even if that was an easy thing to forget.

"Come on, Crazy," he called out impatiently. "We're not just on a midnight stroll here, we're running for your life."

"How do I know you're not with them?" I called back. I had fallen behind him a few feet.

"If I wanted you dead, I would have just left you at the hospital."

"What's in this for you? It's not like you actually care if I live or die."

"It really hurts my feelings that you doubt my affection for you." He jumped over a rocky patch of ground. "Watch your step here."

I didn't attempt the same jump. The fact that he was a ghost probably aided in his balance. I wasn't exactly clumsy, but I was only human. Despite my careful picking, I fell forward and was forced to catch myself with my hands before my face smashed into the rocks.

"Can't you do anything right?" Toby growled at the same time another ghost called:

"You can't do anything right! Look at you trying to walk!"

He shook his head, his expression hardening angrily. "Don't even say it," he warned, holding his hand out to help me up. He pulled it back before I could fully process the kindness behind the gesture, even if he couldn't follow through.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?"

"Of course I do," he replied without hesitation. "Right there." He pointed out to a small town that seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

"What is this place?"

"It's called a town," he grumbled, "You haven't been locked away that long that you would forget what a town looks like." He picked up his stride as the terrain started to smooth out.

"I just... didn't know there was a town here," I panted.

"It's pretty small," he admitted, "but it has what we need."

"What do we need?" I practically had to run to keep up with him.

"Somewhere safe."

I shrugged at the logic of his words, letting myself fall behind slightly. Toby was right, we needed somewhere safe to hide until Nona came again. I just didn't expect it to be so close to Nine Crosses; maybe Toby knew something about this sleepy town that I didn't.

No one woke up when we crossed the official green "town limit" sign shoved into the ground on the side of the highway. I had half expected a sheriff toting a large shotgun to stop us. Of course, he would have only seen a young girl in pink scrub pants and a plain white tee shirt walking all alone on the side of the road. Still, chances were high that he would have carted me back to Nine Crosses.

The town stayed asleep though.

Toby led me straight through the silent town to a small park with creepy black swings that swayed when we walked past. I shivered, aware suddenly of the slight chill in the air. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but it was getting colder.

As Toby and I had made our way across rough roads and uneven meadows to get to the town, the ghost people had faded away until I couldn't hear them anymore. He usually did have that affect on them. Of course, they wouldn't stay away long.

"Here," he stopped abruptly in front of a very large tire that jutted out of the ground on its side to form a club of sorts. I could almost see kids climbing on it and hiding inside.

"We're... sleeping here?"

"There's a bag inside. Get it."

I ducked my head inside the tire and sure enough- there was a light blue backpack. "What is this?"

"Money and clothes," he grunted. "Let's go."

"Wait," I struggled to grab the pack and catch back up with Toby. "Where did you get this? How did you get this?"

If I expected an answer, I was disappointed. "You need to get off the streets." His forehead was crinkled darkly when he looked down at me. "Stay close."

"We're staying here?" My forehead crinkled with my confusion. A cheap motel wasn't exactly what I had in mind for somewhere safe. If something bad was going to happen to me, this seemed like a logical backdrop.

"Would you rather sleep on the park bench?" His eyes narrowed when he looked down at me.

"Maybe."

Through the large dirt-speckled front window, I saw a young looking man with long greasy hair pulled back into a ponytail. The cigarette hanging from his mouth had been forgotten in favor of the magazine he was flipping through.

"I don't want to talk to him," I glanced up at Toby's dark scowl.

"They're going to know over at the hospital that you're gone. If not tonight, then in the morning. Do you want to make it that easy for them to find you?" I shook my head. "This is your best chance."

So we weren't hiding from the ghosts; we were hiding from the police. "I just don..."

"In the bag," he cut me off, "is a red change purse. Take out eighty dollars and put it in your front pocket."

I obediently opened the bag, not bothering with anything except for that small task. There was a lot more money than just the four twenties I would need to pay for the room and even though I was curious how Toby could get it, I had to focus.

"What if he won't give me a room?"

"He will. Just go in there confident and tell him you want a room." I nodded once and pulled the heavy door open.

I tucked my hair nervously behind one ear, too aware of how badly my hands shook. He would take one look at my outfit and refuse to give me a room. And then he'd call the police so they could take me back to Nine Crosses.

"Be confident," Toby reminded me.

Carefully ignoring Toby's presence, I approached the desk where the man was casually reading a magazine with a scantily clad woman smiling from one of the pages. My heart was pounding painfully against my rib cage.

"I..." I ran my tongue swiftly across my dry lips. "I need a room."

His eyes roved the entire length of my body before coming back to rest on my face. "You alone?"

I nodded, swallowing past my urge to turn around and run.

"It's eighty bucks a night."

I nodded again and pulled the four twenties from my front pocket. I was grateful once again for Toby's foresight. If he hadn't known to put the exact amount in my front pocket, we could have been in trouble.

The man slid a plastic card across the counter. "Room 16. Out those doors and to the left. Bottom floor."

"Bus schedule," Toby hissed.

"Do you have a bus schedule?" I blurted quickly.

The man took a sheet of paper from behind the desk and placed it over the card. "Anything else you'll be needing?" he smiled suggestively.

I shook my head quickly, scooping up the room key and bus schedule before bolting back outside.

Chapter Eight

"Do you think he knows?" I whispered to Toby once we reached the door that was marked with a black one and a six.

"That you talk to yourself?"

My breath came out in a huff but I slid the card into the lock and refrained from talking anymore until the door was locked behind me again. "Do you think he knows I'm from Nine Crosses?"

"I doubt he cares."

I looked down, trying to see myself through the man's eyes. Young girl, a little bony and a little short and a little tired, but healthy enough. The hem on my light pink pants were caked with mud and grass stains. There was a large smear of mud across my arm and I didn't even want to know what my hair looked like. I had fallen asleep with it braided; as far as I knew, it was still braided. I ran my fingers lightly over the frizzy mess.

Yeah, he knew.

"Why doesn't he call the cops?"

"Because he doesn't care," he repeated, louder.

At least Toby hadn't lost any of his charm. "Ok," I rolled my eyes. "So we'll be safe here."

"For a little while." He was bent low over the bedside table, reading the bus schedule that I had just put down.

The room wasn't much to look at, but I didn't have a lot to compare it to. We'd never been much of a vacation going family. If I had ever stayed at a hotel, it was before I could remember.

I let my fingers brush lightly over the bright floral blanket covering the bed; ran my eyes across the room to take in the windows, the bedside table, and the stiff looking white chair. It wasn't much, but at least it was clean.

The door to the bathroom was ajar and a thin slice of light splashed out across the floor. I didn't bother investigating though; it would be just like any other bathroom - only there would be mirrors. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that confrontation yet.

Toby's eyes followed my gaze. "You need to use the bathroom, Crazy?"

"No," I sank onto the edge of the bed, clasping my hands tightly in my lap.

I could hardly believe we were here. Against all my doubts, I had managed to get out of the hospital and checked into a hotel room with less difficulty than I expected.

Toby said the police would find me if I slept outside on the park bench and drag me back to Nine Crosses, but they would find me here, too. We hadn't walked that far.

I glanced at the clock placed next to the lamp on the dark colored bedside table. 3:17. We had run longer than I thought. My nerves were still coiled- waiting for the ghosts to come.

"Why do you think they aren't here?" I whispered.

"The police?" Toby bent to peek out of a broken blind on one of the two windows that took up most of one wall. "They'll find you soon enough, but hopefully we'll be long gone by then."

I bit lightly on the tip of my tongue. I had meant the ghost people, but maybe I didn't want to know where they were. They would find me soon enough, too.

"I wouldn't let it bother you too much," he called over his shoulder. "Might be kind of cool to be known as the girl who escaped a mental hospital." He laughed all by himself.

"Yeah, really cool," I murmured.

"Why don't you try sleeping?"

My gaze snapped up to see if he was kidding. How could he expect me to sleep now? I could barely even sit still. "I'm fine."

"Yeah," his eyes widened, "me too." He bent again over the bus schedule.

"Are we taking a bus?"

"There's no airport here, in case you missed that."

"We're flying somewhere?"

"Did you not hear me, Crazy? There's no airport here." He let his finger slide down the length of the paper.

"But you want to take a plane?" That must mean we were going far.

"I want a lot of things."

He stood up abruptly and pressed his ear against the door. I had never seen Toby nervous. Angry- all the time; but never so jumpy. "Is someone coming? Is it the ghosts?" I halfway rose to my feet again.

"Just when I think you're as stupid as I've ever seen, you say something to surprise me- proving you're even more stupid than I thought."

"I was just..." I let myself fall back to the bed.

"If it were the Cursed, would I be listening for them at the door? You expect them to knock?"

"No." I bit down on my bottom lip.

"I really think you need to sleep. It's the only way I'm going to be able to stay in here with you."

"You are such a jerk." Not even trying to hide my irritation, I stomped the short distance to the bathroom and slammed the door. It felt good to be able to slam a door.

I didn't look as beat up as I'd feared. The braid had held up well considering the circumstances; and although my face wasn't clean, there were no huge splotches of mud or dirt. My white shirt had seen better days, but it was white- I couldn't expect much there.

Toby said there were clean clothes in the backpack. I sighed at my reflection. The bag was with Toby and no way was I going out there to get it. I eyed the bathtub; contemplating the comfort of the porcelain.

"Hey, Crazy?"

"Yeah?" I closed my eyes on a groan; was I really going to start responding to that?

"What are you doing in there?"

"I'm busy!"

"You don't look very busy." He was suddenly right beside me in the narrow room.

"Toby! Why are you in here?"

"I go where you go, Princess." He held his arm out in a mock apology.

"I'm going to bed," I stormed. "Let's see you follow me there."

One eyebrow cocked on his otherwise smooth forehead; heat flooded through my veins.

"You know what I mean."

***

The bed wasn't much more comfortable than the one I slept in at Nine Crosses. This one was a little bigger though. Peeling the mud caked pants off, I crawled under the still chilly sheets.

Between the sedatives they'd given me, the adrenalin of escaping, and then running behind Toby for three hours; I was suddenly more tired than I'd ever been. I stretched my bare toes out under the blanket and arched my back in a long needed stretch. A hot shower would have been nice, but I was too tired. Besides, I wasn't sure if I had time.

Toby sat in the only chair in the room, pressed flush against the wall facing the windows. His thumb traced the lines of his jaw and up his chin, then back to the other side. His knee bobbed frantically.

My eyelids fluttered closed, then back open again. If only Toby would calm down, maybe I could fall asleep. Seeing him awake and alert made me afraid to close my eyes for too long. What if he bolted while I was asleep?

"What would happen to me if they caught me?"

"They will kill you," he replied without hesitation.

"I meant the police," I muttered, "or the nurses. Whatever." I doubted if it would be legal for them to kill me for escaping.

His eyebrows knitted darkly. "The nurses aren't going to come looking for you."

I widened my eyes in his direction, but resisted sticking my tongue out. "The police might."

"I liked you better when you didn't talk."

"You've always hated me, even when I didn't say anything." It was a baby thing to say, a plea for his affection; I realized how it would sound to him as soon as the words were out and his eyes narrowed. "I just meant..."

"I know what you meant." He leaned back as far as the seat would allow, crossing his arms lightly over his chest.

For the first time in my life, I wondered what it would feel like to touch Toby. Would my hands go through him? Would I feel the same heat I felt back in the bathroom at Nine Crosses? My face flamed hot at the memory.

"This isn't some cozy road trip, Crazy," he suddenly sat up straighter. "I'm never going to like you."

"I don't expect you to." I tried not to stutter and in my haste, my jaw snapped shut.

"That's good," he sneered. "Don't ever have expectations; that way you won't be disappointed."

To avoid looking at him, I snatched up the bus schedule on the table beside me. "Where are we heading anyways?" I peeked over the top of the page at an empty chair. "Toby?"

No answer.

I let out my raspy breath I had been trying to hold. He had left me alone. What was I supposed to do now?

Sleep, a corner of my tired mind suggested. I was exhausted enough to fall asleep, but my thoughts wouldn't stop chasing each other behind my half closed lids.

What was going to happen to me now? I had just run off into the night with a guy I didn't even like very much; and he liked me even less. And why? Because of a dream I'd had. What was wrong with me?

I pulled my knees close to my chest under the blanket and turned to my side, letting the bus schedule fall to the floor. My eyelids drifted closed, my body finally taking over my thoughts. Well, I mentally shrugged, the faster morning would get here and we could be on our way. I sighed lightly into the strange pillow.

Chapter Nine

My head jerked violently off the pillow, startling me awake from a fretful sleep. My eyes couldn't have been closed for more than... I glanced over at the clock. A few hours?

I rubbed the grit from the corners of my eyes, sure I was seeing the numbers wrong. It felt like I had just closed my eyes a few minutes ago. It would be morning soon.

Morning.

My eyes opened a little wider as the thought fully circulated in my foggy brain. They would miss me at Nine Crosses soon and then the police really would be looking for me. How did people run from the cops? I could already feel my chest tightening.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

I sucked in a breath and held it in my aching chest. Someone was knocking at the window. Had that woken me up? Maybe it was just my imagination.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Raising my head slightly off the pillow, I scanned the darkened room for Toby. The room was empty. Everything inside me screamed to just throw the blankets over my head and stay in bed until he got back, but I had no idea when that would be and someone was out there.

Heart racing, I forced my head to turn enough to see the window. I let out a sigh of relief at the lack of shadows outside. I was just too jumpy.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

My head swirled as the noise changed direction. The room was still empty, but I did notice something strange. A thin slice of yellow light spilled across the dark carpet from under the bathroom door.

My eyebrows furrowed low on my forehead. How did the light get on? I had turned it off earlier when I laid down. I was positive that the light was off earlier.

So, how did it get on? Better question, why was it on? Who would come into my hotel room just to use the bathroom? Instinctively, I checked the front door- still closed tight. What was going on?

I pulled the light sheet off my legs, unsure what I was planning to do even as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Sitting up slowly, I let my feet touch the carpeted floor.

The light stayed strong under the bathroom door, daring me to go investigate. I bit down hard on my bottom lip, wondering if it was possible for me to just go back to sleep and wait for Toby.

No one was in the room with me, I told myself firmly. The door was locked and I would have heard if someone broke it down.

Staying in the bed wasn't an option anymore. Even if I did lay back down, I wouldn't be able to sleep until I knew that no one was in the bathroom. A hundred arguments shot up to question my sanity as soon as I leaned forward.

What if I did find someone in the bathroom? What did I plan to do about it? I was just a skinny, barely old enough to be considered not a kid- girl. There was probably no one there anyways. I must have left the light on earlier.

It was all useless though. I rose to my feet with a heavy sigh already escaping my chest. You'd think I'd be good at freaky by now.

The carpet felt gritty under my bare feet, like it hadn't seen a vacuum in a while. I considered calling out to Toby, in case it was him, but the other side of that coin kept me silent.

If it wasn't Toby, the only chance I had was surprise. And that wasn't a very good chance. Puffing out my cheeks, I blew the air out quickly before shuffling forward a few steps.

The room wasn't very big, so it didn't take much for me to be standing just above that thin slice of bright light. Was someone really in there?

"You see something?" a voice called from behind me.

My heart slammed down past my feet and took its time coming back to where it was supposed to be. Someone was in the room with me. Someone other than Toby.

Who even knew I was here? Was it the police? Had the guy behind the counter recognized me? Toby was wrong; he did care that I was a crazy girl that escaped from the mental hospital. Of course he would care. Who wouldn't?

I wrapped one arm across my stomach, which was knotted with anxiety. I was going to have to turn around and face them. There was nowhere to run.

I took a deep breath, a poor attempt to calm my shaking limbs enough to be able to turn around and face my intruder. I expected to see a whole room full of swat team people and Doctor Moore from the hospital, but there was only one man there with me.

Tristan.

He stood with his back against the wall, his arms crossed lightly against his broad chest. His lips were just barely lifted as he watched me trying not to have a full blown panic attack.

My tongue darted out to run quickly across my bottom lip. My worst fears had come true; Tristan had found me. And Toby was gone. Would he at least be a little sorry when he came back and found me dead?

Tristan shuffled forward slightly, causing the noise that was stuck in my throat to come out in a soft whimper. Hopefully dying wouldn't hurt too bad.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he called out softly. "I just want to help you." His voice coated across my skin, lulling me into a false security faster than I wanted to admit.

My heart was still racing, but the longer Tristan just stood there watching me, the calmer it became. He had never threatened me before. Maybe Nona was wrong about him. Maybe...

"Are you here alone?" His head tilted to one side, sending the blonde curls fluttering.

Should I tell him that I was with Toby? I didn't even know where Toby was. He had left me and for all I knew, he wasn't coming back. Toby wasn't my friend, I couldn't count on him for anything.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he continued before I'd finished deciding what to tell him.

I stood very still, knowing there was nowhere to go. Even if there wasn't a tiny closed off bathroom behind me, running there wasn't going to be effective. If there was a way to run from Tristan, I didn't know how.

Tristan smiled wide, his white teeth almost glowing in the shadowed room. It was a friendly smile, offering nothing but kindness. His whole face transformed, becoming open and concerned at the same time. Almost against my will, I felt my heart thawing out towards him.

Even if I could run, why would I want to? Tristan was cute and he smiled a lot. I caught myself just before smiling back at him. Where was Toby when I needed him?

I caught the inside of my lip between my teeth. Where was he? Shouldn't he be back by now? Nona told me to trust him; that he would keep me safe. If Tristan had any plans to kill me, Toby left the door wide open.

Not that Tristan needed an open door.

Whatever Toby was doing, it must have been really important. What could it be though? My entire life, he had been there almost everyday- all the time. It didn't make sense that he would leave now just when I needed him.

Unless...

"I know that the... ghost people tried to scare you." Tristan's words pulled me back from my thoughts of Toby. Tristan called them ghost people too?

"They can't hurt you, though," he continued with a lopsided grin that dimpled only one side of his handsome face. "I know you're afraid of them, and I don't blame you; but they're harmless, really."

I doubted if that were true. Even if all they could do was invoke fear- fear was more powerful than Tristan realized.

"I saved you from them, don't you remember?"

His stare was intense, but it didn't wreak too much havoc on my memory. I did remember when Tristan had saved me. Would Toby have done the same? Could he?

I nodded my acknowledgement to his words. Not really sure if I should talk to Tristan or not, I didn't want to say too much. Or maybe nothing at all. I knew how to be silent. I had done it for years. The key was to stop listening; it was hard not to hear Tristan's voice.

"I've watched you from afar," he said in his soft tones, "nearly your entire life."

One eyebrow shot high on my head. It wasn't impossible to believe, that he had watched me; I just would have assumed he had better things to do. Did he really find me so interesting?

"It's kind of creepy, huh?" He blushed and looked down at his feet, his laughter light and embarrassed.

I leaned forward, towards Tristan, without fully realizing I was moving. He really didn't seem so bad. He had once saved me and now he was just standing across from me- perfectly harmless. And perfectly perfect looking.

"You can say hi to me," he teased lightly, "I won't bite."

I wasn't afraid of him though, I realized abruptly. Not really; not like Toby and Nona thought I should be. Toby had caused me more harm than Tristan, and I trusted Toby just fine.

Then he left me to fend for myself. I glanced towards the door, then back to Tristan. I couldn't understand why my face was so suddenly blazing hot.

I tucked a few stray strands of hair behind my ears, suddenly conscious of how badly I needed a shower. My lips trembled with the effort it took to smile back at Tristan.

He waited patiently, careful not to move too suddenly. He was much more considerate than Toby and I had run away in the middle of the night with him. What harm would come with a simple hello? It was an insanely acceptable form of greeting. All I had to do was open my mouth a little. It wouldn't be hard.

Tristan's smile widened.

"Hi," I murmured at last.

Chapter Ten

"See? I'm not so scary." Tristan grinned.

I peeked at him through the thick veil of light brown hair that had fallen across the side of my face. I didn't regret following his cue to sit on the bed with him, but now he was really close. All I had to do was reach my hand out a handful of inches and I could touch him. And of course, that distance went both ways.

He didn't seem scary though, not when he was smiling like a little kid on the first day of summer. There was excitement and anticipation there; an excitement that was catching.

"No, you're not," I mumbled.

"You think we can be friends?"

"Friends," I grimaced at the word, "probably not." I had never really had a friend. What did friends do?

"Well," he shrugged lightly, not put off by my weirdness, "do you at least want to talk?"

I looked over at him more fully, just to see if he was kidding. He seemed sincere. "What would we talk about?"

"I don't know. Whatever you want." He scooted back further on the bed. "How did you end up at Nine Crosses?"

"My mother tried to kill me when I was six," I answered without much thought.

"What?"

"She," I shook my head quickly. What was I thinking, talking about my mother to Tristan? "She hated me."

"She didn't understand you," he corrected immediately.

"My father doesn't like me very much either," I continued in a rare show of confidence. I couldn't explain, even to myself why I trusted Tristan so much, but I felt like I could tell him anything.

"You're better off at Nine Crosses," he cooed.

"How so?"

"You didn't have to pretend anymore."

"Pretend I'm not crazy?"

He pursed his lips tightly. "You don't have to listen to Toby either. He doesn't like anyone\- never has."

"Then pretend what?" That I liked people? I had never been much good at fitting in with other people. "Toby's right; I am crazy."

He shook his head before saying anything. "You don't have to pretend to be normal. You're not like everyone else. You don't have to pretend to love school and all the phony friends that come with it, then pick a college you hate to get you ready for a career you'll eventually hate and a husband you'll learn to hate." His eyes narrowed as he talked, but widened back out when he turned back to me. "You don't have to pretend the way everyone else does."

"Are you here to kill me?" I blurted.

His eyes narrowed into two thin slits on his face. "No."

"No?"

"I'm not here to kill you, Ren. I'm not here to hurt you at all." He seemed sincere.

"Then why are you here?"

"I... um..." His smile didn't touch his eyes. "I don't really know."

"You know why I think you're here?" I made the mistake of meeting his eyes when we were only a foot apart as it was.

"Why?"

I pushed my tongue over my cracked lips. "I think you're here because Toby is trying to hide me from you and you want to prove that he can't."

"Maybe," he shrugged. His hand was suddenly touching my face, tracing the line of my cheek down to my jaw.

"I thought you were a ghost."

His smile turned softly into a chuckle. "Maybe I am."

"Nona told me you wanted to kill me."

Anger turned Tristan's eyes dark; his hand stilled against my face. "You talked to Nona?" I nodded mutely. "She shouldn't have..." His words cut off abruptly, as did his anger. "I'm not here to hurt you," he repeated.

"Toby will be back soon." I didn't mean for it to come out like a threat.

"Toby is out looking for me," he chuckled, letting his fingers once again trace the lines of my face.

"Oh."

"I promise, I won't hurt you," he swore fervently.

I pulled back to my own side of the bed. Somehow our heads had gotten too close together. How could Tristan make a promise like that?

"Nona said you would kill me," I reminded him gently.

His jaw tightened briefly, but there was no anger now. "There will always be two sides," he replied just as gently. "You just have to decide which side you're on."

"Oh, is that all?" My eyes widened sarcastically.

"I think you already know what you want to do, Ren."

The sound of my name on his lips was music to my soul. Every word he said made perfect sense, making me wonder how I had ever been afraid of this amazing person.

"I guess so," I nodded slowly. "If it's a choice between you and Toby..."

"It's not," he cut me off quickly, "but if it was, it's clear who would come out on top." He grinned wide, his whole face turning boyish and cute.

"Very clear." It wasn't though, not very clear at all. Tristan was obviously nicer than Toby, but Toby had been there my whole life. He was comfortable- like an old pair of shoes. And Tristan, even though he was shiny and new, I was afraid he would give me blisters.

"I like you, Ren." He brushed my hair back over my shoulder. "More than I thought I would."

"I like you, too, Tristan," I smiled wide.

"More than Toby?"

"That's not hard."

"Guess not," he shrugged.

It was easy to talk to Tristan\- too easy. "Toby's supposed to take care of me- keep me safe. Nona said he would."

"She doesn't know Toby like I do."

"Toby's a... a... cursed."

"I know."

"Are you... one of them too?" It was probably too personal to ask, but the words were already laid out between us. I couldn't take them back now.

"No."

"What exactly are the Cursed? What makes you different?" I could tell that he was different than the ghost people. He could touch me. "Toby's different, too, though," I realized out loud, "He's hot."

"Does he know you feel that way?" he grinned.

My cheeks flamed hot. "I didn't mean like that."

"You sure?"

"Yes!"

He winked, clearly amused by my discomfort. "I mean, he's a good looking guy."

"He's... not even real." And neither was Tristan.

"But this is real," his voice lowered as he placed his palm against my chest, feeling my heart flying under my ribs. "That feels real to me."

"I don't understand what you are."

"I just want to be your friend."

"Only my friend?"

He shrugged, not committing to anything. "I'll be whatever you need me to be."

"What about... me?" Did he want me to be someone I wasn't, the way Nona did?

"What about you?"

"What do you want from me?"

"Nothing that you don't want to give me."

Tristan had a way of talking in circles. He could talk and talk without ever really saying anything at all. I wanted to be frustrated with him, but the sound of his voice calmed me. All I wanted to do was curl up beside him and dream of what life could be like if I was allowed to be with Tristan.

To stop myself from touching him, I pulled my legs up on the bed so I could wrap my arms around my knees and still watch him. He seemed content to just watch me, too.

I wondered briefly why he had come here to find me in my hotel room if it wasn't to kill me, but I let the thought drift away. There were too many other thoughts to take their place.

Like- what would it feel like to run my fingers through Tristan's honey colored curls? Would his hair be as soft as it looked or would my hands go right through him? I frowned slightly at the thought.

"What are you thinking about?" He poked lightly into my shoulder. "What has you looking so upset?"

"Nothing." I shook my head quickly. Was I really that transparent?

"Thinking about your daring escape?" His eyebrows wriggled dramatically.

Realizing he was giving me the chance to keep my real thoughts to myself, I jumped on the topic with an excitement I didn't feel. "It was so scary."

"Toby was with you, he wouldn't have let anything happen to you."

"Toby?" I scoffed. "Toby doesn't care what happens to me."

"He helped you escape the hospital, he must care a little." His smile stayed in place, but there was something hidden under his words, something I didn't understand.

"Only because Nona told him to," I sighed.

His brow furrowed at my words. "Toby spoke to Nona?"

"No, she told me to tell him."

"Yeah?" He relaxed beside me. "What else did Nona tell you?"

"Just that," I shrugged nervously, "that you would kill me. Soon. And that..." I let my voice fade. Nona had told me that I would be the one to kill Tristan. It wasn't like I could tell him that, though. I had almost forgotten about that part. It was too easy to forget everything else when I was with Tristan. I smiled down at him- where he was almost laying all the way down.

"And what?"

"And that I needed... to talk to Toby. That I should trust him."

"I don't think you should." His fingers slid up my bare leg and back down again, reminding me that I should probably find some pants. What was the etiquette for a girl over eighteen sitting alone in a hotel room with a ghost?

I laughed at my own stupid thoughts.

"What's so funny?" His chin jutted out towards me.

"I was just thinking I should find some pants."

"Not what I was expecting you to say." He laughed loudly, startling me, but not unpleasant.

"If you're going to be my friend- you better get used to the unexpected."

"Do you want me to be?" I held my breath, knowing what he was asking, but waiting for him to finish his thought. "To be your friend?"

"Yeah," I smiled, "I'd like to be friends."

Chapter Eleven

My mouth went a little too dry when he sat up to bring our faces just inches apart. "I don't really know much about being a friend," I managed to croak out.

"Me either." It didn't bug me very much that his voice was strong and steady. I was too worried about not passing out.

"You must have a lot of... friends."

He shook his head slowly. "You'd be surprised."

I let my tongue glide softly over my bottom lip, but pulled it back inside my mouth when I noticed Tristan watching the movement. What would it feel like to kiss him? Could we kiss? Was he thinking the same thing I was?

"What are you thinking?" he asked in a low voice that had finally turned husky.

"I don't know." I bit down briefly on my bottom lip. "I'm not sure."

His hand was against my face before I realized it had moved off the bed between us. "I know what I'm thinking."

"What are you thinking?" I tried not to lose myself in the depth of Tristan's gaze, but it was getting harder as the tense seconds ticked by.

"I'm thinking that I want to kiss you right now."

"Okay," I breathed.

He leaned forward the few inches needed to let our lips meet. It surprised me how warm and soft he felt. I pulled away, the shock taking over and let my forehead fall against his.

He pulled away quickly, too quickly. I almost fell into him; if his hands hadn't caught me, we would have both ended up on the floor. Confused and hurt, and slightly embarrassed, I looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" Why did he look so worried? Had I done something wrong? "I've never... kissed anyone before. Did I do something wrong?"

"No." His adams apple bobbed a few times in his throat, but the look on his face didn't change. "I think I've done something wrong."

"No," I reached out to him, "it seemed alright to me."

He swallowed again. "Just alright?" he grinned. "We'll have to see about that."

I smiled against his kiss, not as surprised this time by the warmth that flowed through him and set my blood on fire. I closed my eyes and tried to take a breath, forgetting for a second that he was too close to allow much breathing.

His tongue slipped past my parted lips to invade my mouth. I gasped, trying to pull away, but he kept me close. It wasn't what I had expected- kissing. It was messier and scarier.

"Are you alright?" His voice was gentle, next to my ear.

"Yeah. Are you?"

"Will you come with me, Ren?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Come with you where?" I whispered back, too afraid to speak much louder.

"I'll take you somewhere safe."

It was difficult to hold on to any rational thought when Tristan was sitting so close to me. His finger still rippled across the back of my head, raising bumps along my arms. His other hand rested lightly against my arm, the warmth spreading through my entire body. Why shouldn't I go with him?

"Toby told me to wait here." I heard myself reply.

"Toby left you," Tristan cooed, "he doesn't care what happens to you."

I wanted to argue with him, to stick up for Toby, but mostly I knew Tristan was right. Toby wouldn't care if he came back and I wasn't here; or if I was dead. If he cared, he wouldn't have left me.

But, my nose crinkled as the arguments swirled around and around in my head. Nona had told me to trust Toby. In fact, she had gone as far as to say that Tristan was going to kill me. Being this close to him, that was hard to believe; but what did I know? I was crazy. State-certified crazy.

"What if he comes looking for me?"

"So?" He shrugged. "He won't find you."

"Where would we go?"

"I know a place where you'll be safe."

"Where?"

"Just... a place." He traced the line of my jaw down to where it turned into my chin. "We have to leave soon."

Toby would be back eventually and he would never let me just leave with Tristan. He probably couldn't stop me, but did I really want him to follow us? I shuddered at the images filling my imagination. Toby wasn't good company when I was obeying him, what would he be like if I went willingly with Tristan?

Taking a deep breath, I finally nodded. "Ok, I'll go with you."

His smile spread out slowly, breaking his entire face with contagious warmth. "You will?"

"Yeah," I chuckled lightly. "Why not? You have to be better than Toby." My heart lurched at the betrayal, but it was the truth.

Two sides. That's what Tristan had said. Well, I had picked which one I wanted to be on. I could only go along with it now and hope that I had made the right decision. If Tristan's smile was any indication, there was no doubt.

"I am." His eyes widened, but he ducked his head anyways. "We better get going, though."

"Before he gets back?"

"Yep." His lips popped on the word, making us both smile. He rose up from the bed, pulling me- less gracefully- up behind him. "You should probably find some pants," he advised.

"Why? You think people would say something if I went out like this?" I glanced down at my half dressed state.

"Well, we are trying to keep a low profile," he winked.

"Guess so." I bent low to unzip the small red colored backpack Toby had given me earlier in the night. He had said there was an extra set of clothes inside.

True to his word, I discovered a wrinkled pair of blue jeans crumbled into the bottom of the bag. Shaking them out didn't do much for the wrinkles, but at least they fit. Perfect fit, actually.

I ran my hands down my thighs, marveling at Toby's thoughtfulness. There wasn't much to admire about him, but maybe he paid more attention than I gave him credit for. He got a pair of jeans in my size.

"You're not getting sentimental on me, are you?" He crossed the short distance to stand close to me.

"No." But my voice sounded too small.

"You'll be safe with me," he breathed against my temple, stirring the small hairs there.

"I know." I moved slightly so I could look up at him.

His soft lips closed, then fell back open. I waited for him to say something else, but no words came out. Instead, he lowered his mouth until we were once again joined together.

His warm breath against my mouth made my blood race and heat up until I was sure it would boil out of my skin. In that moment, I was absolutely positive that spontaneous combustion could result from a simple kiss.

"You know," I said softly when he pulled back away, "when Nona said you would kill me, I didn't realize she meant like this."

"More blood? Less..."

"Heat."

"I was going to say passion," he laughed, "but heat works." He raised one eyebrow lazily.

"Yeah, heat." I ducked away from his gaze.

"What do you feel now?"

"I..." My words stumbled over each other to create silence. What did he expect me to say? I was just getting used to this friend thing. Did we have to tell each other everything?

"I feel safe," I said at last when it was clear he was waiting for something.

"Good," His arms swung out to wrap around me and pull our bodies close together. "I want you to feel safe."

Without moving, his hand had found mine and we were walking- towards the front door. How had it gotten so far away? And instead of getting closer as we took steps, it receded further out of reach. What was wrong with me?

I did feel safe with Tristan. He had saved me once and he would do it again. There was a part of me though, a big part, that knew I should wait for Toby. He had been with me my entire life- every step I took. Was his absence why it was so hard to take these few steps to the front door?

Tristan swung around to stop in front of me, his smile instantly smoothing the furrows in my forehead. Warmth radiated from those lips, lips that were eager to smile down at me.

"Here," he pushed the bag into my outstretched hands. "You might need that later."

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"This is the right thing to do, Ren," he encouraged softly as we took the last few steps that carried us to the front door. "You'll be safest with me."

"Will the ghost people stay away from us?" I knew I sounded just like a little kid asking for false promises, but I couldn't stop the question from slipping out.

"Yeah," he nodded with a furrowed brow. "I'll keep them away from you."

That was enough for me. Tristan could do it. I wasn't sure how he had power over them, but I couldn't deny they way they obeyed his words. He was my only hope. I leaned into his lopsided smile.

"Ready?" he asked with one hand on the round gold handle.

"Yeah." I was as ready as I was ever going to be. With the small red backpack Toby had given me draped over one shoulder and my heart fluttering wildly somewhere between my stomach and my throat, I looked back one last time at the empty hotel room. What would Toby say when he came back and I was gone? Would he care? Did I?

"Come on, Ren." Tristan tugged lightly at my hand to lead me out into the fading night.

Chapter Twelve

I approached the desk slowly, self conscious that the man from last night was still there. Really though, it had only been a few hours. Now I was leaving with someone else, what would he think?

I bit hard on my lip, letting go only when Tristan's hand made contact with my elbow. He was right, what did I care what this man thought? I would never see him again anyways. Taking a deeper breath than necessary, I took the few deliberate steps that carried me to the counter.

"I'm...uhhh...leaving now," I announced grandly.

"Mmm," he grunted with only barely a curious glance up.

"I...have some...things I need to do." I glanced at Tristan, but he was absolutely no help. "Here's the key back." I slid the hard plastic card across the counter. The man took it and slipped it into a drawer under the counter, without a single word. I pushed my hair back awkwardly.

He finally looked up when I continued to just stand there like a moron. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked with forced niceness.

"Umm," I shifted my weight to the other foot. "If you could just pass a message on to the guy I was with earlier..." That probably sounded bad, but I forged ahead anyways. "If you could just tell him..."

"What?" his nose crinkled when he snarled his top lip.

"I just mean...the guy I was with before....he might ask if I checked out."

"I think you might have checked out a long time ago, Sweetie." His expression relaxed but his eyes remained narrowed, watching me for any signs of cracking.

Tristan remained silent at my side, offering his support but nothing else. "Toby...he left," I tried to explain.

"O...K...?"

I chewed nervously on the side of my thumb. I should have just left and said bye. I wasn't good at talking to other people. "Ok," I shrugged.

"You came in here alone last night," the man said, already losing interest in me for favor of his magazine, "or this morning. Whatever. We don't do refunds."

"Alone." Of course I was alone. No wonder he was talking to me like I was an idiot. I was an idiot.

"He wouldn't have seen Toby," Tristan explained - unnecessarily.

"Yeah, I know," I snapped.

"Alright," the man replied instead of Tristan, "take care then." He raised two fingers in dismissal.

I blinked rapidly, suddenly awkward and unsure what to do. Should I try to make up some lie so I didn't sound crazy? What could I say though? That I was kidding? That Toby came in later?

"Let's just go," Tristan suggested quietly.

"That's probably a better idea," I mumbled, taking the few shaky steps that led me back outside into the cool night air. Barely night though. I squinted up at the lightening sky, trying not to panic.

"He's not even looking at us," Tristan cooed, already anticipating my worries.

"He knows I'm crazy." It was pretty obvious, really.

"So?"

"So?" I gaped at him. Of course he wouldn't see anything wrong with it, the guy couldn't even see him. No one could. Tristan could sound as crazy as he wanted, no one would know. "I wish I was invisible too," I muttered.

I watched as his broad shoulders rose with his deep breath and fell back slowly. "Not many people see you, Ren." His words were almost a whisper; why then did it feel like he was screaming at me?

"So?" I threw his earlier sentiments back at him.

"Exactly."

"He might call the police."

"He won't."

How could he be so nonchalant? "Where do we go now?" I growled, irritated and wishing I was back in my room.

"Bus station."

"What?" I crossed my arms over my chest, ready to do battle.

"I already told you, I'm taking you somewhere safe."

"We should probably just wait here," I sighed. "Toby's going to be mad that I even left the room."

"You don't have to worry about Toby anymore."

"I'm not." I pulled my arms tighter to my body.

Faster than I could react to, Tristan's arms shot out and pulled me close to his body. "Ren," he half scolded into my shoulder.

"I'm not," I insisted stubbornly. Did he really think I was going to hug him back?

"I won't let go of you, Ren," he said softly. "I won't leave you alone."

"I've always been alone," I mumbled into his chest. "My whole life."

Without any permission from me, my arms unfolded from my chest to snake around his solid waist. "Not really though."

Not really? Did he count the ghost people as not being alone? Or did he count Toby? How was it possible that Tristan's words affected me so deeply? I had just met him a few days ago. Who was he? Why did my heart pound so furiously when he touched me? Why did he have to make me feel so safe?

He was standing close to me, so close I could feel his breath against my face. He felt so real, so solid against my chest; it was easy to believe that everyone else could see him.

But they couldn't.

I pushed myself away from him until I was standing on my own. I needed to be more careful now that we were out in plain sight of other people. Or I was at least.

I glanced back at the man through the large glass that now separated us. He was back to his magazine. Could it possibly be the same one he was reading when I'd checked in hours ago?

Taking a deep breath, I looked back up at Tristan. "We should get out of here."

His lips pursed in sympathy; he felt sorry for me. Keeping the distance between our bodies, Tristan leaned slightly to press his still pursed lips against my forehead. "I'll take you somewhere safe," he whispered against my skin.

As always, the feel of his kiss heated me up from the inside out. "Lead on," I laughed. "Preferably before that guy calls the loony bin to come get me."

"He won't do that," he grinned. But only half of his face responded.

I tried not to worry as I followed Tristan through the nearly deserted Four AM streets. The world looked different without people in it. It's potential to hold something darker increased with the lack of life.

In the distance, a street light flickered on and back off again a few seconds later. A young woman stood in its glow, visible only when the light decided to bathe her translucent form. Tristan turned his head to glare in her direction but the woman didn't even flinch.

When I could finally tear my eyes from Tristan's hard profile, I realized that I recognized the woman. She was the woman from my dream, the woman who stood behind Nona. Like in the dream, the woman under the light only stared at me. Was she here to remind me not to trust Tristan?

Too late now. I followed Tristan into a crowded bus station, leaving the woman outside.

"There's a lot of people here," I hissed, trying not to open my mouth too much.

"Not really," Tristan scoffed, "small town bus stop."

Small town or not, it was more people than I was used to seeing. Suddenly, the dingy white shirt and wrinkled jeans I had on were inadequate. What if someone recognized the jeans? Would they try to take them back?

I considered changing back to my pink hospital pants but that would require asking someone where the bathroom was, so I just pulled the straps tighter on my backpack and pressed closer to Tristan.

"Come on, just come with me." He began weaving expertly through the crowd of people who just kept popping up.

Easy for him, I thought grumpily, he's a ghost. Not sure how far he would go ahead without me, I shuffled forward a few steps. The first time a tall man with no smile bumped into my shoulder, I lost my nerve completely and scurried to press my back against the wall again.

"No one will hurt you here," he sighed, appearing at my side.

"They'll know I'm crazy," I half groaned. "They'll know and then..."

"And then nothing," he cut me off. "They won't know anything just by looking at you." I couldn't bring myself to look up at him. "Fine," he said suddenly, "you wait here and I'll go get the ticket."

"Wait!" I felt the panic start to close my throat. "How are you going to get a ticket? Don't just leave me alone here!" But my calls fell on deaf ears, he was already being swallowed up by the crowd. "Tristan!"

A young guy walking quickly towards a parked bus faltered in his stride so he could stare at me. While I screamed at no one. I tucked my hair behind my ears and ducked my head to avoid eye contact with the stranger who was probably seconds away from calling the cops on me.

The wall at my back kept me from falling over but even that couldn't keep my heart from pounding furiously under my shirt.

Lucky for me, the man continued on his way to the bus with only a few more glances at me. I craned my neck, trying to see where Tristan had gone, but I couldn't find him among the crowd. How was he going to be able to get a ticket by himself? I should go to the ticket counter with him. But where was it?

I pressed my eyes closed tight together. I just needed to clear my head and not panic. People did this sort of thing all the time. Going to buy a bus ticket? It shouldn't be this hard. It shouldn't leave me with a racing heart and sweating hands.

"Just take a step, Ren," I whispered, my lips barely moving across my personal scolding. "There's nothing to be afraid of." If only I could make myself believe that.

"Are you talking to yourself?" asked a familiar voice.

My eyes popped open. "Tristan?"

"Were you expecting someone else?" His lips turned down into a mock frown.

"No!" I swallowed hard, relief making me light headed. "I'll go with you to get the tickets," I pushed myself from my hiding place.

"No need." His teeth flashed in a wide smile as he waved a small white paper in front of my face.

Chapter Thirteen

I still couldn't understand how I had a freshly printed bus ticket in my hand. I ran my fingers over the black ink, slightly awed by all that had happened.

I thought no one else could see my ghost people, but somehow Tristan had been able to get a bus ticket and Toby had been able to get me a bag with clothes and money. "Did they see you?" I asked again.

As I expected, Tristan groaned out a half answer. "Don't over think it, Ren. You needed a bus ticket- I got one for you."

"Yeah, but..."

"I told you I would take care of you. Didn't I say I would?"

"Yes, but..."

"Did you doubt me?"

"No." Maybe I did a little. He was an invisible man. How did he even have money? "Can you put your hands in your pocket?" I asked abruptly.

"What?"

"I mean," I squared my shoulders to look at him better, "if I tried to reach into your pocket- my hand would go right through you."

"Why would you put your hand in my pocket?"

"I wouldn't."

"Then?" One half of his mouth rose up into a lazy grin.

"I didn't mean that I wanted to..." Heat rose to spread into my neck. I ducked my head, mortified that he would misunderstand me.

"Come on," he tugged lightly on my shirt sleeve, "we better not stand out here in plain sight in case you decide to start ripping my clothes off."

"I never..." He was laughing though, a kind of sound I had never heard before. A sound I wouldn't be able to ignore no matter where I was in the world. My lips reformed into a smile despite my embarrassment. "I only meant how would you get money out," I called out even as I followed him across the platform.

"Sure," he called back, his smile still wide.

I was too aware of the strangers watching me to deny his accusations again though, a fact I was sure he would take as an admission of guilt. I groaned inwardly at all the looks I'd have to endure now. Would I even be able to feel him? He seemed solid enough in the hotel when he kissed me. I was sure we'd be able to...

I shook my head quickly before any worse thoughts could form. What was wrong with me? Was I really one of those girls? The kind that fell for the first guy to show me any attention? He wasn't the first though.

I shook my head again.

"Keep up, Ren," Tristan called out. I was surprised when I looked up and he was watching me. Had I really been going that slow?

"I'm coming," I shooed away his outstretched hand just in case no one could see him. How would that look if I was holding hands with the air? He could try to be a little more careful. He was starting to act like Toby.

I cringed inwardly as soon as his name crossed my thoughts again. He was probably back at the hotel by now, knowing I had left. Would he know who I had left with? Would he come here for me?

I decided when I was thirteen that I no longer wanted Toby to follow me everywhere. Hiding from him wasn't easy, though. He told me then that he would always be able to find me- no matter where I was in the world. It was his curse. I was still thirteen when I gave up and decided to just let him tag along.

Here I was years later, trying to hide from him again. He would find me though.

Following Tristan was different than Toby following me. "We'll sit here and wait for the bus," he stopped abruptly in front of an empty wooden bench.

"Here?" I croaked. "Can't we find somewhere less noticeable?"

"We'll sit here," he repeated.

Tristan's chin tilted up, his eyes watching me expectantly. Sitting down didn't seem like the best idea. What if someone sat down beside me? I danced awkwardly with indecision while he sat calmly, just watching me.

"No one will sit beside you," he surprised me by guessing my anxieties. He couldn't know that for sure though. "You notice that no one has approached you yet?" he grinned.

Now that I took a minute to actually look around me, I realized he was right. The people left at the bus station barely even glanced my way. They all wore matching scowls and hurried about their own business.

I couldn't blame them either. Sprinkled throughout the crowd were the ghost people; shouting at people. A man sat against the wall not far from where I was standing; his hands pressed tight to his face, his eyes nearly swallowed in the lines of his scowl. A woman I recognized from the hospital was mere inches from his face- screaming.

"Why can't I hear them?" I hissed, sliding onto the cold wood beside Tristan.

He shrugged, his grin faltering but reappearing quickly. "Why should our morning be unpleasant?"

A strange sensation stirred low in my gut, one I didn't recognize. It took me a moment to realize I felt bad for these strangers; people who were headed to new destinations- who were now being tormented because I was there.

"Can't you make them just go away?" I hissed.

"It doesn't work like that."

"They listen to you," I insisted. I wasn't sure why exactly, but the ghost people listened to Tristan. I had seen it before back at the hospital; he could do it here now, too.

"Sometimes," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're really not going to help these people?"

"Why should I?"

"Who..." I leaned forward too quickly and almost went for a concrete nosedive. Why should he? Why wouldn't he was a better question.

"The only person I care about is perfectly safe." He turned away without even a tiny tug on his lips to show he was joking.

"I don't..." I hesitated, chewing on the inside of my lip while I tried to make sense of Tristan.

"You, Ren," he said without looking my way, "you're the only one I care about and you're fine."

My mouth clamped shut. Even if I knew how to respond to that, no words were escaping my lips now. Tristan cared about me? Me? Why would he? He didn't even know me.

Maybe that was the key. He didn't know me. Anyone who knew me, knew I wasn't worth caring about. No one ever had before. I wasn't even sure how I should act now that Tristan cared about me.

My eyes moved alone to take in his harsh profile. Full lips were stretched tight over teeth I knew were perfect even if I couldn't see them. My fingers longed to smooth out the lines between his eyes where his scowl met irritation.

It was a strange feeling knowing someone cared about you. All of a sudden, I felt responsible for Tristan's missing smile and a deep longing to bring it back. It wasn't like we would be here long, maybe I should just relax and ignore the ghost people.

"H... how far away is this place you're taking me?" I only had to clear my throat twice to get the question out.

"Couple days." Scowl still in place. Maybe I had even managed to make it worse.

"That's... kinda far."

"We need to put some distance between you and the hospital."

"Oh." Of course. That made perfect sense.

"There's the bus now." He nodded towards a sleek grey and red bus that was screeching and hissing to a stop in front of us. A small, tight smile flashed my way before he sprang to his feet.

A lot less enthusiastically and clutching my ticket until the paper bent, I stood up beside Tristan. A young man wearing an all blue uniform danced the few steps off the bus and skidded to a halt just barely a foot away from me.

"We still have almost thirty minutes before we leave." He may have tried for a kind smile, but it mostly just looked worried.

"I'll just wait on the bus." I swallowed past the dryness in my throat. Strange how easy it was to talk to the man. "Is... is that alright?"

He glanced behind me. "No luggage?"

"Just my bag." I turned in profile to show off the red schoolbag I still had hung on my back.

"Go ahead then." He nodded towards the waiting bus.

The inside of the bus was clean, even if it did smell like burning oil. "We should sit at the back, right?" I shuffled forward a few feet.

"The bathroom is back there," Tristan replied easily, "it might get crowded."

I slid quickly into the next seat we passed. What was I doing? Why did I think I could get away with this? A half hour. No way would I last that long. I craned my neck, trying to see as far out the window as possible. The police were probably already on their way.

"Hey," Tristan nudged my shoulder.

I turned quickly towards him, a fake smile already plastered on my face to show him just how not nervous I was. "Yeah?"

"You worry too much, Ren," he smiled wide, rubbing his hand lightly up my arm. "You need to relax."

My smile froze in place. How long had Tristan been watching me? "I had a friend who used to tell me the same thing."

"At Nine Crosses?"

"No," I rolled my eyes. "I mean a real-life friend."

"Oh," his mouth moved to form a perfect circle. "And where is this real-life friend now?"

"He's..." I jerked my head around to watch out the window. Daylight was rolling in faster now, erasing the darkness. "He always said no matter how black the night, morning would come again," I murmured, not looking back at Tristan.

I hadn't thought of Austin in a while. Now wasn't the time to dredge up old memories. The morning didn't always come, though. Not always. Sometimes things just stayed black.

Chapter Fourteen

As the miles drifted past the oversized, slightly tinted bus windows, Tristan became quieter and quieter until he was only a ghostly presence at my side. I tried not to imagine what he was thinking about, but my eyes strayed often to his stony features. What did really old ghosts think about to make them scowl so often?

I opened my mouth to ask, then snapped it closed again when his hard eyes swung over to me for a brief second. The bus had picked up more passengers anyways, I told myself weakly. Better not talk to myself.

The window was a safer object for my curiosity. At least the window didn't glare at me, even the reflection staring back at me couldn't muster the gumption to glare.

I never had been very brave; probably a result of seeing ghosts my whole life. It made me different from the very beginning and the world didn't often let me forget that.

Or maybe it was just Toby.

I sighed deeply, causing the window to fog up where my mouth was too close to the glass. Running one finger across the window, I traced a small 'T' before I realized what I was writing. Wiping it clean with a closed fist and a gasp, I glanced at Tristan just to be sure he hadn't seen.

He wasn't looking my way; he was still glaring straight ahead. There was no one up there to make him so angry though. Just an older couple, bent low and whispering softly to one another. We could barely even hear their voices, so it wasn't like he could be bugged by them. At least I couldn't.

"Can you hear what they're saying," I whispered loudly. Too bad I wasn't as good as the couple in front of us. I was out of practice though, I defended myself against the insults that didn't come; then I realized Toby wasn't there.

"No," Tristan answered shortly.

"Really?"

His head jerked over to look at me briefly, irritation dominant. "I'm not trying to hear them."

I sat back in my seat, confused by his anger, but too self conscious to pursue any answers. He was just worried, I nodded to my own inner voice, he's worried about where we're going. Look what happened at the bus station- I wouldn't even go with him to get the ticket.

I'll try to do better, I promised silently. People just make me nervous.

As if he could hear my thoughts, which was quite possible, his face relaxed back into an easy smile. "We'll stop soon, then you can get out and stretch your legs."

"I'm fine." The man from the seat in front of us turned to look at me, then turned away quickly when he caught my eye. Never make eye contact with a crazy person, it was probably in a brochure somewhere.

Tristan laughed loudly, the sound making my own lips curl up in response. "A lot of people talk to themselves," he assured me with a wide grin.

"I wasn't talking to myself," I muttered, "I was talking to you."

He grinned again, showing off all of his perfect teeth. Tristan was an easy man to trust, with his laughter and relaxed eyes. I felt myself leaning closer to him without meaning to.

He was so different from Toby. And Toby was the one I was supposed to trust. Nona just didn't know Tristan the way I did; or Toby. Her words would have been different if she knew.

I chewed nervously on a loose piece of skin on the tip of my thumb. Nona had told me not to trust Tristan; that he was trying to kill me. Maybe I just had a messed up judge of character. In reality, how many 'good' people did I know?

There wasn't anyone that fit that description, not anymore. It came down to a choice. Between Toby and Tristan. It should have been an easy choice for me.

Tristan was nice to me; Toby hated me. Tristan was the easy choice; why, then, was there such a nagging unease in my stomach?

It's only because you're used to Toby, I tried to argue with myself. He had always been with me, so of course his crude name calling had become second nature- comfortable even. I felt incredibly exposed without Toby hovering over me; and I wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"What are you thinking about?" Tristan nudged my ribs.

"Nothing," I tried to smile, but he wouldn't let it go.

"Come on, didn't we promise to tell each other everything?"

"When did we say that?" Why did my voice have to sound so airy?

"I just decided right now," he winked, "so, what were you thinking about that would make your forehead go all liney?"

Liney? "Just..." I couldn't tell him I was thinking of Toby. "Just a dream I had."

"What kind of dream?" He scooted closer to me on the seat, pressing our thighs together.

"I was on a road."

"A road?" He glanced quickly at me, new interest shining in his eyes. "A road to where?"

"A road to nowhere," I murmured, "with no one on it."

I had been having the dream for as long as I could remember, until I came to Nine Crosses. Then it just stopped.

I was always on the same road- just walking. Even though there was no destination, I wasn't afraid. I hadn't thought about it before, but could it be the same road Nona had met me on?

"Sounds like a pretty boring dream," Tristan scoffed.

"I don't have a very good imagination," I admitted with a small frown.

"Who needs an imagination when you can see ghosts?" He wriggled his eyebrows at me, waiting for my giggle that didn't come.

Glad he thought seeing ghosts was funny. It had never done me any good, though. My mom tried to kill me, my father hated me, and the only friend I ever had... was dead now. Not exactly something to laugh about.

Austin didn't believe in the ghost people, even when he guessed my secret. "You're crazy, Ren," he had told me, shaking his head.

Nothing new there. A lot of people said that.

I never asked him to follow me that night and I might have tried to save him when the ice broke and he fell in the water- if only Toby hadn't made me stay back. Toby told me there was nothing I could do.

The police found me on the bank of the river the next day, still staring out at the place Austin had disappeared. The only friend I had ever had.

Until now.

It wasn't easy to recreate the same feelings with Tristan that I had with Austin. It was probably just because I didn't know him very well, or maybe because he was a ghost. It was probably just because I didn't know how to be a friend.

Why didn't they have brochures for that? The object of my intense staring session turned his face to smile at me. "We're almost there," he promised.

I nodded quickly.

"Excited?"

Should I lie? I nodded again.

"Me too," he admitted with a chuckle.

True to Tristan's promise, it wasn't long before the long- almost empty- bus pulled into an equally empty gas station. The tires groaned as the driver applied the brakes and switched off the engine.

"Only about fifteen minutes, folks," he called back before leaving the bus first.

"Should we stay on," I whispered to Tristan, aware of the people in the aisles making their way to the exit.

"This is our final stop," he grinned. "Time to get off."

My legs felt stiff after sitting for so long. How much time had passed since we left the hotel? A day? Two days? Where were we now anyways?

Tristan had said we were there, but there was nothing here. The bus had stopped at an old one lane gas station in the middle of nowhere- straight out of a scary movie. There was probably a man with a chainsaw hiding behind one of the old cars lined up with grass growing from the engines.

A small cluster of women from the bus hurried out of the bathroom at the side of the gas station, huddling close together and obviously waiting for the same man I was. The group got back on the bus together, leaving me completely alone. With a small shake of his head, the driver pulled the door closed and the bus groaned away.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" I muttered to Tristan, who was standing almost behind me.

"I'm sure." At least he sounded confident.

"Are there any hotels around here, cuz this looks pretty..." I glanced around with another grimace. Even if there was a hotel, we should probably just sleep outside in the woods. At least there were plenty of trees, if not people.

"There's a cabin- not far from here."

"What?"

"We'll be walking."

"Walking?" My grimace turned to a groan. I hated night hikes. "I need to use the bathroom first."

Chapter 15

The darkness was intimidating, even if it was just a short distance to the bathroom that the women had just vacated. Why couldn't Tristan come with me? I took the few seconds it cost me to glare back at him.

He stood near the place the bus had just vacated, his dark form almost lost in the inky shadows. Worry that I didn't understand lined his face, taking away some of the attractiveness that came so effortlessly to him.

I paused, wondering if I should go back to him, when a cold gust of air passed close to my face. I sucked in my breath, jumping back from the unknown source of frigid wind. I could take a guess though. And I wasn't walking through that.

I turned again to the bathroom door; it wasn't far now.

The old door creaked loudly when I pushed it open and peered around the thick, peeling wood. There was no one in there. Did I expect there to be?

I tugged lightly on my bottom lip and took the necessary step to put me into the room. My chest felt tight, even more so when the door banged closed behind me. I took a deep breath, focusing on the single stall the dingy bathroom offered.

Just a few steps, right? I could do that. I fumbled awkwardly behind me for the handle, hoping for the small metal locking mechanism but came up empty. The door didn't lock.

No biggie, I shrugged. Tristan was just outside; what could happen?

Not giving my overworked mind time to answer, I shoved my body away from the door and hurried over to the stall. The half door swung open too easily, slamming into the wall behind it before I could stop the motion with my shaking hands. I flinched away from the sound, automatically glancing around the empty bathroom.

"Calm down," I whispered, "you're fine."

My cheeks puffed out with the breath I held tightly in my lungs, then deflated as I exhaled. Toby would have come into the bathroom with me. The stray thought took me by surprise. Why was I thinking about him again?

The toilet sat low to the ground and had too many rust colored rings inside the bowl to be considered white anymore. Flecks of brown dotted the seat from where the paint had chipped away. Or worse.

Shuddering, I backed away from the sight and turned instead to an equally rusty sink. Maybe it would at least have running water so I could wash my face. The bus ride had been long and I could feel the effects of too many hours leaned against a window. I wasn't very hopeful as I twisted the small silver handle, but was happily proven wrong when a thin stream of clear water fell from the faucet.

Cupping my hands under the ice cold water, I let them fill up until I had enough to splash over myself. It was too cold to be refreshing, instead leaving me shivering worse than before. "Ohh," I let out a small groan as my eyes slipped closed briefly.

The unease I had felt outside followed me into the bathroom, leaving a feeling of breathless panic behind. But I wasn't caving in to it - not yet anyways. Leaning my weight onto the sink with my hands, I peeked under my arms to scan the small room. Still empty.

It wasn't like I had to go that bad anyways, I told myself, it can wait.

I pushed myself straight again; a little too roughly but regained my balance before I hit the floor. Lucky for me too, the floor was even more disgusting than the toilet. And that was saying a lot.

A tiny shudder ran down my spine as I turned away from the cracked mirror above the dingy sink. Time to leave the bathroom from my nightmares. I froze mid-step, before I could even take one step.

The bathroom had gone cold. Not the normal middle of the night cold but a bone chilling cold that left my breath hanging in front of my face in a small white puff ball.

"Is...is someone here?" I croaked out stupidly. Of course someone was here.

In answer, the lights above me flickered off then back on before I could faint away from fear.

"T...Toby?" I tried again. It would be like him to try and scare me for running off on him in the middle of the night.

The lights flickered again, staying off for even longer this time. My head jerked to the sound of the bathroom stall banging open on its own and then swinging back closed with just as much force.

Don't look, don't look, don't look \- I silently chanted to my racing mind.

Even if it was Toby, I decided in a second, we could talk outside. I bolted to the faded door of the bathroom and twisted the cold metal under my shaking fingers.

Nothing.

The doorknob didn't move at all. It wasn't possible for it to be locked though, I reminded my hammering heart. The lock didn't work when I came in. Still, I fumbled over the locking mechanism, twisting it uselessly both ways. The knob was still stuck.

I banged on the door several times with my open palm. Someone would be out there. They would open the door up and let me out. I wasn't stuck. I was just panicking.

"Tristan!"

"He won't hear you," a woman spoke from behind me.

My hands stilled instantly. My chest was rising and falling too fast, but there wasn't much I could do about that now. I was lucky it was moving at all. My mouth fell open in a scream that made no noise.

I was alone in the bathroom, I made sure of that before. Who was talking then? I knew. I nodded heavily, accepting the inevitable. I already knew I wasn't alone. I never was.

"Tristan can't hear you," the female voice called out again, just in case I didn't hear the first time.

Summoning up all the courage that I didn't even possess, I inched my body around until I was once again facing the empty bathroom. Still empty. I sucked in a loud breath through my shaking lips.

"W...who's here?" I whispered.

A light flared to life, an unnatural white light that I had seen before - but not often. The mirror was blazing so bright I had to momentarily shield my eyes. By the time I pulled my arm from my face, a single shining face was staring back out at me.

"Ren," the woman acknowledged me without a smile, but also without any other expression.

"Who are you?" I forced out through my tight throat.

"It doesn't matter," she snapped, only now showing a tiny shimmer of anger.

"What do you want?" I tried another question, maybe more important than the first.

"I want you to stay alive," she said softly. The lights lining the ceiling flickered dead again, but the glow from the mirror woman kept me from being bathed in total blackness.

"Good plan," I muttered past closed lips.

"Why are you with Tristan?" the woman flared, briefly flashing too bright for me to look at her. "You need to leave him."

Leave him? My eyebrows furrowed together at her suggestion. Why would I leave him? Then I would be all alone and at the mercy of the ghost people. Ghost people like her. "I can't," I said out loud.

"Yes you can," she fired back.

"I won't!" I set my lips in an almost defiant line, too scared to be completely convincing.

"He will kill you if you don't."

"He said he wouldn't."

"He lies," she hissed.

Probably, I secretly agreed. But I had made my choice - Tristan - now I had to follow it through. Didn't I? Yes, I did. Where else would I go? I didn't even know where I was.

I fidgeted with the door behind me, trying again to get it to open. It still wouldn't budge. I didn't know the ghost people could lock doors. What else didn't I know about them? Did I even want to know?

No!

I turned around, yanking as hard as my feeble strength would let me on the door. Using my fist this time, I pounded on the door again. "Tristan!" I screamed. "Tristan help me!"

A fresh gust of cold air swept over me. "He can't hear you," the woman screamed out over my own cries for help. "He wouldn't help you if he could!"

"You don't know anything about him," I whirled around to bravely face the woman. Brave wasn't anywhere near what I was feeling, but it was clear that she wasn't letting me out until she had her say or until I did what she wanted.

"You have to get away from him," she pleaded.

"Even if I want to, I can't run from him." I didn't want to though.

"Far away from him," she doggedly continued as if I hadn't said anything.

"Just leave me alone!"

Both Tristan and Toby said the ghost people couldn't hurt me. This mirror woman might be able to lock me into a forgotten gas station bathroom but she couldn't hurt me. Right?

"If that's what you want," the woman replied icily.

Was that it? Was that really all it took for them to go away? I had lived all this time afraid of them and that was all it took?

"It is," I jerked my chin forward.

The light in the mirror disappeared, plunging me into the darkness that it had kept at bay. I twisted the door handle; still locked. The lights flickered back to life, casting an eerie yellow - orange light down on me.

Suddenly, a grey hand shot out of the already cracked glass in the mirror, followed closely by a second hand. The mirror ghost's head appeared next, snarling out at me. Using those worse than dead hands, she pulled her entire body out of the mirror and climbed down from the sink.

My mouth fell open.

In the next second she was mere inches in front of my face, her lips pulled back into a grotesque snarl. I jerked my head back but there was nowhere to go. The wood of the door didn't cave as well as my head did. Just before everything went black, the woman was standing over me - just watching.

Chapter 16

My eyelids opened wide, nearly shoving the eyeballs out in their haste to see where I was. This wasn't the bathroom though. How had I managed to leave the bathroom? Wasn't there a creepy ghost woman who had come out of the mirror?

I sat up slowly, well slower than I had laid down anyways, and took stock of the new air around me. I knew this place. Standing up so both my feet rested on the pavement of the familiar road, I craned my neck both ways - not sure which way to start walking. Or maybe I should just stay where I was.

Last time I had woken up on this road, Nona had been here with me. Would she be coming this time too? Why had she brought me here? Maybe she just wanted to save me from the woman in the bathroom. Nona had her own plans for my death.

Despite the lack of darkness and the absence of the ghost people, the road was almost as creepy as the bathroom with the cracked mirror and dirty toilet. Without Nona there, the silence was overpowering.

"Ren!" She was abruptly there, out of thin air, bringing with her a small breeze that ruffled her short black curls.

"Nona," I called back, only with way less volume. "What am I doing here?"

"Exactly what I would like to know," she fired, balling her small fists up and propping them on her hips.

"You brought me here, right?" I glanced around again, afraid I had missed something obvious. Was there a creepy mirror ghost here too?

"You're with Tristan?" Her nostrils flared with the widening of her eyes.

"He's...not here," I breathed in response. Nona could be really scary if she wanted to be, I realized - flinching backwards.

"Of course not," she snorted. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I..."

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? Has he already gotten to you?"

"Toby left," I mumbled. "You said to trust him but he left."

"So you decided to trust Tristan?"

"He hasn't hurt me yet," I pointed out.

"He can't hurt you," she fired. "That's not how he works."

"What do you mean? How does he work?"

"He makes you hurt yourself."

My forehead knitted with confusion. "I thought you said he was going to kill me, but he hasn't."

"Did you not hear me?" She thrust her arms out, creating a tidal wave of angry air. "He'll make you hurt yourself."

"Like suicide?"

"Exactly like suicide. What do you think the Cursed are?"

"Ghosts."

"Ghosts of his victims, the ones he made kill themselves. Now they are cursed to help him carry out his cruel plans. And you're high on his list, Ren."

"If he wants me dead," I began awkwardly, "he can do it himself."

"He can't!" She took a deliberate deep breath and then began again, more softly. "He only has so much power. The only way he can keep you is if you do it yourself."

I digested her words slowly. Was she telling the truth? How could I be sure? "If that's true, then did Toby...?"

"Toby is in trouble right now."

My heart sped up. "What kind of trouble?"

"He's looking for you."

That wasn't true though. Toby could always find me no matter where I was. He had always been right there with me, even when I didn't want him to be. Especially if I didn't want him to be.

Exactly, another part of me argued. He's always been there, so why isn't he now? Nona was telling the truth at least about some things. Toby was in some kind of trouble.

"Where?"

"Tristan has you shrouded so he can't find you. Even I barely could. How could you trust Tristan?" The wind tried to knock me down again but she pulled it back quickly.

"He seems...nice," I offered weakly.

"Nice," she snarled. "Of course he seems nice. His voice is...hypnotic, to say the least."

Hypnotic? I did feel different when I was with Tristan; like I was no longer myself. When I talked to him, I almost could imagine a life of not being crazy. And that kiss...

I let my fingers trace the soft flesh along my bottom lip. Who kissed strange ghost people in a strange hotel room in the middle of the night? Not normal ones. Had I been tricked by Tristan?

I had to admit that it was possible.

"Where is Toby now?" I demanded softly. A feeling of unease washed over me, making my knees shake with the weight of wanting to be with Toby again. "I should have stayed with him."

"Yes, you should have!" she snapped.

"Well, what should I do?" I heard the whine in my voice. Nona yelling at me for something I already knew wasn't going to help anything.

"You need to..." she stopped talking and stretched her body to search behind her. The road was starting to get fuzzy.

"Nona?"

"Find Toby," she screamed. I could barely hear her anymore though.

"How?" I screamed back. We were still standing just a few feet apart but something huge had sprung up between us.

"Find Toby," she repeated. "Find..."

I gasped loudly, sitting back up in the same second that my scream died on my lips. I was back in the bathroom. Nona was gone. The road was gone. But the woman from the mirror was still there.

I scrambled backwards until my back was flush with the hard wood of the door. I opened my mouth wide, trying desperately to get a deep breath into my lungs. It was no use though; somehow they had shrunk.

"I have to find...Toby," I gasped up at the woman. Would she let me out of the bathroom now or was I going to have to break the door down?

The woman's expression didn't change. She continued to watch me, her strange eyes unblinking.

Using the broken handle for support, I clawed my way up the door until I was standing with my back against it - looking back at the woman. Why did she look familiar to me? It wasn't shocking to see one I recognized - it had happened before - but I was curious. Had she followed me here? Why was she so interested in me?

I didn't have time to work it all out though; there were more important things waiting for me. With a quick breath, I twisted the doorknob.

As soon as the door opened, the woman in front of me disappeared. I turned in the same instant and bolted out into the cool night air.

Tristan was there, waiting for me. "What took you so long?" he growled, irritated.

"Ghost locked me in there," I gasped, gulping in a great lungful of fresh air in the process of trying to talk - which resulted in a fit of coughing.

"Why didn't you call me?" he demanded, peering behind me at the now empty bathroom.

"I did!" I snapped back, shoving him aside as I went past him to where the bus had been parked.

The red backpack sat there, alone on the curb - dejected and making me feel way too guilty for only being a cheap piece of fabric with just the right touch of stitching. I snatched it up and swung it onto my back. The bus might have been gone but I still had two working legs.

"I didn't hear you," Tristan spoke more gently from my side.

"That's ok," I brushed him off.

"Are you sure you're ok?" He tried to get in front of me, but I wasn't having any of that. No eye contact; I wasn't taking any chances.

"I'm fine," I assured him shortly. "But I have to go now."

"Yeah," he nodded quickly. "We should get going. It's late and I'm sure you're tired. It won't take long to get to the cabin."

"I'm not going to the cabin with you." I didn't even glance towards him on my way to the edge of the road.

This was going to be impossible. How would I know which way to go? A look to the left - dark and unending. A look to the right - dark and unending. I sighed heavily. Find Toby. Easy for her to say.

"What are you talking about, Ren?" Tristan came to a stop beside me. "Let's go."

He made a grab for the arm I had closest to him, moving too fast for me to pull away. I didn't need to worry about it though. Tristan's hand went right through my arm. Just like air.

"What?" I looked down at my arm, just to make sure it was still there. It was.

"Did you see Nona?" he snarled, anger changing him.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Did she tell you to run?"

"No," I denied, still shocked that he couldn't touch me. He could before, what changed?

I did. I didn't want to follow Tristan anymore. Nona said he would make me hurt myself; it all had to be my choice or he lost all power over me. At least - that's what I hoped she meant.

"Well then," he prompted angrily. "Where are you going now, if not with me?"

"I have to find Toby."

"Toby?" His lip snarled up in disbelief.

"You made it so he can't find me!"

"I did nothing," he held his hands out wide. "You did it all yourself."

"Maybe," I shrugged. "But now I'm going to undo it." If I could.

"You won't be able to find him," Tristan taunted.

I wasn't listening to him anymore though. I had more important things waiting for me. The road ahead of me was long, but this one led somewhere. To Toby. And no matter what Tristan said, I would find him.

Walking out onto the unfamiliar pavement, I turned my body to the left and took that first step. Soon I was in a full out run, leaving everything I knew behind me.

To Be Continued in "Soft Spoken"

