Chapter Eight
Mike
Dylan had woken up before me and made me breakfast. How was this my life?
After eating the soup last night, I’d somehow fallen asleep while Dylan was talking with Erik in the kitchen.
The fact they could communicate soothed something inside of me.
I also liked that Erik had Dylan to talk to, mostly so I could take a break without feeling like shit about it.
Yesterday had been tough, in more ways than one.
Firstly, Rino had wanted me to sense how many ghosts were just outside the room we were in.
After that he introduced them, one by one.
The room we had been in became crowded—or it had felt like that when all my energy drained away in a rush.
I’d met Rino’s startled gaze before swaying on my feet.
It was like a switch had turned off and I couldn’t see or hear anything.
I’d come back to my senses as I was guided to my car, Rino taking the driver seat.
Much later, I’d woken up to Dylan lying on a mattress on the floor and my head throbbing in pain.
Just how was I supposed to survive this medium training?
I clearly sucked at it; more than sucked.
I couldn’t even handle a few ghosts at once.
Which also meant I wouldn’t be able to visit Mom anytime soon and that grated.
I couldn’t very well make her ghost residents leave what was also their home, besides, I knew Mom cared for each of them.
She’d had some of the ghosts with her since she was young.
They were like family to her and Pete. A family I’d never been a part of, and had long wished for.
Pete and Mom likely hadn’t known just how secluded I’d felt growing up with both of them being born mediums. They shared this whole thing that I couldn’t be a part of.
Suddenly, I could but now I wished it would go away.
I didn’t want this “gift” as Rino had called it.
I wanted to return to my old job. The job I’d spent years studying to get.
I’d had to give it all up. Resigning had been the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.
Ivar had been confused but wished me the best and, really, what else was he supposed to say?
“Mike?” Dylan’s concerned tone had me blinking back to my breakfast, which was pancakes. Delicious pancakes.
“Sorry,” I said, wiping away the dryness from my eyes. I must’ve stared unseeingly at the wall as I worked through everything that had happened.
“Maybe you should talk to Rino about giving you another day to rest?”
I appreciated his concern. Truly, it was nice having someone care for me like that, but I couldn’t risk being unemployed for too long and I had a ghost that needed my help.
Erik believed in me and wanted me to be the one to help him.
Then there was the fact that I had to live with these new abilities for the rest of my life.
I couldn’t just put a pause on things. I needed to learn or I would never be able to live my life again and that was a terrifying realization.
“I can’t,” I whispered. “This is something I need to learn, or I might not be able to ever leave the apartment.”
Dylan nodded as he sat down opposite me at our small dining table. The kitchen was too small for the table, so it was tucked into a corner in the living room, giving us some privacy while Erik was back inside my room.
“How did you survive the flight home?”
I snorted. “Erik helped me. He made sure to keep the ghosts we encountered away from me and once on the plane there was only Erik and one other ghost. The airport was filled with energy but I mentally closed off until we got home. Yesterday I had to open up and that’s when things turned bad.”
“Why can’t you just turn it off all the time then?”
“Because it leads to migraines and according to my mom it will weaken me as soon as a headache begins to form. Imagine not being able to close yourself off while having a nasty migraine and then your energy drains as well.” I shuddered.
“I need to learn how to keep my energy from being sucked out of me, something that will come naturally once I get the hang of it.”
“Pete never told me how complicated being a medium can be.”
“Pete was born without knowing anything else. He had to learn as he grew and he will be a better controlled medium forever because of it. I might not ever reach the level of control that he has.”
Dylan seemed to think that over. “Just let me know what to do. I mean it, Mike. I want to help you out.”
I swallowed. “You already are.”
Dylan huffed out a breath. “I feel like I should be doing more.”
“You made me pancakes,” I reminded, gesturing to my plate.
Dylan just shook his head and gave me a fond smile. “You deserve so much more than pancakes, Mike.”
His eyes spoke volumes and I found myself blinking away tears.
Why was he affecting me so much? Why was Dylan just different than everyone else?
Why did he feel like my person? I couldn’t imagine him not being in my life.
I loved Jackson and would always consider him my chosen brother, but Dylan was just…
special. He was special to me. And from the way his eyes softened as he gently pushed my plate closer to me, he felt the same.
I just couldn’t help but wonder if I was special in a certain kind of way to him, and if, perhaps, I hoped that to be the case.
I was back at work, this time with green tea in my system—Mom’s advice—and I stood and waited for Rino to join me in his office. The mansion had so many rooms and this was the only room I’d been in so far besides the halls.
The door opened and to my surprise Pete walked in with Rino right behind him.
“Pete?” I grinned, hugging my younger brother for the first time in almost two years. I’d wanted to see him sooner but I’d simply been too drained to do so.
“It’s nice having you back, big bro.”
I laughed and tightened the hug before letting him go. “What brings you here?”
“Rino thought I might be able to help.” The way Pete blushed when he looked at Rino had me swallowing down any further questions. I did not need to know. I. Did. Not.
“Cool,” I said, not really knowing what was going on but knew when to keep my mouth shut. My brother wasn’t so little anymore and I’d already been scarred plenty by whips and seeing Jackson having someone tied up as they choked on his—
“I’m Erik.” Erik’s smooth voice saved me from going down that road again and I took in a deep breath as I watched Pete take in Erik.
“Nice to meet you,” Pete smiled, then gestured to Rino. “I wasn’t sure what you had planned for today, but maybe we should see if Mike can handle one ghost at a time? It will still give us an idea if it’s the number or the different energies that drain him.”
Rino nodded in agreement. “Erik, we need you to wait in the hallway while we call in the other ghosts one at a time.”
Erik just nodded and left, seemingly ready to do whatever they asked of him.
A few seconds passed and then the woman ghost I’d already met gently floated into the room, her dress told me she’d been dead for well over a hundred years, her face was young looking, maybe around her mid-thirties to forties.
It was a new thing I had to get used to, feeling sad over seeing these ghosts while knowing they died before their time.
“I’m Annalise,” she informed me, her tone kind and understanding. She was the last ghost I’d seen before I started to waver last time.
“Nice to meet you,” I replied, feeling embarrassed as I recalled the last time I’d seen her face. She hadn’t even gotten her name out before it turned black around the edges of my vision.
“How are you feeling?” Rino asked, stepping closer to me, likely fearing I was about to stumble again.
I shrugged. “I’m getting a slight headache but that’s pretty much it.”
Rino nodded at that, then called loudly, “Richard! Please come in.”
I’d already met Richard, an older gentleman that had died seventy years ago from old age. He’d lived at this very mansion and had decided to stay.
“Nice to meet you again, Mike,” Richard smiled. I could tell everyone was eyeing me with worry, but I only felt the headache worsen.
Rino looked me over then spoke to Annalise and Richard, “Step closer to Mike, please.”
They did, approaching me slowly. The headache worsened and I was cradling my throbbing head within seconds.
“Stop!” Rino ordered and they backed away immediately. “Are you okay, Mike?”
“Hurts,” I grunted, feeling like my brain was being pushed against my skull.
“So, it’s mostly their closeness that drains you,” Rino concluded, sounding like a man determined to figure it out.
I slowly backed further against the wall behind me, knowing a comfy looking chair was positioned there. Once I’d found it, I slumped back into the chair and closed my eyes as my head rested against the paneled wall.
“This is bad,” Pete murmured, his concerned tone wasn’t helping me at all, but it was nice that he cared.
“It is,” Rino agreed solemnly. “But I’ll find a way to help him.”
They were speaking like I wasn’t there, which was fine by me, the headache made it hard to even focus.
The door flew open to Rino’s office, startling all of us.
“Boss! I need your assistance!”
Then I screamed as my pain intensified and all went black.