July, 2019

"Olivia," Oran said, jet black eyebrows raising as his gaze washed over me. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

I could understand the reasons for the surprise lacing his tone. Oran and I barely had anything to do with each other up until now. In fact, I wasn't quite sure if we'd ever exchanged a greeting beyond when Ben first introduced us. So my sudden appearance at his address—which he had never given me—was certainly a turn of events. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"Of course," he replied. Though despite his welcoming tone, his eyes narrowed as he stepped aside to allow me in.

Oran lived on the outskirts of London—far away from everyone else. From what Ben had briefed me, he was a bit... eccentric—as if they weren't all strange in their own way—and quite the recluse. He was happy to join in and help, yet frequently kept his distance in silence. Except that one time he and Erica hit it off.

We forwarded into his living room, and he perched in the arm chair, waiting for me to speak first.

As I fumbled in my head to recall the beginnings of what was a well-rehearsed speech, I glanced around the space and really started to understand where Oran got his reputation from.

The curtains were drawn, leaving only the lamps around to light the room. One wall was lined with shelves, decorated with crystals, trinkets, and oddities.

Yet within the items were a few... disturbing objects. Dismembered body parts of various animals sat in clear, preserving fluid. All sorts of skulls without a speck of dust adorning them. And way too many dolls, pricked with pins, locked within a glass cabinet.

If anyone knows a spell or a chant or has an item to summon Ben back for a moment, it's definitely him, I thought.

"I... have a request," I started with after I finally dragged my eyes away from a bottle that contained what seemed to be human fingertips pierced with nails. If this request is too much... he won't disfigure me, will he?

"He's more weird than dangerous," Ben whispered, seeming to already know what I was thinking. Though I was sure it was written all over my ghostly face.

"What is this request?" Oran probed.

"I... um... Well, first I should explain something. I can't tell you the details of how I achieved this, but... I can see ghosts. Well, one ghost in particular."

His brows furrowed in disbelief, nonetheless, he leaned closer. "Who's ghost?"

"Ben's," I almost squeaked, not liking the way his almost-obsidian eyes seemed to be cursing me as I breathed.

Then the next curious thing happened. He leaned back in his seat and barked a laugh, the ominous aura evading him. "So that's why Lukas has been acting like a drowned cat."

This guy has been sharing expressions with Circe... I hope he doesn't mess up his spells like he messes up his idioms. "I... erm... sure? He's certainly not happy about it."

"Not happy would be an understatement. So how can I help? Do you wish to unsee Ben? Make Lukas forget learning of you seeing his ghost? Do you want Lukas to disappear?"

"What? No. None of that... I... Ben's ready to move on. But I don't think it's fair that I'm the only one who gets to say goodbye. I was wondering if you could... perform a séance or something."

His head tilted to the side as his hand rubbed his chin, and he thought for an uncomfortably long time. Then finally he broke the silence with, "You say you can see him?"

I nodded.

"Then why don't you just pass along any messages for him?"

My head tilted down before I mumbled, "What if they don't believe me?"

"You think people will think you're so sick with grief that you're seeing things?"

"Maybe."

"But Lukas knows? Or is he one of the people who doesn't believe you?"

"He believes me. He just wishes I told him sooner... Also, I don't think it's right if I pass along all of Ben's messages. Shouldn't Ben do it himself?"

"What's the difference between you and me?"

"I was hoping you might have a spell to make him... appear. Then people could say goodbye to his face."

"There's all sorts of spells about summoning the dead. I'm just never sure if they work or if there's just no dead around. Let me think... Ouija would be out of the question if we want an apparition. Similarly, we can't just use a body for channelling. Apparition..." He got up and started browsing his expansive collection of tomes and trinkets. He plucked various objects from the wall, flicked through multiple pages, and made various groupings on the floor, until finally he concluded, "We have some options, but perhaps we should test them before we get everyone's hopes up about a séance. Do you have time now to experiment?"

I nodded eagerly before joining him on the floor.

As Oran started to set up the first conjuration, I inspected some of the items he had pushed to the side. Picking up one glass jar, I studied it closely, curious about the dark, spherical orbs it encased.

"What are these?" I whispered, mostly to myself.

Though, without even glancing up from his markings he was making on the floor, Oran uttered back, "Spider eyes. Very hard to extract."

A yelp escaped my mouth, and I almost dropped the jar. As cautiously as I could, I placed it on the ground and scooted as far away from it as I could.

"Don't look at the other items too closely," Ben warned with a chuckle.

Oh I don't plan on it.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

He knew I was coming as I had texted him before I left Oran's, yet I still felt nervous as I hesitated at his bedroom door. After several moments of deliberation and a heart that almost felt like it was about to jump out of my chest, eventually I found the nerve to knock on his door.

"Come in," his voice—like honey to my ears, though laced with indifference—seeped from around the cracks.

"Hi," I mumbled, as I wedged the door open.

"You said you'd be quick," he replied from his spot at his desk, book propped open in front of him as he paid me less than half of his attention.

"Yes... I... um... I wanted you to be the first to know that tomorrow night Oran and I will be performing a séance so that everyone can see Ben again and... say goodbye. He's ready to move on."

He barely reacted. Flicking the page over, he continued to read the words in front of him as if they were way more interesting than what I had to say. "Good for them."

"Perhaps you would like to come?"

Another turned page. "I know he's right by you now. Goodbye Ben. There. I've said my goodbyes."

The truth was, Ben wasn't by me. Since we left Oran's house, Ben had decided he'd start disappearing for more lengths at a time now. He agreed to see me tomorrow morning and then for the ritual, yet it was time to start parting ways now, he had decided. Though I didn't tell any of this to Lukas. "Right, well... the offer is still there. We found a spell to make him visible and for people to talk with him alone without me eavesdropping, so if there's anything left you want to say... tomorrow night is the time."

Flip. Flip. Flip.

He continued to fixate on the book, ignoring me like I was a speck of dust floating in his orbit.

I decided it was best to not say anything further.

Ben did say to give him space. I just hope this works.

I closed the door and stepped back into the hallway, making my slow descent to the lower level as I wished Lukas would chase after me. Though the moment never came.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

"He's really still here?" Erica gasped after I finished explaining to everyone in the house.

"For now... I'm sorry I didn't tell you—" I started to say, but Erica's waving hand cut me off.

"You had your reasons. Oh my gosh! I'm so grateful we have this opportunity. He never should have gone like that." Unlike a certain someone, Erica seemed genuinely elated by the news. They all did.

I wish I hadn't doubted them. They've all believed me straight away. None of them are pressing me for the details...

"He never should have gone," Jayce stated.

"You're right."

"No wonder Lukas is so grumpy," Ivan then laughed.

"But they were great friends," Jade countered.

"Before Olivia got between them," Loren added.

"Still... Lukas has felt so much guilt since losing Ben. He must be partly happy that Ben isn't completely gone and that we have this chance to say goodbye."

"What did Lukas say when you told him, Ollie?" Jayce then asked of me.

My head drooped as all heads turned in my direction, anticipating my response. I mumbled a half-hearted, "He wasn't very interested."

"See? I was right," Ivan jeered, as if this was a situation one should gloat over. "This grumpy Lukas is very different to the grumpy Lukas from before he and Ollie took off. I knew something happened! Pay up, Jayce."

Ignoring Ivan and Jayce's squabbling, Jade concluded, "We should talk with Lukas and make him come tomorrow night. He'll regret it if he doesn't."

"I doubt you'll get far," I mumbled back. "But if you do try... avoid mentioning me too much."

Loren was shaking his head. "If he's mad, Ollie, it's not at you. It's at himself. He's been beating himself up since Ben died and since losing you. But given you two don't have a bond anymore, any hard feelings are just about his own regrets with Ben, so—"

"Loren," Erica cut him off, calling the vampire's attention to her. Erica gave a quick shake of her head before forcing a smile and turning to me, "Regardless, leave Lukas to us, Ollie, and forget him for now. Better yet, I think you and Ben should go home, spend some time together, and get a nice long sleep before tomorrow so that the spell goes without a hitch."

I forced a smile and uttered an agreement, unable to divulge anymore. Because what did it matter that mine and Lukas's bond had returned? He didn't care. Nothing would come of it at this rate. So why excite the others.

Erica walked me to the door and bid me goodbye, all the while I clamped my mouth shut and bottled up the unsaid.

Yet as I walked the empty street in Hammersmith, I couldn't help but turn after taking a few steps away.

Eyes seeking his room, I almost thought I saw his figure in the window. But in the blink of an eye, the shape disappeared, as if a figment of my imagination.

My mind started to wonder with every step I took towards the Siren's house. My mind started to worry. What if all we were was a figment of my imagination? What if this had all been a dream I had yet to wake from? Perhaps I was still trapped in the otherworld with the Rainbow Serpent, seeing my deepest fears play out before me if I continued the trajectory I had manifested.

Though eventually reason started to kick in as memories of Ben's assumptions whispered back into my mind, "As long as I can still get in the way, he's going to keep you at arm's length to avoid getting himself more hurt."

This is just him keeping me at arm's length.

Tomorrow, after Ben's gone...

Or maybe a few days after that...

Soon, we will be together again.

And all this pain, all this agony, will become a figment of my imagination.

I will no longer have to feel like I'm dancing on coals around him.

We will finally have our happily ever after. I just have to be patient.

_____

I threw descriptions of Ben, Ollie, and Lukas into AI and it generated these. They somewhat match what I imagined. Clothing is completely off. What do you think?