Franky Is Lucky

I laid in bed and recounted the events of the night. I looked at my alarm clock and realized that I had only been around Amy for about forty-five minutes, which was a relief. At least she wasn’t completely screwed. I rolled over onto my stomach and faced my head towards the window. The lights from outside were made blue but the sheer curtains pulled shut over the window. I starred towards the general direction and just let my vision blur till I wasn’t really seeing anything at all. I must have laid like that for a while before I eventually fell asleep. My mind was too exhausted to possibly analyze the events of that one small hour. However, I awoke at three in a cold sweat from the worst nightmare I had ever had. I sat up and tucked my knees to my chest wrapping my arms around them and burying my head in the space between my body and my legs. It was hazy at first but then the dream flooded back to me.

I had been at the park laying in the grass next to Brent just watching the clouds. I had turned to look at him and as I did he started screaming in agony and I saw the skin of his face start burning. I had jumped away from him but I kept looking he screamed at me to stop starring, that all of it would stop if I just turned away. But I could not take my eyes off the scene that was right in front of me. I watched him burn till he was nothing. That’s when I had awoken. I sat there for a few more minutes trying to pull myself back to reality, back to my house, back to my room, back to my bed where I belonged.

After a few seconds I flung off the covers and bounded across the hall to the study. I plopped into my chair and logged on to my computer. I then proceeded to check my email. In the inbox there was a message from Amy, it read:

Franky I am really sorry about tonight. I really did not mean to upset you. I got a flat tire on the way home and my cell phone died right as I was calling AAA. And then I tried changing the damn thing myself and in the middle the jack slipped and any who that is why I am so late emailing you. I guess that’s what I get huh? Anyway, there is something important I need to tell you.

I am really worried about you. As you were leaving to go into your house Brent got in my face and told me he was going to make sure you changed your mind. Be careful Franky. Spirits become stronger the more angry and vengeful they get. I have no idea what Brent is capable of, considering that he has, had no luck in contacting you in the past but he may stop at nothing to make you change your mind. If you need any help let me know. I am here for you and I am proud of your decision.

Hugs,
Amy

So, my suspicions were confirmed. The nightmare was Brent’s doing, or at least probably Brent’s doing. The bastard. He really was hell bent on making the people who did this too him pay, and now he was hell bent on making me pay for not wanting to help. Well Jesus that was rude. I decided to let him know I thought so. I turned around to face the empty expanse of the room.

“Well Brent bravo! Good show sir, good show. I hope that was entertaining because you achieved nothing else. You think you can scare and manipulate people into doing what you want them too, you are wrong. I am not that type of person. I have spent four and a half years locked away at my own will and volition. So if you think I am easy to break be prepared to spend eternity as a transparent idiot because I am not going to crack. Got it? I hope so.”

And with that I lifted myself out of my chair and walked out of the study and back to my room. I turned the TV on and fell back to sleep with the noise of re-runs tuning out any dreams.

I awoke all of a sudden to a loud ringing noise. I reached over in my grogginess to try and turn off the alarm clock. I must have hit the snooze button a few times before I realized that the noise was not coming from there. I swung my feet over the side of the bed. The ringing would not go away and in my lapse of brain function I could not figure out what was causing it. I proceeded to walk down the hall in my haze and stumbled towards the kitchen. As my faculties came back to me I realized the noise was emanating from the phone. I reached for the cordless sitting on the counter, pushed the on button and put it to my ear.

“Hello?” My voice came out muffled and groggy.

“Franky? Listen Franky, it’s Amy.” This stirred me out of my stupor a bit. How in the hell did she get my number?

“Yea?” I said deciding that brevity was my best defense.

“Listen, Franky we need to talk I am heading over to your house right now… I know you told me not to but this is an emergency. I will be there in about twenty see you then.” Click the phone went dead.

Seriously? Did she really just do that?

I could see that Amy was definitely employing some hard sell tactics, basically she was not giving me a choice as to whether or not I wanted what she was trying to sell. This irked me a tad. She was really turning out to be a more exhausting person then I had assumed.

I trotted back to my room and pulled on my jeans and sneakers and a clean shirt. I headed to the bathroom and brushed my hair and teeth. And then I walked down the stairs to the living room where I curled up on my sofa with a blanket. As soon as I got comfortable the doorbell rang. Well great. I guess luck does not include naps. I walked to the door and looked through the peephole. There stood Amy looking rather disheveled, which I assumed was not a look for her. She had on a cardigan, unpressed khakis and keds. Nothing was color coordinated, this was a definite sign of trouble. I flung the door open and starred at her. Now that I could see her clearer, I could tell her makeup was less than perfect and her hair had been hastily put in a ponytail. I stared but moved to the side so that she could step in, as she did I shut the door. I motioned for her to have a seat.

“Do you want anything to drink? Coffee maybe? I can make a pot. I have tea also.”

She sat there, her dark eyes looked so scared and uncertain. I decided to just sit beside her, so I dropped myself onto the couch carefully. She looked down at her hands hesitantly and then up at me. She seemed so childlike with uncertainty and fear painting her face. She was so different, and I was starting to feel chills run up my back. What had happened to make her act like this?

I reached out for her hand and she pulled it away. She was shaking and I could see as her cardigan tugged back with the motion of her body that she had scratches on her clavicle. I gave her a look of what must have been shock, because she immediately saw and pulled the sweater tightly over her chest so that I could not see. Instinctually, I reached out to try and push back the cardigan so that I could have a look. Amy screamed at me.

“NO! Don’t touch me!”

I leaned back and put my hands up in protest. She was looking like a crazy person with her hand clenching her shirt closed and her eyes wild in defense. I decided to employ the only technique I could think of, reason. I spoke softly and sweetly.

“Amy? Are you okay? What happened Amy?”

She continued to stare at me. Her eyes were so alien in her face, her features seemed harsh and empty unlike the smug face I had talked to last night. I tried again.

“Amy? You had something to talk to me about remember? What happened? What did you need to tell me?”

She looked at me quizzically and then recognition flashed across her face. Her features immediately sunk in to sadness as soon as the light of coherence went out. She sunk onto the couch and began sobbing.

I was stunned for a second and then slowly I leaned back in to a closer proximity with her. I reached out my hand to her shoulder and stooped my head so that I could talk to her face. I spoke quietly, but I could not hide the intensity in my voice.

“Amy, It’s okay. You’re okay. Tell me what happened? Tell me what you need to say.”

She said through broken sobs “Brent. It was Brent.”

I stood up suddenly and forcefully. I looked down at her as sympathetic as I could but I was sure she could see the anger in my eyes because she flinched. I spoke in the mellowest voice I could muster despite my anger.

“Is he here, now, Amy?”

All she did was nod. I turned on the room, looking vainly for any sight of the specter. Of course, he was no where. I gave up looking and just started talking.

“You lousy good for nothing coward, how dare you? How dare you hurt someone who gave you a voice? How dare you harm someone innocent to try and get to me?”

“He’s laughing Franky.”

Amy’s voice startled me so much that I jumped. Probably, not the best reaction to have in front of a lunatic ghost. I looked at her. I decided then to ignore Brent. That seemed to be the better tactic. Since Amy was finally talking I sat back down on the couch. I looked at her for a second and took in the whole picture. Even though I was angry, it did not show in my voice this time.

“Amy you have to tell me what happened. I did this to you. I need to know what I did.”

She looked at me confused for a moment. I don’t think she quite remembered what I am, but when she did the awe that dawned her face was heart breaking. She composed herself a little and after a few seconds that seemed like eternity she spoke.

“Franky this is not your fault.” She held her hand up to stop me from interrupting and continued. “I am serious this is not your fault. It is my fault. Brent found me in my sleep last night. He told me everything about what he had done to you, how you had stood up to him. He said that he could not speak to you so I was going to do it for him. He made me have horrible dreams, in one I was covered in ants, that’s how I got the scratches. I am kind of a violent sleeper. I now suppose that Brent knew that. He tortured me in my sleep and he showed me the dream he gave you. I am so sorry Franky. I am sorry he did that. I should have never told you he was there. I should have never given him a voice. I’m sorry.”

She put her head in her hands and started sobbing again. I looked at her. I really did not know what to do. How was I to help her? I could not make Brent go away. Except, wait. I stood up. I knelt down in front of Amy and put my hands on her shoulders. I cocked my head so that I could look into her face.

“Amy it is going to be okay. I will make this right. He will not hurt you anymore. Okay? You have to help me though. You have to help me talk to him. Okay? I need you to agree to tell me whatever he says. You promise?”

Amy looked up at me, she nodded. Looking back I don’t think she would have, had she been in her composed state of mind. She would have realized what I was about to do and try and stop me rather than agree to help me. I patted her on the shoulder as I stood up. And I looked down at her, her face had turned hard as stone.

“You ready Amy?” She nodded. “Is he still in the room?” she nodded again and pointed towards the loveseat. “Oh fine Brent have a seat in the home you are not welcome in, sure.” I felt foolish berating a person who was not really a person and who I also could not see but I was angry and I get snarky when I am angry. “So what you want, is for me to help you, right?”

“Right” Amy said. I turned to look at her. She was talking for Brent again. I swung back to where Brent was supposed to be.

“Fine I will help you but I want you to know that if there is a God he will definitely have your ass for this one. Also we need to lay out some ground rules.”

“He laughed. He says ‘You’re funny Franky. I always liked that about you. What are the rules?” I just noticed then that Amy was changing the register of her voice whenever she spoke for Brent, that was a neat trick and helpful but slightly disconcerting. I shook my head to clear the random thoughts and turned back to Invisible Brent.

“First and foremost you will leave Amy alone. She is a willing participant and if she chooses to not help anymore than you have to accept that and let her have her peace. Also you need to apologize to her.”

“Fine. I am sorry Amy.” She said in her version of Brent’s voice. “Apology accepted I guess.” She said in her own. This was really weird even for me.

“Second you will understand if I have to quit this mission. I can not have bodies pilling up because you have to have retribution, you are already dead after all. No use making the living suffer for a dead guy that I particularly am not too fond of at the moment.”

“Fine I guess.” Brent said through Amy.

“And finally you will give me all the information you have and aid in the investigation. I can not go everywhere but apparently, you can so you need to spill what you know.”

“He can’t go everywhere Franky.” Amy said shyly

“What? He’s a fricking ghost of course he can go everywhere.” Amy didn’t deserve my aggression “Sorry Amy. Umm.. Why can’t he go everywhere?”

“His energy is only held together when he is around those that knew and remember him. If he goes away from those people he will scatter and not be able to keep his form. His form is what gives him the semblance of thought that he has and his mind.” She finished with an ashamed glance in Brent’s direction.

“What? That doesn’t make any sense how do ghosts haunt a house then? How is he able to come to you? How can you see him?” I thought these were a valid questions. Right?

“Franky those are different kinds of spirits. For one, they have far more original energy and secondly the place they inhabit is more than likely familiar, or they were invited to live there. I don’t expect you to understand but those are a completely different sect of apparitions. Thirdly, I am special remember and I had only ever seen Brent after I came around you. And according to your own theories my mind can harness his energy and reconfigure it. So of course I can see him.” She looked at me as if she was explaining this to a child with too many questions, weary and authoritative.

“Well fine then. Brent, you will help when you can and you will give me all the information you can. Got it.”

“Got it.” Amy said for Brent.

I stood there for a moment waiting for Brent to speak. Finally I demanded him to tell me what I wanted to know.

“So… spill it. What do you know?”

“Oh that’s fabulous.” Amy said with a sarcastic chuckle. I really was piqued that she couldn’t at least tell me what he said before she responded. She was going to have to work on that.

“Oh great what?” I said exasperated.

“Well apparently Brent doesn’t know anything.”

“What? You would think you would at least find the guy who did this. He has to have a memory of murdering you.” This was getting frustrating.

“Well, you see, by time I got around to hating the guy it had been several weeks since I had died. By then all trace of him was gone and I have to wait until he remembers me to actually find out where he is. My thinking is that he is a trained assassin and he isn’t going to dwell too much on the past.” Well Amy was right this was fabulous.

“Well how in the hell do you expect me to find these people then?” I was starting to let my agitation show. Why had I ever liked Brent, again?

“I suspect they will find you.” What? Amy turned towards me, her eyes wide with astonishment. I looked at her then at the emptiness where Brent was then at Amy again. I closed my gaping jaw and turned towards Brent.

“What do you mean they will find me?” Good question Franks.

“He just vanished.” Amy said in a stunned voice.

“What do you mean he vanished?”

“Hey I am just as shocked as you are but he just left.”

“Well there are not many places he can go apparently. Where do you think he went?”

“I have no idea you said that he was popular in school. I am sure there are more places he can go than he is letting on.” She looked at me in a decisive way. I couldn’t really place the expression.

“Well shit.” I hardly swore aloud, it was mainly in my thoughts but this was definitely a deserving moment. “Well what do you think we should do?”

“I guess we have to wait till he comes back or until whoever it is comes to us.”

“Oh no we don’t.” I said forcefully.