A Holiday Haunting

Sorry for the delay. Work, the pandemic and some intense writer's block messed me up

Jack rushed back upstairs, with Lucy following. Their footsteps thundered against the wooden steps, but it didn't wake Jack's still slumbering parents in the living room. They were fine; the concoction that Lucy had given them was making them roll around in their sleep. Not too serious.

Slamming the door open, Jack found Erin still unconscious. He yelled her name and gently, then roughly shook her. Still nothing. He tilted her head back, opening her mouth; Jack then leaned in and felt her breath. Relieved, he sighed but still had no idea what to do next.

"Still down?" Lucy asked, crouching down next to him.

"Yeah. It's like she's in this deep sleep." Jack shook Erin again for Lucy's benefit. Still nothing.

Lucy said, "Shit," annoyed. She lifted Erin's arm and let it go. "Wow."

"What do we do? Call an ambulance?"

"What are you going to tell the paramedic? My formerly-ghost girlfriend from 1890s is now in coma?"

"You got any ideas?"

Lucy prodded Erin in the arm and just said, "Fuck."

"Where's the grimoire?" Jack asked.

She scurried to the other side of the room and quickly returned. Jack watched her flip through the pages, her unblinking gaze not giving him much hope. It was going to be morning soon, and here he was with a sleeping naked woman and a medium. What would he say to his parents when they wake up?

Lucy slammed the book and shook her head.

"Fuck!" Jack yelled; it was starting to get exhausting. "Of course, it doesn't say anything."

"Dude, this was written by a guy who works at Outback Steakhouse and is a BTS stan."

"I'm sorry," Jack said, turning back to Erin, "What do we do with her?"

"We should move her."

Jack nodded his head. "Where?"

"My apartment is like twenty minutes away. She can crash there until she wakes."

"Fuck it." Jack said, shrugging.

Jack looked around for her clothes, and found that her uniform had gone missing. They quickly dressed her in Jack's old sweats, then carried her downstairs. His parents were still sleeping, something else Jack would have to deal with, but later. They sat Erin down in the back with Jack by her side.

Fifteen minutes later, they were at Lucy's apartment. At 3:30 am, there was no traffic to slow them down. Jack scooped Erin up in his arms, her petite frame weighing nothing. There was no one on the streets, no one that could catch a guy and a girl carrying an unconscious woman into the building. God, if he got arrested now.

Lucy's apartment was small, a one-bedroom, and messy. Clothes everywhere, Wiccan décor and a toy cauldron on the coffee table. They put Erin on the couch; a soft moan escaped her lips as she bounced against the cushion. He watched her lips curl into a smile; if she was dreaming, she was enjoying the dream.

There was nothing else for him to do. Jack just had to pray that Erin would wake up soon. He still hadn't asked himself if she was actually human and if their sex magic worked. She could disappear again. He had to stay positive.

Jack turned back to Lucy and asked, "Can you keep an eye on her?"

"Yeah," she said, covering Erin with a blanket. "I'll let you know if anything happens."

He thanked Lucy and left. Tired but still having to deal with his parents, Jack walked home. He took a couple of steps but then stopped. Squinting his eyes, Jack bobbed his head like he was trying to work something out.

"Did I fucking time-travel?"

***

Jack thought about ignoring his sister and staying in bed. But it was pointless. He knew that his mom would be ringing him sooner or later, demanding that he come down. Reaching for his phone, it was 10:15 am on December 25th, Christmas morning.

Still no messages from Lucy. Yesterday, she told him that Erin had awoken for a moment and moved her head, and then fell back asleep. Erin didn't say a word or ask where she was. The way Lucy explained it, Erin was just slowly recovering her energy since becoming possibly human. Jack still didn't know if the ritual had worked or not.

It had been like this for the last couple of days.

Looking at his past messages, a lot of them were about asking Lucy if she could still touch Erin. That could look weird. She could, which Jack took as a positive. It was the only thing that he had. He knew he had to be patient; maybe something would happen, or not happen. Jack was just sick of not knowing.

He heard his sister yell his name again.

Walking downstairs, his parents were on the couch, holding coffee mugs, while his sisters were sitting by the tree. It was like they were kids again, tearing through the wrapping paper. He didn't really care what he got, with Erin taking over his mind, but did his best to look enthusiastic when opening his presents.

Lucy finally texted Jack hours later. But he was in the kitchen, with his sisters and away from his phone. Beth saw that he got a message from Lucy, her face lighting up as she turned to Jack. He had a good relationship with both his sisters, loved them both, but they could annoy the shit out of him. Especially when they had something over him. Like that time when Beth found out he got caught with a joint by a cop. A month of being her chauffeur drove him mad.

"So, who's Lucy?" She asked, barely hiding her grin.

Beth moved away from the stove and stood by her sister, checking out the message. "Mom said that you met some girl called Erin?"

"Yeah." Jack nodded, effortlessly taking his phone off them. He checked the text; Erin had been away for a while and drank something.

"Lucy's Erin's roommate," he said, "Erin lost her phone and she's sick right now. I was just asking how she is."

Beth went aww, while Katie stayed silent.

Jack knew he was lucky that it was Christmas and there was stuff to do. The onslaught would have to wait for now. When they first met Laura, Beth wanted to know everything about her, the films she liked, what music she was into and how serious it was. Katie was different, less manic, just asking if he felt that Laura was cool.

If everything had worked and Erin could actually meet people, Jack knew he needed to prep her before meeting his family. It would have to be soon. Knowing his sisters, Beth and Katie would demand it the next couple of days. It would need to be somewhere where they served a lot of alcohol.

"Is she really an actress?" Katie asked, now waving a knife.

Rolling his eyes, he wished she was more focused on dicing onions than on him. Opening another beer, he said, "Yeah. But it's an amateur thing and that she is covering for someone and that she will probably won't do it again."

Both sisters then looked at each other. Something was up; Jack could see it. Was something he said, was that it, it had to be.

Beth then turned back to him and asked, "What does she do?"

Without thinking, Jack said, "House-sitter," and finished his beer.

He was blessed that his father yelled his name, asking for help. After fixing the router, they sat down for dinner. They talked about the usual stuff during the meal; thankfully, no one mentioned Erin. Jack felt calm, probably because he was focusing on something other than his ghost girlfriend.

***

Jack now walked a couple of steps behind his parents. His sisters flanked him as they walked down the empty streets to the movie theater. He had no idea what everyone else wanted to watch; he prayed that it was something easy, he didn't want to pay attention.

He was barely listening to his sister as they walked. They talked about the not-so-secret Taylor Swift Christmas concert. He just said uh-huh at the right moments, walking along, with a hand wrapped around his phone in case it buzzed.

It finally vibrated minutes later. Lucy had messaged him. Erin was awake and had been for a while. She even sent him a photo, Erin still wearing his clothes, lying on the couch, her eyelids barely open. Lucy said that he should come now if he wanted to see her.

"Hey Mom, Dad, I'm not feeling great right now," Jack said, clutching his stomach.

It was the first thing that he could think of. He hoped that he could remember his acting techniques when he used to play sick during junior high.

His mom turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I feel like... nauseous and everything really aches."

Jack told his parents that he should probably skip the movie and rest back home. His mom threw a couple of questions at him, asking what was wrong, how it happened and if he needed anything. He mentioned Erin's name, saying that she was also sick. Katie perked up in the corner of his eye when he mentioned Erin. This was all he needed, a sister playing detective.

He convinced them to still see the movie, saying that he would go straight to bed. That there was no point in them breaking from tradition. Jack walked away from them slowly. After a couple of blocks, he rushed back to the house and jumped in his car. Annoyingly, he would have to drive past the movie theater to get to Lucy's apartment.

"Hey," Lucy said, opening the door, "You're fast."

"Yeah." Jack nodded. He was pretty sure that he ran a couple of red lights getting here. He just needed to see her quickly, see if she was okay and then leave.

"How is she?"

"Okay. It's like she got the flu or something. I've been giving her some fluids and Tylenol."

"Has she eaten anything?"

"Vegetable soup," Lucy said, shrugging her shoulders, "I have no idea what she can eat. You know when you go abroad and you can't drink the water because of local bacteria or shit? I don't know if she can handle meat or dairy."

Jack opened the door to the living room but turned to Lucy, "Thank you for everything. Sorry that you had to spend your whole day looking after her."

"It's nothing. I want to help," Lucy replied, "Now get in there."

Walking into the room, Jack found Erin still on the sofa. A couple of blankets covered every inch of her body apart from her head. There was no color on her face, reminding Jack how she used to look like. Bags under her eyes and her hair was a mess. She clasped a mug of something, inhaling the aroma.

Erin then looked up and smiled, "Jack." She was weary, and her voice creaked. She tried to raise her arms, possibly hug him but gave up.

He rushed to her side and asked, "How are you?"

"I'm okay."

Jack said, "You sure?" With a quiet tone, letting know her it was okay if she wasn't.

Erin paused, then shrugged her shoulders. "No. I feel so tired and sick. And I hate everything."

"Wow. Welcome to being an adult in the 21st century. We all feel like that."

"Great." Erin threw her head back, then said, "So this is what being human feels like after so many years? It's painful. There is something else. I been having these dreams. That I am still with the Franklins. They follow me through your house. But your house how it looks now."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Erin shook her head and said, "Please don't. It's not your fault. I think of them and I feel myself passing through the couch and then I remember I am here."

Their hands touched, and Erin quickly began to smile. She then asked, "So, tell me about your Christmas. What presents did you get?"

"Oh. My parents got me a new laptop bag and a cold brew bottle. My sisters went fifty-fifty and got me a pair of Jordans."

Erin blinked and said, "I don't know what that means." She then yawned, and her eyes slowly shut. "Just tell me more about how your Christmas went."

Jack gave her a brief breakdown on his Christmas, trying not to bore her. But there was really little to say; he had sleepwalked through the day. Jack saw a quick smile on her face when he told her that his sisters were pestering him for details about her. But slowly, she drifted off and was back asleep.

"Hey Jack," Lucy said, calling him into the kitchen.

"So, I'm thinking that Erin should see someone. Like a therapist?"

For a second, Jack was surprised. "Really?"

"She's been stuck in the same house for a hundred years, watching herself get killed over and over. That's got to fuck you up."

"No. I know that's completely true and she should have someone to talk to. Just, didn't think that mediums were pro-therapy."

"If you speak to ghosts, you would be pro-therapy as well. They are always fucked up. Most need Valium."

Jack smiled. He looked back at Erin and said, "Suggest it to her. It'll probably be best coming from you. The problem is who can see her? Like she needs health insurance."

"I'm been thinking about that. No way Erin can function in the real world. She hasn't got a social, birth certificate or a passport. She can't just depend on you for money."

"I know."

"And?"

"I'm working on it." Jack had an idea or half one; he still needed to ask around.

"You better work on it quicker. Erin's getting antsy. She wants to explore the world, go on a plane, see Paris."

Jack nodded and looked back at Erin. "Keep her calm. She still needs to walk after she can run, or the other way round."

"Sure."

"I gotta go." Jack said. He left the kitchen and checked on Erin again; she was soundly sleeping.

"I'll be here in the morning. Now excuse me, I have to pretend to be sick."

"Hey, I have something that can help. It's like diluted ayahuasca."

Jack stopped and turned around. He stared back at Lucy's grinning face just before gently closing the front door. Still, he had no idea if she was just joking.

***

Jack could hear voices behind the door and the sounds of footsteps as he waited outside Lucy's apartment. He had texted Lucy earlier; she said that Erin was more awake than before and he should come around.

That was good to hear. Jack didn't like to be in constant worry. Also, it was way too early in the relationship for him to have to deal with stuff like this. He just wanted to spend time with his girlfriend and not think if she would fade away or be trapped in a house.

Erin opened the door, smiling instantly at him. She looked better. Erin had discarded Jack's sweats for some yoga pants and hoodie, probably from Lucy's wardrobe. Color had returned to her face, and the bags under her eyes had disappeared. She had brushed her hair, tying it up in a loose ponytail.

She had her arms around his neck, and Erin quickly pulled him down for a long kiss. She felt so good to touch. Jack didn't realize how much he missed having her in his arms. He wanted to take her somewhere private. When they stopped kissing, Erin smirked back at him, and Jack knew she had the same dirty thoughts.

But then Erin yawned, and he knew that they had to take their time.

"How are you?" He asked, trying not to wince. He guessed that Erin was getting sick of that question.

She smiled, leading him to the sofa and sat down. Erin pulled her feet up and said, "Better. I can get up and walk and bathe. I had my first shower -- a hot shower."

Erin grinned and giggled to herself. Seeing that response, Jack realized he really didn't know that much about plumbing in the 1800s.

"It felt so good. I feel like I'm getting stronger and have more vigor."

"I'm guessing those are Lucy's clothes?"

"Yeah," Erin said, blushing, "she said that I should wear something else. Her clothing looks strange but so interesting. Just disappointing that they don't really fit."

Looking at her, she is right. Jack could tell that the clothes she had on were supposed to be for Lucy's curves, not Erin's petite frame. He needed to take her shopping.

"I will return your clothes after I launder them."

"No no no. You don't have to."

"I want to. It was my job. And I need to know how to use these machines."

The bedroom door opened, and Lucy walked in. She was dressed similar to Erin, yoga pants and a sweatshirt.

She sat on the chair and said, "Morning."

Jack greeted her and then asked them what their plans were for today.

"I could do a coffee run? Erin could try her first latte." Lucy said.

"How about we go outside," Erin replied, "I wish to leave the apartment for a while. And I'd like to see some of the city."

Jack nodded and said, "Give her a tour of Portland and then brunch?"

Their first stop was at the harbor. There used to be cheap apartment buildings around the docks, but the way Erin described it, they were more like slums. Her old apartment had disappeared. Jack looked it up for her, finding out that two years after she died, there was a huge fire which gutted the entire neighborhood.

"Maybe I should thank the Franklins." Erin said with a wry smile.

They walked a couple of blocks up and stopped at St. Dominic's Parish. It was the church that Erin used to attend regularly. She would be there every Sunday for Mass and would stop off after her shift ended for prayer. Erin left Jack and Lucy outside, knowing that it wasn't their scene and she needed to be alone for this. The church hadn't changed much; a new coat of paint was all she could see.

There were a few people seated in the pews that ignored Erin as she walked to the statue of the Virgin Mary. They didn't care that she was dressed in casual clothes. A big difference from when she was alive, a woman in pants would be refused entry, and there would be talk of excommunication.

Erin lit a candle and said a prayer. It was a quick one, honoring those she had lost since being trapped in that house. She could come back on Sunday and see how Mass had changed, or she wouldn't. Erin hadn't decided yet.

She found Jack and Lucy both on their phones. They stopped and looked up at her, both giving Erin concerned looks. While she appreciated the gesture, she wanted something else and asked to eat.

Lucy picked a place nearby but warned Erin about her choices. She, as well as Jack, was worried about what food that Erin could eat. They both suggested eating something simple, slowly get used to pasteurized milk, additives and pesticides. All Erin could do was nod her head and not scream in frustration, blocking out all the exciting food around her.

"Wave-us ranch-us?" She repeated Jack's order.

Erin listened to them and ordered a bowl of oatmeal. It was what she used to eat back in 1898.

"Huevos rancheros," Jack said again. "It's eggs on tortillas with beans and salsa."

"That sounds so intriguing. I really want to try."

"Erin," Lucy said, "Just take your time. We just don't want you to take a bite and puke everywhere because your stomach isn't used to modern bacteria or something. It's like learning to drink. You start small, wine coolers and beer and build your tolerance and soon you'll be finishing a bottle of vodka all by yourself."

Jack rolled his eyes and said, "Not in that way but yeah. It's a vaccine. Take a small bite of fruit or a sip of milk and get used of it."

He took a sip of coffee and then shook his head.

"Shit!" Jack said, but quiet enough that no one else heard. "I still haven't sorted out getting a physical or something. I mean Erin hasn't been vaccinated."

"Yeah. There was this disease that you call polio and it affected people in Boston. The stories were terrifying. I really want to be protected."

"Yeah, but how?" Lucy asked.

"There's a way," Jack said,

"A way?" Lucy repeated.

"There's this guy in my building, he buys his sneakers and mushrooms on the dark web." Jack then turned to Erin and said, "The dark web is where you can buy illegal things. He said that you can buy passports, birth certificate, and socials. You can even get a high school diploma."

"Really?" Lucy leaned in, "Like any school?"

"Maybe," Jack replied.

"I'd like to get an education by myself," Erin said, glancing at the two of them. "I know that I will have to take the fake social and birth certificate to survive. But I want to be in charge of my own future."

"That's fair." Jack nodded.

The food then arrived, and Erin stared at the bowl of oatmeal. It was like the gruel she used to have while growing up in Ireland. It tasted better than the watery sludge of oat she used to survive on. But looking at Jack's plate, it was not what Erin wanted right now.