Home
Ghosts
Zak's POV
“Should we go gather Av and head back to our room?” I asked after it was all said and done, in between kisses down her shoulder.
“Mm…yes, I feel so bad for leaving her with your mom like that,” she said.
“I could probably call my mom. I bet she’d take Avaya for the rest of the night if we wanted her to.” I suggested. I knew my mom would do it in a heartbeat and any chance I got to be totally alone with Lily for more than a couple hours I’d take it.
“No, I couldn’t do that,” Lily said.
I sighed against her skin but I knew her big heart would kibosh my evil plans. So I gave in and we got dressed and put all the pillows and blankets back in the garbage bag and took off. Lily leaned against my side on the way home with my arm securely around her. Every now and again I’d look down at her to see her pretty eyes closing or fluttering back open. I don’t know why but it made me smile. She reminded me of Av when she fought sleep like that.
We grabbed a very sleepy Avaya from my mom’s house before heading back to the Bed & Breakfast. I gave my mom the secretive thumbs-up behind Lily’s back before leaving. I’d missed my mom a lot. Family was really important and being with Lily and Avaya reminded me of that. I had a new appreciation for a lot of things since meeting them. The more I thought about it the more it startled me. For instance, back in the truck when Lily had said no to leaving Avaya with my mom. Old me would’ve never given up begging for her to comply with me. But now I understood that it was past Av’s bedtime and it just made sense to go and get her. I was a changed man and it was kind of mind-boggling to think about.
By the time we arrived at the B&B, Avaya was passed out in her car seat. I winced looking at the way she was sleeping; her neck was bent at a freakish angle and it just looked entirely uncomfortable, but she was completely out. I went around back and grabbed her, carefully holding her to my chest and she just hung there like a limp noodle, gently snoring in my ear.
“Now isn’t that precious?” Lily cooed softly as I headed up the steps to the B&B. She took out her phone and snapped a picture quickly.
“Dork,” I whispered. She only chuckled.
When we got in our room Lily went to the bathroom and I carried Avaya to her bed right beside ours. The room was basically just like a two-bed hotel room; two double beds, two nightstands, a desk, a lamp, a large window, and paintings on the walls. It was a little homier than a hotel room, but it was pretty much the same.
I pulled back the covers on Av’s bed and set her on her pillow, slipping the covers up to her shoulders. She snuggled in gently and continued her slumber. I couldn’t help but smile at her. One of my hands reached out and gently pushed some hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. I leaned down and kissed her forehead before turning around and heading for the bathroom. It startled me a little bit to see Lily leaning against the doorframe for the bedroom in her satin slip, with this delicate little smile on her face.
“What?” I asked, slipping past her and grabbing my shaving kit from the countertop.
“Nothing,” she muttered. “You’re just turning out to be a real father figure for her.”
I smiled. “Well…y’know…”
“I love you.” She reached up and kissed my cheek.
“I love you, too.”
“Thanks for taking me out here, it really was a good idea. I didn’t know how much I needed to get out of Vegas until I was gone. I feel like I can finally breathe again.” She sighed.
“I’m glad you agreed to it,” I nodded. “I didn’t realize how much I missed my family. They really like you and Av so that’s a good sign. They haven’t liked one of my girlfriends yet.”
She giggled. “Well, don’t I feel special.”
“You are special.”
“You sweet talker,” She blushed.
“Just saying what everyone already knows,” I clarified.
I lifted my shirt over my head and started taking things out of my shaving kit. I could find my toothbrush but I couldn’t find my toothpaste. I ended up completely emptying my kit only to come up empty. It was funny, because I know I bought a brand new travel tube just for this trip and I’d put it in my kit before packing it in my suitcase. I looked up, meeting Lily’s gaze in the mirror as she was taking off her makeup. I gave her a puzzled look.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Did you take my toothpaste?” I asked.
“No, I have my own,” she answered. “I thought you bought a new tube.”
“I-I did…” I said, once again sorting through the contents of my kit, now splayed out on the countertop. “Or at least I thought I did…”
“Maybe it’s in your suitcase somewhere,” she suggested.
I groaned, fed up with such a tiny inconvenience. I left the bedroom to try and search my suitcase as quietly as possible without waking up Avaya. I lifted my suitcase onto my bed and tore everything out of it, searching every single pocket and crevice where a tube of toothpaste could possibly hide, and came up empty. So I was left to put everything back inside, growing more agitated by the second. I suppose I could’ve just used Lily’s toothpaste, but I wanted to know where mine had disappeared to exactly. I know I’d packed it; a tube of toothpaste doesn’t just get up and walk away.
I looked to the right to check the time on the antique alarm clock on the nightstand and boom—there it was. My toothpaste was sitting there on a 45 degree angle from the clock, like it was meant to be there. It stumped me. I hadn’t put it there. I know Lily and Avaya hadn’t touched it because we hadn’t even been in the room since 10 AM and they’d used their own toothpaste. I just stood there and stared at it for awhile, trying to retrace my steps from that morning. I distinctly remember putting it back in my shaving kit after using it and setting my shaving kit right where I’d found it on the countertop in the bathroom. I never once took it with me into the main part of the room and I definitely didn’t set it on the nightstand.
Hesitantly, I reached out to grab it. I felt like if I touched it something bad would happen because I had no idea how it got there. I felt like maybe I’d dreamt this whole thing and the day hadn’t actually started yet just because of that one mysterious incident. It seemed like a dream; like a perfect dream, and that was the only mistake; the only falsity that made it entirely unrealistic. It made me deeply uncomfortable.
No sooner had I touched the toothpaste did a small voice speak from behind me, causing me to jump and spin around. Avaya was sitting up straight in bed and pointing towards the far wall, right behind me.
“Daddy Zak,” she said softly, “who’s that lady?”
Goose bumps prickled my skin. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and suddenly I felt sick to my stomach with anxiety. I turned around very, very slowly, hoping to god it was either just Lily playing a prank on me or this whole scenario was just a really messed up dream. The more it progressed, the more it felt like the latter.
As I turned to face the wall, my eyes connected with a pair that was frighteningly unfamiliar. They were dull grey and the pupils were a lot larger than they should’ve been. They belonged to an aged woman in an 1800’s era dress with her stringy white hair tossed up in a messy bun. Wrinkles creased her face and she looked sickly thin behind the tightened corset of her dark blue dress. One arm lifted from her side and a long, bony finger pointed straight at my chest. Her mouth didn’t move from the straight line it was in and her eyes didn’t break from mine. But then something happened that made my blood run cold. It made me remember Nick’s warning about the Bed & Breakfast being haunted. In all honesty, it made me want to throw up.
The woman began to fade away very slowly from the feet up, and as she did so, a dark red—almost black—stain began to flower out from the centre of her chest until her entire torso was drenched with it. By the time she was almost completely gone, I heard a loud gunshot that seemed to come from inside my head and caused my heart to pick up speed and my breathing rate spiked. And then she was gone, like she’d never been there in the first place.
I stood stock still as a cold sweat broke out all over my body. I wanted to yell but my mouth felt cemented shut. I couldn’t move. I felt petrified. My brain was shutting down; unable to make sense of what it’d just witnessed. I’d just come face-to-face with a ghost. That was all I could think. It was a ghost. They’re real. It hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt like I was going to pass out. My mouth began to move but no sound came out until the reality of the situation smacked me in the chest like it was kick-starting my heart again.
I’d just seen a ghost; a full-bodied apparition in my room. Her image was burnt into my brain. She’d been there; right in front of me! She’d pointed at me! Ghosts are real…
“Holy fu--…”
“Should we go gather Av and head back to our room?” I asked after it was all said and done, in between kisses down her shoulder.
“Mm…yes, I feel so bad for leaving her with your mom like that,” she said.
“I could probably call my mom. I bet she’d take Avaya for the rest of the night if we wanted her to.” I suggested. I knew my mom would do it in a heartbeat and any chance I got to be totally alone with Lily for more than a couple hours I’d take it.
“No, I couldn’t do that,” Lily said.
I sighed against her skin but I knew her big heart would kibosh my evil plans. So I gave in and we got dressed and put all the pillows and blankets back in the garbage bag and took off. Lily leaned against my side on the way home with my arm securely around her. Every now and again I’d look down at her to see her pretty eyes closing or fluttering back open. I don’t know why but it made me smile. She reminded me of Av when she fought sleep like that.
We grabbed a very sleepy Avaya from my mom’s house before heading back to the Bed & Breakfast. I gave my mom the secretive thumbs-up behind Lily’s back before leaving. I’d missed my mom a lot. Family was really important and being with Lily and Avaya reminded me of that. I had a new appreciation for a lot of things since meeting them. The more I thought about it the more it startled me. For instance, back in the truck when Lily had said no to leaving Avaya with my mom. Old me would’ve never given up begging for her to comply with me. But now I understood that it was past Av’s bedtime and it just made sense to go and get her. I was a changed man and it was kind of mind-boggling to think about.
By the time we arrived at the B&B, Avaya was passed out in her car seat. I winced looking at the way she was sleeping; her neck was bent at a freakish angle and it just looked entirely uncomfortable, but she was completely out. I went around back and grabbed her, carefully holding her to my chest and she just hung there like a limp noodle, gently snoring in my ear.
“Now isn’t that precious?” Lily cooed softly as I headed up the steps to the B&B. She took out her phone and snapped a picture quickly.
“Dork,” I whispered. She only chuckled.
When we got in our room Lily went to the bathroom and I carried Avaya to her bed right beside ours. The room was basically just like a two-bed hotel room; two double beds, two nightstands, a desk, a lamp, a large window, and paintings on the walls. It was a little homier than a hotel room, but it was pretty much the same.
I pulled back the covers on Av’s bed and set her on her pillow, slipping the covers up to her shoulders. She snuggled in gently and continued her slumber. I couldn’t help but smile at her. One of my hands reached out and gently pushed some hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. I leaned down and kissed her forehead before turning around and heading for the bathroom. It startled me a little bit to see Lily leaning against the doorframe for the bedroom in her satin slip, with this delicate little smile on her face.
“What?” I asked, slipping past her and grabbing my shaving kit from the countertop.
“Nothing,” she muttered. “You’re just turning out to be a real father figure for her.”
I smiled. “Well…y’know…”
“I love you.” She reached up and kissed my cheek.
“I love you, too.”
“Thanks for taking me out here, it really was a good idea. I didn’t know how much I needed to get out of Vegas until I was gone. I feel like I can finally breathe again.” She sighed.
“I’m glad you agreed to it,” I nodded. “I didn’t realize how much I missed my family. They really like you and Av so that’s a good sign. They haven’t liked one of my girlfriends yet.”
She giggled. “Well, don’t I feel special.”
“You are special.”
“You sweet talker,” She blushed.
“Just saying what everyone already knows,” I clarified.
I lifted my shirt over my head and started taking things out of my shaving kit. I could find my toothbrush but I couldn’t find my toothpaste. I ended up completely emptying my kit only to come up empty. It was funny, because I know I bought a brand new travel tube just for this trip and I’d put it in my kit before packing it in my suitcase. I looked up, meeting Lily’s gaze in the mirror as she was taking off her makeup. I gave her a puzzled look.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Did you take my toothpaste?” I asked.
“No, I have my own,” she answered. “I thought you bought a new tube.”
“I-I did…” I said, once again sorting through the contents of my kit, now splayed out on the countertop. “Or at least I thought I did…”
“Maybe it’s in your suitcase somewhere,” she suggested.
I groaned, fed up with such a tiny inconvenience. I left the bedroom to try and search my suitcase as quietly as possible without waking up Avaya. I lifted my suitcase onto my bed and tore everything out of it, searching every single pocket and crevice where a tube of toothpaste could possibly hide, and came up empty. So I was left to put everything back inside, growing more agitated by the second. I suppose I could’ve just used Lily’s toothpaste, but I wanted to know where mine had disappeared to exactly. I know I’d packed it; a tube of toothpaste doesn’t just get up and walk away.
I looked to the right to check the time on the antique alarm clock on the nightstand and boom—there it was. My toothpaste was sitting there on a 45 degree angle from the clock, like it was meant to be there. It stumped me. I hadn’t put it there. I know Lily and Avaya hadn’t touched it because we hadn’t even been in the room since 10 AM and they’d used their own toothpaste. I just stood there and stared at it for awhile, trying to retrace my steps from that morning. I distinctly remember putting it back in my shaving kit after using it and setting my shaving kit right where I’d found it on the countertop in the bathroom. I never once took it with me into the main part of the room and I definitely didn’t set it on the nightstand.
Hesitantly, I reached out to grab it. I felt like if I touched it something bad would happen because I had no idea how it got there. I felt like maybe I’d dreamt this whole thing and the day hadn’t actually started yet just because of that one mysterious incident. It seemed like a dream; like a perfect dream, and that was the only mistake; the only falsity that made it entirely unrealistic. It made me deeply uncomfortable.
No sooner had I touched the toothpaste did a small voice speak from behind me, causing me to jump and spin around. Avaya was sitting up straight in bed and pointing towards the far wall, right behind me.
“Daddy Zak,” she said softly, “who’s that lady?”
Goose bumps prickled my skin. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and suddenly I felt sick to my stomach with anxiety. I turned around very, very slowly, hoping to god it was either just Lily playing a prank on me or this whole scenario was just a really messed up dream. The more it progressed, the more it felt like the latter.
As I turned to face the wall, my eyes connected with a pair that was frighteningly unfamiliar. They were dull grey and the pupils were a lot larger than they should’ve been. They belonged to an aged woman in an 1800’s era dress with her stringy white hair tossed up in a messy bun. Wrinkles creased her face and she looked sickly thin behind the tightened corset of her dark blue dress. One arm lifted from her side and a long, bony finger pointed straight at my chest. Her mouth didn’t move from the straight line it was in and her eyes didn’t break from mine. But then something happened that made my blood run cold. It made me remember Nick’s warning about the Bed & Breakfast being haunted. In all honesty, it made me want to throw up.
The woman began to fade away very slowly from the feet up, and as she did so, a dark red—almost black—stain began to flower out from the centre of her chest until her entire torso was drenched with it. By the time she was almost completely gone, I heard a loud gunshot that seemed to come from inside my head and caused my heart to pick up speed and my breathing rate spiked. And then she was gone, like she’d never been there in the first place.
I stood stock still as a cold sweat broke out all over my body. I wanted to yell but my mouth felt cemented shut. I couldn’t move. I felt petrified. My brain was shutting down; unable to make sense of what it’d just witnessed. I’d just come face-to-face with a ghost. That was all I could think. It was a ghost. They’re real. It hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt like I was going to pass out. My mouth began to move but no sound came out until the reality of the situation smacked me in the chest like it was kick-starting my heart again.
I’d just seen a ghost; a full-bodied apparition in my room. Her image was burnt into my brain. She’d been there; right in front of me! She’d pointed at me! Ghosts are real…
“Holy fu--…”
♠ ♠ ♠
That's it for the first instalment of my Zak Bagans story! If you want to know what life is like for Zak, Lily, and Avaya post-Ghost Adventures, check out the sequel, Strangers which will be starting up very soon! I'm so happy you guys liked this one and I hope you feel the same about the second part. :) Thank you for subscribing and recommending and commenting! It means a lot to me.