Status: on hiatus while i do some rewrites. bear with me.
The Twelve Percent
Dozen
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A cold mug of raspberry brewed coffee and a toasted yet cooled poppy seed bagel. A couple of ghosts sitting at the table. A word document filled with mostly nothing but a few somewhat helpful clues. These were my life right now.
The little television on the kitchen counter was on and turned down low. Natalie watched with glassed over eyes while Sabrina talked nonstop and too fast. I picked out the filler words and focused on things that were clues and things that might be clues in the future. All of it went into the document. Occasionally Sabrina would address the ghost in the room. Natalie. On the ghostly plane in which they existed, they could hear each other even when I couldn’t. Ghosts have to work on bringing their voice over to this plane so people like me can hear them. Sabrina had figured it out; but Natalie was getting frustrated at the lack of noise coming from her mouth. Sabrina was the only one of us that could hear her.
Sabrina was finally filling me in on what little of her murderer she saw, when Natalie stood up so fast she was standing in the table. I raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s wrong, Nat?” She started waving frantically and yelling silently. Sabrina followed Nat’s arms with eyes growing wide. I turned and saw what they were worried about.
I reached for the remote and turned up the volume on the TV.
“If you’re just tuning in with us,” A blonde reporter in a skirt suit stood in front of dozens of flashing emergency lights. “The Dozen Killer has struck again. Police have confirmed that another teenage girl has been stabbed to death tonight near the Teratone Gazette offices. Police are not releasing any further information at this time. Stay with us as more unfolds about tonight’s tragedy.”
I muted the television and leaned back into my chair.
“Well, shit.”
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Bag over my shoulder, I hopped out of the car and headed towards the police tape. I eyed the Gazette building warily. If they had any hidden cameras that I hadn’t seen then any employees were outside might recognize me. Of course, it was nearly two am so chances were that they were all gone.
Natalie couldn’t seem to pull herself together enough to come with me, so Sabrina had come in her place. She appeared beside me as I stood on my tiptoes to see over the heads in front of me. Sabrina simply materialized on the other side of the tape and went to see the girl. She came back with a somber look on her face. “It’s Sara. Sara Ramirez.”
I gave her a small, sad smile. Sara and Sabrina must’ve known each other to some extent. “If she’s around we should find her.” Sabrina murmured.
I patted her shoulder as comfortingly as I could. “Okay. Let’s look around.”
Weaving through a crowd of people looking for a baby ghost was easier said than done. Sara was so new as a ghost that she’d hardly be visible and would be flickering in and out. Sabrina would have much better luck than I because she can see into the ghostly plane where Sara would be mostly. After more than five minutes of searching, Sabrina snapped into visibility in front of me. “I found her.”
Without waiting for a reply Sabrina started walking through the crowd. I had to move quickly trying to wind around the crowd. I couldn’t walk through people. When I caught up to Sabrina we were on the far end, near the corner of the building opposite of where Sara was found. Near where Sabrina had stopped, was a flashing vision of a girl about Sabrina’s age. Ginger red hair and pajamas.
Pajamas?
Inconsistent with the killer’s M.O. but okay. Let’s see where this goes.
“Sara?” Her eyes went wide as she looked towards me. “Hi.” I smiled gently. “I’m Amethyst.”
Sara looked over to Sabrina. “Yes, she can see you. Ame, she doesn’t know what’s happened yet.”
My soft smile fell. Shit. Telling ghosts that they were ghosts was the opposite of fun. I’d rather get four root canals at once than tell a ghost they’re dead. “Sab, take her to see.” Sabrina nodded and took Sara’s fritzing hand. Together they walked past the police tape and towards the circle of personnel; the medical examiner in the middle. Leaning past the M.E., Sab said something to Sara. Sara leaned over the lady kneeling by her body and then disappeared.
Sabrina rematerialized beside me. I sighed. “That never goes well.”
“Before we looked I told her how to find us. She’ll come back.”
I bit my lip and sighed yet again. “They always do.”
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A cold mug of raspberry brewed coffee and a toasted yet cooled poppy seed bagel. A couple of ghosts sitting at the table. A word document filled with mostly nothing but a few somewhat helpful clues. These were my life right now.
The little television on the kitchen counter was on and turned down low. Natalie watched with glassed over eyes while Sabrina talked nonstop and too fast. I picked out the filler words and focused on things that were clues and things that might be clues in the future. All of it went into the document. Occasionally Sabrina would address the ghost in the room. Natalie. On the ghostly plane in which they existed, they could hear each other even when I couldn’t. Ghosts have to work on bringing their voice over to this plane so people like me can hear them. Sabrina had figured it out; but Natalie was getting frustrated at the lack of noise coming from her mouth. Sabrina was the only one of us that could hear her.
Sabrina was finally filling me in on what little of her murderer she saw, when Natalie stood up so fast she was standing in the table. I raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s wrong, Nat?” She started waving frantically and yelling silently. Sabrina followed Nat’s arms with eyes growing wide. I turned and saw what they were worried about.
I reached for the remote and turned up the volume on the TV.
“If you’re just tuning in with us,” A blonde reporter in a skirt suit stood in front of dozens of flashing emergency lights. “The Dozen Killer has struck again. Police have confirmed that another teenage girl has been stabbed to death tonight near the Teratone Gazette offices. Police are not releasing any further information at this time. Stay with us as more unfolds about tonight’s tragedy.”
I muted the television and leaned back into my chair.
“Well, shit.”
|||
Bag over my shoulder, I hopped out of the car and headed towards the police tape. I eyed the Gazette building warily. If they had any hidden cameras that I hadn’t seen then any employees were outside might recognize me. Of course, it was nearly two am so chances were that they were all gone.
Natalie couldn’t seem to pull herself together enough to come with me, so Sabrina had come in her place. She appeared beside me as I stood on my tiptoes to see over the heads in front of me. Sabrina simply materialized on the other side of the tape and went to see the girl. She came back with a somber look on her face. “It’s Sara. Sara Ramirez.”
I gave her a small, sad smile. Sara and Sabrina must’ve known each other to some extent. “If she’s around we should find her.” Sabrina murmured.
I patted her shoulder as comfortingly as I could. “Okay. Let’s look around.”
Weaving through a crowd of people looking for a baby ghost was easier said than done. Sara was so new as a ghost that she’d hardly be visible and would be flickering in and out. Sabrina would have much better luck than I because she can see into the ghostly plane where Sara would be mostly. After more than five minutes of searching, Sabrina snapped into visibility in front of me. “I found her.”
Without waiting for a reply Sabrina started walking through the crowd. I had to move quickly trying to wind around the crowd. I couldn’t walk through people. When I caught up to Sabrina we were on the far end, near the corner of the building opposite of where Sara was found. Near where Sabrina had stopped, was a flashing vision of a girl about Sabrina’s age. Ginger red hair and pajamas.
Pajamas?
Inconsistent with the killer’s M.O. but okay. Let’s see where this goes.
“Sara?” Her eyes went wide as she looked towards me. “Hi.” I smiled gently. “I’m Amethyst.”
Sara looked over to Sabrina. “Yes, she can see you. Ame, she doesn’t know what’s happened yet.”
My soft smile fell. Shit. Telling ghosts that they were ghosts was the opposite of fun. I’d rather get four root canals at once than tell a ghost they’re dead. “Sab, take her to see.” Sabrina nodded and took Sara’s fritzing hand. Together they walked past the police tape and towards the circle of personnel; the medical examiner in the middle. Leaning past the M.E., Sab said something to Sara. Sara leaned over the lady kneeling by her body and then disappeared.
Sabrina rematerialized beside me. I sighed. “That never goes well.”
“Before we looked I told her how to find us. She’ll come back.”
I bit my lip and sighed yet again. “They always do.”
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♠ ♠ ♠
"Dozen" is because he stabs them twelve times. I couldn't think of anything else except ones that were much much stupider than this one. So that's what it is.Had a strike of inspiration and am feeling like writing this story again.
Went through another rough patch and couldn't find it in my to write anything. This story especially was blocked and I couldn't figure out the next step.
I have it now.
xoxo