"Where are you, Zeke? Wake up, we're going ghost hunting." Lekan said to the dark. She was leaning against the big sign in front of the girls dormitory and stupidly waiting for Zeke to appear out of thin air. She started to feel a little foolish and cold when she noticed the shadow in front of her.

He did not look amused and neither was she.

"You heard me the first time and you didn't think to show yourself." She snapped. Zeke gave a slow smile.

"I thought to let you stew for a while, idiot." He said flatly. "After all, you did back out of our deal."

Lekan refused to let herself feel guilt. "Yes, I did, because of me. You don't understand how it feels to be the hero all your life, to the extent that you have no time to be selfish, to let yourself do something because it was something you wanted to do."

"Judge me when you've felt that way." She snapped.

Zeke sighed, twisting a lock of his dread. "I'm sorry."

Lekan was taken aback. She didn't expect him to apologize so easily.

"Well, you're forgiven." She said. "I think I might need your help."

"The last time I checked, you said you wanted no part in finding my killer." Zeke said.

"This isn't just about you anymore. People are dying and I think it is related to you." Lekan told him, pushing herself off the wall and cursing herself for coming outside without a sweater.

"I've always thought so." Zeke pointed out then shut up when Lekan shot him a glare.

"So, what now?"

"I met with the girlfriend of one of the boys that died, she was going through his stuff."

"That seems normal." Zeke said, falling in step with her as she began to walk, he didn't even as where they were going to, Lekan wondered if he trust her or if he did because he couldn't exactly talk to anyone else. "What is abnormal is you guys finding love in this dump of place."

Lekan snorted a laugh, it was indeed strange, she couldn't imagine liking anyone romantically in Mary Slessor, no matter how hard she tried to forget, she still remembered that they weren't in Mary Slessor for a vacation, they were here because they were all fugitives of the law.

Zeke cast her a sideway glance. "That wasn't an insult directed at you humble criminals. Criminals can find love." He babbled nervously.

Lekan shook her head. "I'm not offended, it is strange." Before she knew it, she was reaching out unconsciously to touch his shoulder then flinching back when she made contact with cold skin. Zeke didn't look offended but she was mortified, that she had let down her guard, and scared of how he looked and felt so much like the living. She didn't give him an opportunity to comment on it.

"So, I met his girlfriend, and she told me she suspected foul play."

"Tone down your big words." Zeke teased. "Foul play, like murder, right?"

Lekan nodded as they took the path that led down to the cafeteria. "Murder yes, she was certain he wasn't suicidal."

"That could be grief, most people won't admit it."

"No, that's not all. Apparently, he was sneaking out of his room midnight to the cafeteria for strange night class."

"So is that why we are here?" Zeke asked as they stopped in front of the building.

"Yes, but I have been out for hours, and I haven't seen anyone sneak out."

"So he lied about it." Zeke said.

Lekan shrugged. "Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, there's only one way to find out."

She marched up the little steps leading up to the door, knowing that they were never locked and pushed open the big doors slowly, wincing as they creaked. When she looked back, Zeke smirked.

"See you inside." He gave a mocking wave and disappeared like he had never even been there.

Lekan shivered, she would never get used to him. She pushed open the door a little more and tried to sashay through the small gap, while cursing herself for her voluptuous hips. She let out a little whoop when she managed to squeeze through.

She blinked in the darkness, fumbling for the flashlight she snagged off the lobby desk. A second later, a beam of light was pointed directly at Zeke's less than impressed face.

"Good, you're here." She told him and flicked the torch to tee chairs and tables that were stacked in the corner of the wide hall. Usually, Cook had them stacked after each meal then rearranged before the next meal, she called to exercise, Lekan called it torture. Now, it was a good thing, it meant she wouldn't be stumbling into anything.

"You know," Lekan jumped when she heard Zeke's voice from behind her. "Other ghosts would have taken offense at being treated that way, the light in my face was very rude."

"Jesus, stop speaking as if you've met other ghosts." Or as if other ghosts haunt Mary Slessor.

Zeke went quiet which was unusual for him, his voice was quiet when he spoke again.

"I did meet one, once."

"What happened to him?"

"Her, and she moved on, I never saw her again."

Lekan didn't know what to say so she walked to the empty corner at the end of the hall, she hopped across it, her sandal clad feet thudding loudly.

"This is the kitchen." She pointed at the closed door. She tried the knob and was pleased when it creaked beneath her grip, she hadn't thought of what would happen if the door turned out closed.

She closed the door after Zeke entered and was disappointed when she discovered the small space empty of anyone. She shook her head and thought herself stupid for expecting a room full of boys 'studying'.

She was prepared to turn back, to suggest that the searched they dinning space instead when she felt cold hands on her shoulders.

"Don't touch me." She snarled, scurrying away.

"Shut up, for once. Can you hear that?" Zeke snapped. Lekan quietened, and listened.

There was a low drip drip sound that stopped and return every few seconds.

"Someone left the tap running." Lekan said.

She saw Zeke shake his head, his dreads whipping side to side making Lekan wonder if she would feel real hair if she reached out to touch a lock.

"Not only that, someone was here recently."

Lekan held her breath as she closed the small distance to the kitchen sink and indeed, the tap was dripping, but it wasn't what held her gaze, it was the small blue journal in the sink, soggy wet.

She directed the beam of the light to the journal, and was able to make out the blue ink scrawled on the hard cover; sas — Osas.

What was Osas's Blue Water Journal doing in the sink? What secrets could the ink in it be hiding? And why was someone so determined to hide it?

"I found this." Lekan reached out to pick the wet journal but Zeke was staring at the end of the small kitchen. It was only when she peered closer did she notice that she wasn't staring at a plain wall, it was a door. Lekan brushed past Zeke to touch a hand to cold metal door.

There was no knob in sight and neither did it give away when she pushed at it, there was something on it though, a small slot that looked like a keyhole at first.

"It's a keyhole." Zeke exclaimed.

"No, it's not, it's a grate." Lekan mused aloud, gingerly touching a finger to the small space. "But you're right, it is a keyhole of sorts, we just don't know what fits in through here."

"We need to leave, before someone finds us here."

"Great, another mystery to solve." Zeke complained bitterly and Lekan cast him a surprised look, she had never heard him sound anything but cheery.

This time, she let her shoulder brush with his, and she did not recoil.

"I swear to you, we will find out the truth, this is progress, no matter how small."

***

The ink in the journal was too blotted for Lekan to read clearly, whoever had kept the journal lying in the sink had clearly wanted it that way and it was scary, that the idea of a serial murderer was slowly becoming a reality. It brought clarity, but it also distracted her throughout the day. The journal now lay buried among her things in her backpack.

She only felt a semblance of normal when Dr. Munachi arrived, when her usual session was over, she called Lekan to the side and asked that they use the Warden's office for the lessons.

Lekan wasn't sure whether to be excited or wary of the doctor's excitement when she announced that it was better they sat on the floor than on the Warden's plush seats. Dr. Munachi laid a blue and white checkered blanket that matched with Lekan's uniform and declared they sit.

The doctor sat down first and Lekan followed, sitting with her legs folded Indian style.

Dr. Munachi fished out a notebook from her heavy handbag, Lekan jokingly wondered if she carried a witch wand like witches did in movies, or maybe she liked to carry the bones of children instead.

"I will be taking notes to record your progress, with your permission of course."

Lekan nodded. "You can do whatever you want to, I just want to make sure you're holding up your part of the bargain."

To the doctor's credit, she did not express her disapproval as she fished out a brand new smartphone and handed it over.

"If you get caught with this, I don't want my name mentioned, face the consequences." Dr. Munachi said firmly.

"Sleek, good choice." Lekan muttered, she didn't bother to browse through it. "And?"

Munachi sighed. "I did not find anything concerning the death I'd Zeke Folarin Badmus, people die everyday, Lekan and not all of them are documented."

Lekan wasn't surprised, although it had been worth a shot. "Thank you."

"Good, can we begin now?"

"Yes."

"I mentioned you being a medium when we first met, but your abilities are so much more powerful than that." Munachi began saying. "There are only three types of people still blessed with magic, like witches, seers and conveys, even now, there are only a few of our kind left."

"Conveys?" It wasn't a word Lekan had ever heard been used to describe magical beings.

"Yes, that is what you are, Lekan. Conveys are not just humans who communicate with lost souls, they are also guidance for lost souls. A fully realized Convey's duty is to guide lost souls to rest."

"Your power is one that is envied in our world, it is why a cult like Blood Moon was formed — as a cheap imitation, you need to know and understand our history before you can understand your own power."

"Blue Water was created with the intention to unify and keep ancient magic alive in a time period where it was dying, becoming something of a myth —"

Dr. Munachi was already moving excitedly unto her next words but Lekan stopped her with a quiet wave.

"I've done that before." Lekan admitted quietly.

Dr. Munachi paused, looking up from whatever she had been scribbling down on the empty page then looking back down to write some more.

"Done what?"

"Guided a lost soul to rest." Lekan said. Dr. Munachi let out a soft scoff that offended her.

"Lekan, that is almost impossible without a little guidance of your own, I —"

"Excuse me."

Both women's gaze whirled to the short woman wearing an apron and standing by the open door. Her lips pursed in eternal irritation, it was Cook.

"Excuse me, Doctor, I have come to fetch Lekan."

Lekan stood at once, feeling ice fill her bones. The changes were so sudden that she was confused on what to focus on, she wondered what change Cook had brought with her.

"Has something happened?"

Cook gave a negative shake of her head. "No, but the Warden was just released from police custody and is in the lobby of the girls dormitory, waiting, he has asked to see you."

***

There was a young boy that was always waiting outside the orphanage, every time the girl went outside, sent on an errand, she would see him and when she returned home at night, he would be sitting dutifully at the gates.

For so long, the girl thought he was living, alive like her until she noticed it was only her who saw him. The girl, naive walked up to him one day and tapped his shoulder.

"You can see me?" The boy asked.

The girl nodded. "Who are you waiting for?"

"My sister, I said I wouldn't go, that I would always watch for her."

He looked up at the girl his age with hopeful eyes.

"Have you seen her?"

"Your sister lives, your sister loves, you sister breathes and she will do so even after you are gone, you are tying yourself here."

"You do not live, your place is not here and you can and will still love her from afar, distance will never matter."

It was all she told him, but the girl never saw that boy again.