Disclaimer:

One shots are meant to be short  ( I believe? )

I have no self control on how long these become, I start writing & the rest is history. So get a cuppa, sit back & enjoy reading.  

******************

I never believed in ghosts. Of course there was the odd rumour that someone had seen a ghoulish figure from the past, but I placed it down to the alcohol they consumed.
In my day and age, ghosts were simply a way to scare the naughty children who disobeyed their parents. I never had any children myself, of course. Never got the time too, before it was lights out for me.

Now I believe in the spirit world, because I am one.

How I died is a mystery to me, one minute I was crossing the street to collect my hat, because a woman is not complete without her hat, the next I was here, in some dilapidated building, where the furniture seemed different and a black square box with glass sat in a room in front of a single chair. I read on the newspaper that war was over. But that seems old as well from the yellowed crinkly pages. 

I have no idea why I am here, what I am here for or who sent me here. All I know is that I was ghost, and how did I know that?

From people called investigators. They come in here from time to time and try to poke a reaction, sometimes they get one, other times they don't.

I'm not the only one in this building. There are others, the building is a vastly big space and has many floors, all containing rooms. I believe this is, this was a hotel. 

However, all the other occupants are not as welcoming as me, for example, floor 3 is where a lonely woman lives, she is looking for her baby. I have tried to help her, but her cries are still heard in the middle of the night. She sometimes throws things in a rage.

But not as often as the man on level 4 in room 409. He is rumoured to be a cowboy, from the real old days, where shooting someone in the dirt was justice, or hanging them from their necks in the gaols. He smells of bodily odour and leaves the foul stench wherever he travels.

Floor 7? There are monsters up there that I shall not speak of...

I'm sat in the lobby area, reapplying my lipstick, because a woman should always look her best, when I hear voices. Rising to my feet, I spot a group of men outside, all carrying items and cases. If I had to put any money on it, I would take one guess and say..
Investigators.

The sounds of howls, screams, cries and growls rise through the building, as if they aware of the visitors too, maybe they are, but tonight the place feels charged. Dangerous, unpredictable even.

The first man through the door is the owner. His name is Reed, I've tried speaking with him many times, but he cannot hear me. He seems to be attached to a small square thing, it rings from time to time. I'm sure that if that square ringing box was taken away, he would realise that I was here, trying to talk with him. 

It's most frustrating.

"Here we are guys. This place is yours for the next two days." He says holding the door open where a few men follow in behind him. 

Their clothes are different. 

I step forward, frowning at the clothes as black shirts are now without the collars, suit pants are now black denim. Is this fashion now?

4 men, all different in appearances stand in the lobby, with cases at their feet. Two of the men are tall, I would guess that they are over six feet tall, one is bald with facial hair, whilst the other has a head of thick black hair and slight facial hair. His half of his hair is stood on end, most likely from some kind of gel. The other two are slightly shorter, and both have dark hair, one has his stood up, the other has longer hair tucked behind his ears.

Reed begins speaking, but it is clear he is only talking to one of the men out of the group and that happens to be the six foot man with hair. His arms are large, his waist is small and he has a pair of glasses framing his eyes, I can see tattoos on his arms as well. But none of which look like the type of tattoos sailors and service men give themselves. His are different. 

He is different.

You see, being a part of the afterlife, you get to see things, from other spirits to auras, to beastly animals that people can only dream of. Auras, are shown as clouds that surround a person. All different in colour and size of course. 

A cloudy red shows frustration and anger, whilst a brighter red shows passion and energy.
A dull blue shows that the person is controlling.
Green is for jealousy.
Purple means there is dark magic.
And black is negative. Oh so very negative. 

Now I hear you asking how I know all this? And the answer is quiet simple... This building, as I said is full of spirits but not all these spirits are evil. Some are lost, from different walks of life and have died at different times. I learn a lot from the other spirits here, who have told me that war is in fact over, we have had a black president and now a man who owns hotels and casinos is running America. But none of them can give me an exact year, we simply continue on, timeless and alone in our suffering.

Looking back at the men who are speaking with Reed, I look at their auras, at first it's hard to pick a single colour out of their clouds as there seems to be a lot.

"Well look what we have here." A voice says to my side, making me look over to a female. 

"Good evening Alice." I acknowledge.

She smiles "Evelyn.."

Alice came here many years ago, killed from poison that she injected into herself. It took her a while to come to terms with the ache in her soul and the coldness we all feel now.. 

"Who are these people?" I ask. 

"Investigators. Pretty good ones from what I can recall. There is one missing though. I'm sure of it."

"Really? Reed only brought four in." I tell her.

Alice nods. "There was originally three, the third is no longer here... Look at those auras."

"It's right up your street is it not?" I ask her.

"Absolutely. Three of them are balanced, can you see the bright green?"

I frown "I thought green meant jealousy?"

"Only if it is murky, cloudy." She answers.

"So how come that one isn't?" I ask her looking towards the tall one with glasses and black hair. 

"He never will be... The black in his aura prevents it. See the grey too? That's blocked energy."

"But there is some yellow, bright yellow, that is good, right?"

"It is, it shows he is optimistic. Perhaps he is longing for change. Unfortunately he will not get that, he has that cloudy purple, along with bright purple, which means he has some psychic power about him and that indigo? That means he is sensitive. The man is a ticking time bomb. I also happen to know that he is well known in the spirit world."

"Well, what can he do to help himself?" I ask looking over to see Alice looking at them wide eyed with fear. "What? What is it?"

"He has a demon with him... Good lord." She whispers. 

"How do you know that? Alice?" 

Looking back at the men, I almost give a yelp in fear seeing the small black figure crawling along the floor with glowing green eyes. "Is that what it is?"

"The worst kind." Alice says in a hushed tone. 

"What can we do to get rid of it? The beastly little thing can't stay here. Why has it not disappeared up to level 7 yet?"

Alice looks over at me. "We can pray... But tonight, things are going to get aggressive. We can only hope that it leaves when he does."

***********

I remain beside the men for most of the night, watching over their shoulders as they play around with devices, all whilst trying to keep that little creature away. It can see me, and I it, so it has taken a rather disliking to me and tried to steal one of my gloves, I in turn have chased it off, batting it away with the gloves. At the moment, it has crawled off somewhere else and I can only hope that it has gone for good. 

"Let's split up." Zak suggests. 

He appears to be the leader of the group and I learnt his name when the tall bald headed man shouted for him earlier. Alice has popped in from time to time, and I believe she is the cause of the man yelling earlier in fright. 

I've tutted her actions, especially when she pinched his behind.

"Aaron, you take the third floor and see if you can get any evidence of the woman crying." Zak says. Aaron is the tall bald one. 

"Jay, I want you to control nerve centre, keep an eye on us and do some spirit box back at base."
Jay has the long brown hair that goes behind his ears. 

"Billy, I want you to go to the fourth floor. Find that cowboy."
Billy is the other shorter man, which then leaves Zak. 

"I'll go to floor seven." He decides making my body tense.

I'm surprised that none of the men argue, or even suggest swapping floors, instead, they grab pieces of equipment and leave, until only Zak remains. 

He pulls the small square device from his pocket and pokes it with his finger, it emits light for a few seconds before he slides it back in his pocket. Standing aside, I watch as he says a prayer with his rosaries before heading for the stairwells. He is unaware that I follow behind him. 

As soon as Zak hits the fifth floor, I try to intervene, not wanting him to get to the seventh floor. His aura is chaotic enough, without adding to it. There is no telling what he could unleash if he was to go up there...

It's hard being a spirit, with no physical body, I could not place myself in his way and prevent him from going further. I tried many of times to stop him, but his hand would go through mine, his body would pass straight through and I would have to run up a few more steps to try again.
"I can feel you." He says suddenly, stopping short of the step I was on. "I know you're following me. The question is why?" Pulling out a small circle device, he turns it on and lets static feel the air.

"Who are you?" He asks out loud. 

I watch curious as to what he is doing. 

"If you talk into this speaker, I will be able to hear you." He says making my brows raise. 

Stepping down, I stand next to the speaker and try "Hello." 

There is nothing.

I try again and again and again until I get frustrated with the stupid thing. 

"Work!" I shout and almost jump back in shock when my voice comes through on the speaker. 

"Work? Did you say work?" Zak asks putting what I think is a camera on the speaker. "Are you trying to work out how to use this?" 

"Yes." 

When I hear my voice come through again, it's weak but its there and I beam with joy. My happiness seems to be shared as he smiles brightly before sets down his things and pulls the bag off his back. I watch as he pulls out a small black box and switches it on. 

I feel a crackle in the air, the waves of static seem to surge through me enough to make my energy stronger.

"This is an EMF pump, it will help you communicate, use the energy from this to help you speak.. I know you've tried all night, I've felt you on my shoulder.." He says out loud making me gasp.

When Alice said he was sensitive, I never imagined he would be like this. His aura is a watercolour, it's muddled but there is some positives to the negatives.. He could feel me, I can finally communicate after all this time.

"Who are you?" He asks. 

"Evelyn." I tell him, feeling stronger as I stand beside him.

"Evelyn. I heard Evelyn. Hi Evelyn. Do you know my name?" 

"Zak."

"I heard it say Zak!" He exclaims excitedly. "What do you want Evelyn?" 

"To protect."

"Protect from what?"

"Evil." I tell him. 

"To protect me from evil.. What year is it Evelyn?" He asks. 

"I don't know."

"What year did you die?" He probes.

"1940." I tell him, feeling overcome with sadness that the world is no longer the same.

My answer seems to make him pause and the emotions flood his face. "Evelyn, I can feel your sadness.." He says quieter. 

I reach out, laying my hand on his shoulder for comfort as he wipes his eyes quickly.
"You're lost. Why are you stuck in this place?"

"I am dead." I tell him, hoping that he will understand that when we pass, we are all lost until we find our meaning.

"I know you are sweetie.. God this is so sad. I can feel her energy!" He exclaims before dropping onto his knees. 

I pull my hand away, afraid that I've hurt him in some way, when he speaks into a radio. "Aaron this is Zak, come in?"

"Aaron to Zak. Receiving." Aaron replies. 

"Come to the stairwell, bring the SLS. I got someone here and I..." He stops and closes his eyes. 

"I'm on the way bro."

I try to say sorry, I try to apologise for what I've seem to have done, but it falls flat. Angry that I cannot be heard, I go for the speaker, only to send it clattering down the step. 

"Holy shit!" Zak shouts as Aaron runs up the steps towards him. "Did you get that?!"

"I got it dude! Bro!"

I rush down the steps and try to see what damage I have done when Aaron freezes. "Oh... Oh god."

"You feel it?"

"I wanna cry man, what is happening? Who are you speaking to?" Aaron asks as I stop at the speaker and try to pick it up. 

I fail, repeatedly.

"Evelyn. Are you still here?" Zak ask.

"Yes!" I shout, but I can't hear myself and it seems as though they can't hear me too as Zak's shoulders sag. 

"I'M HERE! HELLO!!!" 

"What are you doing?!" Alice hisses appearing from nowhere. 

Despite being here for so long, and knowing I have no physical body, her appearing in the air still frightens me half to death.  The irony in that, right?

"He can hear me!" I tell her excitedly, ready to run back to that energy pump when she pulls me aside.

"Move!"

I fall back with her just in time to see the little black creature lunge for Zak and sit neatly on his shoulder, glowering at us.

"Get off him, right now!" I demand making it's eyes shine brighter.

"We have no jurisdiction here.." Alice whispers quietly to me. "That pump is ramping this place up and that thing... Is loving it." 

I watch as it moves between his shoulders, causing Zak to lean forward and rub his neck. "My neck is burning bro." He complains to Aaron.

"What is it doing to him?" I ask Alice as both men begin talking to each other. 

"It's taking all his energy.."

"Does he know about this demon?" I ask her.

She nods "He has tried to remove it, but the blocked energy has kept it from moving on. He is stuck with this. The man has a black mark on his soul."

"But why?"

"Because he has seen evil. He has taunted demons and for that, they remember him. This one is nothing to what awaits him upstairs."

"That's if he gets up there." I tell her, watching as he rubs his forehead.

"There is nothing you can do, Evelyn." Alice informs me, but I do not listen. I've made him stop once, I'll make him do it again...

******

Level 6. 

The little creature has been biting at my skirt for quiet some time, hanging me like I am some amusement ride. Alice has even taken to slapping it down a few times, but it hops right back on. The result is me feeling slower, weaker and tired.

"Why do I feel like this?" I ask her, watching Zak and Aaron investigate ahead.

"Because it is trying to destroy what power you have."

"I have nothing." I tell her. 

"You connected. You and Zak. Did you feel it?" She asks making me stop in my tracks. 

"Excuse me?"

"The charge.. You connected with him spiritually. I sensed it, which is how I found you so quickly." She explains.

"But he had a energy pump. All I felt was that." 

"You felt the static, then felt it go through you, yes?"

I nod.

"But it was different, wasn't it?"

"Internal, external, it will do." I tell her but she simply shakes her head. "You connected, he will remember you after this. I connected with Reed, which is why he will not sell this place."

"The flowers are for you?" I ask remembering every few days he brings flowers into the hotel. 

"Don't sound so surprised." She answers before sauntering ahead as the men disappear into a hotel room. I follow after her, determined to find out more.

"Look at all this stuff bro." Zak says to Aaron as he crouches down and picks up pieces of paper. "It's like this place just closed."

"Reed said he hasn't done anything with the building... He was going to sell it, but he changed his mind." Aaron says. 

I don't miss the pleased look on Alice's face.

I frown at the men as they sift through the rubbish scattering the floor. "What are they doing?"

"Watch.." Alice whispers. 

Zak seems to be looking for something, as he sets his camera down and begins clawing at the stacks of paper. Aaron's searching ceases as he watches Zak through a small green screen. 

"What is he looking for?" I sigh feeling pity for this man, especially when the little creature begins shoving the papers in his way. The clever little abomination makes it look as though its falling in his way...

"What are you doing, dude? What are you looking for?" Aaron asks him. 

"I don't know. Something is telling me to keep going. Keep looking.. Help me bro?" Zak asks as he grabs hands full of paper and throws them aside. 

Once I spot floorboard, I step forward, ready to see what he may or may not have found when he pushes his hand under the dresser. When he pulls away, he has a small brooch in his hand and a shocked look on his face.

"What the fuck?" Aaron asks looking at him. "What is that dude?"

"I.. I don't know. A pin? Like a woman's pin? A brooch? Is- Where is my flashlight?"

Aaron pulls one from his pocket and illuminates Zak's hand, making me smile instantly.
"It's a brooch."

"Is it a trumpet brooch?" Aaron asks as I place my hand on Zak's shoulder and lower myself to his level.

"No it's an orchid." I say, forgetting that they can't hear me. 

"Evelyn.." Alice says cautiously as I reach out for it.

"I thought it was lost forever." I tell her, wanting to feel it again. Remembering the moment I was gifted such an item. 

"It's yours?" Alice asks me. I nod weakly.

"My goodness.." I breathe as my fingers fall through it. 

"Evelyn, I can feel you again. Is this yours?" Zak asks.

I feel a part of me long for it, to hold it. There was a piece of me missing all this time and I did not know it. How could I have not realised? How was this not found sooner?

"God, I wanna cry." Zak says to Aaron. 

"It's a heavy feeling in here, bro. You think it's the ghost you've been speaking to?"
"I know it is..."

"I want it." I tell Alice, looking over to her.

She looks at me with sympathy "Evelyn-"

"But-But it's mine." I tell her. "This is it, this is what I've been missing. He found it! Doesn't this mean I can leave? I can go? To whatever awaits? I won't be in limbo anymore?"

"It's not that simpl-"

"What do I do with it?" Zak asks making my head snap back to him.

"I don't know bro, it looks pretty expensive, to expensive to leave here. Perhaps we should give it to Reed? See what he wants to do with it." Aaron suggests.

I watch as Zak pockets the brooch and gets up, taking in the mess he had created with his vigorous searching. The little black creature crawls off the piles of paper and onto Zak, hanging on the back of his shirt awaiting a ride. 

"I've got pain in my spine.." He mutters causing Aaron to move the camera towards his back. 

"Like you've been scratched?" 

"No, like in my actual spine. It hurts man." 

I reach out and swipe the little vile thing off him causing it to hiss and run away. "Little beast!" I call after it.

When I look back to Zak, wondering on his condition, I find his hand a few millimetres away from mine. "Oh my god! Aaron can you feel this? It's ice cold here! Give me your hand?"

Aaron's hand shoots out towards me too as I look at the pair, clearly overwhelmed at the sensation. "Bro it's freezing! You think it's that lady? You think she knows you found that brooch? Dude what if it's hers?!" 

"It is!" I beam at Aaron who has cleverly connected all the dots. 

"Evelyn.." Alice speaks from behind me.

"It's mine. Oh blasted! You can't hear me!" I huff, stomping my foot in annoyance. "How am I going to get you to turn that thing on again?"

Rushing away, I look around the room for something to move, anything to push, pull or even throw. If that little creature can do it, so can I!

"Evelyn..."

"Alice help me move something, we should be able to do it if we both try." I say. 

"Evelyn-"

"What?" I ask realising she hadn't moved an inch. 

"You need to stop.." She says with concern written on her face.

"Stop? Why do I need to stop? I need to act now! This is it!" I exclaim. 

Alice disappears before reappearing at my side. "Look at me.." I turn my eyes to her. "You are connecting with this man far too much-"

"You connect with Reed." I point out.

"For the sake of our home, I need to. He owns the building and I do not want it torn down. I've come to love these walls. But this isn't about me. It's about you.. Sweetheart, you are preparing yourself for a big release and I don't think you quiet understand. Reed may suggest leaving it here." She says causing the smile to drop from my face. 

"W-what? Why? Why would he suggest that?" I ask.

"It's part of the building-"

"No, it's mine. It has nothing to do with this place!" I snap.

"Okay, say that he takes it, and Reed sells it? Then what?" She asks me. 

I open my mouth to respond before closing it again, not really sure on what I can say in reply to that. What if he did sell it? What would happen to me?

"I don't mean to kill your joy but be prepared for the worst... After all, it has happened to me." She answers softly before walking through the wall and disappearing. 

It's as though the light I lost all those years ago has been stolen again, as I feel my spirit deflate. Alice was right, I should be prepared for the worst, but being stuck here, lost and in limbo like this felt as though this was the worst. But what if it wasn't? What if there is more pain to come?

*****

I spend the rest of the night away from Zak, worrying on what is going to happen when Reed comes tomorrow morning. I hope Zak will do what is best. 

He seems like a good person, in a bad situation and I only wish I could stay around to bat that little creature away when it began climbing on him. It was clear to see that he was struggling to control his anger at stages throughout the night and I put it down to the little demon. 

When morning finally dawns, I wait in the lobby, watching the men pack away their cases of equipment and check their little pocket ringers. I think they are called Cell phones. Odd things, they are. Three of the four are sat on the cases in the end, all consumed in whatever they are seeing on their screens. That's when I notice Zak, slumped in the corner, with his back against the wall, fiddling with the brooch in his fingers. Thoughts filling his face as he twists it around looking at it in more detail. 

"What am I going to do with you?" He asks as I settle down beside him. 

For a split second, I think he can see me when he smiles, his eyes are almost connected with mine and the small gesture almost makes me weep.

"You okay bro?" One of the men call over.

"I think I can see her." Zak says making me gasp. "In my minds eye, you know?"

"What does she look like?" 

"Brown hair, like chestnut. She has green eyes and a beauty spot.. It's so clear." He says looking towards me again as I put a hand over my mouth in amazement. 

"He isn't like the others." Alice says, repeating her words from earlier in the night. It's the first time she has came back since divulging that piece of information with me. 

"I can see that now." I answer placing my hand on his in a hopes that he can feel it. "I only wish he felt the warmth he has given me tonight.."

"He feels it as cold. It's not a negative for him, it's reassurance." 

I wipe a tear away as Reed opens the front doors and greets them all with a cheerful "Good morning."

They all return his greeting before filing out with loads of their cases until finally, Zak is left with Reed.

"Can I have a word?" 

Reed nods and follows him across the lobby until they are stood at the large windows. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes and... And well, no." Zak answers. "Tonight I connected with a spirit. A woman."

"Okay." Reed nods.

I listen intently as Zak goes through the evidence he collected and even playing back a recording of my voice, something I didn't know he had. "I also found this and I think it belongs to her." Zak says pulling the brooch from his pocket. "I know people say its best to leave things where you find them, but something took over me and I clawed through papers to find it. It was like I knew it was there... I can't really explain it."

"I know what you mean, I've found a few things like that." Reed says easing Zak's confusion slightly.

"I think it's too expensive to just leave here on the floor and I was wondering if you wanted to take it? Maybe keep it somewhere safe?" 

Reed takes the brooch from Zak's palm and looks at it before smiling. "I have a better idea.."

I watch as Reed places it back in Zak's palm. "You take it."

"What?" Alice, Zak and myself all say at the same time.

"I know what kind of place you have in Vegas, take it. Place it in your museum. I fear that I will lose it or it will be damaged, but in a glass cabinet, on display? Well I think that is the most fitting place for a piece like that."

"You're serious." Zak says quietly. 

"I am. You connected with Evelyn, she has clearly moved you. So I want you to have it."

"Are you sure you don't want to keep it?" 

Reed laughs. "I have an entire building to keep. You take it."

Zak smiles before closing his hand over the brooch. "Thank you.. Thank you so much."

"He's taking it." I whisper to Alice. 

"Go with him." Alice says. "Go and see the world like I can. This was your tie and he found it. Explore and look after this man."

"I can do that now?"

She nods. "You only have to follow."

When Zak finishes his conversation with Reed, he leaves the building, and I for the first time, step foot outside the hotel. I feel a tug in my spirit and I find myself moving with Zak towards the car. 

I get in his open door and sit myself in the back of the car, directly behind him. With a tired sigh, he gets in and closes the door before pulling the brooch from his pocket again. 

It looks small in his large hands, but he is gentle with it as he soothes his thumb over the metal. "I couldn't leave you behind, even if I wanted to. I know you're here Evelyn. I can still feel you."

I place my hand on his shoulder.

His eyes water slightly "Be prepared for my museum or my home. I haven't decided on where you're going to go yet. But you're staying with me for the foreseeable."

My smile only grows as I settle with that decision. A whole new world is out there for me to explore and it's only going to get more wackier. I'm ready for it, for whatever it has to bring, because this man has made it possible and I don't intend on wasting my chance. I owe him more than what I could ever give. 

He's given me something back I thought I had lost many many years ago...

Hope.