Knowing he had no chance of reaching his laptop, Cassidy, still moving, winced as it collided with the wall.

Except...

There was no collision.

He stumbled to a halt. The computer was floating in front of him, only millimetres from the wall it had been flying towards. It turned in the air until the screen and keyboard were facing him. There was a soft tapping sound, and he saw the keys depressed by an unseen hand. In the search bar of the browser, Amy was writing a message.

He assumed it was Amy, unless his laptop was now also haunted.

I SAID NO!

She had said no. Yes, indeed. Cass had told himself he'd listen to her. It was Amy's choice, and no one else's. So why didn't he listen to either of them? Why had he been so obstinate and insistent that he knew best? Was Elise right when she'd said he didn't listen?

No. She wasn't. He usually did listen. On this occasion, however, he'd believed he knew best. In an entirely unfamiliar position, he was entirely prepared. He knew what needed to be done, against the objections of the main participant. That wasn't him. Elise had a habit of ensuring everyone listened to her. She would speak over you, in an even, yet piercing tone. It drilled into your ears to the point you had to take notice or you'd fear your brain would fry and leak out of your ears to puddle on your shoulders and drip down your arms.

It'd be a nightmare to get out, too.

He took hold of the laptop and pulled it towards him, expecting it to come freely. It lingered, as if tacked in place by ectoplasmic tape. Come on Amy. Let go.

"I'm sorry," he said, aware apologies were becoming more commonplace than he'd prefer. "I thought it was for the best, and you were just afraid. I'll listen to you in future."

Tap, tap, tap.

OK.

The device was freed, and Cass closed the lid. That's enough of that. For now, at least. He returned to the mirror, holding the computer close to his chest.

"If you don't want to find the man who did this to you, that's up to you. I won't interfere. If you change your mind, I'll help."

Thank you.

I'm not ready.

Not yet.

After seven years, she wasn't ready? How long was it going to take?

"I understand. It's your..." He was going to say 'life,' but stopped himself. "Decision."

It is, yes.

I don't want you hurt.

And you would be.

The guy was a murderer, so she probably had a point. Murderers tended to not be nice people. The type to be avoided. Cass should keep that in mind the next time he wanted to take control and not listen to sound advice. Amy knew the man. She knew what he'd done to her, and it would likely have been violent. His ego could take the day off for the sake of self preservation and empathy.

"You're right."

I know.

Let's change the subject, eh?

"So... How do you do that?"

How did I do what?

"With the laptop. How did you make it fly through the air? For that matter, how did you do that on the stairs, too?"

Have you seen the movie Poltergeist?

"Yes. Good film."

It is.

"So, is that what you are?"

No.

And it's nothing like that.

"Well, that's helpful."

I try.

Oh, you do. You do try.

"You don't want to tell me, then?"

It's a joke.

Can't you take a joke?

When it's clearly a joke, yeah. When you don't have a face or voice to give context, not so much.

"S..." No, don't apologise. "Sure. I can take a joke. I'm messing with you."

Good.

I thought I had the wrong idea about you.

"What idea's that?"

That you're a nice guy.

And understand sarcasm.

"I do understand sarcasm when it's used properly. Being dead has stunted your growth."

He laughed, so she could hear he wasn't being serious. If he needed to take it, so did she. The laughing emoji appeared, and Cassidy relaxed. When had he become tense?

"I'd like to know," he said. "If you'd like to tell me."

I just can.

"OK? What does that mean?"

Exactly that.

I don't have the words.

On the stairs, I had to stop you.

You'd fall.

"But you didn't just control my body, like with the laptop. You, like, messed with my reality. You weren't lifting me back up the stairs. You kept me where I was, when I knew I was walking down each step."

I know.

It's like instinct.

No. Not that.

I need it and it's there.

"Do you know what else you can do, or how far it reaches?"

No.

Only when I need it.

It's not like a superpower.

I don't wear a cape!

Do you wear anything? Do you have form of any kind?

"Nor do I, and I'm pretty super." Cassidy said, grinning.

I'll take your word for that.

Lacking proof.

😊

"Well, you're doing a great job with me and my laptop. We've both had the pleasure of... whatever it is."

Yes.

For good reason.

"Yes, absolutely. I'd have preferred you to talk to me before chucking my lappie across the room."

I tried.

Not my fault you don't listen.

He didn't think it was his fault she didn't have a voice, but he took her point. The near destruction of his computer was down to him.

"How far do they reach?"

Only the house.

Not outside.

I can move things, like you.

I can change the temperature.

Make smells.

"Ah, so that was you when I moved in?"

It was.

I wanted to welcome you.

"You should have said. Thank you."

It's fine.

Cassidy has so many more questions to ask. He didn't want Amy to feel as if she were on display or a freak, so decided to save them for another time. If she could do those things, there could be no end to what else was possible. It might be that there was nothing else. She'd exhausted her range of abilities. She wasn't a test subject, however. He wasn't prepared to push her.

He noticed the time between messages was lengthening. Each line took a touch longer than the previous to appear. She must have been tiring. She still had some way to go until she was up to her full strength, whatever that meant. He'd give her time to rest. It would give him time to reflect.

He wanted to go out, anyway. He wanted some company. Something other than the author of disembodied words. He enjoyed talking to Amy, he wouldn't deny that. She wasn't physical, though. Having her to interact with was great, he thought. Unfortunately, it was making him lonely for physical contact. He had come from a long-term relationship to living alone. It was far from a craving, but it was something of a need.

Throughout his childhood, there had been pets in the family home. Once, they'd had a budgerigar. Cassidy had found the bird annoying. It didn't have an off switch, and Ethan found it hilarious to let the thing out and then go out. It would be down to the younger brother to run around after it, trying to catch it and hoping it didn't shit anywhere along the way.

There'd been a cat, Merlin. He was a blue Persian, and became Cassidy's shadow, following him everywhere in the house or garden. He'd never venture outside, preferring his home comforts more than exploring the world beyond the garden fence. Merlin liked to lay across Cass's shoulders when the boy was watching television. He'd lay across Cass's wrists when the internet was being surfed.

On the one, single occasional that Merlin crossed the boundary to outside, through the gate that had otherwise always swung shut and latched, the cat discovered the road. And how fast cars could go. And that wheels and felines didn't make good companions.

Mainly, there had been dogs. Lucky, who wasn't, Butch, a male name for a female hound, Lady and Ben. Not all at the same time, though there was a short crossover period between Butch and Lady. Each had distinctly differing personalities. Lucky was playful and had a never quelled supply of energy. Butch was grumpy and liked to only be touched when she was prepared for it. At those times, she was loving. She'd lay as close into your leg as she could, while you sat stroking her. Then she'd bore of it, or get too hot, and slide off to be alone. Ben was clumsy and difficult to train. He was also the three siblings' favourite. Ben tried to be a good dog, and succeeded most of the time. For the rest, he wasn't bad, he was just foolish. His sense of direction, smell and depth seem to abandon him. It left him running into doors or walls. Missing the thrown ball. Headbutting his food bowl. Ben never hurt himself, and Jazz had wondered if the folly was done deliberately to entertain them.

Since leaving home, Cassidy had owned two dogs. Ebony, an all black Border Collie that was originally his father's, but he took in when his dad became too old to look after it. Ebony became his new owner's shadow and was easily the most obedient animal he'd had ever know. Misty, who he'd bought when he and Elise moved in together, was less so. A Cockerpoo with the intelligence of a garden worm, Misty was batty and barmy and bewildering. To Cass, Misty was also amazing, her complete lack of sense only adding to her charm.

To Elise, the dog was annoying. An irritation to be told to get down. Get away. Stop. No. Off!

Misty disappeared one day while Cass was at work. She'd, apparently, ran out when Elise had opened the front door. Elise had chase after the escapee, but Misty had vanished into the nearby park. She'd been chasing something. Maybe a squirrel? Elise had shouted, but 'that mutt had never liked me. She wasn't going to come if I had a prime rump steak in my hand for her.'

It wasn't true. Misty adored her, despite the constant negativity. Cassidy believed his partner. Why wouldn't he? She wouldn't lie about something like that. She wouldn't lie at all, not Elise.

He'd seen, while scanning through Facebook, a local dog breeder. He found all puppies adorable, and one in particular had captured his attention.

"I'll let you rest," he told Amy. "I'll come back soon. When you've got your strength back, leave me a message to let me know, OK?"

OK.

Thank you.

Don't be gone too long, will you?

"I won't," he said.

He didn't plan to be gone long. As much as Amy sounded as if she was eager to continue talking to him, he felt the same enthusiasm. She was cynical, sarcastic and not a typical spirit. Where were her clanking chains? She was the Ghost of Murders Past, but what the Dickens did that mean? Cass smiled at his pun.

What's so funny?

Erm... Gotcha!

"Nothing. I like talking to you. I'm just smiling."

See you soon.

"See you soon."

https://youtu.be/IdtI4diJd_A