"But... I can't do this without you, Stel." Arielle's lower lip quivered, and biting down on it didn't help control the shaking. "You're the medium, you channel all the ghosts."

Steering them into the hotel parking lot, Stella grunted. "That Penny girl came for you, Ari. Not me." She parked, pulled out the keys, and dropped them in her lap. "You should go home. Don't pursue this, don't push forward. Come home where Mom can perform a cleansing or something. I haven't learned how to do those." She let out a weak, disheartened chuckle. "Since I've declined my destiny my whole life."

"Stel..."

"Look." Stella shifted to her, placed her palm on her upper arm and squeezed. "I'm no professional, far from it. But the second I embraced all this, everything became clear. Ghosts, the afterlife, all that crap... it's no joke. Mom told me to take it seriously, and now... I do." Her grip tightened and Arielle winced. "Listen to me. I don't dish out warnings, not about this. I usually instruct you to yell at me if my leggings make me fatter than I already am—"

"—Stella! You are not fat!"

"Don't change the subject!" She huffed, using her other hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "We were wrong to push. I was wrong, and this has taken a wild and unpredictable turn. Jade... we can't get to her, and this trip to commemorate her has gone far enough. We visited the places she wanted us to, we got spooked like she would have loved us to be, we got fucking haunted, and now... we need to leave. Ditch the board like I told you to and go home."

A pool of dread jiggled in Arielle's stomach whenever she moved, and her lungs tightened every time she breathed. Every wheeze sounded like a scream yearning for her to think this through, but... she couldn't stop.

I've taken this so far already... there's no way I can turn back.

"I need actual answers, so I have to keep going. At each stop we make puzzle pieces appear, a landscape forms, and I'm seeing things, patterns, stuff like that." She gulped, already regretting her decision—but adamant on looking confident in front of Stella. If she didn't... Stella would use any tiny opening to change her mind. "I'm scared beyond belief, but... Jade is out there, and I have to make sure she's okay. What happens after death—"

"—is not something you can get answers to, Ari!" Stella grabbed both her shoulders this time and shook her. "Please, wake the fuck up! My mom couldn't see her, I can't see her—she's gone. That Penny chick lied, Jade moved on, and she's toying with us. If you look for ghosts again she'll find you, and that won't be good. Heck, she's probably latched on to both of us by now and..."

"She's a ghost. Dead. She can't hurt me." Paranormal movies and TV reality shows said otherwise, but as much as she'd convinced herself spirits were real and something waited after death, Arielle wouldn't believe the deceased had means to harm the living. And even with the flashes of her encounter with the suicide girl—the blood, the puddles, the blinking lights, the horror-vibe—she wouldn't believe it.

Ghosts can't kill.

"If you persist in thinking that... you're going to get yourself hurt." Stella's arms went limp as she released Arielle and exited the car.

***

Both girls were too stubborn to be talked out of their decisions. They ruminated and grumbled and kept their distances for a while, until Arielle declared she needed a shower, and Stella needed to pack.

When Stella called her mom and told her of the situation, she yelled so loud the speakers on Stella's phone sounded like they'd explode. But Stella reminded her that Arielle was an adult, she'd made her choice, and she wanted to pursue this adventure.

"It'll get her killed, Stel, mark my words," said Mrs. Sullivan, as Arielle pretended not to listen from the bathroom. She'd turned on the shower and let the steam cloak the mirrors. Huddled in a ball against the counter, she gritted her teeth, acting like what Mrs. Sullivan said didn't affect her—but it did, and it always would.

She questioned her decision frequently. As she scrubbed her arms so harshly, they burned, reddened. As she brushed through her tresses so violently, she nearly broke her brush. And again as she zipped up her pants and found that her abdomen throbbed in pain when the waist-band settled against her skin.

Fuck... what am I doing? What is wrong with me?

She had no experience in ghost-hunting. Why did she think she, of all people, might identify the answer to human existence? To life, death, and what occurred after? To understand what everyone lived for?

Once she exited the bathroom, she found Stella sitting at the edge of her bed, chin dipped down. Arielle took a few steps in her direction, though not intending to sit beside her—she sensed the irritation wafting from her aura. She preferred to steer clear of that.

But when Stella saw her, she tapped the spot next to her, a weak smile sliding over her face. She'd changed into leathery leggings, a baggy top, and flats. "I ordered an Uber, so you don't have to drive me to the airport. It's farther north, the opposite of where you want to go." She tightened her fists, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath as Arielle settled by her. "I'm not happy about this, Ari. Not reassured. I'm all for risks and insanity—heck, all our partying days were risks, too. Some of those nights... I swear, we could have all died."

Arielle laughed at the memory, though it was far from funny. How many strange areas did they stumble into at two in the morning, completely drunk, their make-up running, their voices way too loud? Not paying attention to the creepy dudes in corners, ogling their high-heels and bare legs? How many taxi-drivers had taken weird detours from where they were supposed to drop the girls off, but all three giggled in the backseat, looking at old pictures and taking newer, drunker ones? "Truly."

"But this... is different. We always made it out of those situations, and Mom..." Stella sneered. "Mom never worried about those. She knew where we were. But here, today, this week, this Spring Break, she never had a good feeling about it. Did I mention she tried to stop me from going?"

"No. I mean, you made it clear she didn't like the idea but thought it'd be beneficial for us," said Arielle, fumbling with her hands.

Does she realize I overheard their conversation yet again? Speakerphones don't keep your secrets, Stella.

"Well... before we left, she... she took me aside and told me she saw grim omens in the cards. And... I was still hiding the fact that I'd slowly opened up to my heritage, believed it all. But I didn't believe her. Not then, not a few days ago. But now... I do. Last night, the Ouija board... it was a mistake, I admit it. You were right. But I can't take it back, and the only way to fix this is to run. Mom will help—she knows how." She turned to Arielle, the same tears from earlier shimmering in her eyes like melted chocolate, like thick mud drenched in rain-water. "Please, Ari, trust me."

"I... I do." Arielle couldn't let their gazes meet anymore, couldn't let Stella use her influence and pretty speeches to sway her. "But I have to finish this. The whole you must die thing... it crept me out, it did, but... I have to be one hundred percent sure, first. Or meet another spirit who will tell me, without me having to die. I'll be okay, I promise. I'll burn the board, drown it, visit the Lighthouse, go to the beach... and then I'll be home." Even as she said the words, she sensed a lump in her throat, an unease in her gut, an eerie hunch that she hated to tune in to. "I... we're on to something, and I can't stop now, no matter how freaky and fucked up things are turning."

Stella stood up and raked her fingers through her curls, tugging through the knots at the bottom. "Fine. Fine, but you... you have to promise to keep in touch with me. Update me on your progress, your location, at all times." She flipped towards Arielle, who nodded. "Mom's dream... it hinted at both of us being in danger. I'm almost scared to get on the plane... but they're safe, and this is a quick flight. You watch yourself when driving, okay?"

"I will." Arielle tucked her hands under her armpits. A sharp chill drove through her and she shuddered, but clenched her jaw to stop the sensation from taking over her. "I'll be fine."

"Just in case... here." Stella dug through her purse and pulled out four crystals; garnet, quartz, aquamarine, onyx. Arielle's mouth slid open, but Stella lunged over to kneel in front of her before she could speak. "I'm going to... uh... try something. Mom's done it to me a few times, and I have no clue if it even works, but... a little blessing, okay? Some good joo-joo. It'll make me feel a smidgen better."

Arielle couldn't say no, so Stella started chanting. The words rippled off her tongue so naturally, it made her wonder if Stella had been practicing. Or if she did have the inherent gift her mother had sworn she had for years. A radiant glow formed around her, like a halo, as she twirled the stones in her hand, shook them, blew on them, then slipped them into Arielle's palm.

"Keep these," she whispered, pressing her lips to Arielle's knuckles; passing on her blessing, sealing her words, showing her affection. "And have them on your person at all times. Especially at the Lighthouse, got it? That place isn't supposed to be malevolent, but with your luck..."

Trying not to laugh at the irony, at the dreary situations they kept getting into, Arielle acquiesced. "I'll hold on to them, promise."

"And if you get a chance, if you drive by a store that sells it... buy some sage. And burn the shit out of it. Morning and night." Stella's brows scrunched and her lips pouted; she was serious. "Say you'll do it, Ari."

"I will, I will!" Arielle squeezed Stella's shoulders. "I've been on road-trips before, girl, I can manage."

Those road-trips were shorter, closer to home—but no need to trouble Stella further.

"None like this one." Using Arielle's knees to heave herself up, Stella stood. "My Uber will be here soon, but... one last thing before I go."

"What?" Arielle didn't like the idea of Stella towering over her, so she hauled to her feet too, moving towards the window. The fog had cleared, and a sunny day announced itself, not a cloud in sight.

"I want you to be clear on something. I know." Stella's tone was cryptic. Mystic. Arielle pictured her sitting before a crystal ball with bells and beads in her hair, her crimson nails tapping on to her temple as she dictated someone's past, someone's future.

"You know... what?" Arielle leaned against the wall near the window, cocking her head.

Taking one stride towards her, then cringing, as if rethinking it, Stella clasped her hands and pressed them into her chest. "I do hope you find Jade. So you can... tell her. So she can be aware, too."

"Tell her?" Arielle's back arched, prompting her to stand straight. "What do you mean?"

Groaning, Stella meandered over, and a twinkle of mischief flickered in her eyes as her lips twitched. "Stop the act. I figured it out ages ago. Well, Mom did, and she made me see it."

Arielle's heart skipped a beat.

No... no way.

"Ha, you're wondering how, huh?" Stella chuckled and lowered her chin, analyzing the scrapes on the worn-down wooden floor. "Mom gets vibes, we're all aware. And I didn't want to admit it back then, but... so do I. Hunches. Shit that floats in auras, you know?" She snorted. "Yours was blurry at first, but... last year, or the year before, the haze lifted enough for us to... see it. See you. And we caught it. You... and Jade."

Arielle scoffed. "What? What the hell are you talking about? Jade and I what? We... are you implying we..."

"No, not both of you. I'm not positive about Jade, to be honest." Stella's neck snapped up and she blew out her cheeks. "But you? You have feelings. Conflicted ones. Dudes, girls, dudes or girls, you like both, hm? And have for a long time, but... I'm guessing you didn't know it?"

Secrets... secrets... has she realized that I've been harboring my own?

There was no use trying to cover it up anymore; Stella was on to her and always had been. "I... uh... sort of understood it recently myself. Jade's death stirred it all up, and I... I'm not sure about other girls, but Jade... Jade, yes."

"Yes. Dudes and girls." Stella smiled; a real, genuine, all-accepting grin as she marched up and yanked Arielle into a hug. Whiffs of cotton-candy and amber snuck into Arielle's nose as her friend's near-white strands of hair brushed against her face. "You don't have to explain anything to me. Love whoever you want, Jade included. But I hope..." she squeezed, then pulled away, scanning Arielle's face, her cheeks flushing. "I hope you find Jade for that reason. To tell her. That is the closure you need; and it might be what she needs, too." She cupped Arielle's cheek and then seized it, tugging her down to plaster a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Ari, and I know you better than you think."

A giant weight had lifted. Much of the tension in Arielle's spine and the discomfort in her rib-cage seemed to lessen, to evaporate. "I... love you too, Stel. I hope I can tell her too."

Stella grabbed her purse, her bags, and put on her diva-style rounded sunglasses. She trudged to the door, checking her phone—then whipped around one last time. "Oh, and I lied. That wasn't the last thing." She opened the door. "Whatever you do, Ari, do not contact Penny. Ever. If she speaks to you, if she finds you, run. Leave whatever place you're at, go find a church or something."

"A church? But I'm—"

"—I don't care that you're an atheist. That doesn't protect you. But the vibes in holy places can. That's what Mom said." She sighed and pulled the door farther open. "Penny is a big part of why I'm leaving. I don't trust her, I didn't like the energy she radiated, and the fact that she gave us your name. Be wary of her, okay?"

Secrets... secrets...

It ate Arielle on the inside to let Stella leave without admitting this secret. Her seance with Jade, her knowledge of Penny and how dangerous she was. But try as she might, she couldn't come clean. Stella had enough confessions to assuage her... for now.

"Have a safe flight, Stel. Call me when you land."