NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: The Name Elise
What. The. Fuck.
Those are the words running through my head as I read the cursive scrawl barely illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the hallway.
Elise? That can’t be her name! MY name is Elise!
I glance up at the ghost girl who just signed her name as “Elise.” She’s giving me that same thousand-yard stare she always does. I look back down. Then up again, down, up, down—oh, a spinning ceiling? How did that get there? Huh? A ceiling?
And just like that, much like this afternoon, I start to faint... and the world fades to black.
--
Cockadoodledoo! — is not what I hear when I wake up. Instead, I’m greeted by the silence, with sunlight streaming in from the hallway and spreading across my bed sheets. Elise, the ghost, is right next to me, staring. Surprisingly, my blanket is draped over me. I guess Elise decided to cover me up. Makes perfect sense, right? The ghost girl Elise tucking in the human girl Elise.
I glance at the clock and bolt upright, realizing I’m late for work. It’s 9:50 AM.
Why didn’t my alarm wake me up?! I need to get ready... It’s me, Julia, and Bethesda today... Wait a minute.
If my hunch is right... I check my phone, and yep.
The most recent text is from Julia, Bethesda’s irritating granddaughter, sent just an hour ago: “Slow business today. Your shift is moved from 9 AM to 5 PM. See you later.”
That fucking wench. She sends me this message when I’m ten minutes away from needing to be at work? Well, I suppose I should thank her today. At least now I get to stay alone with my thoughts and my ghostly roommate.
Feeling slightly calmer, I get up from bed and head into the hallway, Elise floating silently beside me as always. She follows me to the bathroom.
I brush my teeth and wash my face, deciding to skip the shower today. Looking out the bathroom window, the day seems a bit stormy. Surprisingly, Elise is also peering out the window. Since she doesn’t show up in the mirror, I wonder if ghosts somehow reflect light differently. Well, no point in pondering this before breakfast.
I step into the hallway and make my way to the kitchen, Elise drifting along beside me.
Lately, I’ve been getting caught up in these bouts of questions, leading to me fainting twice in the past 24 hours. That really can’t be good for my health. Maybe it’s time to rethink my ramen diet—just until I get used to this whole supernatural roommate situation.
Getting to the kitchen, I brew myself some black tea while Elise watches.
Now, I know you’re probably wondering why I’m ignoring this eerie, supernatural entity that just introduced herself with my name at midnight. I think I explained myself earlier. I’ve fainted twice in the past 24 hours. I don’t want to risk it again by overthinking things. Ignoring what’s happening might be the best way to stay healthy and safe.
Besides, today’s just not a day for deep thinking—what with the stormy weather and all. What I will do is figure out a way to communicate with her and establish a plan now that I’ve made first contact with a ghost. But first... food.
I sit down at the table in my usual spot, and Elise floats to hers.
I take a sip of my tea and give Elise a scrutinizing look. She meets my gaze. It’s oddly amusing to be calling someone else by my name... haha. Ha.
I start speaking, not really expecting a response.
“So, I really don’t believe your name is Elise, or at least I’m reluctant to accept it. I have a lot of questions, but I’m trying to avoid asking anything that might make me faint. I know you’re a perfectly intelligent woman who just appeared in my apartment, so I’m going to treat you as such. Please let me finish my tea and enjoy this unexpected slight day off. It’s perfectly fine with me if you want to follow me around, stay in the apartment, make yourself some food, or even leave the apartment—if that’s possible for you.”
Another sip, and Elise flickers slightly.
“I don’t care that you’re a ghost... well, I do, but not as much as you might think. I’ll sort out this communication thing quickly and find a better way for us to discuss our plans moving forward. You might not expect it, but I’m a bit surprised to have a ghostly roommate.”
Another sip, and Elise flickers again, shifting a little in her seat. I guess I’m making her uncomfortable. After all, isn’t she the ghost here? Shouldn’t she be the one giving me a hard stare? Shouldn’t I be avoiding her gaze, as I have for the past week or so? But I need to clear these thoughts from my mind now, before I get confused later.
“For now, if you want anything to eat—yes, I saw you eating that ramen in full—let me know. If there are any accommodations I should make for you, tell me as soon as possible. For now, the easiest way to communicate seems to be through writing or nods. I’ll find a better method soon. Please nod if you understand.”
Elise nods slowly, her translucent figure blending with the background of my apartment.
“Are you hungry right now?”
She shakes her head.
“Do you need food for sustenance?”
In an unexpected twist, she nods! I thought she didn’t need to eat. I’m definitely going to need to dig into her biology later...
“Do you need food right now?”
Another shake.
“Do you need to drink?”
Since she eats, she probably needs to drink too. She nods, her hair swaying a bit.
“Do you need to drink right now?”
She shakes her head.
“Is there anything else I should address?"
Elise waits a second or two, then shakes her head no.
“Alright, that is settled. I am going to wash my cup, go out to buy some breakfast, and enjoy my day until I have to go to work. I hope you also enjoy your day as well. Thank you for understanding."
And, just like that, I’d set up some guidelines for living with a ghostly woman.
--
I’ve been calling her the ghost girl for a while now, but if you look closely, you’ll see she’s really a woman. She’s got a beautiful face, a nicely developed figure, and long, luscious hair—enough to make me envious of my own appearance. In contrast, I’m the typical Asian woman: black hair, a standard body figure. Maybe I should take some solace in my height, which is just a bit taller than hers.
And then there’s her white sundress, which she’s been wearing ever since I started noticing her. It’s got so many damn pockets that I can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. It’s also incredibly fashionable. No matter who this ghost was before she died, she was undoubtedly a fashionista.
I think these thoughts as I look at her next to me on my couch, watching TV.