NOVEL WEB Chapter 7: A Spooked Ghost
After returning from buying a healthier-than-my-usual-ramen breakfast (a normal salad, for your information... and chicken noodle soup), I found myself in a much more energetic mood. I felt tough. Strong. Independent. Like I could take on the world.
And then I remembered I still needed to find an efficient way to communicate with Elise.
That... simmered me down, just a little. I had a plan, but I wasn't exactly confident it would work. On a side note, I'd accepted the wonders of healthy food. I vowed to include some carrots in my ramen diet from now on.
Which leads us to the current situation: me sitting in front of my bed, scrabbling through my Emergency Suitcase (c'mon, you mean to tell me you don't have a suitcase filled with emergency supplies in case your home suddenly gets blown away by a tornado or something?) looking for a very specific item as Elise floats upside down from the ceiling, her head next to mine.
My fingers feel something, and I pull it out from amidst the jackets and canned food.
Ah, yes!
What I'm holding is a small black rectangle, roughly 4 by 3 inches (~10 x 7 cm). With a battery life of up to 18 days standby and 7 hours of full talk time... I hold in my hands my emergency Nokia 2780. I think you know where I'm going with this, so I'll cut to the chase.
I handed Elise the phone with its preexisting SIM card, intending for her to text my smartphone, my daily driver. This would effectively solve the issue of her being mute.
There was a little trouble with the procedure, though. I thought my plan was easy to understand, but I don't think she fully grasped it at first. I handed her the Nokia... and my hand just passed right through her. I looked at her, pulled my hand out, and tried again. Once more, my hand passed through hers.
Then I saw her blink. Yes, blink! I hadn't seen her blink until now. It was such a human gesture, so normal and yet so out of place on her spectral face. Wait a minute, on the very first day I saw her (the day she kissed me)... she was sleeping! With her eyes closed. How could I have forgotten that?
The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. ... So this ghost girl does blink, after all! Who knew? It was a small detail, but it made her seem more... real, somehow. More present.
Nodding to herself in understanding, Elise reached out her hand and took the phone. Just to make sure she fully understood its purpose, I verbally explained:
"So, uh, I know you can't talk... so... please convey your thoughts using text. You'll find my smartphone's contact under 'Elise.' Please ignore the others."
For a moment, she flickered, then nodded. Her ghostly, translucent fingers grasped the phone. She seemed used to the T9 interface, swiftly navigating to the contact with my name (and hers). As I peered at the phone, she started typing!
I held my breath, a mix of anticipation and nervousness coursing through me. My eyes were glued to the screen, watching each letter appear as the ghostly figure typed. It was surreal seeing my own phone being used by... well, whatever she was.
What was more surreal was what she sent me... BUT THAT’S A STORY FOR ANOTHER TIME!
—— I’m joking.
I tried reading the text as she was sending it to me... but I couldn’t. I’m not exactly good at reading letters upside down. To counteract this situation, I quickly stood up and went to get my phone from the living room.
I’m currently walking back, waiting for the little “ting!” that will notify me of Elise’s text. Just as I step into the room’s interior light... I hear the notification. I want to read it so, so badly. This is probably some sort of historic milestone in mankind’s existence, the first ghost to ever send a text to a human and have it be read... However, the supernatural entity who just sent me this text is quite literally right in front of my eyes. I’ll at least sit next to her and read it.
I sit down next to Elise all while she gives me her usual stare. No blinking this time. Maybe her blink from before was... unintentional? Hmm...
As she does the peering over this time, I slowly, very, very, slowly pull open the text message from the latest sender in my list: Emergency Phone.
Look, I know I am a lot of things. I never said I am a creative namer, though.
The first-ever, paranormal-to-human-existence text within the world’s history (probably) reads as follows:
“hey"
I’m a little dumfounded at first. The first ever supernatural-to-human-text in history (probably) doesn’t have proper capitalization nor punctuation, is one word, and consists of what strict mothers tell their children is what horses eat. I quickly regather myself though.
“Hello there, Elise!"
The ghost girl gives me a strong stare, and I feel like there’s weird emotions that she’s trying to send to me. Oh, right. It’s a little weird having her talk to me through text, and me responding through voice... though I’d argue it’s even weirder that we’re in the same room but we need to converse through text.
Well, let’s not annoy the ghost girl.
I text her, I’m sorry for being weird.
She responds, No worries...
Such a human response... and the 'dot dot dot' highlights that.
I look over at her, seeing she’s also looking at me. Even though her face doesn’t seem to betray her emotions, just the two words and writing style she texted me give her such a life-like feel. I’m still wondering what’s happening when I get a new text and face my phone.
By the way... I have a question I need to ask of you.
A question?
Sure, what’s the question?
I wait as she types...
Why is your phone number titled ‘Elise’? Why do you have my name as your phone number?
Huh?
Well, my name is Elise, after all. What else would I name my phone’s contact?
I hear a thud as the ghost girl Elise drops her phone. She’s looking at me with just the slightest widened eyes, almost as if she’s shocked. Huh?
I quickly turn my head backwards, trying to look at what Elise is staring at. There is nothing. But! There must be something! Why’s a ghost looking, dare I say, spooked?!
With haste, no longer bothering with the texting-no-speaking rule, I ask in a frantic manner, “What’s behind me?! Why are you surprised?! Is there another ghost?!"
The ghost girl shakes her head no. Then, fanning hersel— wait a minute. Fanning herself?! Do ghosts even sweat?! What is happening?!
Elise picks up the Nokia and rapidly starts typing. I also reach out and grasp my smartphone.
Why do you have my name?! What the heck? It’s so fricken’ scary! Why are you so calm, you human?!
Huh? HUH? HUUUUUUH?!