This is getting out of control...

 

Andrea

 

Andrea got home late enough to only get a shower in and a piece of fruit before bed. She didn't realize how easy it was to be with her brother today and it was strange to her that she didn't leave crying this time either...

Remembering the day, she did feel like it was different to other barbeques that they have had together. She laughed at herself when she had trouble confessing that she actually enjoyed herself. She was sure it wasn't because of Sean, she was still not interested in a relationship, but in general, she felt more at ease there today, then she had in a very long time.

 

Waking the next morning, finding herself quite happy to work, was a bit frustrating...Because she found herself excited that there was something at work that she was looking forward to. It seemed like her life had taken a strange twist...

She had her very own spiritual, ghostly figure that actually made her life worth talking about at the moment! But yet, at the same time, she wasn't looking forward to it...Not being able to speak of it at all, actually made her sad. It was the first time in years that she had something exciting happening...And she couldn't speak of it to anybody!

Keeping her secret to herself yesterday, was disturbing to her, but for some reason made her smile. It's been so long that she was her shadow, that she forgot what it was like to have something different in her daily routine.

With that thought in mind, Andrea wondered about the phone call that she had made yesterday and wondered whether or not they would return her call. Andrea decided, that for now, that she would leave it up to them, fate would be in their hands.

 

***

 

Seeing Cameron started to become a routine during the next week. Slowly, they began to know each other, even with the small amount of time that they had. She told him that she should be freaked out, and he had asked her why.

Her reply was, "Well, for people, if you see a ghost, it should freak you out, right? Well, the fact that it hasn't really freaked me out...Makes me freaked out!"

He was confused with what she had said, and she gave up trying to make sense out of it for him. She did look at him then, realizing that he seemed to have an older mind, that the way she talked didn't sound like the way he talked back to her.

He had told her about some of the 'spirits' history, which only confused Andrea. It seemed like they are quite taken by instincts and don't show or know many emotions. It was a normal human trait to do what they wanted, and feel how they felt, and Andrea couldn't fathom not knowing how Cameron could do his work and not think about wanting to have some fun! She couldn't imagine just working at the hospital and not being able to do her patterns at all.

Andrea told him about her brother's latest schemes and how her patterns occurred. She couldn't help but tell him about the funny cheese story and any others that sprang to her mind at the time. That was a weird time for her, he had started to smile before she had finished telling the story and she wondered if he was smiling at something else. Then all he said was, "I am certain it would have been an engaging moment for you, Andrea."

All this, made work relatively easy and Andrea started to make sure that she had an ear plugs in her ears, as though she was singing, except she was either answering Cameron's question or asking him one instead.

And when she wasn't around Cameron, her music was just an added bonus she tended to like.

 

Every now and then, Andrea did mishap and with witnesses, and she would have to be silent and give Cameron a signal that she couldn't talk at that moment, which was strange, but he seemed to understand. Another thing that became noticeable to Andrea, was that Cameron didn't show up all the time.

He seemed to show up at the front of the hospital, lucky for her she was to clean that nearly every working day. But it seemed quite random when he showed up in other areas, so, for when he did, not only did Andrea slow down her work but she did some extra work in the area to stay there longer.

What Andrea failed to realize, was that Cameron didn't 'show up' randomly. The picture that had been drawn by her sister, has the answers of where Cameron appears, except for one other place.

 

Andrea did spend her time at home wondering what the hell she was doing and would nearly call the ghost buster number, to try and get her shadow life back to normal again. Then, when Andrea was with Cameron, she would think of that and decide that she was just scared of something different, something that might actually become a life changing event for her.

Andrea started getting over being her worst enemy by that Friday and told Cameron about what she knew of ghosts and why she felt that way. Cameron had politely and patiently reminded her that he was not a ghost, but a spirit, which still made no difference to her own outcome.

Andrea found out more about the 'spirit' world and he found out more of Earth. He had said no to flying, when she tried to describe what it was, and she had told him about planes. He seemed to acknowledge then, that he could teleport, but didn't know how it was achieved. Cameron told her about how everything can be at their disposal without even moving, all they had to do was think about it.

She told him about exercising, asking him about gaining weight, but he had no idea what that was.

It was great to leave a room and be laughing, something she can't remember doing because it was that long ago.

 

"So, let me get this right, you have been a 'spirit' for about thirteen years...And your years are, give or take, to about fifty to sixty Earth days?" Andrea said, concentrating more so than asking. "So, that's about...Two years...?"

Cameron smiled at her response, "That sounds about right, by the looks of it you know as much as I do that this universe is quite large. Our planet rotates around the sun 'Stylus' in 56 days."

Andrea huffed, "I'm actually starting to believe you aren't a ghost, and that's really quite frustrating, how am I to ever see that you are real, how am I ever to find you out there?...We have only ever traveled to the moon..."

Cameron looked down at his hands and said, "Well, I have not looked too far in the way of beyond our planet, in that respect…"

Andrea interrupted, "Astrology."

"Astrology?" Cameron asked.

"Astrology. The science of stars or whatever, the planets I guess." Andrea shrugged.

Cameron nodded in acceptance and repeated, "Astrology. What a perfect word. I believe I will make that my next knowledgeable source for information that might have to do with what is transpiring here."

Andrea stopped her work and looked at Cameron, smiling, she decided she liked the way he spoke.

She remembered older movies, or movies that where about the older times, and it was like Cameron had belonged there.

Finding her usual garden, curious acquaintance, looking at her, she waved and went back to work. Andrea moved faster and tried not to make a deal of talking too much. Not understanding why, Andrea got a bit angry, putting too much force to her mop and scrubbing that little bit harder, washed some of her anger out, but still left the confusion.

 

With Friday out and one day left, Andrea realized that she hadn't wished to be around her safe place so much this week, in fact, she hadn't thought about it much at all.

Her knew friend was starting to change her life drastically and not knowing much more to do Andrea just felt like she should just let it happen, confusing her even more.

 

***

 

Saturday morning came too quick, as Andrea got out of bed, she heard the phone ringing. Having to race down the hallway before the machine would pick it up, Andrea was puffing when she answered the phone. "Hello"

"Good morning…Miss Sage. Dianne Calling from "Wider Searchers", I received a call from you and I'm sorry for the late reply, I was wondering if you still required my help on some 'out of this world' kind of search?"

Andrea didn't know how to reply to the unknown voice at the other end.

To tell or not to tell.

Andrea remembered that she did leave it up to fate, but to her surprise, she only responded with, "Ah, yeah, I have a slight feeling of disturbance. Uh, I'd feel better if you were to check out a place for me, just to make myself feel better, as I work there and all."

It didn't feel right to go into details.

"Sure! Now with company policy, we like to give results! We would like to offer the full package with a price of two hundred and fifty dollars, which includes…"

Andrea cut off the caller to say, "All I want is a reading, to know if a ghost is present or not. Maybe we'll go from there."

"No worries, all we need is your credit card number…"

Again, surprising herself, Andrea interrupted, "You will get paid if I am pleased, you have my word."

Silence filled the other side of the line and Andrea wondered if they had hung up on her. But they did respond with, "Ok Andrea, just a moment I will refer you to the owner, thank you…"

 

Andrea heard piano music and was just about ready to hang up in anger, when she heard a male voice on the other line. "Hello there, Miss Sage, my name is Piet. Sorry to take up so much of your time, there are some company rules here, as we've been unpaid before, what I could do for you is make it so that we only hold your money and if you are not pleased, we can put it right back onto your account. Would that be an option you'd like to take by chance?"

Andrea sighed, "Ok, something like that, but you aren't the only one that has been out of pocket before."

The owner seemed quite genuine and Andrea parted with half the price through the internet, knowing that if she was to use her credit card, it may very well be her own fault, if things didn't work out.

The owner seemed quite pleased that a half bill was paid. He was willing to wait until the job was complete, to get the other half, and got the hospital information from Andrea.

To her surprise, he was going to come out today to do it, then Andrea hang up and rushed to get ready for work. For some reason, she was worried about what Cameron would think about what she had just done and whether or not to believe him as a 'spirit' in another world in the universe, or a 'ghost' just waiting for the white light.

Andrea was starting to get used to her feelings away from Cameron and decided she would just tell him anyway, just because she was just plain curious about his reaction. But, she was a little bit anxious and wouldn't know how to start that kind of conversation...Wouldn't it make him upset that she hadn't completely accepted him as a 'spirit' yet?

 

***

 

Being at work on Saturday's, was something Andrea forgot about. Her daily jobs were slightly different and by one in the afternoon, with no sight of Cameron, Andrea started to wonder where he had gone. On her lunch break, Andrea decided to go to the garden and at least try to go back to normal.

Sitting down on her garden chair, Andrea closed her eyes and pictured the week gone by. With her photograph memory the pictures seemed to go together as though she was living them again. At times she smiled and at times a frown was caught on her face.

One of those frowns where caught by Cameron. "Hello, Andrea."

Andrea jumped, slightly shaken out of her trance and looked around.

Smiling at Cameron, she nodded her acknowledgement and her eyes fell on her curious acquaintance again, only to see some unmet man standing there talking to her. The curious eyes were followed by pointing fingers at Andrea herself. The unmet man looked over at her and started walking towards her.

Suddenly aware on who this person may be, Andrea realized she hadn't spoken to Cameron yet and realized that this may not go down so well.

"Sorry Cameron, have to go," she got up and went as fast as she could to the man and walked him out of the garden, before she felt bad about doing it.

 

"Hello Miss Sage. I am Piet, we met on the phone earlier today."

Andrea stopped walking and returned his greeting, "Piet, nice to meet you."

Piet was silent for a moment and looked towards the garden, from where they had came from, and back at Andrea. "Is that one of the places that you feel a disturbance, Miss Sage?"

Andrea looked from the garden, to Piet and nodded only saying, "It's Andrea, ah…Yes."

Without saying another word, Piet went into the garden and looked around, after about two minutes, Andrea walked in, unsure of what to think or say. She saw Cameron looking at some kind of see through book, on the chair, where she had left him.

Another two minutes went by, and finally, Cameron noticed her, and Andrea nodded towards Piet. Andrea straightened herself, noticing that Piet was actually looking at her.

"What is it?" He asked in complete interest.

Andrea shrugged and looked at the ground, hoping that was the normal approach to this sort of thing. Cameron was close by, she could tell, and his voice didn't scare her like it used to. " I thought you had not spoken to anyone about me…"

Cameron was looking at Andrea, forcing her to look away and back at Piet again. Piet was still watching Andrea, now with even more interest, as though he knew...

Andrea had no idea what to do, she felt upset at herself for getting into such a mess.

Cameron was next to her now, "Do not be upset Andrea. Nothing is wrong."

Andrea looked up at Cameron, "I feel like I've done something wrong. I still don't know how my life got so totally out of control."

Piet spoke, reminding Andrea that he was still there, "Are you talking to someone Andrea? Is there someone else here?"

Andrea bit her lip, not wanting to give away her secret. "I was…Have you found?" Andrea sighed, "I have to go back to work."

And before they both could say anything, Andrea turned and walked away.

 

The rest of the afternoon was slow. Cameron didn't show up and Andrea wasn't sure whether she was looking out for him or not.

Her job was talking its toll, as she was not concentrating enough. She dropped things and was taking the long way to her other areas. Her boss came up to her when she still had two areas to finish, telling her to work quicker and that she was falling behind the last couple of days, making Andrea feel even worse.

Picking up her speed, Andrea tried not to think about anything, knowing that if she were to think, she may just walk out.