Chapter 2
Another take later, Ben and the rest of the so-called ghost hunters turned on the lights of the house and returned to the living room to relax.
With the lights on, the room was entirely unremarkable; a couple of well-used couches, some framed photographs of an unknown couple and their two children on the walls. An LCD television sat on a bench across from the couches, and Joey was in the process of connecting his camera to it to review the footage.
“Heads up, G-man!” Alex called out, and Ben very nearly missed the beer can that was lobbed in his direction. But he managed to just catch it between his thumb and ring finger as it threatened to slip through and hit the wall. With a relieved chuckle, he cracked it open, while Alex followed suit.
Iris walked into the living room, sipping from her own beer can. “Think I was a convincing poltergeist?” she asked, making a beeline for Ben on the couch.
“Oh, sure,” he replied, “you were terrifying. And you didn’t even need jimsonweed.”
Iris tilted her head, puzzled at the addition.
“Never mind.”
Well, this wasn’t the worst leap, certainly. No immediate danger, a bit of silly fun, and some brewskis. Not bad.
“Did someone say ‘weed?’” Joey called out, and reached into his backpack, from which he produced a large glass bong. “I’ll share, but someone else has gotta score the next batch. Deal?”
All of a sudden, I feel like I’m back in college.
The bong gurgled as Joey took a hit, and he held in the breath, holding the bong and lighter out for someone else to have a turn.
Ben shook his head, but Alex and Iris both swarmed the bong to have their turn.
Joey coughed out the thick smoke, before pressing play on his camera. The infra-red light presented as a greenish hue on an otherwise monochrome image, and the evening’s events played out on the television screen.
Ben saw, for the first time, what Greg Nguyen looked like. From behind, he almost felt like he was watching himself: black hair, fit and slim. But as he turned to the camera he could tell it was a different person, and somehow, even though he knew it had been him who did these actions, it was easier than watching himself on video. Less humiliating, especially the parts where he screamed like a child and scrambled up the stairs.
Ah, dignity, he thought, how I miss you.
“Convincing screams, Ben. A little bit girly.”
Ben glanced to the source of Addison’s voice, seeing her smiling in the kitchen doorway. He nodded his response, holding up his beer in a toasting gesture.
Addison’s eyes, however, had moved to the three others around the bong.
“Living the dream, huh? Aren’t you gonna join in?” she teased, stifling a laugh.
Ben shot her an exasperated look.
“Oh, I’m just joking around. It’s not often you get the chance to relax, right? Enjoy it while it lasts.”
“When does…” he whispered, nodding his head towards Joey.
“Tomorrow night at approximately eleven fifteen. Looks like you were filming at the old Havenwell Psychiatric Hospital. Abandoned for about forty years at this point. They always say old asylums are haunted, because of the terrible things that went on in places like that. Lots of people suffering and dying. Well, I guess you know that by now, huh?”
Ben shivered, and reflexively rubbed his neck at the site where he recalled Martinez jabbing a scalpel.
“You’re meant to space out after getting stoned, Greg,” Iris said, slinking up to him on the couch and planting herself next to him—uncomfortably close.
She looked to the doorway where Addison stood curiously. “Or did you actually see a real ghost? Aunt Mel swears up and down she sees shadows in this place. She thinks it’s the ghost of Uncle Walter.” She chuckled. “But I think she might just be a little bit…” she ran a finger in circles against her ear, sticking out her tongue.
Ben laughed. “Oh… yeah—well, you know. I thought I saw something move, but it’s nothing.”
Well, he figured, maybe that excuse would cover for him looking at Addison during this leap. Holograms and ghosts weren’t so different in substance. Except that one was real and the other wasn’t, of course.
Iris’s hand slid across his thigh, and he tensed up, flicking a look of discomfort towards Addison.
Her eyebrows were high as she watched the amorous woman lean into him and begin kissing his neck.
“Ah…” Ben chuckled nervously, standing up. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
* * *
“Okay, that girl is DTF,” Addison said as Ben stared at the man in the bathroom mirror.
“What am I supposed to do?” Ben asked, splashing water on his face. “How do I let her down easy? She’s married to this guy. I don’t want to put their relationship on the rocks.”
“Well, you could always feign stomach cramps,” she suggested. “It’s only for a night.”
“What about the kissing and… fondling?” Ben screwed up his face. “I don’t think much will stop her from doing that.”
Addison looked pensive as she tried to think of something, as Ben rotated the wedding band on his finger.
“I’m not gonna be home for our wedding, am I?” he said quietly. “I’m sorry.”
Addison’s lower lip trembled. “Don’t worry about it, Ben. We’re still a team, right?”
“You bet we are,” Ben said, smiling fondly at her. “So let’s, as a team, figure out what to do about Iris.”
“Okay, how about this?” she said, eyes lighting up. “Try falling asleep on the couch. If you’re that tired, she won’t bother. Hopefully.” She crossed her fingers, leading Ben to catch sight of the engagement ring she still wore. “I’m willing to forgive any wandering hands and lips she might place on you, in the interest of remaining incognito, as long as you’re willing to put up with it.”
“Okay, I’ll give that a shot. Promise I won’t reciprocate,” Ben said with a smirk. Though he wasn’t completely comfortable with this option, it was one of those ‘you gotta do what you gotta do’ moments.
Ben left the bathroom, and returned to the living room, making a show of yawning.
Iris was at the bong, taking another deep breath. She met Ben’s eye for a moment, grinning, as she held in the smoke. And then she started coughing quite dramatically, leaning over as the smoke vacated her lungs.
She laughed nervously. “Heh, I think that’s enough of that.” She climbed back onto the couch in a more calculated, cautious way than before, eyes darting around the room.
“You okay?” Ben asked, sitting as far from her on the couch as he could.
“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine,” she said. “Just a little light-headed. Must be the dope, I guess.”
“Strong stuff, I assume,” Ben observed. “Well, do you wanna go to bed? It’s your aunt’s house, right? Bedroom’s all yours.”
Please say yes.
“Y-yeah. Might do that.”
Hallelujah.
“Okay. Well, do you need help getting up, or—?”
“No, no… that’s fine.” Her eyes were on the TV, which was still replaying the shot footage on loop. After a moment of watching it intently, she stood, giving Ben a distracted smile. “You’re a natural on camera,” she said, before wandering uneasily in the direction of the kitchen.
Ben raised an eyebrow. “Uh, stairs are back that way, right?” he asked, hiking a thumb to the other side of the room.
Iris shook her head, as if snapping out of a daze. “Right. My bad.”
Ben exchanged a puzzled look with Addison as Iris headed back in the other direction.
“Bro, is she alright?” Alex whispered as she disappeared from view. “The bud wasn’t cut with something else was it?”
“I didn’t think so,” Joey said, eyes wide.
Ben’s eyes flicked to Addison, who shrugged.
“Don’t look at me,” she said, swiping at the handlink. “No medical emergencies on record. She’s still perfectly fine in our time. Maybe she’s just a lightweight. On the bright side, I guess you’re safe from her advances for tonight.”
Ben bit his lip.
“If you want me to keep tabs on her overnight, I can do that,” Addison continued. Ben responded with a firm nod, and tried to dismiss his surfacing ruminations on ghosts and the unexplained.