Chapter nine -- Rest in Peace

"Look, she's coming around!"

"She's okay?"

"C'mon, Efad, it's time to get up..."

In the wake of trying to make sense of the voices around her, Efad slowly opened her stinging eyes and coughed painfully. Her hand hit something plastic that was resting over her mouth; she felt it gingerly and found it to be an oxygen mask. Her friends were standing around her, looking incredibly relieved that she had awoken. "Did we get him?" She croaked, her voice echoing inside the mask. They all smiled warmly; they seemed glad that she still had a bit of her sense of humor.

"We didn't," Kevin said quietly. "Jared tried to broil you alive in that warehouse, but we got you out before the fire had gotten too far. The police caught him west of Montgomery and he's currently under interrogation."

Aaron put a supportive hand on her arm. "It's good to see you're okay... the EMTs were worried that you'd suffocated from the smoke, or that the carbon monoxide had killed you. They said it was why you had passed out, and that if we hadn't gotten you out when we did, it would've been too late."

"That explains the mask," she whispered. Her mind swam, trying to recall everything she could. "...he didn't get any of you, did he?"

Christien shook his head. "No, you were the lucky one," he joked softly. "I'm sorry I didn't jump down to stop him when you fell, but I--"

"The whole plan would've been blown if you had," she interrupted, her tone as quiet as his. "Plus, all the evidence on that tape would be in Jared's hands right now. I'm not mad, Chris... I'm acually glad that you're not like me; you actually stop long enough think things through..."

Justin carefully took a familiar baseball cap out of his back pocket and shyly handed it to her. "We found it outside the warehouse... it's how we knew you were in there. It was good that you dropped it for us to find."

Efad blinked, confused, but took the hat nevertheless. "...I didn't drop it," she said slowly. "I woke up and it was missing... I figured Jared had taken it for whatever reason, or that it had fallen off back at the house." She allowed Kevin to help her sit up and she put on her hat. "...do you think..."

"What, that Jared dropped it on purpose?" Brian looked confused. "Why would he do that? It doesn't make sense."

"Maybe that's why." Aaron playfully tapped the bill of the hat and grinned. "I guess God's looking out for us still, eh?"

Static came from the tape recorder that Christien still held. -I'm sorry that I got you into this, Efad,- Jacen said quietly. -I didn't know he would try to kill you, too.-

She smiled. "I would do it again without hesitation, Jace. Don't be sorry for asking for help, we were honored that you asked us in the first place."

-Thank you,- he said, genuine gratitude in his voice. -Now I can rest because of your efforts... I'm sorry that I can never repay you, but please know that I'm forever grateful for all of you.-

Justin grinned. "We don't need a reward, dude. I mean, we solved a murder, the bad guy was caught, and there's no possible way that he'll get around a jail sentence... it's awesome just to think we were able to help with something like that!"

"For once, I think he actually said something smart," Kevin marvelled to himself, but nevertheless Efad tried not to laugh.

-I'm glad that I could rely on all of you.- Jacen's voice was now fading into static. -Thank you again, my friends!-

And with that, he was gone.

Efad surveyed the group; the guys all looked depressed now that their friendly spectre had left. "So is he really..." Christien started to ask, but fell silent. 'I don't want to believe it either, Chris,' Efad thought sullenly. 'I didn't want him to go...'

Aaron sighed. "I almost liked having a ghost for a friend," he said quietly, a smile fighting to survive on his crestfallen expression. "It wasn't something you saw everyday..."

"Well, neither was he," Brian added. No one seemed in the mood to jest.

~*~

Efad sighed tiredly as she pulled her bike into the driveway of the Big House. It had been a week since they last saw -well, not literally- Jacen, and her friends had seemed to have moved on... but she couldn't shake the feeling that he really wasn't gone. Maybe it was wistful thinking, but she had dreamed for several nights that she had seen him again, and she always had believed that her dreams held meaning. Whether that meaning was "never eat bizarre foods before going to bed" or not, she wasn't sure.

"Hey, guys," she called as she entered the house. After a moment of silence, she grunted to herself. "Gee, they were SUPPOSED to be here," she muttered, setting down her bag in the meeting room.

As she turned around, however, a strange sight met her eyes. A grinning boy was standing inside the foyer doorway, wearing all black and a red scarf around his neck. He was there for the instant that she was turning, but when she had a full view of the door, he was gone.

"What the..." she began, but was cut off by the sound of the back door opening behind her.

"Hey, you're early," Aaron said as he came in with Christien and Kevin behind him. When he saw Efad's expression, he raised an eyebrow. "...what?"

She pointed weakly to the front door. "I... I know I saw him," she stammered.

"Who?" Kevin peered over her shoulder, then gave her a worried look. "Was there someone outside?"

"No, I saw Jacen again! He was grinning at me, I know he was!"

Christien shrugged. "It's possible. I mean, what if he didn't go into the afterlife like he'd planned?"

-That's highly unlikely.-

"Right," Kevin agreed. "He left. We all---"

They all stopped and exchanged wide-eyed glances, then looked to the stereo on the fireplace mantle. A familiar laugh came over the speakers. -It was too boring, to be honest,- Jacen said lightly. -I figured I could hang out around here some more... haunt this house for a while or something. It might be kinda fun, after all.-

Efad laughed in disbelief, running a hand over her hat. "For crying out loud, you're going to make me crazy, Jace!" She exclaimed. "Keep appearing to me like that and I might have to disown you..."

-Sorry, but it really is fun. Your expressions are so entertaining, you know.-

Aaron nudged the girl in the ribs, grinning at her blushing face. "I guess we found the other reason for you to stick around, huh, Jacen?" He ducked as Efad tried to hit him over the head.

"Shut up!" She groaned.

Kevin laughed. "Aww, but Efad, he LIKES you! That's so cute!" He cackled.

Efad hung her head in her hands, feeling embarassed heat rising from her neck. "Oh, brother... Ignore them, Jacen. It's good to have you back."

-I was going to haunt the old cotton gin down the street,- Jacen admitted, -but there's already a ghost there and he didn't want to share. Said something about waiting for his mother.-

Christien grinned and hooked his arms behind his head. "I'll never disbelieve ghost stories again," he said through a laugh.

END