flesh and bones, and projected.
The ghosts still milled around, only a few even aware enough of the living to notice something had happened. Interesting. Apparently, they weren’t affected by the time freeze either. I guessed that when I projected, I occupied the same plane as the ghosts. Fantastic. I had discovered yet another morbid tether to the dead, something else we shared.
The slamming open of the waiting room doors made me jump. Brent stormed out, a scowl on his face. He maneuvered around the frozen hospital staff and patients as he walked toward me.
“I hate hospitals.”
“Are you okay? Do they know what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine now. It was some sort of allergic reaction.”
“Are they releasing you soon?”
“No, not yet. They want to keep me for a few more hours to monitor me and make sure the meds worked. I’m hooked up to all these machines and I had to project or I was going to go postal. I need fresh air. ” I followed him as he stalked out of the building, the glass doors swinging open at a look from him.
Once outside, the air smelled like Corona: orange blossoms, the flavor factory in town that perfumed the town in a frosting scent, freshly cut grass, chrysanthemums, and the citrusy, musky smell of Brent, which never failed to wreak havoc on my pulse. While in our astral form, our senses were heightened. I inhaled the familiar scents of my hometown.
I stood beside him and tilted my head back to admire the canopy of stars in the blackened sky. They twinkled like expensive diamonds hidden in a blanket of coal. “The stars are amazing.”
“It’s amazing how easy it is to pick out the constellations when projecting. Did you know there’s one named Corona?” He paused and after I shook my head he explained, “It’s called Corona Borealis. According to Greek Mythology, it represents the crown given to Ariadne by Dionysus.”
“Did you learn that just to impress girls?”
“Did it work?” I could hear the grin in his voice.
“Maybe.” I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough he wore a self-satisfied smile. Who knew my boyfriend had an inner astronomy buff lurking inside? “When did you get so into astronomy?”
“I . . . I’m not sure where I picked that up.” Brent looked puzzled, then shrugged. I studied the stars for a few more beats.
“I’d forgotten what projecting was like here,” I said. “It’s so different from how it was in Brazil. The air was more exotic there, but it wasn’t the same without you.”
We stared at each other for a few seconds. Brent smiled, the right corner of his mouth lifting, then tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “It wasn’t the same without you either.”
He leaned in and kissed me, his arms creeping up my shoulders until they were entwined behind my neck. While projecting, sensations were stronger too, more intense. My pulse thudded in my ears like a subwoofer—Brent’s lips were softer than velvet as they caressed my own. When we both pulled away, my lips were numb and tingling, my face flushed.
Brent cleared his throat. “Why are we here again?”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “Because you had an allergy attack.”
Brent shook his head, awakening from a hormone daze. “Right.”
“So, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He took a deep breath and held it, his face pinched. “Really. The combination of EpiPen, oxygen and whatever was in the IV did the trick. My parents called the hospital. They’re on their way. I want them to meet you but not here like this. They sounded on edge. I think getting a call from the hospital made them think about Neal again. It’s going to be hard for them to see me here.”
I nodded, remembering Brent’s brother Neal had been killed by Thomas a few years ago.
Brent continued, “Besides, the staff won’t let you in, so you might as well go home. But, thanks for being here. It meant a lot.”
“There isn’t anything I can do?”
He shook his head and kissed the
The ghosts still milled around, only a few even aware enough of the living to notice something had happened. Interesting. Apparently, they weren’t affected by the time freeze either. I guessed that when I projected, I occupied the same plane as the ghosts. Fantastic. I had discovered yet another morbid tether to the dead, something else we shared.
The slamming open of the waiting room doors made me jump. Brent stormed out, a scowl on his face. He maneuvered around the frozen hospital staff and patients as he walked toward me.
“I hate hospitals.”
“Are you okay? Do they know what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine now. It was some sort of allergic reaction.”
“Are they releasing you soon?”
“No, not yet. They want to keep me for a few more hours to monitor me and make sure the meds worked. I’m hooked up to all these machines and I had to project or I was going to go postal. I need fresh air. ” I followed him as he stalked out of the building, the glass doors swinging open at a look from him.
Once outside, the air smelled like Corona: orange blossoms, the flavor factory in town that perfumed the town in a frosting scent, freshly cut grass, chrysanthemums, and the citrusy, musky smell of Brent, which never failed to wreak havoc on my pulse. While in our astral form, our senses were heightened. I inhaled the familiar scents of my hometown.
I stood beside him and tilted my head back to admire the canopy of stars in the blackened sky. They twinkled like expensive diamonds hidden in a blanket of coal. “The stars are amazing.”
“It’s amazing how easy it is to pick out the constellations when projecting. Did you know there’s one named Corona?” He paused and after I shook my head he explained, “It’s called Corona Borealis. According to Greek Mythology, it represents the crown given to Ariadne by Dionysus.”
“Did you learn that just to impress girls?”
“Did it work?” I could hear the grin in his voice.
“Maybe.” I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough he wore a self-satisfied smile. Who knew my boyfriend had an inner astronomy buff lurking inside? “When did you get so into astronomy?”
“I . . . I’m not sure where I picked that up.” Brent looked puzzled, then shrugged. I studied the stars for a few more beats.
“I’d forgotten what projecting was like here,” I said. “It’s so different from how it was in Brazil. The air was more exotic there, but it wasn’t the same without you.”
We stared at each other for a few seconds. Brent smiled, the right corner of his mouth lifting, then tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “It wasn’t the same without you either.”
He leaned in and kissed me, his arms creeping up my shoulders until they were entwined behind my neck. While projecting, sensations were stronger too, more intense. My pulse thudded in my ears like a subwoofer—Brent’s lips were softer than velvet as they caressed my own. When we both pulled away, my lips were numb and tingling, my face flushed.
Brent cleared his throat. “Why are we here again?”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “Because you had an allergy attack.”
Brent shook his head, awakening from a hormone daze. “Right.”
“So, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He took a deep breath and held it, his face pinched. “Really. The combination of EpiPen, oxygen and whatever was in the IV did the trick. My parents called the hospital. They’re on their way. I want them to meet you but not here like this. They sounded on edge. I think getting a call from the hospital made them think about Neal again. It’s going to be hard for them to see me here.”
I nodded, remembering Brent’s brother Neal had been killed by Thomas a few years ago.
Brent continued, “Besides, the staff won’t let you in, so you might as well go home. But, thanks for being here. It meant a lot.”
“There isn’t anything I can do?”
He shook his head and kissed the
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