Game night turned into confession night

Whatever positive feeling I previously had since the chat went down like the coffee I've been gulping down this morning. A week had passed since our chat, and I was alone for most of it. Not my choice; no, Thomas, for whatever reason, has been avoiding me.

The old fossil has been exiting rooms whenever I entered them. At first, he would move away from me if we sat too close or worked too close in the kitchen. He was never one for physical touch. Spirits fed off humans' energies, and my being able to see them gave off strong spiritual energy.

He didn't like touching me for that reason. We found this out the hard way. When I was 13, I just had my first period. The dramatic scene of me flying out of the bathroom thinking I was terminally ill still brought teasing once a month.

I had screamed, scaring my father out of his afternoon nap. My mother had passed away after childbirth, so he never had the much-needed conversation with me. Nonetheless, Thomas had stopped me from falling and accidentally drew too much energy. We found out the hard way. When I'm on my monthly visits, I can't control my energy in the way I normally do.

Later, my medium friends told me that women's bodies are a great source of energy for evil spirits. Something about our ability to help life grow can help spirits grow in strength, or something like let. We are great incubators, one friend had said. So, because I hadn't conceived, that energy intended for the foetus could transfer to a spirit if it made contact with me. That's why possession is more common in females.

I was bedridden for a week. No wonder back in the day women were told to stay indoors during that time. Thomas had apologised profusely, avoiding me entirely. We worked through it over the years. Now I have managed to tone it down with the help of a friend.

That aside, his current attitude was not pleasing me. I gulped the last of my coffee, the video editing for this week was completed. Choosing to freelance work in my favour. I heard Thomas in the library, probably sorting out some books he already read. Unfortunately, spirits and electronics did not sit well with each other. So I would go to a used book store and purchase books in bulk for him.

I stood up when I heard him exit the room. He looked frightened to see me approach him.

“Why are you avoiding me?” He looked ready to jump. I blocked him from escaping, extending my leg to reach the passage wall. Using the rest of my body to block the other side.

“I'm not avoiding you.” Even he could tell that was a lie. He looked sheepish enough. “I'm really not… I thought you might need some space.”  I squinted at him, urging him to say more. He decided to remain silent.

“Right.” He could tell I didn't sound convinced. “It's game night tonight, you better be downstairs at eight.” I wasn't suggesting, I was telling him. He nodded and walked past me after I lowered my leg to the floor. I glared after his robotic moving limbs. Something was off, and I will find out what.

I decided to spend some time doing some reading of my own. Work was done, and we normally ordered takeaways on game night. A pizza sounded good. Thomas was delighted once he found out he could eat human food when I offered it. It was a total game-changer and made him feel alive again.

Time moved fast while I was reading. The novel was erotic and gave me ideas on what I could potentially do once I convinced Thomas somehow to try romance. I grabbed my cellphone and ordered two large Pizzas, one rib and steak and the other a cheesy pizza for Thomas.

I decided to go to my room to shower and dress in pyjamas before we started the games. After my night routine ended, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. The Pizza should be arriving any time soon. The doorbell rang.

I rushed to the door and took the boxes from the young part-timer. He thanked me for the tip I had included during the payment. I smiled and waved him goodbye. Shutting the door with my foot, I went back to the kitchen to set the pizzas down. Thomas was still not here.

“Thomas!” I heard footsteps rushing towards the kitchen. His neatly combed head popped up around the doorway to the kitchen a few seconds later.

“Pizza is here, help me set up the board games please while I dish?” He nodded and went about setting the table. A sudden idea popped up. Thomas was very competitive when it came to games, perhaps a game of truth or dare could get him to talk.

I smirked at my own genius, and practically danced while dishing up. A plate piled up with pizza in each hand, I entered the living room. Thomas was busy setting up the pieces on the ludo board.

“If I win this round, I pick the next game.” It was fair since the winner was chosen by the chance of the die. Thomas agreed and started the first roll. It landed on a five. He let out a disappointed moan. I took my turn and landed on a six. Smirking, I moved a piece onto the board.

Luck was on my side, I won the game by a landslide. Thomas did not look amused, he resorted to weighing the die to see if I didn't tamper with it. Ignoring his childish antics, I took out an arrow attached to a wheel. Something my dad made with wood for Truth Or Dare.

“Let's play a game of Truth or Dare”. Thomas nodded, unaware of my intentions. I did the first spin, and it landed on me. A bummer. I went for a dare.

“I dare you to puff your cheeks and eat a bite of pizza while keeping them puffed.” Thomas's smile broadened when I had a hard time swallowing the food. He turned the arrow, landing on me again. Rolling my eyes, I decided to rather go for the truth.

Thomas took a while to think of a question, but when he did, I kind of figured it would be asked at some point.

“Are you scared?” He looked at me intensely, creating lumps in my stomach. “Of dying, is it scary?”

“I'm still numb about it to be honest, I know it's happening, but it's like my mind doesn't want to fully register it.” Thomas's eyes softened. I couldn't help the breathless Oh that escaped me. I really liked this man, when my feelings started I wouldn't know. But any thought of not seeing him ever again didn't sit well with me.

He looked away, trying to hide whatever emotion he was feeling. I turned the wheel and it landed on him. Finally!

“Why are you avoiding me? And what is going on with you?” Thomas did not take these questions kindly. He looked put out.

“Madam, those are two questions, choose one.” I shook my head.

“My game, my rules. Now answer them.” He didn't like my bossy tone, so I politely urged him. “Please.”

He nodded and nervously picked at his thinning pyjamas. It would appear it won't be lasting him for very long. He opened his mouth to speak but cleared his throat awkwardly. This happened another two times before I snapped.

“Spit it out!” His eyes widened. I took a calming breath. “Sorry, it's just you're taking too long to answer.” He bit his lip, causing my eyes to watch them closely. I licked my own without thinking.

“I'm feeling and smelling things I couldn't before.”  He finally said.

“Huh?” I wasn't sure I heard him properly. “You're experiencing what now?”

He looked embarrassed but repeated what he said anyway. It took me a moment to think about what he meant by this. Spirits were made up of energy, typically they could touch and feel sensations from the same energies. For example, they couldn't hurt a human easily, it took too much energy, enough energy that could cause them to cease to exist. So, possession would help them be able to kill or harm at the expense of the living person's life force.

What he might be suggesting, could mean there's another spirit close, but I haven't picked up on any other energies.

“What exactly are you smelling and feeling?” He looked like he might puke. What on earth is going on? He muttered something I couldn't hear. I asked him to repeat it louder.

“You!” He shouted, turning his face away from me. I was stunned.

“Well, you can touch me.” Was his brain decaying? Spirits can touch mediums.

“No, I mean yes, but before I couldn't feel you. It was like a living person touching the water, it's a weird sensation.” I didn't get it.

“Now, it's different, I can actually feel you, your temperature and skin. Even the rough parts of your skin.” Rough parts? Dear Lord, was I not moisturising enough?

“So what you're saying is that you're experiencing touching me as if I were a spirit?” He nodded, looking relieved I understood.

“Okay…and the smell?” He got red in the face.

“Your odour, I smell it.” Death would be fine right now. I stink?

“I stink?” My voice sounded very high. He nodded then shook his head furiously.

“No!” He tried retracting. “You don't stink, I mean, I can smell your skin and hair. I smell you.” Spirits can only smell other spirits. Spiritual energy was really complex. Flowers, the scent of rain, they could smell, faintly but still there. Living people were practically invisible to them unless you were corrupted with desire or murderous intent.

They would be able to smell the energy you gave off, but not your human scent. I was really confused by this sudden revelation. The game, now totally forgotten, I pressed him to explain how and when this started.

“I thought at first, that there may have been another spirit here, and would investigate the rooms”. I nodded.

“But after a while the scent grew stronger the closer I was to you.” So that's why he kept moving away.

“It was when you handed me the book you bought me, that I realised I felt you, and the smell was really coming from you.” He scratched his head, looking frustrated.

“I feel like a pervert, I'm old enough to be your ancestor.” The visual of him as an old man with multiple age spots did not sit well with me.

“This has never happened before?” He shook his head.

“In all my hundreds of years being here, this is a first.” I contemplated what this could mean. But not one idea came to mind. Taking out my phone, I opened up my contacts.

“What are you doing?” Thomas leaned over to see what I was doing.

“Calling someone that might be able to help.” I called Lilly, my best friend and a great medium.

“Hi Lil, I need to ask you something.” She was surrounded by a lot of noise in the background. “Are you free to talk?”

“Yeah, gurl! Go ahead.” I proceeded to tell her, having to repeat some things because of the noise. When I finished she gave a long whistle.

“Hon. This sounds like a you problem.” I rolled my eyes. “I really have never heard of this, maybe you should try the others, and see if they know what to do.” Before I could thank her, she cut me off.

“Got to go, bye!” I looked at the beeping phone for a few seconds. Thomas was equally stunned.

“How is it that she lived her 32 years of life so chaotically?” Thomas mused. I couldn't agree more. I met with similar responses from all of my friends. All five had no idea what I was speaking of. Lauren said she might come tomorrow to run some tests.

I was restless until I remembered there was someone who may be able to help. Thomas already sat through all the calls, so he looked at me curiously when I started dialing a number.

“Who are you calling?” He moved closer, forgetting that he had been avoiding me.

“Someone that could definitely help.” He frowned, probably mentally shifting through the names of people he was aware of. His eyes suddenly turned dark.

“No, anyone but her.” I stifled a laugh, knowing he was serious.

“Oh come on, you know she's the best when it comes to strange things.” He shook his head, his mouth set in a thin line.

“No. We are not going to make use of her services.” I looked at him, shaking my head.

“Why can't we ask her?” His eyes nearly fell out with the way he widened them.

“She's a WITCH!” Any louder and my lights would have fused.

“So what? We aren't really in any position to be picky.” I motioned between us. “We don't know what this could mean if it's good or bad.” He yelled out in frustration, knowing I was right.

“Pastor Elias!” I raised a brow at him mentioning the man that wanted to hold an exorcism. “He could know.”

“You're kidding, right?” He frowned. “If we tell him this, he'll definitely send you to the spirit world. At that he conceded.

“Is this really because she's a witch?” I looked at him, smirking at his dumbfounded expression.

“Fine, she gropes me any chance she gets. The ancient, hag despite living for so long has failed to become more civilized.” I laughed at the memories that replayed in my mind. He was correct, she had an unhealthy appreciation of his behind and other intimate areas.

I still recall the time she accidentally landed her hand on his crotch. Even so, she had many years of experience and although mediums are told to stay away from witches, she didn't seem too bad. A little money-loving and very sexual, but her heart was usually in the right place. Especially when Thomas was involved.

Going against his wishes I called her. She answered almost immediately.

“What!” I moved the phone away from my face. Thomas muttered 'how gentle' next to me. I scowled at him.

“Hi Elaine, I need your help.” She grumbled, the clinking of glass and other utensils making a noise on her side.

“This better be important.” I hummed and continued.

“Something might be wrong with Thomas.” At the mention of his name, the witch sent a few pots clanging to the floor, muttering cuss words at the mess she created.

“Say no more, idiot, come over this Friday.” I told her I would.

“And send my love to that brav'uomo.” Her Italian accent always made the sexual slurs hilarious. Glancing at Thomas, I felt a little sorry at the devastating look on his face. Elaine switched off the call, having said what she needed to.

“It'll be fine, she likes you.” Thomas scoffed.

“I'd prefer she not like me.” I laughed and told him we could play another game. He sighed but agreed.

Externally I seemed like myself, but internally I was worried about what the witch might tell us. One thing was for sure, the trip to Elaine always brought laughter. The woman was funny without meaning to be. As I moved an ace of spades to the deck, I mentally listed what I should pack in.

Definitely a couple of chocolate bars. Thomas will be having a tough time. Let him munch on something sweet to hopefully make his bitter interactions with Elaine not so bad.

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