Emily

"My name is Emily," she began. "I'm the daughter of the CEO of Mount Heritage. My dad has two wives, my mom and my stepmom. I have a sister, Lily, who's my stepmom's daughter. Despite having different mothers, Lily and I are incredibly close. Our home is peaceful, with no fighting or arguing. And I have a charming boyfriend, Atlas, who's the love of my life. He loves me just as much as I love him."

Riggy, the thug ghost, raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure he loves you that much?"

Emily's expression turned slightly defensive. "Of course, I'm sure. Why would you question that?"

Riggy shrugged. "Just being considerate of you, that's all."

Thuran intervened, "It's okay, Riggy. Let her continue her story."

Sam walked in with two cups of coffee and handed one to Thuran. "Here you go."

Thuran took a sip, nodding in appreciation. "Thanks."

"Emily, please continue," Thuran said.

Riggy spoke up, "Wait, aren't we going to get a cup of coffee too?"

Thuran raised an eyebrow. "Do ghosts drink coffee?"

Sam stared at Thuran, seemingly amused by the question. "Oh, I forgot we're four now."

Sam prepared two more cups of coffee, and Emily continued her story. "As I was saying, Atlas knows everything about me. My family loves him, and he's always been a part of our lives. The day of the accident, I was driving to college, talking to Atlas on the phone about celebrating my birthday next week..."

Thuran's expression turned sympathetic as Emily recounted the events leading up to the accident. Sam returned with the coffee, and his eyes widened as he saw a cup moving on its own.

"Wow," Sam exclaimed.

Thuran smiled. "You're getting used to this faster than I thought."

Sam grinned. "I'm a guy, what do you take me for?"

Thuran turned back to Emily. "So, how did the accident happen?"

Emily's voice trembled slightly. "I was still on the phone with Atlas when a truck lost control and headed towards me. I thought I could avoid it, but my brakes malfunctioned. That's the last thing I remember as a human."

Thuran's eyes narrowed. "Has your brake always been giving signs of malfunctioning?"

Emily shook her head. "No, I used my car the day before, and it was fine."

Thuran's interest was piqued. "I'm intrigued by you," he said, causing Sam to raise an eyebrow.

Sam's eyes darted to Thuran "What do you mean?"

Thuran smiled. "Not what you think."

Emily chimed in, "Good, because I couldn't cheat on my boyfriend."

Thuran's smile grew wider. "That's not a problem. So, when exactly is your birthday next week?"

Emily hesitated before answering, "On Friday."

Riggy spoke up, "Wait, you said you're not dead finally. How is that possible?"

Emily's response was matter-of-fact. "That means I'm still in a coma."

Riggy's face twisted in disgust. "I hate you already."

Emily shot back, "I don't like you either."

As the conversation continued, Thuran stood up and began pacing. "When I first saw you, I knew something was off about you. Now I know why."

Sam glanced at his watch. "Thuran, don't you have a class to attend?"

Emily nodded in agreement. "I should be in class too."

Thuran's eyes lit up. "Which college do you attend?"

"Love College," Emily replied.

Thuran's face broke into a wide smile. "What? That's my college too!”

Thuran's eyes widened in surprise. "That's amazing! See the chances of us attending the same college?"

Emily smiled, seeming to relax a bit. "I know, right? Maybe it's fate."

Riggy snorted, but only Thuran could see and hear him. Thuran shot Riggy a look, trying not to react.

Sam looked at Thuran curiously. "What's so funny?"

Thuran shrugged. "Just thinking about something. So, Sam, can you start looking into an accident reports that happen on the 10th of March and see if there's anything suspicious about the case?"

Sam nodded, pulling out his phone. "I'll get started right away."

As Sam began typing away on his phone, Thuran turned to Emily. "So, tell me more about Atlas. What's he like?"

Emily's face lit up. "Atlas is amazing. He's kind, caring, and always puts others before himself. He's been my rock since we started dating."

Thuran's eyes narrowed slightly. "That sounds perfect. Is there anything that might have contributed to the accident?"

Emily thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, nothing that I can think of. Atlas and I were just talking about my birthday plans when the accident happened."

Riggy muttered under his breath, but Thuran was the only one who could hear him. Thuran tried to keep a straight face, focusing on the conversation with Emily.

As the group continued to discuss their plan of action, Thuran couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. He glanced at Emily, who seemed genuine in her story, but there was something about her that didn't add up.

\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

In the hospital room, Emily's body lay still on the bed, an oxygen tube attached to her nose. Her mom gently cleaned her skin with a damp napkin, her eyes filled with tears. The door opened, and her stepmom, accompanied by Lily, entered the room. They exchanged somber glances with Emily's mom, who continued to tend to her daughter's body. The atmosphere was heavy with grief and concern.

As Emily's stepmom and Lily entered the hospital room, the atmosphere grew heavier. Emily's mom continued to clean her daughter's body with a damp napkin, her eyes brimming with tears. The stepmom's expression was somber, while Lily looked like she was trying to hold back her emotions.

The stepmom approached Emily's mom, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "How is she?" she asked softly.

Emily's mom shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "No change. The doctors say she's still brain dead."

Lily stepped forward, her eyes fixed on Emily's lifeless body. "This can't be happening. She was just a lady." Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at her sister.

The room fell silent, with only the sound of the hospital machines breaking the stillness. Emily's mom continued to tend to her daughter, while the stepmom and Lily stood by, trying to come to terms with the tragic situation.

Suddenly, Lily spoke up, her voice trembling. "Do you think she's in a better place?"

Emily's mom looked up, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and hope. "I want to believe that she is. But it's hard to accept that she's really not here with me now."

The stepmom nodded sympathetically. "We'll get through this together, as a family, and she will sure come back to us."

As they stood there, a nurse entered the room, her expression somber. "I'm so sorry for your grieve. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Emily's mom forced a weak smile. "Thank you. We appreciate your kindness."

The nurse hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "I've seen some...unusual things in this hospital. Some staff members have reported strange occurrences, like ghostly apparitions or unexplained noises. But I'm sure it's just the stress of working in a hospital."

Lily's eyes widened slightly, her gaze darting to her sister's body. Emily's mom and stepmom exchanged a glance, their expressions uncertain ¹.

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