-10-

                                    

                                          
      I follow James like a little duckling without saying a word. I'm still too awestruck to even form coherent thoughts. I can't really believe this is happening because I had just accepted he wouldn't cooperate and I would have to deal with finding answers on my own. But here he is, leading somewhere, ready to answer whatever I have to ask him. I don't know if he really knows the answers but he must know more than I do. I've never cared to find out anything or figure things out. I just kept going, repeating the days over and over again.
                          
I am not scared of what he might do. I don't think he'll take me to a dark alley and kill me because he can't do that, right? Can you kill a ghost? Is there a way to get rid of my type? Maybe I should ask that before I keep following him, but if I do he would realise I suspect him and lie to me so he can actually kill me.
                          
Aaaaand I'm rambling in my head again.
                          
I don't think it was like this when I was alive. I don't think my mind drifted like this and I think it's because for so long I've only had myself to talk to. I didn't speak much when I was alive, I think. At least I don't remember me being like this before, but maybe that was because of the constant bullying. I just wanted to disappear so they wouldn't see me and attack me and for that I needed to be quiet. Maybe I've always been this talkative but I was repressing myself.
                          
"Can you kill a ghost?" I ask anyways, risking to get discovered. Maybe if I catch him off guard he'll tell me the truth.
                          
James stops amid street and I almost bump into him but I manage to stop before we collide. I look around, making sure no one is paying attention to the boy that suddenly stopped and that then turns to look at me over his shoulder.
                          
"What?" asks James incredulously. His eyebrows arched and his expression confused, almost offended.
                          
"You know, just asking. In case you decided to lure me to follow you so you can finally get rid of me," I explain and he just blinks. I shrug to make me look nonchalant, but deep down I think I'm scared. This theory is growing stronger.
                          
"If there's a way, I swear I don't know about it. I don't think you can kill something that's already dead," he replies and I have to acknowledge his reasoning.
                          
"You can kill a vampire, though, and vampires are dead," I remind him and he presses his lips tight in a line. I'm not sure if he's amused or annoyed. 
                          
"Vampires are not real," he reminds me and I take a step closer, my eyes narrowed and my finger pointing at him.
                          
"How do you know? Ghosts are real, why not vampires? Maybe you're a vampire and you're just hiding your secret from me."
                          
"Your imagination knows no boundaries, does it?" he says and this time I do see the little smile on his lips when he shakes his head. "I won't hurt you, okay? If there's a way to get rid of a ghost, I'm not aware of it so you're safe. I'm probably in more danger than you are."
                          
"True that. I might just start poking you as you don't like being touched," I suggest and his eyes widen, sheer horror written in his face.
                          
"Don't do that," he says, coldly and the engines in my head start working.
                          
"Uhh, is little James scared of a ghost?" I tease, wiggling my fingers threateningly as if I wear to tickle him and he steps back, raising his hands to shield himself. "You're scared!" I laugh at him, stepping back to give him some peace. "Rest assured, I won't touch you. That's my way to pay you back for answering my questions. I'm not that bad of a person slash ghost."
                          
James sighs and shakes his head, but I also hear him chuckling softly to himself before he turns around and keeps walking. I keep following him and soon I notice he's taking me to church.