After making plans we parted our ways and Ken and I reached home.
Frankly, I was worried when I told Margaret what we would be doing. She didn't seem so pleased but she was not surprised either. I think she likes or at least tolerates Oliver. She didn't try to stop me or anything so that was a good sign, I guess.
The next day due to anxiety of what Oliver might discover I was having hard time focusing on anything. To take my mind off the situation I decided to help Margaret with chores. Turns out there was not much to do as ghost. I mean we eat food for taste but we don't actually need it. We don't really have clothes to change. To able to wear different clothes, we have to burn the original clothes to ashes as if it never existed. There is no laundry or anything. So I decided to clean the whole second floor of the house. I was done by afternoon so I had my lunch. But there was still few more hours to go before I finally find out.
To pass the time I decided to open the computer and go through the same website which Oliver accessed yesterday. It was called Facebook, I think.
Anyways as I found that page I scrolled as low as possible and found out many things. For example he first established the Cafeteria eight years ago. His latest establishment was in Waterwest few months ago. This guy was doing pretty good to be honest. As I was scrolling I suddenly heard someone.
"Hello!" someone said from behind me.
"Ahhh!" Totally shocked I shrieked as I turned around. I realized I also closed my eyes as I open them to get a clearer view.
"You.. You're... Her!!" I stutter as I recognize her.
"Yes, nice to meet you again." the lady from the junction point replied.
"What... What are you doing here? Are you here to take me?" I asked her panicked that I'll have to leave my search in the middle.
"No, not unless you want me to." she refuses using her hand to elaborate.
"NO!! I don't want to!" I insisted to make my intention clear.
"Alright then, I hope you have had an Expirience as a ghost. Or are you still suspicious about being dead?" She asked raising her eyebrows.
"No! I get it, I really am dead." I say softly.
"That's good to hear." She gives her signature smile.
"If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" I asked her cautiously
"I was here to make sure what have you decided. To stay or to go. But I think that question is moot now". She says sweetly.For someone dead even I find her real creepy sometimes.
"But, I already decided at junction point. Why decide again?" I was confused
"Because honey, that was a Trial period?" she said.
"What?" I narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you mean trial period? And why didn't you tell me about it before?" I askes her totally confused at whatever was going on.
"I didn't? That's odd, I usually don't forget to mention. Then again I've never seen someone like you, maybe I was too much taken aback. I apologize for my negligence." She slightly bowed her head. Wow she seemed highly mannered.
"Trial Period is exactly like it sounds, just because one agrees to be a ghost doesn't mean they know all the attributes of being one. Many grow frustrated at the limitations, some become lonely. Most of them change their mind later on."
"Why not tell them beforehand? How to be a ghost?. I asked her.
"Does anyone ever tell a human how to be a human? Or an animal how to be an animal?."
"No...?" I told her not unsure of where she was going with this.
"Exactly. Things like these are instincts. You never really get to chose what you are so you learn how to be that, and you learn them through the course of time. One quick explanation will never be enough. Experience matters even more than simply just the knowledge of something." She smiles after she's done.
"Alright" I nodded even though I didn't think I understood completely what she meant.
"Anyways, your trial period as a ghost is over, so I needed an answer to your final decision." she told me.
"So what of I change my kind then? Not now, in the near future what do I do?" I asked her
"Just call for me, I'll teleport you there." She says.
"No more death bus?" I jokingly asked.
"No, that's for recently dead people, dear. To ease their confusion of initial experience as dead."
"Okay." I sighed. "And how do I call you?"
"Say it out loud, 'Manager, I'm ready to expirience whatever lies in the beyond', and I shall appear in front of you." She told me.
"So...you're the manager.Cool" I sighed again. Alright I will do that, thanks for...visiting me, I guess." I told her awkwardly.
"My pleasure" she said and then vanished into thin air.
As soon as she vanished, Ken and Margaret suddenly appear in front me, in a manner that was literally opposite of how the manager disappeared.
"What happened! Why did you scream?" Ken asked me.
"Did someone come here? Margaret asked me. "I knew having you here would be problematic." She uttered out of frustration.
"Relax! That was like twenty minutes ago." I told them.
"No, you just shouted. Liiterally right now." Ken insisted.
"I didn't! I swear!. Look I had a whole conversation after that. That had to be minutes ago. It's not even possible to have it in a few seconds that's for sure" I tried to justify myself.
"With who? No one was here." Ken rolled his eyes at me.
"With the manager of Junction Point." It was Margaret who said that. I was surprised she could tell. Her face showed an expression along with her statement, but only for a moment. I almost missed it. It was as if she was...scared?
"I knew having her would bring me trouble!" Margaret almost shouted. "Listen girl, if anyone, anyone comes in this house because if you, I will, kick you out." She said in a cold tone
"I get that... But... I didn't call her." I tried to defend myself.
"Doesn't matter. She was here for you. Make sure that never, ever happens again." She continued in her cold tone and then she left. While I was still intimidated by her. I think there was something I was missing. Something Margaret is not ready to share with anyone. As much as I hated being treated like this, I coudn't help but wonder what could have happened to her that made her like this. In all this commotion I completely forgot about Oliver or Timothy altogether. And before I knew it was evening, which meant, it was time for us to meet again.
Ken and I went to the cafeteria. We decided to meet there as it was somewhere we all recognized, and Oliver liked how that place was related to my 'case'. I think he was more thrilled than he was letting on. As a ghost he didn't have anyone to go to him for solving mysteries.
I asked Ken how did Margaret deduce The Lady from Junction Point was here, turns out her presence is time independent. Apparently when she appears the time stops. Only the person who are meant to see gets to see her.
We were sitting on a table at the empty corner when suddenly a guy comes and sits in front of us
"Hey guys!" He looked directly at us while he spoke.
"Hey! So what do you got?" Ken asked him.
What was going on? Who was he? I was confused when I suddenly recalled that I actually didn't know how Oliver looked like. He was possessing someone else. Now that I see him I had to admit he had quiet sharp features and definitely looked better than the guy he was possessing. With Olive skin tone and sharp jawline he looked quiet intimidating. Who would guess he was actually quite childish.
"Well, I emailed him from the office I used to work with, I told him we were doing some background checks on property owners here, as there has been an issue." he smirked as he looked proud of himself. "Anyways, he replied sooner than I expecting. The extra information that I found out about him is that he is thirty years old and this is his address." He showed us a piece of paper, where it was written. ' Apartment number 13,387B Roklin Street'