As I open my eyes and look around I realized the situation had indeed turned into a massacre. The truck almost went off the road while few vehicles following it crashed with each other. In fact one car was still literally there through me.
This last few minutes were so confusing and overwhelming that I didn't know what to so I stood there. Few people were injured but luckily it wasn't that bad and no one died. I was in my own trance when I suddenly hear a voice.
"CHLOE!?" Margaret's voice brings me back to the situation.
"We have to get out of here. NOW!!" She screams and tries to drag me with her. And I let her. While we were going back to the house they didn't say or ask anything to me. Guess they were reserving their questions for a more private space. Once we were back I was made sit down in the sofa while both of them hovered over me.
"Do you understand what have you done?" she almost shouts at me.
"..." unable to say anything I shake my head.
"Remember how we were supposed to be careful in here? Well you almost blew that when you appeared in front of that truck. I told you before you need to learn how to control your apparition." Margaret sighed.
"I'm sorry. I should have been more careful. It's just that..." suddenly I wondered. "If my apparition manifested, why couldn't he hear me?"
"WHO?!" Margaret shouted.
"That guy. The one I was following. I... I felt like I knew him.I've never seen him before as long as I've been dead, but he felt close. It.. It was quiet strange. I don't... I don't know how to explain that."
"Wait, are you telling us he has something to do with you when you were alive?"
"It's possible. I mean I felt a deep... Connection? I think. If only I knew how to control my apparition he wouldn't have gotten away and I could have actually talked with him."
"Are you crazy young woman!?" She snarled at me.
"Why?" I asked her clearly confused at her reaction. I mean wasn't she the one who was desperate for me to find out about my past and leave as soon as possible.
"You're dead right? Imagine seeing someone whom you thought was dead suddenly appearing to them, that too when it's evening." she explained. "Instead of talking to you he would have ran away from you. You're a ghost not a human. You have to be careful." She explained to me softly.
"That didn't occur to me." I say almost like a whisper.
"It's alright. You're new. But you will learn." She comforted me.
As I looked up I saw Ken was smiling brightly at our conversation.
"What?" I ask him.
"Oh! Nothing. I was just happy. That we finally have a lead." he explains himself while nodding his head.
"Well I blew that" I say feeling hopeless.
"Not entirely." He says. "Look if he came to the cafeteria today there is a high chance he might visit again."
"And? It's not like I'll remember everything once I saw him. And it's not like I can talk to him." I shrugged.
"Well, not like this. Unless... " He trailed of looking at Margaret.
"Oh you think she can do that?" Margaret asked him.
"Do what?" I asked, suddenly feeling hopeful.
"Why not. She's a fast learner. I'll teach her." He replied.
"You've never taught anyone." Margaret says
"Teach me what?" I ask impatiently.
" Then let's change that! You can supervise! Pleasee" he gave Margaret those puppy eyes she claimed she couldn't resist. Margaret ended up smiling and nodding in approval.
"Will any one of you explain to me what are guys talking about? I'm so curious and excited I can't take it!!" I almost whine.
"We... are going to teach you possession. So that you can posses someone while you talk to him." Ken smirked as he explained.
So the next following days they have been teaching me how to posses someone. Every day they take me back to the cafeteria for two reasons.
One, of course for possession.
And two. Even if I'm not ready one of them can use possession to find out minimal details of his life so that when I'm ready I can track him down myself.
So there are few ground rules they explained to me.
1. Never ever posses same people twice until and unless u had no other option. Even if I had to do, make sure to keep them equally spaced so the individual doesn't figure out something wrong. The more he/she becomes aware the more complicated the situation will get.
2. Try to target the individual who is maximally distracted. The less careful they are of their surroundings the less likely chance they will resist.
3. While possessing someone, don't so something that can alter their physical attributes. Like eat, get drunk or get hurt.
4. And most importantly the toughest part, while possessing someone make sure to stay focussee even if you're dealing with some other activity.
While these rules seemed pretty easy to follow actual possession was really difficult. I saw Ken do it but everytime I tried I've went right through the person without making any difference. It's been four days but there was still no progress. I was starting to get frustrated. According to Ken it took him years before he could actually do it properly for a whole minute. He told me not feel disheartened because it was really too much difficult. But I found myself too stubborn to give up. On the 5th day Ken decided to something new. Instead of going at our usual time he took me in the evening. He told me to try a even more vulnerable target. That target being drunk people. With their disoriented mind it was supposed to be easier. So I tried, but still there was no progress. After almost a week I finally managed to successfully possess someone. It was a drunk old women. But I stayed in her body for a whole minute, while feeling nauseated as well due to her drinking. The feeling of accomplishment was pure bliss. I loved it!! It felt like I was finally getting the hang of it, this ghost life. I was starting to adjust to it. When we returned home from due to our achievement Ken was boasting his teaching skills to Margaret.
"Nice work both if you." Margaret approved. "And I'm really proud of how fast you've learned. That is some real talent. However it's still not good enough to work in daylight with sober people. Keep trying."
"I will!!" I say excitedly. "I'm ready to embrace all the quirks of being a ghost now."
"How about this? Let's go back to the cafeteria tomorrow in the morning? We will keep practicing." Ken suggests.
"Sounds like a plan. Let's do that."
This time I'm Finally going to talk to that mystery guy and figure out my past or at least a part of it. Although I have no idea what I will ask or what I should say, but like everything slowly and with a little bit of help from my friends I'll figure it out.