Very paranormal
I could tell Zak was slightly apprehensive about his next question. Strange, I thought. In the few years I've known him, apprehension didn't seem to be apart of his DNA. The man is a true Aries. Born on the day of the ram and as red as a fucking lobster.
Before I knew him, I wondered how a this jock looking, snapback wearing, young man, became interested in the occult long enough to look away from his basketball game or shake weight… Or whatever it is straight guys do in their free time. I was a skeptic. But he was once, too. We've always met in the middle on a few things; our passion, our businesslike attitude, and our very alike stubbornness. Though, the later was something that caused much friction.
He could be arrogant, demanding, and controlling. He was short tempered and I disliked his constant need to safeguard me from something he assumed I wasn't capable of understanding.
He would hand me the talkie carefully, reminding me he was only a call away. And in the next breath, he'd be shoving Aaron in some hell pit against his will. Sure, he could be a sexist prick… But he had balls.
Maybe it was his arrogance, his young age, or his inexperience, but I'd be damned if he wouldn't call out the devil himself. If only to catch some unseen force knocking him out on tape. Unfortunately, it was something I picked up on fast; the man put "evidence" before the value of his own life.
So, when Zak suddenly became a bit nervous, it intrigued me. He awkwardly fumbled with his recorder in hand as we stood in the dark during a lockdown. The only thing between us was a bed. Of course, it was a haunted bed.
Only the dull light of the moon shined on his dramatic features. I thanked God for the small light since I hated his method of complete darkness.
"What is it?" I asked growing impatient.
"I- I was just wondering if we should get in the bed together since the spirit is said to confront men next a woman." By the end of his statement he had gained back his usual confidence.
After joining the crew on more than fifteen other investigations now, I found myself surprised that I didn't seen this coming.
"The spirit is said to confront couples," I said baffled at his reasoning. "Like, married couples."
I didn't need light to know the face he was pulling, one of a knee jerk reaction to clarify his awkward wording. I imagined his brows shooting to his hairline.
"It's for the evidence! Just to evoke the spirit. We could just lie down, side by side. What would it hurt?" he asked genuinely unable to see why I was uncomfortable by the notion of sharing a bed with the man I followed across country, again and again.
I gripped my small handheld camera trying to think of my next rebuttal. But I had nothing. Only a fleeting image of the first time we met…
I was an historian working as a tour guide and feigning skepticism to keep my job. It was a college internship and, at the time, my only possible career. Zak had asked to interview me on my knowledge of another location.
He briefed me on what he would ask about as Aaron filmed away.
I was slightly nervous by the gleaming black eye of the camera and even more so by the attitude Zak forced on.
He was alluring then, tall and dark with a punk vampire heir about this dude-bro persona. I'll admit I found him attractive if only because he was some self-proclaimed demon hunter turn TV host.
Soon, our interview began and he flat out asked me about something I would have rather not be broadcast to the world; the fact that I had been touched by a the spirit of a man.
I blushed deeply as my face burned.
"I felt his hand running up my leg."
Zak became highly intrigued.
"That happened… in the bedroom?"
"Yes," I agreed. I could see the wheels turning in his head.
"Was it a benevolent feeling – or I mean – did you enjoy it?"
I frowned. "And why would I enjoy an unseen force groping me?"
A smirk tugged at his lips for a moment. He turned to one of the other men in the room to alleviate the tension.
"Listen, sweetie. Some of us here, and I won't say who, have certain… fetishes." I watched as him and Aaron eyed each other. I didn't watch Ghost Adventures all that much to know either of them. And I was sort of pissed. Especially since Zak had stepped closer to me as if I was to along with some inside joke.
I carried on with the interview. Later they would ask me to join them as a "trigger object" and soon after that, after impressing Zak with my own position in local ghost investigation, he offered me to join them again.
I think I always knew the gifts I possessed, try as I might to close of my inner door to the spirit world, they found me. Zak found me.
"We are in the master's bedroom where many other women have had their hair tugged at or have been fully groped. He doesn't like men. When they enter they feel a heavy need to leave," I remember saying to Zak once entering the chilling room.
I could tell he had stopped listening halfway through.
"Sort of like my own bedroom," he said raising a brow to the camera.
Aaron erupted in laughter. I smirked. Very forced.
"I wouldn't doubt that, Zak. I'm sure any woman who enters your room encounters something that makes her uncomfortable and leaves in a state of confusion."
He shut his mouth and glared to me.
It was the first of many stern Zak glares I would acquire.
I imagined a same glare that night as he asked me to lie in a bed with him in the middle of an abandoned hotel.
"Why don't you lie there alone, Mister 'Incubus suck me off'?"
"Succubus. And fuck you."
I smiled, knowing how the recent incident still angered his "no-homo" sensitivities.
"Who knows, Zak? Me lying in that bed could summon the wrong sex of spirit. Wouldn't want that, would you?" I added dropping him a wink knowing full well he couldn't see me.
He sighed, I knew we were wasting time and producing tape that would never air. These were things that would usually send Zak over the edge. To him, the lockdown was his only proof he wasn't yelling into some black void.
He turned to the camera feeding back to Billy and Jay.
"We are now in the bedroom and I'd like to begin an EVP session. Just after we get into this bed together…"
I crossed my arms as my mouth dropped open.
"…In hopes this will arouse the spirit's known jealousy."
I laughed outright.
"This takes the cake, Bagans," I mumbled and I could tell that he looked back to me with a warning glance. I could care less.
"Would you just work with me here, Scully?" he whispered in anger, calling me by one of my nicknames.
"I should have gone with Aaron. You know he's not feeling well but you still sent him away alone!"
"Well, that's what he's here for. He's bait! And I'm still pissed about before…"
I threw my hands up, done with trying to reach some understanding with him. I swear, it would be easier negotiating a peace treaty with the demons of Bobby Mackey's.
"You're being ridiculous right now."
"Well right back at you, princess." He threw another name I detested at me. "Now are we getting in the bed or not? C'mon were wasting tape, again." He said before practically falling into the bed.
I bitterly complied. Another thing I detested about him, he often got his way.
The bed was small and we rested shoulder to shoulder.
I could hear his breath and feel the heat on him in the cool room.
"Not so bad, huh?" he said happily content.
"Which part?" I asked, "The bed or the company?"
He made a small laugh before holding up the recorder, "Well, we'll see about the company."
"Are you here tonight? Are you jealous that I'm in bed with another woman?" he asked to the ceiling.
I could feel myself falling into the usual trope of my existence in the crew; just a shiny lure for spirits, an object, something used solely for my sex.
I rolled my eyes turning my head to Zak.
"I told you, I'm not your paranormal Polly Pocket," I said before taking the recorder from his hand.
"What is your name?" I asked to the ceiling.
He took it back quickly.
"Could you come over here and touch me?" he asked.
I snatched it back.
"Did he ever realize you loved him?"
Zak pulled it out of my grip again. I'm not sure why we decided to pass it back and forth. Each time we did our hands brushed, fumbling together in the darkness.
"Give me a sign that you're here!"
"Have you been by his side all along?"
I could tell Zak was looking at me.
He took the recorder back and cleared his throat.
"How did you die?"
I took the recorder again. The next question took me a moment to work the courage up to say.
"Is your name… Elizabeth?"
"What are you doing, Liz?" he snapped.
I looked to him.
"Her name is supposed to be Annamarie," he said in utter confusion.
There it was. All the proof I needed. As sensitive as he claimed to be to the spirit world he was blind to the one he was living in. I let him take the recorder again.
He sighed aggravated, "I don't feel anything."
"I didn't either," I stated wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible.
"Well… I refuse for tonight to be a disappointment."
I smirked, of course taking the statement in a way he probably did not intend.
"Has it really been so long you're looking to a Succubus?"
"She's a ghost - and no! I mean, it would have been cool – y'know. That evidence."
I laughed sarcastically, "And that… evidence would be family friendly?"
He didn't say anything.
"Do you honestly want to fuck a ghost?" I cried.
"Jesus, Liz! Can you say one thing tonight I can leave in the final cut?"
I laughed again, more earnestly.
"You might want to try the human option some time," I said under my breath. I forgot how close he was, being able to hear my every murmur.
Suddenly, I felt the rushing stab of fear and jumped from the bed with a start.
"Something - something just grabbed my thigh!" I cried staring down at Zak who looked back up to me.
Suddenly a voice came onto my walkie-talkie.
"That was, uh… Zak," came the voice of Billy.
There was a tense moment of silence. Not being able to clearly see Zak's expression or have him see mine caused me to erupt.
"What the hell?"
"I'm sorry!" he apologized raising his voice as I had raised mine. "I thought it was the spirit box."
Good thing he couldn't see my face, I thought as I took a calming breath, placing my hand over my racing heart. He wasn't able to see my giddy smile.