I rolled over, trying to keep hold of the sleep that eluded me every other night but this. Even though I kept my eyes closed and tried to think of dreams it slid away, leaving me quite awake. I opened my eyes, groaning. The early morning light was filtering through the blinds in the room I was laying in.

I was at the safe house, the rambling, gothic Victorian. When we had arrive we looked everywhere, but there was no other people here besides us. Derek didn't mind, he seemed to prefer it, but I would have liked some other company besides Tori.

"Breakfast!" Andrew said, walking through the house.

I looked at the clock. It was 7. In the morning. I groaned again, rolling out of bed and standing up. I stretched and yawned, walking for the door. Tori was walking down the stairs in front of me, her black hair bouncing as she hit the last step. Her shoulders stiffened a little before she spun around on her heels, glancing up at me. I paused, waiting for her usual torrent of insults.

"Good morning Chloe," she said through grit teeth before she turned on a dime and headed for the kitchen table.

I stood there, stunned. What was that all about?

"Simon must have talked to her," rumbled Derek from behind me.

I jumped, surprised.

Derek walked around me, almost as if me not saying anything to him was dismissal. I followed him into the kitchen, looking at the four bowls of cereal sitting on the table. Andrew was nowhere in sight, probably calling some people or trying to figure out why no one was here.

Tori was already eating, not looking at any of us. Derek sat in the chair farthest from her, leaving me with no choice but to sit next to him. I sat, digging into my cereal.

"Hey Chloe," Simon said, sliding into the seat across from me.

He looked at me, then glanced at Derek, who pretended not to notice. I tucked my head, ignoring them. I was defiantly still tired.

After breakfast I walked up the long staircase, heading back for my room.

"Going back to bed already?"

I froze. The voice was smooth and hazy, almost…ghost like. I felt all the hair on my body stand, I turned around slowly. There was nothing there, but hey, for me, that meant nothing.

"Who are you?" I asked, slowly.

I wondered if Derek would show up, hearing me talking to myself, or to a ghost really.

"Who are you?" the ghost mimicked me.

It sounded like a middle aged man, probably bitter at having died. I felt a shove from behind, making me stumble. A shove? I spun around, seeing nothing again. "Sh-sh-show y-yourself."

"Sh-sh-show y-yourself," the ghost mimicked.

Ghosts can't touch people, right? I was shoved again from behind. I remembered Liz touching my hand, and I had felt it. Was this ghost like Liz? A poltergeist?

"Every time I find myself in a place that's worth staying in…" the ghost began, pushing me up against the wall. "…a necromancer shows up to drag me from my afterlife."

"B-b-but I d-didn't" I stammered, my back was against the wall and I could feel his hands on my shoulders.

"Of course you didn't," the ghost hissed. I could see his outline coming into shape. "I came to scare the idea out of your head."

"B-but I w-would n-n-never…" I trailed off, watching as the ghost formed.

It was a middle aged man, his face scarred and hair long and scraggly.

"Chloe?"

Derek! I glanced at him, looking at his puzzled face.

"Ghost?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" I felt his hands dig into my shoulders.

I whimpered.

"Chloe, calm down, he can't hurt you," Derek said, walking closer. His green eyes were looking from my scared face to my shoulders.

"Oh?" the ghost said, striding over to Derek on thin air. "You think I can't hurt her?"

Derek was still looking at me, unable to see the ghost.

"H-he can't h-hear you," I said.

Derek looked to me, lip curling. "What did he say?" Derek rumbled, a low growl emanating from his chest.

The ghost slammed back into me, hands on my shoulders. "Yeah, tell him."

I ignored them both, picturing the ghost in my head. He got mad, squeezing my shoulders. I winced, trying to picture him. When I was sure, I shoved him back into his afterlife. I waited, eyes closed. Was he gone? Hands grasped my shoulders, shaking me. My eyes snapped open, I yelped, jerking away. Derek grabbed me, his arms around me. I stumbled back only for him to pull me closer.

"He's gone Chloe," Derek said.

I got a hold of myself, pushing away from Derek. He looked down, a little hurt. His scowl appeared, but that didn't stop me from smiling at him. When I looked into Derek's eyes that feeling returned, my stomach clenched and my throat dried up.

"Did I miss something?"

I looked around Derek, seeing Simon. He was eyeing Derek's hands on my shoulders.