The ghost stared into the face of his sleeping friend, who retired early last night after having had supper. Ashley was beside him on the sleeping pallet, curled up and laying on her side, facing away from Brent.
Dawn had just broken, soft hues of pink streaking the desert sky. It was when the morning light finally broke through gaps of the palm trees did his friend begin to stir. The Scotsman watched as the lad's face twitched from the warm sunlight, then one hand fanned over his eyes with a yawn.
Excitement stirred within the ghost as his friend slowly pushed away from the pallet, his eyes opening to reveal bloodshot confusion. They blinked, once, twice, brows furrowing. Then, they widened with panic at the sight of the blue apparition before him.
"...Friend?"
The Scotsman felt a gut punch of happiness outside the mortal plane. It was really him! He had truly come back.
"Oh laddie! I've missed ye terribly I did!"
"You are dead." The low, soft-spoken voice sounded again, laced with worry. "I am confused. What"— His words halted when his eyes swept down to his side, where a young woman began to stir as well.
She twisted her fists over her eyes, rubbing away the last vestiges of sleep. When her vision adjusted, she broke into a gasp at the persons, living and dead, in her proximity. She especially stared at the man sitting next to her with scrutiny before exclaiming, "Jack!"
The Scotsman noted the difference of her voice. There were no traces of the high-pitched sugary tone that had tested his dead ears. It was, however, exactly the same voice she had when she had been under that weird trance up on the mountain. It was a lower register with a hard edge to it.
The ghost kept quiet as he studied the exchange between his dunderhead friend and the lass.
"I...uh...like your hair and dress."
"You...got a haircut and a shave." said "Ashley", pointing to his face, which caused his friend to rub at his own chin. He looked surprised to find it clean shaven.
"It would appear I did."
"Your sword! You have it!"
"What?!" Jack followed her pointed finger to behind him, to a sheathed sword impaled in the sand.
"But...how?"
"Now that's an interesting story." The Scotsman chuckled, gaining their attention. "I'm just pleased ye two are back to yerselves. Well, I assume." The last part was directed at "Ashley", who looked utterly confused. This only made the ghost cackle again.
"Yer gonnae hafta help yer lady friend out, lad." He said, sinking through the sand in front of them until he was at eye-level. "Startin' off with some introductions." He motioned his head towards the lass with a wink.
"Oh!" Jack's eyes widened. "Of course."
From their interaction just now, the Scotsman had been internally whooping with relief at the two of them being more than acquaintances. It certainly justified their disgusting behavior throughout their brainless experience. The ghost was definitely going to make sure the lad would suffer through ten schoolboys' worth of childish teasing over his little girlfriend.
Unfortunately, that plan immediately fell apart when his friend turned to the lass with a troubled expression.
"I am sorry...I never got your name."