I went over it, in my head, over and over again. I had watched the blade drag across her skin and I had watched the blood seep to the surface. Then I saw her wipe the blood away, and there was nothing where the deep cut used to be. But every time I felt myself start to believe it, I reminded myself how gullible and stupid that was.
The door hung crookedly in the doorway and it swung back and forth on its hinges, uttering a whiny squeak that echoed through the somber hotel hallway. It was a door hidden toward the back of the building that lead to the dumpster in the alleyway behind the hotel. Cool air seemed to prick the back of my neck and my hair stood on end.
Sally had left me to get a drink from Liz, and I hadn't wanted to go with her. I had packed my bag and started wandering towards the nearest exit that wasn't the front door, where Sally would see me, easily.
My shoulders jumped and my heart painfully clenched when I felt a hand touch my shoulder from behind me. "Shit, Sally," I said, "You scared me." I began to turn to face her but caught a glimpse of a gleaming, pale white face.
"Not Sally," the creature stated raspily, and I jumped away. The hand left my shoulder and I turned to face whoever was behind me, but they were gone.
"Hello?" I asked. It was someone pulling a prank on me, or I had forgotten to take my meds. Maybe I was having a psychotic break. "I could have sworn I saw..."
Someone was messing with me.
. . .
"Sally," I said as I slammed my bag down on the chair behind the bar, beside her.
"You look like you've just seen a ghost," Liz said, smirking as she sat a glass of whiskey on the counter in front of me. I scowled in Liz's direction.
Sally laughed out loud from where she had taken a seat beside me. "That's ironic."
Liz paused and looked me up and down. She pressed her lips together. "Well... I supposed she was going to figure it out sooner or later," she said, nodding towards me.
"Figure what out?" I asked.
Liz looked at me and motioned around the room with her hand and seemed to bat her heavy eyelashes. The other hand rested on her shimmery, gold, sequiny dress, and I wondered about the blue eyeshadow, the hoop earrings, and the leather pants under the golden dress. It was a fashion statement, I guessed.
"That we're all ghosts," Liz said, "You know now. Right?"
"I told her," Sally said, "And I'll take a martini. Sour."
Liz looked up to Sally hesitantly before beginning to pour her drink. "You told her," Liz repeated Sally's words, "Now, why would you do that?"
"She's decided to stay here... Permanently. So I thought she should know if she's going to live here."
I coughed. "I didn't decide to stay here. She threatened me," I said to Liz, "With death."
"Death isn't the worst thing that can happen to a person, here," Liz replied thoughtfully. "But... I'm not surprised." Liz smirked and put a hand up to block Sally's view of her lips before she whispered, loudly. "She has some abandonment issues."
"Oh, shut up, Cleopatra," Sally said before sipping out of the martini glass.
"That's the best you can come up with?" Liz asked, "Choose your next words wisely, madame. I only mix drinks for unpaying customers who are nice to me."
Sally rolled her eyes but stayed quiet.
"I think you both are crazy," I replied, "I don't believe in ghosts. I don't care what kind of tricks you try to pull on me, Sally."
Sally looked at me, her lips on her straw, but she didn't respond.
"Believe whatever you want, darling," Liz spoke gingerly, "It won't change a thing."
