"What is happening here? Something's going on that's not quite clear…'' I'm singing badly out of tune around my kitchen to the music from my sound system. Pouring water into a pan and placing it on the stove to heat up. I'm glad today is over; it felt like it was never ending but at least another murderer is behind bars. I begin to search through my cupboards to search for my frying pan; I should really sort everything out instead of chucking random items in the nearest place. ''Oh what a feeling…when we're dancing on the ceiling…'' I continue to sing, beginning to dance my way across to the open plan living room where boxes are still stacked in the corner where I haven't bothered to unpack. Dancing definitely like no one is watching, I retrieve my pan from the bottom of a box. "Everybody starts to lose control when the music is right…'' I turn to find a strange man standing in my kitchen.
"Who the hell are you?'' I question, grabbing the remote off the coffee table and stopping the music. Pan now held menacingly in my right, ready to defend myself, I can see my gun in my bag which is on the kitchen table, he is nearer, no way I could make could to it before him. "Get out of my apartment.'' I shout at him. He turns around like I should be talking to someone else. "You!" I recognise him as the man from the corridor who disappeared on me.
"You can see me again?'' I ask, throwing my hands up in the air with joy. "Finally, it's only taken you three hours, do you know how frustrating that is?''
"Of course I can see you,'' I'm glaring at him, I don't understand how he got in, there's a dead bolt that I locked when I came home. "Get out of my apartment.'' I'm rising my voice with anger, although I'm scared that this man is in control in my apartment, I can't get to my gun.
"I'm not going anywhere.'' I state, leaning against the counter. "You're the only one who can see me, I need your help.''
"Get out!'' I shout taking small steps towards him, trying to get closer to my gun. He shakes his head. "I said, get out!''
"Look I'm not going to hurt you, I can't really explain but I know that I need you.'' He states, I make a quick decision. I throw the pan it his stomach and make a grab for my gun. I'm stopped however, as I grab the handle of my bag as I watch the pan sail through his body, hit the side of my counter, bounce back through his body and lands noisily on the floor. I'm stood, gawking at the pan on the floor, then back at him.
"What? That could've hurt…'' I start, but she cuts me off with a high pitched scream. That really hurts; it's going straight through me. "Stop screaming!'' I shout over her voice, I clamp my hands over my ears. "Someone's gonna hear you.'' I don't know what to do. "Just stop.'' I walk over and place my hand over her mouth; she flinches at the action, but finally stops screaming, breathing heavily through her nose. "Will you just listen to me?''
I nod, like I have a choice, if a frying pan goes straight through him then a little bullet isn't going to do anything. There's a knock at my door, obviously a neighbour has heard me. We both look at the door; he removes his hand so I can answer the door. I open the door as far as I can, but Mr Jones from next door doesn't even ask who the man is next to me, so I explain that I got spooked by a scary movie, which he fortunately buys.
"Who are you?'' I asked quietly as a re-bolt my door.
"Danny Messer.'' He sighs, I widen my eyes in horror. Danny Messer? The guy from the lab?
"No Danny Messer is in hospital in a coma.'' I state, is this some kind of sick joke. "Is this a joke? Is the team seeing how far they can push me?'' I look around my room for a sign of some kind of hologram system that could explain this. "This isn't funny.'' I say, ignoring the man completely as I begin to search for someone else in my place.
"I know I'm in the hospital, but I'm here too, if you know what I mean.'' He says following me round. I can't find anything out of the ordinary, apart from this 'Danny' in my apartment. "It's like I'm here, but I'm not. No one else can see me but you, I've been walking round that place trying to get noticed for a month and then finally you do.''
"Walk towards the light.'' I say slowly to him, "there's nothing left for you here, go towards the light.'' I through my hands in the way in some way to gesture to an invisible light.
I look around, what light? "There is no light.'' I say, "apart from that light bulb.'' I point at the light fitting in the ceiling. "And it isn't really appealing to me.'' I place my hands on my hips. "Look I'm not dead.''
"Walk towards the light.'' I repeat, there has to be some kind of explanation for this. "You need to move on.''
"There is no light!'' I repeat back. I'm getting frustrated, "I'm not dead and I'm not going anywhere. I'm not dead.''
"I'm not having this conversation,'' I start going back to my boiling pan of water and pouring some pasta into it. This Danny is stood glaring at me; every time he opens his mouth to talk I put my hand up to stop him. Eventually he stops trying, and instead he takes a seat at my table watching my cook. "If you're not dead then what are you?'' I eventually ask, after I've tried to process the past couple of minutes in my head.
"I don't know, but I'm still here. And I know my body's still here, I've been there with them often enough to see that.'' He sadly shook his head.
"This isn't happening,'' I said, stirring the sauce in the pan. "I don't believe in ghosts.''
"I'm not a ghost, I'm not dead'' Thoughts are swirling round my head, I'd been so busy trying to get someone to notice me for the past couple of weeks that I hadn't even thought about what was really happening. I knew that my body was in Mercy hospital; I'd stood and watched them talk to me over and over. But I also knew that I was here, that I was in this apartment.
"I'm not helping with any unfinished business,'' she says, slamming down plates on the counter. That smells so good, wow, when was the last time I ate? Suddenly my stomach is rumbling.
"I don't have any,'' I say, watching her dish out the food, two plates! I'm getting food. She places the food in front of me, turning to grab some cutlery. "Thanks Holly.'' She shoots me a glance, I sallow as we eat in silence. It's kind of weird, for weeks I haven't been able to hold onto anything or do anything real, and now I'm here holding a fork and eating food.
"This is a dream,'' I've decided that I'm going to wake up soon and this will all go away. "I've had such a long day, I was talking about you to Flack and it's stuck.'' I gather the plates up, and place them in the sink; I'll do them in the morning before my shift. "I'm going to bed, just don't go through my stuff.'' I add as I leave him in the kitchen, heading for my own room. I quickly change into some sweats climb into bed and throw the covers over my head, praying that sleep will come quickly and this day would be over.
I sigh, as I glance around the apartment. I don't feel tired, I haven't slept since this happened, I've never felt the need. I stand up, deciding that I should at least to the dishes. It takes me a few attempts to concentrate on turning on the water, my hand slipping through the handle at first. Then suddenly it's like I'm solid, I manage to wash everything with ease, then I tidy the kitchen. It's only 1 am. I should get back to the lab. To do what I think, as I take a seat on the couch. My eyes feel heavy; I close them and drift off into a fitful sleep.