Chapter Three:

Henley knew she shouldn't have let her guard down.

It had been 12 hours since that damn ghost had threatened to be glued to her hip, and he had yet to reappear. She thought she was safe. She had started to relax. The moment she woke up that morning without a sight of the pestering ghost, she thought she was in the clear.

Oh how wrong she was.

The moment she slid the shower curtain to the side, her hand reaching for her towel, she realized that this ghost had ever intention of driving her absolutely mad.

"What the hell!" she screamed, scrambling for the towel as she quickly covered as much of herself as she possibly could. "What the hell are you doing in my bathroom!"

The stupid ghost just stood there, by the door, his arms crossed over his transparent chest as he stared straight at her. His gaze at least didn't wander below her neck, but she was still flushing a deep shade of red. Never had a ghost ever appeared to her in such a private moment before. She was naked for god sake!

"Get out!"

"I warned you," he pointed out. "I warned you I would not leave you alone until you agreed to help me."

"You could at least bug me when I have clothes on! Naked here!" she wrapped the towel tightly around herself, but still felt too naked for her liking. "Get out!"

"No."

"No? This is my bathroom," her jaw dropped open. She couldn't believe this ghost! "Get the hell out!"

"Not until you agree to help me."

"Pretty certain this isn't helping your chances."

He just continued to stare, not even blinking. Henley grumbled a string of curse words under her breath as she carefully scooted out of the shower, mindful of the towel around herself. He was right in front of the closed door. He was standing right before her escape route. He knew exactly what he was doing as he blocked her only exit.

Unless she wanted to climb out the window and give the neighbours a good show.

"You're in the way," she pointed at the door. "Move."

His head tilted to the side, an eyebrow rising. He was mocking her. He was doing his very best to infuriate her and he was achieving his goal. But she refused to just back down and cave. She wasn't going to let this stupid ghost get the best of her.

But she also really didn't want to have to put her hand through his transparent form just to open the door.

"You're really not going to move?"

"Not until you help me."

Her nose scrunched up in disgust. "But then I'll have to…and it's gross and icky…really?"

She could have sworn there was a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"Fucking hell!" she groaned. She really didn't want to do this. She didn't want to touch him. She didn't want that cold, clammy feel of death clutching onto her. It was clear that this vampire wasn't exactly a normal ghost. He was stronger than the others, and much faster. He could project his own energy in a way that she had never seen before.

And he was extremely annoying.

"Can't you go haunt someone else?" she glared at him. "If you're kid or whatever is in some sort of danger, shouldn't you be watching over him instead of pestering me?"

At the mention of whoever this 'child' was, the ghost's orbs narrowed into slits. The lights began flickering and the mirror suddenly shattered. Henley jumped, her eyes growing wide at the broken glass littering the sink. She had certainly never seen a ghost do that before.

"You will help me."

"No, I really don't think I will," Henley eyed the broken glass before risking a glance back at the ghost. She was relieved when she found herself alone and quickly darted for the door. Ripping it open, she groaned to find him settled directly outside of the room, still standing where she needed to walk. "Oh just go away already!"

"I did warn you," he grew within an inch of her. She tried to stumble back into the room, but the bathroom door suddenly slammed shut and forcing her to remain where she was. She had to hold her breath to ensure not even a single hair on her body touched his form. "I will not stop. I will not leave you alone."

"You can't bully me into helping you," she hated that her voice wavered. But the broken mirror and the slamming of the door had rattled her. She had experienced unfriendly ghosts before, ones that would go to any length to get her help. But she had never been frightened before. Not even as a child had they ever truly scared her. They weren't exactly the ghosts from horror movies. They couldn't actually harm anyone.

But this ghost, he was entirely different.

She had no idea what she was dealing with here.

"I will do everything in my power to make you help me," he warned, looking her dead in the eye before disappearing so suddenly it took her a minute before realizing she was actually alone.

She only let out a shaky breath was she was safe in her room. Though she was beginning to realize, that she wasn't ever really safe from ghosts, no matter where she hid.

Henley peeked cautiously around every doorway as she entered her home that evening. Moony was whining behind her, his nose nudging the back of her legs towards the kitchen. She was still hesitant, however, even as she found the entire bungalow free of ghosts. That annoying vampire had popped up at work at the most inappropriate times and she was surprised Michelle hadn't called the mental institutions over her sudden outbursts. This was exactly what she had tried so desperately to avoid in the last few years. She was finally no longer the crazy, lunatic girl from high school and elementary school.

She wanted to keep it that way.

"Oh all right, Moony," a chuckle sounded from her lips as Moony began a low bark as he settled himself of the back door. "Just no squirrel chasing, alright?"

She doubted it would be that easy, but she let the pestering german shepherd out into the backyard, preparing his food dish after he likely chased every squirrel in sight. She laughed at the sight, glancing out the back window, and rolled her eyes as Moony was doing just that. She didn't understand the fascination, but if it made Moony happy, than she didn't care.

"I believe it is customary for a human to clean when their sink is filled with dishes."

Groaning, Henley slowly turned to find her pestering ghost leaning against the kitchen counter, his gaze falling onto her filled to the brim sink. She had meant to do the dishes before work, but his sudden appearance in her bathroom had shaken her. She didn't want to linger in her own house longer than she had to.

Not that he kept his haunting to just her house. Oh no, he quite enjoyed driving her insane everywhere and anywhere.

"Are you giving me cleaning advice now?" she crossed her arms over her chest with pursed lips.

"I'm merely stating an observation."

"You were an OCD vampire, weren't you?"

"I enjoyed organization, yes," he merely shrugged.

She snorted as she turned and tried to ignore him, searching her fridge for something edible to consume. She silently praised the Chinese leftovers from the previous day.

"Did you not eat the same thing twice yesterday?"

"What, are you my mother now?" she slammed the leftovers onto the counter as she reached for the only remaining clean plate. She let out a sigh of annoyance when it suddenly moved to the very back of the cupboard and out of reach. "Are you kidding me right now?"

Henley sent the ghost a glare over her shoulder as she grabbed a fork and angrily began stabbing the cold noodles.

"You are the most annoying ghost known to…well, spirit kind," she grumbled under her breath, still glaring at the ghost. Why couldn't she at least get a nice one? Why did she always have to get the assholes that pestered her?

"I will leave you be if you agree to help me," he reminded.

Her orbs narrowed, stabbing at a piece of chicken and pretending it was the ghost's face. "Not going to happen, ghosty."

"Godric,"

"Huh?" her eyebrows rose.

"It's not ghosty. My name is Godric," he informed.

"Let's just categorize that under shit I really don't care about," she shot back. Her temper was getting the better of her. She was getting tired of this ghost – of Godric – and she was more than ready for him to just leave her the hell alone.

Unfortunately, Henley had a feeling that would not be happening anytime soon. Godric didn't seem at all like he was going to just give up. She almost admired his persistence. She would only admire it a hell of a lot more if his persistence wasn't directed at her.

"Your name is Henley, is it not?" Godric tried to make conversation, which only irked her further. She didn't want to know everything about this vampire, and she certainly didn't feel like sharing. The more she knew, the guiltier she would feel. She didn't want to get involved with another ghost's life. She didn't want to be run out of another home, loved ones claiming she was insane. She was tired of it. "It's a peculiar name."

"Oh no," Henley shook her head, leaving her food forgotten on the counter as she turned towards the vampire. "We are not going to do this. We are not going to get to know each other and become besties. I just want you to leave me alone. I don't care who you are or your life story. So don't even try."

"I will not stop until you aid me,"

"Can you just go back to your haunting, ghost things now? I'd much rather some flickering lights to this conversation."

"Why will you not use this gift you were given? You have the opportunity to…"

"Stop," her hands began curling into tight fists at her side. "Just stop. You know absolutely nothing about me or what I can do."

His eyebrows furrowed. "You have the ability to help those that can not help themselves, and yet you refuse to acknowledge this. Why? What is so terrible about this gift?"

"Because it's not a god damn gift!"

"But it is."

She just wanted to scream, to throw the dirty dishes from her sink at this stupid vampire. He knew nothing. He didn't understand what it was that she could do. If he did, he would realize this was nothing except a curse. How else could you describe her entire childhood being haunted by beings that no one else could see? What other way would you call being outcast by society because she accidently slipped up? How was it a gift when every single one of her former teachers wanted her family to lock her up and throw away the key?

This wasn't a gift at all.

"You don't understand," Henley's voice was shaky as she tried to calm herself.

"Then make me understand."

"What makes you think you have the right to know?" she snapped back.

Godric's orbs narrowed as he stepped forward, nodding behind her. "Perhaps I do not. But they do."

Henley's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. When the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up, however, she knew exactly who this ghost was referring to.

They were no longer alone.

She didn't want to turn around. She didn't want to see whoever Godric had found to guilt her with. She couldn't let herself break. But as a chill ran up her spine, an ice-cold feeling coursing through her veins, she knew it was inevitable.

Turning, Henley was taken back to find the two ghosts from the clinic waiting room standing in her kitchen. She hadn't seen them outside of the clinic besides when she accidentally made contact with them originally.

"Please help us."

"My wife, she's pregnant and…"

"My brother is..."

All she could do was just stand there, the blood draining from her face. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? This wasn't fair. Godric was trying to bombard her with guilt and shame that she wasn't using this curse for good. But she had spent seventeen years of her life trying to help these spirits, and where had that gotten her? She was alone besides her dog.

"I can't believe you," she whispered under her breath, tears forming in her eyes. She could already see the ghosts' faces crumbling, the absolute misery of being alone and unable to help those that they loved. She wasn't trying to be a terrible person. She wasn't trying to intentionally hurt these spirits. She wasn't just saying no because she felt like it.

Seeing their heartbroken expressions, it was tearing her apart.

"This isn't fair," she shook her head, swallowing back the rising lump in her throat. "This is so not fair."

"Is it fair to them? Is it fair that you refuse to help them?" Godric whispered in her ear, his presence directly behind her. She shuddered as he drew close enough that she could just barely feel the chill of death.

"Stop," her eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't look at those two ghosts any longer. She couldn't stare at their pleading faces.

"Tell them to their faces that you won't help them. Tell them how selfish you are being."

"Stop it," she was shaking as Godric laid a hand on her back. He knew what his touch did to her, how much she detested it. He was torturing her in hopes that she would break, that she would cave.

And she was nearly there.

"That's all you are being. Selfish."

"I'm not," but she wasn't even able to convince herself. She was being selfish. Wasn't she allowed to be though? She had sacrificed her entire life to this curse. Didn't she deserve to be a little tiny bit selfish?

"Look at them," the door and windows began shaking. "I said, Look at them!"

Her eyes flew open, finding herself in a now darkened kitchen. The ghosts before her, however, had disappeared.

But she was still not alone.

"Get. Out." A tear slipped down her cheek, her nails digging painfully into the palm of her hands.

"You will help me."

"Go away," she was pleading with him, begging with a ghost. "Just go away, please."

Henley felt it the moment she was utterly alone. It felt as if an iron hold had lessened around her lungs, a long heavy breath escaping her lips. It was followed by a muffled sob as she raised her hand to cover her lips. She felt sick to her stomach from Godric's projected energy. But she knew it was much more than that. She felt guilty. She felt the shame he had hoped to force her to feel. And she felt like the worst person in the entire world.

It was scratching and whining at the door that broke her from her trance. She sniffed as she shuffled across the room to the back door. The moment Moony was trampling through the door however, she was sliding down the wall and to the ground. The dog, sensing something wrong, ignored his full food dish and lay at her side, laying his head in her lap as she tried to wipe away at the tears.

"I don't want this anymore," she whispered to her only companion, leaning the back of her head against the wall behind her. "I don't want this at all, boy."

A/N: Super sorry for the lack of updates for a lot of my fics. College has literally taken over my life (and being the absolute worst. silly school). I haven't abandoned my other fics, but I just can't seem to get the next chapters out. I am slowly and painfully working on Until the Last Heartbeat, i swear. It's just being a major pain (chapters need to write themselves, I mean really!). But here, have some awesome Ghost Godric to make up for my terribleness in updating.