Young Writers Society

Kaitlyn walked upto them.

"Susie, what brings you out here today? Sisters out another date?" asked the demon, smiling at Susan. At Susan's nod, she turned to Skull. "Who's your friend here?"

"I'm Skull," I offered, hands in my ghostly pockets. It was better to get right to the chase right now—I didn't want to see what being stuck here did to my body. "You haven't seen a body kicking around here, have you?"

Kaitlyn looked confused, as if she wasn't sure if she was being pranked or threatened. "Excuse me?"

"It would look like me," I clarified, my tone nonchalant. When I glanced around, I didn't see it anywhere—though I hadn't really expected to in the first place.

"You are..." began Kaitlyn again but this time Susan managed to find her voice.

"He's um looking for his body, apparently he's not dead, and just passing through by some kind of accident," said Susan.

"Really?" asked Kaitlyn, her question directed more to Skull than Susan.

"Oh, I'm dead," I clarified. I didn't want to come across as new to being a ghost. Back when I was haunting my skull, I had been one of the most powerful ghosts out there. "Just not right now. I am looking for my own body, though."

"Okay I feel like whatever your situation is, you either have no idea how to explain it or this is too high level. I might have to call the boss in to consult your situation and find whatever body it is you're looking for."

"Ben?" question Susan quietly from the side.

"If by Ben you mean his highness, then yes," said Kaitlyn, sounding amused.

I frowned. I like being vague and mysterious whenever I could, but I wasn't going to keep doing it if it meant I had to deal with an authority figure like this Ben guy. Who named a member of royalty Ben, anyways?

"Like I just said, it's my body." I shoved my hands into my pockets. "I died awhile ago, became a ghost, and then passed on. I ended up on another world when I did and got that second body. Someone stabbed me with a weird knife and I ended up here like this. I can feel that my body's still alive, but I can't figure out where it is."

"Okay two things. first of all, weapons like that and matters that are so different from what's meant to happen around here really should be reported to the boss man. Secondly, did you ever think maybe your body is still back wherever it is you came from?" asked Kaitlyn.

Susan jumped like she hadn't considered that before. "Oooh maybe that's why you can't find it? You could be looking in completely the wrong place."

I opened my mouth to argue, but then realized that was a good point. I could feel my body was still alive. I couldn't pinpoint its location. If this place was like the Other Side, I might just have been feeling it back where I was supposed to be.

Hopefully, Nathaniel wasn't going to assume the worst and think I was dead. He knew what my body looked like when I wasn't in it.

"That's...a good point," I reluctantly admitted. "So if it is back where should I be, how do I get myself back to it?"

"Boss man...or at the very least my supervisor...no scratch that, probably his supervisor might sort of know how to hop realities but if you want to avoid splitting yourself between multiple, boss man...or one of his siblings," said Kaitlyn. "Unless I mean...you said you've had multiple bodies before, find a new one, or find a knife and see if someone is willing to stab you, I don't know. I'm not an expert on this sort of thing. I can tell you it's unlikely that something shaped like you ended up in my domain. That much I do know."

I frowned. I had multiple bodies before, technically, but it wasn't easy for me to get them. I had been born with one and had gotten the second for reasons I still didn't know.

On the other hand, I wasn't all that fond of authority figures. They usually slowed me down when I worldhopped and needed to find a way back home.

I pulled my hands out of my pockets and crossed my arms.

"I'd like to stick to one person," I said. "And the stabbing idea probably wouldn't work well."

"The stabbing one was a joke," said Kaitlyn, rolling her eyes like that should have been obvious. "Well who do you want to see? I am a touch busy, but I'm sure I can find someone to take you."

"I could probably do it," said Susan, chiming in," I mean...I don't have a lot of other things to do."

"Are you sure about that Susie?" said Kaitlyn, "you look a bit drained."

"I should be okay," said Susie.

"If you say so then," said Kaitlyn. She turned to Skull. "So what will it be?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Susie?" I repeated. That was the first time I had heard her name. I knew that she had one that wasn't the Phantom, but I hadn't expected something so normal. I guessed it made sense, in retrospect. Her life had been normal before becoming the Phantom.

Then I shrugged.

"I'll see whoever can see me first," I decided, "and I'm good with going with her."

If Susan had blood flowing through her veins, she's be blushing bright right now, and for entirely different reasons to why she was already blushing.

"I suppose that's not salvageable. Yeah my actual name is Danvers. Susan Danvers," said Susan, with a smile.

"Oh I didn't realize you hadn't," said Kaityln, "I am so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," said Susan, with a shrug in her direction.

"If you say so," said the demon before turning to Skull. "Hmm let me send out a message and see if boss man or his siblings are around. If you want things to happen fast, they're your best bet."