Alice sat quietly with a book by the window. She was reading the last chapter, slowly finishing her now-cold coffee. A moment earlier, cigarette butts had spilled from the ashtray.The day was gray, rainy, cold, just the kind of day a typical autumn day should be. She hadn’t planned on going anywhere, so she savored every minute of it, every drop falling from the sky, but most of all, every soaked passerby trudging by outside. After all, one ought to enjoy the little things in life.

  Marcel was drifting somewhere nearby. She could sense him, though she couldn’t see him. He hid in the walls, slipped through neighboring apartments, and watched her closely. She didn’t intend to ask any questions or demand explanations for the ghost’s behavior. Marcel was Marcel. She accepted him with all his quirks, anxieties, and phobias. If he wanted to watch, he could watch forever. If she grew tired of it, she’d send him away. Simple as that.

  Still, she wondered at his sudden interest, so clearly tinged with unease. Before, he had tried to annoy her by popping up in the shower or hanging around the bathroom while she relieved herself. She liked her body, so it never bothered her, and besides, he was dead, and without the energy needed to materialize, he couldn’t harm her in the slightest. But this lurking didn’t quite fit the old pattern of irritation. As if… No, it didn’t matter.

  She finished her book, lit another cigarette, and drained the last of the cold coffee. God, she hated the taste of cold coffee. Rising from her favorite chair, she stepped to the window to stretch her legs.

  The world suddenly seemed so small and helpless. Of course, there were many wonderful places she might visit someday, but that wasn’t the point. Wherever people lived, the world shrank. As if they sucked away its strength and resilience. Same behaviors, same patterns, same types of character. Culture, religion, language, rituals, history, traditions. Different in detail, always the same in essence. Once you’d glimpsed other possibilities, touched power beyond ordinary human comprehension, suddenly everything became small, cheap, simple. Problems dissolved, doubts evaporated, madness lost its terror. Well, wasn’t today shaping up to be another day of reflections?

  She went to the kitchen to grab something to eat. There were a few vegetables in the fridge, even a chicken salad she’d bought yesterday. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but the time had come for another meal. Lately, she’d had to discipline herself, making sure she ate at least three meals a day, even if she had to force herself. She worried about her stomach shrinking too much. The power she had absorbed along with those bastards’ souls had stocked her with reserves, rendering the energy value of food unnecessary.But she wasn’t about to turn into a vampire feeding regularly just because her digestive system had forgotten how to do its job.

  “You’re glowing.”

  Marcel’s voice snapped her from her thoughts. Only then did she realize the ghost was sitting across from her, watching her with unease. Alice sighed softly and set down her fork so she could reach for her glass of water and wash down a bite of chicken.

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  “What do you mean?” she asked, rubbing her forehead with her right hand.

  “Exactly what I said.” Marcel shrugged. “I can’t explain it any other way. When I first saw you, it looked like there was a thin aura around you. I didn’t think much of it, chalked it up to your abilities. Over time I noticed it would expand and shrink depending on the situation. After seances, it was stronger, clearer. When you stayed home too long without contact, it weakened. But ever since you came back in those wet clothes, half-frozen, and, let’s be honest, almost raped, that aura isn’t an aura anymore. It’s a glow. You shine wherever you go.”

  Alice stayed silent, studying the ghost, waiting for him to go on, but he didn’t. Finally, she took another sip of water and thought for a moment.

  “It’s probably just that my energy levels increased. That’s why you see it like that.”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it in anyone else. I’m honestly worried.”

  “Thanks, but there’s no need. I don’t feel bad, I don’t even feel particularly different.”

  “But you are different. The way you talk, think, move!” Marcel hit his hand on the table. “Everything’s different. Like you’ve taken some assertiveness course or had a fucking epiphany. I don’t know, something’s changed.”

  “Calm down. I don’t know if this is exactly how it works, but I once read that when someone’s energy potential rises, they become stronger and, at the same time, more visible to spirits. Spirits stuck on Earth need energy, so they notice it, they’re drawn to it. The stronger the source, the brighter it shines. That’s how it was described. Maybe that’s what’s happening with me. When I was kidnapped, I thought I wouldn’t survive. Something inside me broke, and then I found reservoirs of power I hadn’t known existed. Maybe that’s what you’re seeing, Marcel. As for me being different, sure, maybe I have some talents. But I’m still human. That day, I came to terms with dying. That leaves a mark on anyone.”

  Marcel didn’t answer for a long time. Alice picked up her fork again and went back to picking at her chicken salad, sinking into thought. Glowing? What did that even mean? Was her theory right? Did it mean she would start attracting other spirits? She had plenty of questions, and answers of her own, but they were only hypotheses. She’d rather fully understand what was happening to her body and soul. She’d grown fond of that feeling, understanding everything directly related to her. But how do you test something designed to be untestable? No, digging through books written by authors who didn’t understand the simplest, most essential truths was just a waste of time. She’d have to ask the Not-a-Doctor.

  “Something’s still bothering you,” she said, realizing Marcel was still sitting there.

  “Yes,” the ghost admitted. “Ever since you changed, I’m drawn to you. I want to stay close, feed on the scraps of energy you give off. Maybe I’m wrong, but I doubt I’ll be the only one. I don’t want anything to happen to you. And I sure as hell don’t want to share this apartment with a thousand other spirits.”

  “If you see any new ones, just tell me. I’ll handle it,” Alice assured him.

  That answer didn’t calm the ghost at all, but he had no say in the matter. He watched his roommate eat for a while longer, then gave up. He couldn’t do anything about it, and he knew Alice’s hands were tied too. Until things clarified, all they could do was wait.