The entity most recently known as Charisma Howyland tossed her hair and pouted at her frowning astral guidance counselor.
"It's not fair," she sulked. "I don't see why I can't do what I wanna do. After all, I AM dead. I should be able to do … whatever!"
Sighing, Julian readjusted the ethereal glasses on his non-corporeal nose and leaned forward.
"Charisma, our organization exists to help people move up the karmic ladder, but if you insist on this childish, self-centered attitude there's no use in continuing these sessions. We've warned you about the lower astral plane—which is exactly where you'll gravitate to if you don't pursue a higher purpose."
"Huh?!" Charisma stood up abruptly and kicked her chair over. "The hell I will! I have friends here. You can't make me go anywhere!"
Julian tried not to let his temper spike, but this entity was entirely too aggravating. "I can make you leave this office, is what I can do. Go on! Make your own mistakes YOUR special way, you deluded spirit, and think about how you're really over 200 years old and still playing at being a self-centered, irresponsible schoolgirl!"
Snarling obscenities, Charisma stormed out the door. "Two hundred years old! What the HELL?! Crazy sonnofabitch. I'm young and beautiful--he's the old fart!"
And yet his words rang over and over again in her head like a bad song. As soon as she got within sight of the cute beachside house she shared with friends, Charisma started to run.
Breathless, panting, she noticed that the cottage was looking unusually shabby and rundown. There was garbage washing up on the beach and a dull cast marred the usual bright blue sky. How depressing! Distractedly kicking some refuse out of her way, she climbed up the sagging steps and with fear in her heart, made a beeline for her room's full-length mirror and looked...
Thank goodness!
She was still young and hot, having tragically died in her teens during a malfunction at an amusement park. (Well, yes, the attendant HAD screamed at her not to touch that wire, but how was she to know it would electrocute her! She hoped her stupid parents sued them for a ton of money.)
Charisma grinned, and flinging out her arms triumphantly, pirouetted. Oh man! She had some major fun planned tonight. Cuz it was Halloween. A time where the veil between the living and the dead stretched thin. There were a couple of snotty bitches she and her buddies would be paying a revenge visit to. Yeah, she hated to go back to suburbia, even for a short while, but it would be SO worth it.
Then she stopped dead and stared at her fluttering outstretched hand in utter fear. It looked … wrinkled and old. What the …?! She swung around and stared in the mirror again. A moan escaped her. No, no, no! This couldn't be happening!
She heard distant laughter and flung up her head. Drake and the others! They'd soon be here. Oh, god.
Running to the bathroom closet, she fearfully dug through the heaps of unused items until she found a treasure trove of elastic bandages. This would work! Yes, it would work until she figured out what the hell was going on. Maybe that damn counselor hexed her. The bastard!
As she hurriedly began to wrap herself up in the approximation of a ghostly Halloween mummy, the boys came clambering up the stairs. She stiffened at the sound of feminine laughter. There was no girl invited for tonight. These were her guys! Well, she'd take care of that!
Footsteps stopped and the bathroom door slowly swung open, until Drake, Ikko, Vic, and some unknown redheaded bitch in a blue tunic and boots, were all staring down at her.
"Who the hell is she?" Charisma snapped, bandages hanging loosely off her arms.
"A friend," answered Drake calmly. "We invited her over. She might be moving in."
The new girl edged back towards the hallway, wide-eyed at the savage look in Charisma's one unbandaged eye.
"Over my dead body!" Charisma lunged at the startled stranger, but Vic strong-armed her.
"Exactly!" agreed Vic. "Of course, you could say 'over all our dead bodies', but let's not go there."
"You seemed fun at first but you're dragging us down, Charisma," Ikko shrugged. "You're turning this place into a dump with your bad vibes and we have to cut you loose before you pull us all into a skanky astral plane. We don't know how low you can go but we definitely don't want to find out."
Drake materialized a huge pair of shining scissors and the two other boys put their hands over his. A silvery cord hung in the air between Charisma and her roommates.
"Goodbye to bad news," drawled Drake and he snapped the scissors shut.
There was a terrible feeling of upheaval as everything went grey for a moment. Charisma blinked her eyes rapidly trying to focus and began to see the outline of distorted, wavery shapes in front of her. This definitely was not the beach house.
"Look! She's sooo pretty," cooed a cracked inhuman voice, as something slimy touched her face. "Mine!"
Charisma stood up and punched whatever it was in front of her with a feeling of great satisfaction as it fell to the ground.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
