Page 19 of Purrfectly Haunted

He shakes his head, but the way the colour of his cheeks deepen, I think I probably did.

“Come on, let’s get breakfast.” I stand up and stretch. “I’m ravenous.”

Just like the day before, we find Shirley and a few members of the staff—two women this time—gathered for lunch in the kitchen.

“Ah! I was hoping to catch you before my afternoon shift,” she says, pointing her fork at us. “How did it go last night?”

I make a beeline for the coffee machine. “We got rid of the Urchin. The little shit was hard to handle, but we did it. No more water damage in the hostel, hopefully.”

“Oh wow, really? Damn, you guys are efficient.”

“What can I say, we’re professionals.”

I meant it as a joke, but they’re all nodding seriously. I share a glance with Ewan and he hides his smile behind a hand. Once again, we almost got our asses handed to us by a ghost.

I give the first coffee to Ewan, and he thanks me with another of his perfect blushes. Once mine is ready, we sit around the table for breakfast.

“Who are you doing next?” Shirley asks. Her purple hair is tied an impressive hairdo today.

I take a sip of my coffee before answering. “We’re not sure yet. The Lady in Red, probably.”

“Oh. Be careful with her, she’s a piece of work.”

“How so?”

“She can make you really... horny.”

I almost spit my coffee. “Excuse me?”

“In the notebook, Lana wrote that she can manipulates emotions?” Ewan says.

Shirley nods. “Yeah, but especially your body. Your sensations. You’ll feel hot all over. We regularly find guests humping in the library after curfew. So often that we started locking the door at night to stop them from entering. If you let her have her way, the hostel would turn into a brothel.” There is a gleam in her eyes, and I think she actually likes the idea.

“Well, I personally know I can control myself,” I say. “I’m not an animal. And we’ll have to exorcise her out of the house eventually. So the sooner we get it done, the better.”

Shirley smirks. “If you say so.”

Ewan looks unsure, but he says nothing.

We eat while listening to the staff gossiping about the guests and the other workers.

After breakfast, I really feel the need to get some air, so I ask Ewan if he wants to take a walk through the city with me. Summer is giving its last breath, and the sun is shining timidly over Edinburgh.

Ewan, who has been living here for a few years now, attending university, gives me a tour. As I’ve started to notice, he’s kind of a history nerd. He gives me a full rundown on the many historical events that have occurred at the castle on the hill, but stops on the cobblestone street before the main entrance.

“Do you want to go in?” I say. “We can get tickets if you want.”

“No, it’s fine.” But his eyes are on the courtyard beyond, tracking movements.

And suddenly, I realise something. “You can see ghosts here, can’t you?”

At last, his attention lands on me, and his face morphs into an expression of relief mixed with shame. “Aye...”

“You know you can tell me everything, right? I believe you. We’re ExorSquad, remember?”

He gives me a shaky smile. “There are so many ghosts here on the grounds. So many people were killed here, and they all roam the castle, lost and confused. That’s how it started again. How I... began to see them again. At first, there was the man with a sword. I thought he was working at the castle, for the tour. Then I saw people with burnt faces and stab wounds. They were everywhere I looked, as if appearing out of thin air.” He gives a nervous laugh. “I guess they kind of were appearing out of thin air...”

How exhausting it must be, to always see things no else can and yet have to pretend they aren’t here?