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He thought he was being smart too, by putting his phone on a tripod, out of reach of the ghost—who was once again positioned on the counter.

It didn’t matter.

The ghost had a plan.

He’d spent half the night coming up with it. Yesterday’s campaign had failed for two reasons: the camera saw him, and the medium could cut him out of anything the camera saw. Very well. Then the answer was to give the camera nothing to see and the medium nothing to cut.

The answer was noise.

And the kitchen was full of things he could use as weapons against his enemy.

Nate started filming, saying something about the upper cabinets. The ghost wasn’t listening; he was hard at work.

He moved, and the screwdriver the medium had left on the edge of the counter hit the floor with a beautiful clatter.

Nate stopped and looked at the screwdriver, then at the seal. “Really?”

The ghost held the medium’s stare, a silent declaration of war.

Nate’s only response was a sigh.

Then he had the gall to pick up the seal and carry him across the kitchen to sit him on a chair by the far wall. “Stay.”

“I’m not a dog!”

Nate went back to his mark. “Alright, here’s a quick update before we head out this afternoon.”

The ghost tuned him out to survey his new position.

The chair was an island. Nothing on the seat, nothing on the backrest, nothing within reach in any direction. Nate had chosen well.

But the ghost would not be outmaneuvered so easily.

A few feet away, propped against the wall, stood the broom.

The broom that had made the medium laugh at him.

They’d see who was gonna be laughing now.

The ghost only needed to get down on the floor and scoot a small distance.

Preferably without Nate noticing.

He could do this. He’d already proved how stealthy he could be. He was made of felt and stuffing. He was vengeance moving silently.

The ghost waited patiently for his chance.

Nate turned and started talking again.

The ghost went over the edge.

He dropped, flopped, and landed face-down with a sound no louder than a dropped mitten. The ghost righted himself, set his sights on his target, and scooted.

Quickly now!

Victory was within reach, he couldn’t hesitate.

The seal scooted faster than it had ever scooted before and lunged at the broom.