Eight days. What the hell.
Isn't this exactly what Gramps told me not to do? Or… by "long," did he mean months? I didn't know. But either way, I was definitely not supposed to pass out for over a week in someone else's body. So I made up my mind—I'd get out of Rachel tonight.
Except… the day wasn't exactly cooperative.
Apparently, Ezra was hanging out with some girl who looked like she'd stepped off the cover of a beauty magazine. I didn't like her. I didn't like her face. Or her perfect hair. Or the way she acted like she'd known him forever.
And I wasn't the only one. Rachel felt it, too.
Rachel's stomach twisted, the kind of silent heartbreak you pretend not to feel. Rachel tried to be mature about it. She was about to turn around and pretend she didn't see them.
Oh, no. No, no. We do not do that.
I tried a little too hard—honestly, it felt like being constipated—and then it worked. I said it. Loud enough to make them both look up.
"Hey, Ezra!"
Rachel's whole soul shriveled up in mortification. She had no idea why she'd just yelled his name across the quad. But hey—priorities.
She tried to stammer out an apology, but Ezra was already waving us over. And that was that. No backing out. He introduced us.
"Katherine," he said. "She's a transfer student."
Sure. Blah blah. Whatever.
But then—"Kathy," he added casually, like it was nothing. "We met a few days ago."
Excuse me? When did you two get on nickname terms? Kathy, ugh, fine, Katherine looked at Rachel in a way I didn't love. Like she was looking right through her. For a second, I almost wondered if she could see me. Then she smiled, all teeth and fake sweetness, and said, "It's so nice to finally meet you!"
I expected her to cling to Ezra, to stake her claim. But no, she just said goodbye to him and started walking next to Rachel like they were already best friends.
Suspicious.
When we finally got home, I told myself I'd leave. But… I couldn't. I tried. Nothing happened. I waited until nightfall, thinking maybe I'd snap out of it. Still nothing. The only thing I could do was take over her body while she slept.
What the hell is happening to me?
At least Dante would show up. Right? Nope. Nothing.
So there I was, wide awake at 3 a.m., Googling "how to un-possess a human body" like a deranged paranormal Karen. The search results were exactly as useless as you'd expect: Some cult nonsense. Some radical conspiracy forums. Some TikTok witches hawking overpriced crystals.
Ugh.
But then I found this old article, some 1950s case about a man who vanished after a "possession episode." And older reports. 1800s mass murders. Cult connections.
Wonderful. Exactly what I needed, more nightmare fuel.
Dante, you should've left me a helpline number. Or at least a pamphlet.
When Rachel woke up, she felt like she'd been hit by a bus. And she remembered. Not everything, but flashes. Dreams of searching online. Dreams of me. For a terrifying heartbeat, I thought she'd put the pieces together. One more breadcrumb and I was finished. Thank God she thought it was just sleep paralysis or whatever. She even checked her phone. I'd deleted the searches. But still, too close.
We left for class, and outside the building, there was this old woman sitting next to Mr. Whiskers. Oh. Right. I haven't told you about Mr. Whiskers. He's my little furry confidant. I met him not long ago. He just meows, obviously, but it feels like he's listening.
Why didn't I tell you guys sooner? Well… you don't need to know everything. A girl deserves a little privacy, yeah?
Anyway, back to college.
Katherine—'Kathy'—decided she wanted a tour. She asked if "we three" could hang out. She doesn't know I exist, obviously. Ezra looked at us. I thought about trying to answer, but… no thanks. I didn't want to go through that whole constipated mind-push again.
Ezra said, "Let's go to Billy's."
Classic. Billy's, the bowling alley we used to haunt back in school. Rachel looked like she was about to pass out from excitement. So yeah—thanks, Kathy. We went to Billy's. She was weirdly good at bowling.
"First time," she said, j…giggling while Ezra helped her with her form.
Yeah. Sure.
Then burgers after. The vibe shifted the moment we stepped inside, like walking into a room mid-conversation. And that's when I saw them. The guy behind the counter. Same one who was staring at us the other day. I remembered him clearly. But Rachel… didn't. Not even a flicker of recognition.
Shady as hell. Or maybe just my imagination. But something tells me it's not. They were all having a good time in the burger joint. But I couldn't bring myself to enjoy any of it.
Why was one of those stalkers working here?
And to think, Kathy was the one who suggested we come.
Sure, it was Ezra who said, "Let's go to Billy's," but still, was this some setup?
Am I overthinking? Maybe.
But my ghostly sense was tingling.
Okay, fine. I tried to copy Spidey-sense. Didn't land quite right.
And then I saw him. The cab driver. The same one from that night with Serena. Dante. I knew it. He was sitting in a cab right across the street. For a second, I wanted to sprint over and scream: Gramps, help me, please, I'm stuck!
And, because I'm apparently a master of self-sabotage—I accidentally said "Dante" out loud. Through Rachel's mouth.
Rachel froze. Ezra and Kathy looked at her like she'd sprouted a second head.
Ezra started to ask something—probably Who the hell is Dante?, but Kathy smoothly changed the subject.
Good save, Kathy.
We all left soon after. I told myself I'd try leaving Rachel's body again that night.
No luck.
Desperation makes you do stupid things, like hoping your ghost godfather has a social media handle. I logged onto my account in the browser. Searched everywhere. Prayed for some miraculous DM from Dante.
Nothing.
What I failed to realize?
Logging in showed me online. Ezra texted: Who is this? Shit. I logged out so fast I almost broke her keyboard. But the damage was done. I needed air.
I left the house—well, Rachel left the house, and walked to the park. And there he was. Mr. Whiskers. I told him everything, because apparently I'm that ghost, the one who trauma-dumps on stray cats.
Then someone walked toward me. Mr. Whiskers bolted. Perfect. The one soul I could vent to—gone.
When I looked up, it was Kathy. Of course.
We both blurted, "What are you doing here?"
She said she needed fresh air—new town, new people, all so overwhelming.
I tried to keep it together.
I said, "You don't seem to be having any trouble fitting in."
She just looked at me.
"You feel like a totally different person now," she said.
Panic. Full-body, bone-deep panic.
I was here, middle of the night, in Rachel's body. And Kathy would see Rachel tomorrow. She'd ask about it. Rachel would flip. How did I screw this up so badly?
I tried to think. Sleepwalking. That was the best I had. So I said it.
"I—I have a habit of sleepwalking. I probably won't remember this."
It sounded ridiculous even to me. But somehow, she bought it.
Next morning, in college? She didn't mention it.
Miracle.
And then the strangest thing happened—the air shifted. Like the world blinked.
I saw Dante. In broad daylight. Standing outside the college gates. I almost cried. But here's the thing, Rachel saw him, too.
What the hell? Was he in human form? No one else seemed to notice.
Suddenly, a sharp tap on Rachel's shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts—Miss Rosaline was calling her over. I/She/We blinked, and Dante was gone. Of course.
Rachel followed Miss Rosaline to her office. She opened up in a way I hadn't expected. She talked about being tired. Scared. Confused.
I felt… awful. Because I knew it was my fault.
Then Miss Rosaline said the thing I wish I could un-hear:
"This Sunday, come to church with me. It'll help."
My stomach dropped. That wasn't a suggestion. It was a countdown.
CHURCH.
Dante had been very clear: stay away from churches.
Even if Rachel isn't what I'd call a believer, it was still bad news.
I had two days. Two days to figure this out. And if that wasn't enough, Ezra was acting weird. Skipping class. Not answering texts.
And Kathy?
Gone.
Coincidence?
Me and Rachel had the same thought. But honestly, I didn't have time to care.
Two days till church.
Dante, please rescue me.
I promise I'll never ever carelessly possess anyone again.
***
Later, I'd learn he hadn't vanished. He'd simply stepped out of my timeline, the way he always did. But at that moment, all I knew was that I'd lost my only chance to get answers.