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“You know, not that I’m complaining, I’m just curious, but what exactly is it about me that makes you think ‘I found a cave that I’m pretty sure is haunted, I should call Chris to come help me check it out’?”
Emil looked down from the ledge he’d just finished climbing to, wind blowing through his hair as he watched Chris climb. “Oh, there are several reasons. One, you keep coming up with random-ass facts about horror movies or ghost stories or spooky things or Halloween, so I thought you’d be interested in seeing a new ghost story. Two, the trip up involves some difficult climbing, I didn’t want to have to walk a rookie through it, and you’re the one who taught me how to do this stuff. Three, I’ve heard some weird rumors about that ice dancer you used to date, which makes you the most likely person I know to have any experience with the supernatural.”
“You could have asked Masumi!” Chris shouted. He reached the top of the cliff and hauled himself up.
“No I couldn’t, I don’t have his phone number.” Emil helped Chris straighten up and collect his gear. “Besides, we’re walking into a haunted cave, why would I want to bring someone who might be possessed already?”
“Fair enough.”
“And besides, I wasn’t done with reasons yet. Four, I get to watch you climb. Great view, when you’re above me!” Emil winked at Chris.
He’d expected Chris to accept the flirty compliment and then prepare to go inside the cave. Instead, Chris started sputtering. “W-what do you mean by that?”
“Dude. Don’t even try to tell me you’re not perfectly aware of what an amazing ass you have. You were certainly happy to show it off on the ice last season!” Emil didn’t understand the problem. Everyone flirted with Chris, why was he making this so weird? It’s not like he was suggesting they sleep together right there on the cliff… although if Chris suggested it, Emil wasn’t stupid, he would totally say yes.
Chris shook his head rapidly. “That… that’s… from you? I wasn’t… you’re… why?”
“Why not?”
“Because… aren’t you into Mickey?”
Emil rolled his eyes. “Why does everyone think that? I’ve been friends with him and Sara forever, although Mickey being weird about letting Sara be around me’s kind of put a strain on that. He’s my best friend, he’s like my brother, yes he’s gorgeous but I’d find it too weird to go there.”
“And you don’t think it’s weird with me? We’ve been friends since you were a little boy!”
“Yeah, well, I grew up. I have a beard. It’s not the same, you weren’t around all the time like the Crispinos were, we were always back and forth from each other’s cities. I always looked up to you. Didn’t I ever tell you that you’re the reason I figured out I’m gay?”
“No…” Chris squeaked out. “Wait, isn’t Mickey’s problem with you that he caught you checking out Sara’s ass?”
“I check out lots of asses! I like ass! Just because I check out an ass doesn’t mean it does anything for me, and so far, no woman’s ass has. Mickey refuses to believe me that Sara’s ass does nothing for me. He keeps demanding to know what’s so wrong with it.”
“Have you tried explaining that it’s attached to the wrong set of equipment?”
“No, I told Mickey it’s because it’s green and warty and sometimes flies off on its own on a broomstick. The beating he gave me was so worth it.” Chris was staring at him, mouth open. “Of course I told him the only thing wrong with it is that it’s not attached to a man! I’m not stupid! He might be, but I’m not.”
Chris had to try a couple times to find his voice. “So… you… had a thing for me?”
“Well, yeah. Still think you’re hot as hell, really. Guess there’s not much chance of anything happening, if you still see me as the little tagalong kid who was attached to the Crispinos, but I’m still not seeing any reason I can’t admire the view.”
“Admire all you like. It is a pretty great view, isn’t it?” Chris walked out ahead of Emil, leaving Emil to follow him. And enjoy the view.
They got to the cave around sunset. “Okay. Now, explain to me why you think the cave is haunted?”
“How about I just show you?” Emil walked up to the mouth of the cave. “HELLO?”
“Whoooooooo are you?” a hollow, breathy woman’s voice answered.
Emil turned back to Chris. “That’s why. Got a better idea?”
Chris came up to stand beside Emil. “Call me Christophe. Who are you?”
“I… forgot,” she answered. “It’s been so long…”
“How long?” Emil asked.
“I’ve lost track of how much time has passed. What year is it?”
Chris and Emil looked at each other. Emil shrugged and answered. “2017.”
“So long… so very long… so many years. So many centuries.”
“Centuries?” Chris raised an eyebrow at Emil. “Really?”
“Centuries. I remember now. I came to this cave in 1667.”
Emil held up his flashlight, shining it into the cave. He stepped inside, Chris right behind him, and shone the flashlight around. Toward the back, in a hollow area of the wall, they found a skeleton in tattered remains of a 17th-century dress. He backed away. “What do we do, Chris?”
Chris stared at the body. “Masumi told me that the best thing to do in this situation is to burn the body, but I don’t know what you do when it’s already just bones.”
“NO! NO FIRE!” The spirit’s voice became a shriek, and a cold wind blew at the two so hard that Emil staggered back from it.
Emil righted himself quickly. “Chris? Are you okay?”
“I’m… yes, I think so.” Chris straightened up and stretched up to whisper in Emil’s ear. “Distract her. I’ll see about this.”
Emil panicked. How do you distract a ghost? “So you remembered a year. Do you remember a name? Who were you?”
“I don’t… I still don’t remember.”
“Do you remember what happened to you?”
“Pieces. I remember a man. He was scary. And then another man… they were going to burn me, so I ran and hid here. I was too scared to leave, so I just didn’t.”
Emil flinched. That sounded awful. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.” A much warmer wind blew toward Emil, and then the woman screamed. “Milena! My name is Milena!” Flames consumed her, and then she was gone.
Chris came over to Emil. “Are you all right?”
Emil stared at the smoking remains of her bones. “I just feel really bad for her. What happens to her now?”
Chris shrugged. “That’s getting into religious beliefs, and I prefer not to talk about those. Hopefully, whatever the good ending is.”
“Yeah.” After being stuck in this cave so long that she'd forgotten her own name, she deserved something nice, Emil thought.
Chris came over to stand beside him, peering up at him. “Are you growing, still? Didn’t you used to be the same height as me?”
“Yeah, right after Worlds I hit a growth spurt. I’m really hoping it’s the last one. My jumps are still off from it.” At least it was after Worlds and not before. That top ten finish had been important to him.
“I guess you really have grown up from that little tagalong I remember. When we get back to civilization, you want to show me more of this grown-up version of you?”
“I would love to.”