Been dead maybe fifty years or so. He used ta hang out by this Chinese place, what used ta be a smoke shop years ago.”
Evan let some broccoli crumble out of his mouth. “Who buys smoke?”
Kirsten felt just as clueless but didn’t let on.
“You’ve heard of Nicoderms or Nicohalers, right?” Theo gestured at Kirsten. She nodded. “Okay. Well, back before the war, people used to get the same kind of effect from inhaling the smoke of burning tobacco. The places that sold stuff related to it were called ‘smoke shops.’”
The boy made a face. Kirsten blinked.
“Breathing in smoke? Like, on purpose?” Evan coughed just thinking about it.
“Hey, don’t knock it till you try it. Worked for weed too.” Theodore stared wistfully at the ceiling.
“People smoke weeds?” The look on Kirsten’s face made him laugh.
“Not weeds,
weed
. Marijuana.”
“Oh, yeah, they still do that in the Beneath,” said Kirsten.
“You ever―”
“So what about Hank?” She stared at Theo.
“Well he died of the old LC, decided to haunt his favorite smoke shop even though it killed him. He stayed there even after it shut down and turned into a bar, and then a Chinese restaurant.”
“Oh, yeah. I think I remember the place… I’ve been there, the owners were complaining about loud coughing in the middle of the night. The ghost seemed harmless.”
“Yeah, he was.” Theo made no effort to be subtle about staring at her chest.
“Was? If he’s gone, maybe he just decided to transcend.”
“Poor guy comes to Sanctuary Park two nights ago, raving about how some
thing
is after him. He wanted protection from it. Course, he couldn’t describe anything but a weird feeling. The way he rambled on ‘bout being watched and seeing eyes… It was surreal hearin’ a ghost talk the way the living talk about us. We figured he’d finally cracked. Last night, Willie said he caught a glimpse of somethin’ scoping out the park. Whatever it was, damn thing didn’t want to tangle with all of us at once, ‘specially not The Kind. Now, we got a feelin’ somethin’s stalkin’ spirits. We’re not sure if it needs to pick weaker ones, or was afraid of a crowd. Some of The Kind are nervous. They’d like you to check it out.”
Kirsten gazed at her plate for a few seconds and grinned at Evan, who was forcing himself to eat the vegetables after coating them with the pepper/olive oil residue from the chicken. She stood, tossed her plate in the dishwasher, and faced Theodore. “I think I remember the place…” She fidgeted with her bracelet. “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. That couldn’t have been more than a few months ago, but I’m drawing a blank. Remind me where it was?”
“Sector 3338, shopping district.”
“Oh, right… Next to that huge stationary sign. I don’t understand how anyone in that area can sleep at night; that thing is so bright. Okay. Ev, get your shoes on.” She peeled her sweats off and gathered her uniform.
“I can go with you?” He cheered and leapt from his place at the table with such energy he almost fell flat. “Are you going to the office?”
After donning her uniform pants, she shrugged the top on and tucked it in. “No, I just don’t want anyone to mess with me. I’m not leaving you here alone, and that’s a fairly safe part of the city.”
Kirsten held Evan’s hand as they went to the roof. When the elevator door parted, she smirked at the patrol craft. It sat tilted with the right front end on a small bank of pipes. This building was not made for hovercar landing and there was no unobstructed place to set down. The flattest parts were too close to the edge. She wanted to move to a bigger, nicer place where Evan could have his own bedroom. Hesitation kept her here for the time being. If the custody request was denied and they made him go back to the dorm, she could not live in the new place.
She pulled him into a hug.
He gave her an uncomfortable smile and whispered.
Evan let some broccoli crumble out of his mouth. “Who buys smoke?”
Kirsten felt just as clueless but didn’t let on.
“You’ve heard of Nicoderms or Nicohalers, right?” Theo gestured at Kirsten. She nodded. “Okay. Well, back before the war, people used to get the same kind of effect from inhaling the smoke of burning tobacco. The places that sold stuff related to it were called ‘smoke shops.’”
The boy made a face. Kirsten blinked.
“Breathing in smoke? Like, on purpose?” Evan coughed just thinking about it.
“Hey, don’t knock it till you try it. Worked for weed too.” Theodore stared wistfully at the ceiling.
“People smoke weeds?” The look on Kirsten’s face made him laugh.
“Not weeds,
weed
. Marijuana.”
“Oh, yeah, they still do that in the Beneath,” said Kirsten.
“You ever―”
“So what about Hank?” She stared at Theo.
“Well he died of the old LC, decided to haunt his favorite smoke shop even though it killed him. He stayed there even after it shut down and turned into a bar, and then a Chinese restaurant.”
“Oh, yeah. I think I remember the place… I’ve been there, the owners were complaining about loud coughing in the middle of the night. The ghost seemed harmless.”
“Yeah, he was.” Theo made no effort to be subtle about staring at her chest.
“Was? If he’s gone, maybe he just decided to transcend.”
“Poor guy comes to Sanctuary Park two nights ago, raving about how some
thing
is after him. He wanted protection from it. Course, he couldn’t describe anything but a weird feeling. The way he rambled on ‘bout being watched and seeing eyes… It was surreal hearin’ a ghost talk the way the living talk about us. We figured he’d finally cracked. Last night, Willie said he caught a glimpse of somethin’ scoping out the park. Whatever it was, damn thing didn’t want to tangle with all of us at once, ‘specially not The Kind. Now, we got a feelin’ somethin’s stalkin’ spirits. We’re not sure if it needs to pick weaker ones, or was afraid of a crowd. Some of The Kind are nervous. They’d like you to check it out.”
Kirsten gazed at her plate for a few seconds and grinned at Evan, who was forcing himself to eat the vegetables after coating them with the pepper/olive oil residue from the chicken. She stood, tossed her plate in the dishwasher, and faced Theodore. “I think I remember the place…” She fidgeted with her bracelet. “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. That couldn’t have been more than a few months ago, but I’m drawing a blank. Remind me where it was?”
“Sector 3338, shopping district.”
“Oh, right… Next to that huge stationary sign. I don’t understand how anyone in that area can sleep at night; that thing is so bright. Okay. Ev, get your shoes on.” She peeled her sweats off and gathered her uniform.
“I can go with you?” He cheered and leapt from his place at the table with such energy he almost fell flat. “Are you going to the office?”
After donning her uniform pants, she shrugged the top on and tucked it in. “No, I just don’t want anyone to mess with me. I’m not leaving you here alone, and that’s a fairly safe part of the city.”
Kirsten held Evan’s hand as they went to the roof. When the elevator door parted, she smirked at the patrol craft. It sat tilted with the right front end on a small bank of pipes. This building was not made for hovercar landing and there was no unobstructed place to set down. The flattest parts were too close to the edge. She wanted to move to a bigger, nicer place where Evan could have his own bedroom. Hesitation kept her here for the time being. If the custody request was denied and they made him go back to the dorm, she could not live in the new place.
She pulled him into a hug.
He gave her an uncomfortable smile and whispered.
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