3 Shopping

The next chance Mandy got to bother August was during the next meal - next breakfast, in other words.

"So, what happened after?" She asked. "With your parents."

"They left the old man's house with a box of money and their rosy life together began," August replied, this time not betting on his pride as a writer to explain it in compelling terms.

"Love at first sight, though, so nice," Mandy made a dreamy expression.

"Yes, I'm happy for them," August said rather simply, not much happiness in his voice, but it seemed sincere enough.

Mandy was surprised at the reply. It felt unexpected, but she didn't comment on that. "Are you the only child?"

"Far from it," August waved his hand. "There's seven of us."

"Whoaa… Which one are you?" Mandy kept asking.

"Second."

The bell rang and August went to get his order. Wok noodles this time.

Mandy looked conflicted for a bit as he ate, fidgeting a little, but as he was almost done she finally asked "August, do you dislike normal food? I mean - fried eggs, bacon, peas, salad and stuff?"

"I have no time to cook, if you mean to ask 'why take out?' " Came a reply.

Mandy made a relieved breath. Asking about diet had always been such a landmine zone at the time when she was alive, didn't seem like August cared, though.

Mandy resolved herself, put up her hands by her sides."I have time to cook!" The ghost volunteered.

August choked on his last noodles and cast a surprised yet mildly suspicious look at her as he coughed "...Why would you do that?"

The girl startled, then averted her eyes seeming a bit flustered. It was the first time she saw surprise on his face and seeing him choke on his food even further amplified her own feelings of surprise.

"...I am freeloading like you said... and you are giving me books to read, so…" Mandy's voice quieted to a mumble, but then she made a small smile. "I've always liked cooking too."

"..." August peered at Mandy intently for a while, like observing a strange specimen.

Mandy pursed her lips, nervous under his gaze. His glances in her direction had been so sparse over the past few days, but now he was staring. "...what?"

"No, nothing," he replied and averted his eyes. "Have you shopped online?" He asked.

"No idea what that is." She replied.

"Do you know what a computer is?" He asked.

"You are typing on one, no?" Mandy pointed towards the room where August's work desk was.

August didn't ask anything more, got up, and took out a small bag from a shelf, sliding out a pad and plugged it in. It hadn't been too long since he last used it, so the battery wasn't completely dead, but it did need charging. He started it, opened a search engine and tapped in it, keyboard popped out on the screen.

Mandy was looking over his shoulder all the while, not asking anything more for now. Her eyes were shining curiously.

"Here. Type in any question you have, tap enter, and study up."

"Eh-- what--" Mandy took the pad, but she looked at it flustered. She looked down on the pad, then up at August, but he was already heading away to work.

Frustrated, Mandy decided to type the words 'shopping online'. That took a while, since she wasn't used to qwerty.

By the evening she had more or less figured how to use this computer and placed an order from the same company that brought the porcelain set. August was already logged in, so all Mandy had to do was confirm the address (which she did know) and wait for the arrival of the package.

For the night after that, she was glued to the device, reading up on all kinds of things, at first her expression was brimming with excitement, but as the morning approached and her fingers slid over pictures of families on a social site, she looked sorrowful. It might have been a mistake to enter the names of some girls she used to know back when she had been alive.

A ring by the door snapped her out of sadness, but before she said anything, August had crawled off the sofa like a zombie, his eyes closed, and went to get the door.

Much like with the porcelain set, Mandy watched August sign on a small pad and take the packages. This time - three of them. Without asking what they were, though, he went back to the sofa, passing out as soon as he reached it.

Mandy watched him go in silence, then started unpacking things with excitement. First came the kitchen utensils - pans, pots, knives, a cutting board and so on. The ghost floated them around herself, carrying them over to the counter that way, then finding a place for each. She reminded of a little child, who had just gotten the best toy ever.

Her excitement didn't stop throughout all the unpacking process - only at the fresh produce her expression became a bit conflicted as she gently brushed over the bright red of an apple. She gave it a hungry look, but gave up. Not like she felt actual hunger either way.

She let out a breath, her expression changing as she refocused, and efficiently unpacked the rest, setting everything out where things should be with a proud expression.

"This is how a kitchen should be!" She mumbled to herself with a nod.

Glancing back revealed that August was still out cold, so for now she picked up the pad again to keep browsing. She did close the tabs from the social site, though, not wishing her own mood to plummet again.

Gradually smile settled on her face as she browsed through recipes of all sorts. "All hallows, huh," she mumbled dreamily. She was looking forward to the next one as her eyes sparkled looking at creamy cakes.

"Possessing someone is also an option," came a sleepy note from August's direction.

Mandy almost dropped the pad. She hadn't noticed him waking up at all. Even more shocking was the fact that he had connected the dots… not that they were that hard to connect if one thought about it, but it was surprising nevertheless. "Eh? Possess?"

"Don't tell me you've never tried," August yawned and dragged himself towards the bathroom.

Mandy puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms. "I have not."

"...Hmm," August directed another longer gaze at Mandy, his expression hard to read.

Mandy soon averted her eyes, flustered once again. "...what?"

"How long have you been a ghost anyway?" August asked, slightly tilting his head as he crossed his arms.

Mandy pursed her lips and crossed her arms as well. "Seventeen years."

August seemed surprised. "And what did you do in that time?"

"Uhh - haunted this place? Read the books previous owner had… a dozen of times. That's it."

August rose his eyebrows. "... Perhaps it's better that way," he said in a half-voice, closing the doors behind him.

"Eh-- HEY! What is better in what way…" Mandy's voice died down, though, turning into an upset mumble. He wouldn't hear her all that well with the shower running. She let out an upset breath, then moved over to the kitchen area. First came salad.

As her hands took handle of the tools, her expression eased into a smile again. She hadn't lied when she said she liked cooking, her expression told it all.

By the time August returned from the shower, she had already set the table - salad, fried eggs, bacon and toast and a proud looking Mandy floating nearby.

She had managed to surprise him once again. He took a seat, picking up a fork, then reached out his right hand towards the ghost.

"What?" She asked.

"Your hand." He requested.

Confused Mandy placed her palm on his hand. Moments later August took a bite off the bacon.

Mandy's confused expression changed into surprise as she reached her free hand up to her lips. "I can taste it…"

"Ghosts can borrow sensations from the living by being in contact like this or by possession," August said, then took a bite off the toast.

She heard his words, but was too overwhelmed by being able to taste her own cooking after so many years, so there was no reply. Her expression looked half-happy, half like it would break out into tears. She merely made a slow nod.

He said nothing more and ate the meal in silence afterwards. When he was done, he let go of her hand.

She pulled her hand back in a daze almost.

"It was good, thank you," August said.

"Nuh-huh, thank you," Mandy smiled, looking down at the table, still in the same place as she had been during the meal.

August looked at her with a tint of worry, although it wasn't too prominent.

"August, what else do I not know. About… being a ghost, I mean," Mandy asked, not raising her eyes up still.

August let out a soft breath. "You can take over the bodies of those who are sleeping and use them like your own." He put his elbow on the table and cupped his chin. "I'd rather you not pull that on me, though, there are side-effects you won't enjoy since I'm not entirely human."

Mandy merely nodded at that, still not looking up from the table.

"You can borrow senses by touching like just now, other than that - you seem to have discovered telepathy and lack of gravity on your own and, right, you might be able to sleep if you are in contact with someone sleeping without attempting to take them over. If you touch someone's head while they are sleeping you might mess with their dreams. I wouldn't try that on me, though, there can be side-effects you won't enjoy."

Mandy listened carefully, thirsty for every word.

"Other than that… You might need to talk to another ghost," August said.

"Aah, why didn't I get a manual when I turned into one…" Mandy lamented, but then gathered up the now empty dishes by having them float.

August didn't reply to that.

"What are the side-effects if I borrow your body?" Mandy asked.

He frowned. "Don't even think of doing that."

"No, I mean, what if a fire breaks out and you are completely out cold…" Mandy said.

"You wake me up then."

Mandy floated the dishes over to the sink, her lips forming a duck face. Che. Now she was curious, but trying… would trying be a good idea? She wanted to ask about the dream side-effects too.

Before she could ask anything more, August had started to return to his workspace.

More importantly… "August, can you eat three meals or…?"

"I can. I ate once to save time," came a reply and then he was back to work.

Mandy smiled and thinking that August wasn't watching made a small soundless 'yay' jump.

August looked very confused for a moment as he had happened to see it, but he turned his eyes to the screen soon enough.

The next time he looked up was when he heard a faint humming and the sound of knife on the cutting board. He looked at the girl's partly transparent back with curiosity, then nodded to himself a few times with a serious expression, but kept working soon after.

The time he rose his eyes after that was due to her voice inviting him to come eat. A stew this time. He noticed that carrots were cut like flowers, but didn't comment on it, sitting down.

This time Mandy had already reached out her hand first, expectantly, with a smile. He took her hand, of course.

"So - how are you different from uh… normal humans?" Mandy asked.

The answer took a while. "I can see astrals, touch astrals, blend into surroundings, but not invisibility, just a very weak presence. Trap astrals in my body if they carelessly try to possess me."

"Oh, so that's the side-effect." Mandy said, recalling their previous conversation.

August tilted his head slightly. "A part of it."

Mandy choose to not probe deeper there for now. "Anything else?"

"Talent for astral traveling, but anyone can learn that actually, not that they should… better if they don't." He frowned.

"Astral traveling like… out of body experiences?" Mandy asked.

"Yes, those - some people end up in coma as they can't come back for some reason, some have their body stolen away."

Mandy's eyes grew wide. "Has that happened to you?"

"I got lost a few times in childhood, slept for three/four days at a time, one time it was two weeks - that was pretty scary - some faeries messed with me and I was wondering through this deep forest over and over. Mom found me eventually."

Mandy listened intently, nodding from time to time.

"I was lucky. My sister had her body stolen away once, mom and dad dealt with it pretty fast, but it wasn't pretty. The thing that possessed her killed our cat in front of her astral form." August rolled his eyes.

"Yikes."

"The things you see as an exorcist are terrifying."

"Not your cup of tea?" Mandy asked.

"No." August shook his head. "I'm kind of envious of the regular folks."

Hmm. Mandy listened. Exorcist work, huh... "Did your dad take you with him to work?"

August let out a breath. "He took all of us in turns. To teach us how to deal with things like that so we can handle it when something goes wrong."

"How often does that happen?"

"Often enough to justify the nightmares." After saying that August finished the meal with a thanks and went back to work.

The glimpses August caught of Mandy revealed that she was still browsing the internet - recipes and food especially and when it came to dinner the air started scenting of muffins and soup.

"Did you cook for your family?" this time August asked a question first, getting up a little while before she had called him.

Mandy was surprised at his voice. "Mhm!" Mandy nodded with a smile. "The kids in my house shared the housework - i handled the kitchen and brothers dealt with cleaning, repairing, mowing the lawn, laundry, etc. mother and father joined in after work if something was left to be done, but normally we drove or walked somewhere in evenings. We all worked hard to have some family time like that." She looked proud when telling that.

"Was one of your brothers really small?" August asked, noticing that carrots were cut into star shapes this time.

Mandy followed his gaze, connecting the dots. "So that's how you guessed. Yep, he was twelve years younger than me."

"Which one were you in the birth order?"

"Third out of four. My luck of being the youngest and spoiled came to an end when I was twelve. I used to really dislike my little bro in the start." She laughed.

That had apparently passed, seeing the small cute touches she added to the food she made. August couldn't help but let out a faint smile.

Yet… as the food was close to being done, a loud ring came from the doorbell.