I split last night’s story with every intention of finishing tonight. But it’s late… So in lieu of finishing with part 2, I’ve giving you part 1½ – this is what happened once Allison left for brunch.

Jameson stared at the closed front door.

“She left. She really just left!” he said.

Behind him the black mist of Carl opened its mouth and made the grinding noise. But to Jameson, his words were clear: “She told us she was taking the day off.”

Jameson looked over his shoulder at Carl incredulously. “She’s a medium! She literally has a gift to speak to the dead. She doesn’t get to take a day off!”

Carl tilted its black misty head to the side in confusion. “Okay… but she’s left. Whether she gets to or not, she just did.”

Jameson turned on his heel and stalked past Carl. “Fine, then.”

Carl watched him go and asked, “Where are you going?”

“If she’s taking a day off,” he said as he walked, “then so am I!”

Carl turned and floated after him. “What are you taking a day off from? You’re a ghost.”

Jameson moved up the stairs and towards Allison’s bedroom.

“Jameson? Where are you going?”

Jameson didn’t respond. He stalked into Allison’s bedroom and lay down on the bed on his back, crossed his arms across his chest and closed his eyes.

Carl floated into the room after him and stared at Jameson lying on the bed. “I don’t understand,” it said.

“Ghosts are the active dead. I’m taking a day off, so I’m just going to be passively dead.”

Carl sighed heavily, the black mist of its being scattering with the movement. It started to float out of the room.

“I’m so relaxed already!” Jameson called after Carl. “Oh yes, so relaxed! So glad I’m taking the day off.” Carl kept floating down the hallway.