Ghosted by Accident 6

Chapter 6: Between Reality and Imagination

The cold morning air bit at Jake's skin as he hurried across campus, his thoughts still tangled in the events of the previous night. The strange room at Calm Horizons, the flickering shadows in the Turner house—none of it made sense, and yet, it felt like he was getting closer to uncovering something real. His psychology classes offered little distraction; the lessons on perception and reality only seemed to echo the confusion swirling in his head.

After a long day of lectures, Jake made his way to the campus café. He needed time to think, and this spot had always provided him a place to unwind. With his coffee in hand, he found a quiet corner, flipping open his laptop to review the notes on the Turner case. As much as he wanted to focus on his studies, his thoughts kept drifting back to the cases at Calm Horizons.

"Jake, you've been staring at that screen for the past hour."

Jake looked up to see Becky standing in front of him, her brow furrowed with concern. She was one of the few people who could read his mood almost instantly.

"Hey, Becky," Jake replied, closing his laptop. "Yeah, just trying to get through some stuff."

Becky slid into the seat across from him. "You okay? You've seemed a bit off lately."

Jake hesitated. He had been careful not to share too much about his job at *Calm Horizons* with anyone at school. It wasn't exactly something he could explain easily. "Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed. Work has been... more intense than I expected."

Becky raised an eyebrow. "Intense, huh? I thought you were working part-time at some emotional support agency. How intense could it get?"

Jake forced a smile. "You'd be surprised. Some of the cases are pretty... complicated."

Becky leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "Like what? You know you can talk to me, right?"

Jake thought about telling her, but he didn't want to sound ridiculous. Ghosts, shadows, strange occurrences—none of it felt like it belonged in a normal conversation. "It's just a lot of weird coincidences. Nothing serious."

Becky didn't seem convinced, but she let it slide. "Well, if you ever need help with anything, I'm here. Don't hesitate to reach out."

---

That evening, Jake returned to Calm Horizons, still distracted by the Turner case. The office was busier than usual, with several employees moving around, talking quietly in the hallways. He noticed a few people he hadn't seen before—likely some of the more senior staff he had yet to meet.

As Jake approached his desk, he saw a woman in her mid-thirties sitting at the workstation next to his. Her nameplate read Amanda Greaves. She glanced over and gave him a nod.

"You're Jake, right?" she asked, her tone professional but friendly. "I've heard about the Turner case. How's it going?"

Jake was surprised that she knew about the case. He hadn't discussed it much with anyone besides Winchester. "It's... ongoing. I'm still trying to figure out what's causing the disturbances."

Amanda smiled knowingly. "That's how it starts. Sometimes, it takes a while before you realize what you're dealing with."

Before Jake could ask her to elaborate, Winchester appeared from his office. "Jake, I need to speak with you."

Jake followed Winchester into his office, his mind buzzing with questions. Winchester sat behind his desk, his expression more serious than usual.

"We've been monitoring your progress," Winchester said, folding his hands on the desk. "You've been doing well, but I think it's time we let you in on a few things."

Jake felt a jolt of anticipation. "What do you mean?"

Winchester leaned back in his chair. "Calm Horizons is not just an emotional support agency, Jake. We deal with cases that involve... let's call them unseen forces. Some might call them spirits, ghosts, or entities. What you've encountered at the Turner house is not unique. We've seen similar phenomena before."

Jake stared at him, unsure if he had heard correctly. "You're saying... the Turners are being haunted?"

Winchester nodded. "Yes. And your ability to handle these cases without fear is why we've taken an interest in you. Most people would have run by now, but you've stayed calm. That's a rare quality."

Jake's mind raced. "But... I don't understand. Why me? I've never dealt with anything like this before."

Winchester smiled faintly. "You have a natural talent, Jake, even if you don't realize it. Your skepticism is actually your strength. You don't let fear cloud your judgment, and that makes you uniquely suited for this line of work."

Jake felt a chill run down his spine. Everything was starting to make sense—the strange occurrences, the way Winchester had been watching him, the cryptic conversations. But at the same time, it was hard to accept.

"So, what do I do now?" Jake asked, his voice steady but his heart pounding.

"You continue with the Turner case," Winchester said. "But this time, you'll have the support of the team. You're not alone in this, Jake. Amanda will be assisting you on this one."

Jake glanced out at Amanda, who was typing away at her desk. She didn't seem fazed by the conversation at all.

"Okay," Jake agreed, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. "I'll keep working the case."

---

The next day, Jake met Amanda at the Turner house for a more thorough investigation. Armed with new tools provided by Calm Horizons, they began their search for the source of the disturbances. Amanda explained the equipment—an EMF detector, thermal cameras, and audio recorders—while Jake tried to absorb it all.

As they moved through the house, Jake felt more confident with Amanda by his side. She had clearly dealt with these kinds of cases before and knew exactly what to look for. As they set up the equipment, Amanda told him about some of her previous cases—haunted mansions, poltergeist activity, and even a case involving a centuries-old curse.

It all sounded surreal, but as they continued to search the Turner house, Jake started to believe there might be more to the world than he had ever imagined. The flickering shadows and cold drafts no longer felt like coincidences.

Just as they finished setting up the cameras in the hallway where the shadows had been seen, the air around them grew noticeably colder. Jake shivered, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"You feel that?" Amanda asked, her voice low.

Jake nodded, his breath visible in the now-chilling air. The EMF detector began to spike, and the thermal camera showed a drop in temperature in the center of the hallway.

"There's something here," Amanda whispered, her eyes focused on the equipment. "Stay calm, Jake. We're not alone."

A shadow moved at the end of the hallway, and for the first time, Jake saw it clearly—an unnatural, shifting darkness that seemed to pulse with a life of its own.

His heart raced, but he held his ground, remembering Winchester's words: 'You don't let fear cloud your judgment'.

Jake took a deep breath. "Alright, let's see what we're dealing with."