Ghosting in Public
(Spying is fun… until it’s not.)
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Fresh Air & Bad Decisions
It’s my first time leaving the mansion in a while.
Not because I can’t leave. I’m not some cursed spirit chained to a creepy estate. I just… haven’t bothered.
Turns out, when you’re dead—or whatever weird limbo I’m in—normal activities lose their appeal.
At first, sneaking around unseen was fun.
Eavesdropping on conversations. Stealing fries off people’s plates. Whispering boo into strangers' ears just to see them shiver.
But eventually… it got boring.
Really, really fast.
So I decided to do something new.
I decided to follow Aaron.
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If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Tailgating the Living
Aaron’s out on business.
The kind of business where he wears his other face—the one that makes people look twice, whisper in awe, and assume he’s some noble protector of the innocent.
(Spoiler: He’s not.)
I keep a few steps behind, casually phasing through the occasional pedestrian when they get too close.
Aaron doesn’t know I’m here.
Yet.
He’s walking with that usual confidence, head high, shoulders squared, the perfect picture of someone who belongs anywhere he goes.
Must be nice.
Me? I get a weird feeling when I forget that normal people can’t see me and I start reacting to things out loud.
(Case in point: The hot dog vendor I accidentally insulted earlier.)
But right now, my focus is on him.
Wherever he’s going, it has to do with my copycat.
And I want to know what he knows.
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The Fun of Being Unseen
I slip through the crowd, effortlessly dodging bodies without them ever knowing.
Honestly, if I weren’t already dead, this would be a great way to get murdered.
Aaron stops at a café. Not the fancy, overpriced kind—just a low-key, hole-in-the-wall kind of place that smells like burnt espresso and regret.
He grabs a seat near the back. Casual, but too casual. Like he’s waiting for someone.
I smirk.
Bingo.
I slide into the chair across from him, crossing my arms dramatically. “So, who’s the lucky informant?”
Aaron doesn’t react.
I grin. “Nothing? Not even a twitch?”
Still nothing.
I narrow my eyes. Suspicious.
Then—
Aaron takes a sip of his coffee and smirks.
Right at me.
“You’re getting sloppy,” he says.
I freeze.
“What?”
Aaron leans back, amused. “You followed me from the mansion. Didn’t even try to be subtle about it.”
I scowl. “You knew?”
Aaron shrugs. “Course I knew.” He takes another sip. “You’re like an annoying poltergeist with no sense of personal space.”
I glare. “Rude.”
He raises a brow. “Accurate.”
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Mystery Guest & Unexpected Problems
Before I can argue, the actual guest arrives.
A woman. Mid-forties. Sharp suit. Sharper eyes. Definitely the no-nonsense type.
She sits down without a word.
Aaron greets her with a nod. “You have something for me?”
The woman slides a folder across the table. “Your killer isn’t just copying Lady Karma’s methods.”
Aaron flips the folder open, eyes scanning the contents.
I lean over, peering at the documents. Police reports, crime scene photos—some of them disturbingly familiar.
Then I see it.
The latest victim.
I stare, stomach twisting.
“I know that guy,” I whisper.
Aaron glances at me. “Yeah?”
I nod slowly. “I was gonna kill him next.”
