but then , looking at him from mere feet away , he can feel his hand squeeze tighter around his near - empty whiskey glass , feels the skin on his neck prickle , as though there really is skin there at all. he tries to swallow his unease. all he can think of is the regrettable kinship shared between the only two men in the room born in the NINETEENTH CENTURY. he almost wishes the connection was gone. a) he had always lacked the charisma necessary for such social settings , b) on a strangely sunny halloween afternoon , it suddenly feels like a cold night , and he just wants to leave the bar at the cortez. unfortunately , his face betrays him , & dark brows furrow , his mouth opens and closes unnaturally. he gives a sort of . . .  wave ??

          “ I don't believe in mummies, ghosts, or ghoulery! ” that , of course , is never a very nice thing to hear from a man who is semi - transparent , and standing in the middle of one’s living room. charles doesn’t quite know WHY anybody would believe such a thing in the first place , though. nor can he comprehend why the girl before him looks off-put. “ I deal in fact not fiction, I am a scientist, I live for truth and reason, && that's the reason I exist. ”

❄️Feel Free to add more memory prompts to this!❄️

          to be quite honest , charles had not been expecting annette’s appearance in his house. he hadn’t expected it that day , nor ever , if he thought about it. he had been so appreciative of her delivering his book that he had finished it three times in three days , then set it down && forgot the whole thing ever happened. such is the life of a ghost. nevertheless , he rises from his spot in his armchair ( what had he been doing ? it was possible he hadn’t existed for some days. who could say ? ) and calls up the stairs to reach the voice. “ the book ––– of course , dear. I haven’t forgotten !! ” a lie. “ give me a moment , i’ll go fetch it from ––– er–––––– i’ll go fetch it. no need for renewal. I enjoyed it immensely –– and three times , might I add. go ahead and sit in the living room if you’d like, i’ll be right up. care for anything to drink ? ”