Thin places

The air in the lot felt heavier now, like whatever passed through here hadn’t fully left. Jessica stood motionless, her breath shallow as she strained to hear the voice that had called her name. She told herself it was Daniel. The part of her that still believed in ghosts wanted it to be him.

Leanna moved beside her, flashlight scanning the darkness. "Jess, did you hear that?"

Jessica nodded slowly, her pulse pounding in her ears. "It was him. Or... something pretending to be him."

Olivia’s scanner beeped erratically. "Whatever’s on the other side... it’s pushing back. Hard."

Jessica took a step forward, her instincts battling logic. "Daniel? If you’re here, show us. We’re trying to help you."

Silence.

Then, without warning, a gust of icy wind surged through the lot. The pavement beneath them seemed to shimmer, and for a brief second, Jessica saw something—a flickering outline of a man, barely visible, as if caught between layers of reality.

Leanna’s eyes widened. "Oh my god... he’s stuck."

Olivia adjusted the settings on her device. "This is off the charts. It’s like he’s phasing in and out of existence. We need to figure out how to stabilize him."

Jessica clenched her fists, frustration bubbling. "Fine. Let’s figure out what broke him — and break it back."

"This isn’t random," Leanna muttered, flipping the journal like a map. "This is a rhythm. A pulse. Time it right... maybe you catch the door open."

Jessica turned back to the flickering form, watching as Daniel’s face briefly took shape—his eyes filled with desperation.

"We’re going to get you out," she promised, stepping forward. "Just hold on."

Then the sound came — high, metallic, like steel being stretched past its breaking point. Not a noise from this world. A warning. Jessica winced as her vision blurred for a moment, and when she looked back, Daniel was gone.

The static in the air dissipated, the wind dying down, leaving only the quiet hum of the city beyond the empty lot. Jessica took a shaky breath, her hands trembling.

Olivia cursed under her breath. "We lost him."

Leanna shut the journal. "No. We just ran out of time. If the cycle is real, we’ll get another chance. We just need to find out when and where."

Jessica exhaled, regaining her composure. "Then let’s get to work. Because next time, we’re bringing him back."

As they turned to leave, Jessica stole one last glance at the empty lot, knowing in her gut that the fight wasn’t over. She didn’t know where Daniel Vasquez was. But wherever he was — it wasn’t here. And that was the problem.