The Unnamed Goddess

“So you know how people aren’t supposed to eat glass?”

“Oh, I’m terrified to hear where this is going,” Casey said, not looking up from her book.

“What? No, nothing happened.”

“Well, yeah, I know that,” she said, setting the book on the table to look at Poppy, who was floating cross-legged in front of her. Poppy had died almost a month ago, and despite Casey and Blair’s best efforts to help, no one could figure out why their spirit was still there. “Why are you bringing this up?”

Poppy tilted their head, their short blue hair not conforming to gravity—something that took her off guard every time. “I was just thinking how if this lead turns out to be true, I can eat glass.”

Her eyebrow raised and her jaw dropped. “I can’t believe you went so long without dying.”

“Honestly, same here,” Poppy said, stretching out and laying down in the air. After a moment, they said, “Casey, what if this doesn’t work?”

Blair’s grandparents were ghost hunters, just like him. They kept records on anything and everything supernatural. When looking through the records, Casey found something about an unnamed death goddess who, according to the text, sometimes picked spirits to be her servants. They would help guide others to the afterlife, but never went there themselves. Casey thought it was an intriguing story, and brought it up in passing. She hadn’t expected Poppy would take it so seriously, nor that they would insist on finding this goddess, though in hindsight she couldn’t believe these things never crossed her mind. That was peak Poppy!

Blair had written it off as just a story, but that didn’t deter them in the least bit.

“You hunt ghosts! Why is a goddess so hard to believe?” Poppy shouted once when it was way too early in the morning.

“Because I’ve never seen one with my own eyes!” Blair shouted back.

“Oh wow, I didn’t know you dictated reality!”

After nagging him for days, Blair finally agreed there might be some truth to it and that he would help find the goddess. In reality, he probably just wanted them to shut up, but at least Casey didn’t have to hear the arguing anymore.

She wasn’t sure she believed this goddess really existed—she was a woman of science, of course—but if Poppy thought this was worth it, Casey would be by their side. Besides, she didn’t think ghosts were real and look where that ended up!

“I don’t know, Poppy. But we can worry about that if the situation arises.”

Poppy sat up again, giving Casey a suspicious look. “Aren’t you the one who’s always worried about everything?”

Casey smiled. It was true. Typically, she was the one who needed reassurance. But that was before Poppy died, before they were stuck as a ghost, before they had a reason to be worried. And as their best friend, Casey was going to stick by them, no matter what.

“This is new for all of us… well, maybe not Blair. But this is something we need to take one step at a time. And we’ll do it together.” She started to reach out for Poppy’s hand, but remembered they were intangible now and pulled back.

If Poppy noticed, they pretended not to and laid back down again. “I hope Blair doesn’t piss the goddess off too much.”

Casey giggled. “Yes, that would be bad.” She traced the etching in the book cover. It was of a bull in an orchard—which seemed odd to her, but she hadn’t read the entire thing, so there was probably an unknown reason. “Why do you let him get to you like that?”

“Because he’s an asshole,” they huffed.

“Well, yes. But you don’t have to give in to his taunts.”

“I know. He’s just…”

“Awful?”

“I was going to say a piece of shit, but that works too.”

They both burst out laughing. As Casey looked at her friend, she had to admit she hoped this goddess wasn’t real. If she was, and really had chosen Poppy, would that mean she’d never see them again?

She already lost them once. She didn’t want to again.