They stood in a room, large enough to hold all of Steve's things, not just what he had chosen to take. "Well, here you are Steve." Julie said, as she indicated with her free hand the small pile of belongings along with the panhead in one corner of the room. "Animal is outside there." pointing to a glass sliding door that showed a lawn just outside. "The perimeter is fenced, he'll be just fine."

Steve looked around the room. Indeed, if he had asked, it was certain that his truck itself would have fit nicely in one corner, and still left plenty of walking space, as the room was totally bare of anything that did not belong to Steve. Suddenly they were both aware that they were still holding hands, and Steve made to let go at once, noticed that Miss Hardin was not so willing to let go, and smiled.

"What is that smirk for?" she asked sharply.

Steve backed up a step, "You like me." he said as he cocked one eyebrow at her, and put on an obviously fake serious frown.

"What??" Julie exclaimed, "You? You are rude, and an oaf, and and. . ."she stammered as her eyes flashed with irritation at his offhand manner, "provincial!" she finished with a stamp of her foot.

Steve turned away as Julie was looking for the last word, and with droll, remarked, "Oh yeah, provincial, sure thing." He opened the door onto the lawn, and noticed a large stone patio just outside. As he walked out into the sunshine he saw the expanse of lawn and saw that just this part that he could see was larger than his entire property in the mountains.

Garoo appeared on the lawn just off the patio, and smiled at Steve, "I have a veterinarian coming to look at your wolf, should be here in an hour or so." he pointed across the lawn, where Steve could now see Animal limping in and around the brushery, marking as he went. "The rest of us are eager to meet you, and begin telling you about our 'devious scheme' as you put it. Will you join us?"

Steve was tired, drained from the day and night before, and his voice showed strain as he asked, "Could I have some time alone to rest, and let some of this sink in? I'm not quite ready to take anything else just now." he glanced up at the sky, squinting a bit at the sunlight, noticing the wispy clouds and the warm breeze playing with the lawn.

Garoo said, gently, "Of course, I understand. The others will also I'm sure once I mention that you have only been. . . well, you are young, and need some time. As for resting, some spirits cannot sleep without dissipating, we never know until we try. I'll have someone watch and we'll wake you if you show any signs of misting. By the way, some of us only become fully solid when we sleep which seems odd to those who never sleep. I can have a bed brought in for you if you'd like, or I can offer you a room with a bed until you discover what you prefer, or need."

Steve looked at Garoo sharply, "Why?" he asked simply.

"Some don't sleep, as I said, others sleep in the air, drifting about with the wind, and delight in not knowing where they will wake, or when, for that matter. . ." Garoo stalled as he realized that Steve was not referring to sleep at all. "Oh, well. for myself, as I told you, because you laughed. For the others they have their reasons, and I'm sure you can ask them when you meet them."

Steve looked suspicious, not really believing Garoo, but had little choice but to play along, and see where they led him. "A dark room with a bed, I suppose. If that would be ok?"

Garoo left. Vanished, of course, and there was little Miss Hardin again, wearing a fake serious face, "Come on tough guy, let's find that bed."

Steve considered that, and decided that he had no way to respond that was not an insult, or a corny line. He merely motioned for her to lead on. They went through his room, and out into a hallway, passing several doors, and then through what appeared to be a banquet hall, or dance floor, and up a staircase, finally she led him into a cozy room, fairly sparse, faintly feminine in furnishings but not overly so. The bed was easily large enough for him, and he tested the mattress as Julie worked the curtains. Within moments the room was darkened so much that it became difficult to see details, though he could see well enough to notice Miss Hardin was turning down the covers for him.

"Miss Hardin?" Steve began. "Call me Julie if you'd like sir, that is my real name." Steve continued, "Thanks uhh, Julie. I'm not sure how or even if I should get undressed. I'm kinda new at this stuff."

He noticed she dimpled as she smiled, "Sir, I am certain you will find out for yourself how to get 'undressed' without my assistance. I'd appreciate it if you did before getting into bed, but after I leave, thank you!" Julie dipped in a slight curtsy, in mockery of a servant. "Now if there is nothing else, have a good rest." Little Miss Hardin vanished with a slight whoosh.

Some time later, Steve woke abruptly, feeling that someone was watching him, then he noticed that he was standing looking at the ceiling in the small dark room that felt suspicously like Miss Hardin spent a great deal of time here. Before drifting off, he had reasoned out what he felt about this room, and decided that this was in fact her room that he was in. Then rest came, and he had no dreams that he could recall.

Steve was startled to find Julie floating above the bed, as if suspended in water. as he looked closer he noticed that her nightdress appeared wet, and floating as if in water as well as her hair. her face was the most shocking, as her eyes were open, but vacant as if she were dead, drowned. He looked at himself and noticed that he was dressed just as he had been before his heart attack, and remembered that he had died, standing up, looking at the ceiling, laughing.

This is too creepy, he thought to himself, as he imagined bodies floating thoughout the house, each in the same condition and circumstance as they were in when they died. He shivered mentally, and tried to make his way to the door. He needed to get out of this room, and quickly! The sight of Julies young body draped in a thin nightdress made sheer with the water she had drowned in was enough to awake the dead. Looking into those eyes however dashed his thoughts of waking her with some playful prank, and he now felt gripped in a very bad feeling.

Steve did not quite make the door, when a light snapped on behind him. He felt as if he would faint, and hesitated before turning.

Julie yawned, "Hey stranger, not tryin to sneak out on me are ya? You forgot to pay me ya know. I get 5 pounds for a sleepover." The last remark was made in a mock tone of a threat. "Don't make me call the coppers mister!"

When Steve turned, he was relieved to see the girl he had met earlier, and not a wet drowned body floating above the bed, with dead eyes. In fact, she looked rather tousled and campy, wearing a two piece flannel pajama set, hair sticking out at odd angles around her face, and a silly looking pair of bunny slippers with floppy ears and little balls of fuzz masquerading as bunny tails at the heels. The best part was her eyes, bright and alive, as if eager to continue haranguing him, if he dared to refuse the payment she demanded.

As their eyes met, she could see that he had seen her, his relief at not seeing her as she knew she must look when asleep was evident in his expression. She looked away quickly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. Garoo told me what it's like looking at me when I sleep. Must be pretty creepy, huh?"

Steve looked away himself, shuffled his feet, "Not all that bad, I suppose. Not sure I'd want to sleep with you of course, but you look cuddly enough after you wake up. Umm, is it always like that, we sleep looking as we did when we died?" Steve tried a weak grin on her as she turned back to him.

"Mostly, it seems." she replied. "Not always though, some times we sleep, as if we were alive again, which feels much nicer to wake up to. Garoo told me that my eyes are open. I finally asked him to take pictures so I could see myself. Pretty racy stuff, except for my eyes of course. I can imagine what a guy might be feeling if he saw me. You saw my eyes too of course, I can tell."

"You have pictures of yourself like that? Gee, we could get rich selling those on the internet!" Steve laughed softly, his eyes giving away that he was joking. " Uhh, I bet my eyes aren't very appealing either, I guess, when I sleep."

With a sigh Julie replied, "Honestly, none of us are much fun to look at when we sleep, though I'm sure that some of the guys do pop in from time to time to look at me. I'm the best lookin ghost outta the whole bunch. Or so they tell me."

"I guess I'll just get used to wakin up lookin at the ceiling. Sooo, Julie I figured this was your room before I fell asleep, why'd you put me up in here?"

"Seemed like the easiest thing to do, I knew it would be empty, and I knew where it was, and I would be more comfortable watching you here as anywhere else." Julie was playing with the floppy ears on her bunny slippers as she spoke. She scootched over suddenly, and patted the bed next to her, "Pull up a stump, you're making me nervous standing there like that."

Steve looked askance at her, "Ahh, so this where you seduce me into joining your secret little cult, eh?" He took the steps toward the bed, as he watched her expression change from little girl to offended woman.

"Oh no, now that's enough. Stay away from me." Julie flamed, her face reddening, " Just go back to standing by the door, I think I like you better with your hat in your hand, mister!"

Steve chuckled. "Ahh, see I told you I could tell you like me." He said as he flopped across the foot of the bed, face down. After he bounced and settled, he glanced over at Julie. She had backed up to the headboard, holding a pillow with arms folded across her belly, and kicked at him lightly with one foot. He watched the floppy ears as he felt her kick him. She was grinning.

"Cretin, oaf, rude rude man!" she exclaimed as her kicking became ineffective as he had become unsolid, and her feet passed through him.

"Don't forget, 'provincial' also, I believe you said." Steve said lightly as he grabbed at her ankle.