Pen Pal

Kayla’s jealousy frustrates her, as she realizes that she and Aidan have not agreed to a monogamous relationship. Aidan comes to the car and asks Kayla to get out. Kayla tries to act like nothing is wrong, but she sharply asks Aidan how his date is going. Aidan is angry, and he brings Kayla into the restaurant to a table where Jake is sitting with the woman Kayla saw Aidan with a moment ago. Jake introduces the woman as his wife, Deb, and Kayla is embarrassed. She explains what she thought, and Deb laughs, saying Aidan is like a brother to her. They talk, though Aidan remains silent, and Kayla wonders what her punishment will be later. Deb integrates Kayla into the conversation, but Kayla’s mind starts to wander. Her jealousy makes her think she wants a more serious relationship with Aidan, but she feels guilty that she is quickly moving on from Michael’s death. Kayla catches herself playing with her wedding ring, and Jake is staring at the ring. Deb invites Kayla to join her in the bathroom.

Deb offers Kayla her support, and she explains that Aidan has not had an easy life. Deb is excited to see Aidan invested in his relationship with Kayla. When they return, Jake and Aidan are arguing. Jake turns to Kayla, demanding an explanation for what she is doing with Aidan despite her marriage. Aidan tries to stop Jake from pushing the issue, and Deb tells Jake to stop. Kayla explains that she is going through a transitional period, and she is frightened by how much she wants to be with Aidan. However, she says there is no one else in her life, her marriage is over, and she wants a more serious commitment with Aidan. Aidan says Kayla does not need to be scared because he will always support her. Their food arrives, and Kayla sees the same man in a mirror in the restaurant whom she saw behind the tree in her yard.

Aidan drives Kayla to his apartment in silence. When they arrive, Kayla apologizes for trying to lie about what was bothering her earlier, and Aidan worries that Kayla does not trust him. She assures him that she just has a lot going on in her mind, and she is only sure that she wants to be with Aidan. Aidan says he is also scared, but he wants them to work through things together. Aidan asks if she is ready for her punishment, and Kayla says she is. Aidan starts driving, telling Kayla that her punishment is not sexual. Instead, he is going to give her space to figure out what she wants to do. He drops her off at her car, telling her to call him when she is ready to take off her wedding ring. Kayla worries that they will never see each other again, but Aidan leaves, telling Kayla to “just fucking do it” (257).

The next day, Kayla tries to go to the therapist’s office, but she gets distracted by a psychic’s storefront. Kayla goes in and meets Destiny, the psychic, who asks her what she wants to know. Kayla asks what to do, but Destiny shuffles her Tarot deck and says Kayla needs a more specific question. Kayla asks how to move on from her marriage, and she draws the 10 of Swords, The Lovers reversed, and Death reversed. Destiny becomes serious and explains that the 10 of Swords is Kayla’s past, indicating pain and betrayal. The Lovers is her present, but it is reversed, meaning Kayla has an imbalance in her romantic relationship. Death is Kayla’s future, but it indicates that Kayla is resisting change because the card is reversed. The results dismay Kayla, but Destiny urges her to take another card for additional information. She draws The Magician reversed, which Destiny says means Kayla needs to figure out the illusions that are holding her back. Destiny smiles sadly at Kayla, who insists that Michael never betrayed her, so she does not know what illusions she needs to overcome. Destiny says she will pray for Kayla and does not ask for any payment for the reading.

Kayla sends Dante a letter explaining how she feels like she is losing her sanity. She says she went to a psychic, her housekeeper thinks her house is haunted, and she is falling in love with Aidan. She asks if Dante has any words of wisdom for her.

Dante’s advice comes from Sam Harris, and he tells her that she is “the storm.” Essentially, though Kayla feels like strange things are happening around and to her, she is the source and substance of that chaos. Dante says this “storm” indicates that Kayla has the power in her life, and he asks her what she wants to do with it.

Dante’s letter frustrates Kayla, and she wonders what force makes her feel like she and Dante are connected. Kayla finds that no Dr. Letterman is listed at the address Eddie gave her. Kayla has not seen Dante in two weeks, and she has been drinking heavily. Suddenly, Kayla sees the young boy running across her lawn, prompting her to hide from view. She wonders if the boy is the ghost of the child she lost, but she convinces herself that an unborn child could not grow to be the ghost of a toddler. When Kayla looks back out the window, the boy is looking at her. He points, screams, and runs away. Kayla runs outside to follow him, but he disappears. Outside, Kayla sees the boy looking out of her second-story window. She runs back inside, checks the entire house, and cannot find him. She debates calling Jake for more cameras when the security feed only shows static again. Kayla fixes herself another glass of wine and takes a bath, wondering how she has lost her sanity.

For three nights, Kayla dreams that she is drowning. Every sound she hears in the house startles her, and her dryer starts to smell like rotting flesh. Her television shuts itself off when she tries to watch it, and she feels like she hears a whispering sound all around her. She texts Aidan that she misses him, and he responds that he does too. He asks if she is still wearing her ring, and she says no, admitting that she only took it off when she texted him. The doorbell rings with no one there, and Kayla decides to continue drinking.

Fiona finds Kayla passed out on Monday morning, and Kayla asks for advice from Aidan. Fiona recommends reaching out. The doorbell rings, and no one is there. Kayla says she wants to try communicating with the ghosts, prompting the TV to turn on, a lightbulb to burst, and the doorbell to ring.

Kayla responds to Dante, telling him that his advice was bad. She feels like her life fell apart, and she is just wandering the ruins of it. She doubts whether anything in her life is real, including her letters with Dante, and she questions why Dante and Kayla even became pen pals. Kayla says she is drowning and needs a life jacket.

Fiona says Kayla is lucky that the full moon is so close, meaning they can hold the séance soon. Kayla continues to struggle with the idea of removing her wedding ring. Another blue jay flies into Kayla’s window, dying on impact, and Kayla learns from the internet that it could symbolize her denial of her problems.

Fiona’s sister, Claire, arrives, and she is identical to Fiona. Kayla remarks that they are twins, though they deny it. Claire says she wants to set up the séance in Michael’s office since the energy is strongest in that room. She has two other seances that night, adding that the full moon is a busy time for her. Kayla struggles to suspend her disbelief in Claire’s profession, but she cannot deny the eerie feeling she has. They arrange the office for the séance, setting up candles and chocolates on a table as offerings to the spirit. Kayla jokes that ghosts do not have mouths, and Claire reminds her that the ghost does not know it is dead. Claire tells Kayla to take off her jewelry, but Kayla forgets to take off her wedding ring. She ultimately places it on Michael’s picture in the newspaper she left in the room.

Claire begins the séance by asking if there are spirits present, prompting Michael’s diploma to fall from the wall. Claire tells the spirit to use knocks on the table to communicate. The spirit confirms that it is alone, and it knew Kayla when it was alive. Claire asks the spirit what it wants, and the spirit takes control of Claire’s hand, making her write the word “revenge.” Kayla screams and flees the room.

Fiona and Claire find Kayla in the kitchen with all the drawers and cabinets open. Kayla says they were already open when she got there. Claire says the positive news is that there is only one ghost, it has a clear goal of getting revenge, and Kayla just needs to help the ghost to get it to leave. Kayla assumes the ghost wants to kill her, but Claire says the ghost has been active too long to have wanted Kayla’s death all along. Claire wants to resume the séance, but Kayla refuses. Kayla worries the ghost has been watching her shower, which offends Claire. When Kayla insists that she will not continue the séance, Claire decides to leave. Claire recommends that Kayla research the house to find out what it might want revenge for. She adds that it might have been confused when it said it knew Kayla. When Claire and Fiona leave, they find a life jacket on the doorstep, and Kayla thinks Dante sent it. Kayla implies that Dante might be the ghost.

Kayla shows Fiona and Claire her letters from Dante, which appear to be written in blood. They conclude that Dante is a ghost who wants Kayla’s help, but he might not remember on whom he wants revenge. They notice that the ghost seems to still respond to them even out of the séance, knocking on doors or flickering lights seemingly in response to their conversation. Claire thinks they are close to a breakthrough and tells Kayla to call the detective who investigated Michael’s death. Claire gets her laptop to look up Dante’s name, and she finds the buffalo nickel on top of it. Suddenly, Kayla’s wedding ring falls through the ceiling and lands on the table.

Claire urges Kayla to call the detective, but the police officer who answers tells Kayla that Detective Roman Peters died six months ago. Kayla says that is impossible since he interviewed her only two months prior. Claire says she does not doubt that, and she shows Kayla that her house was sold one month ago to Sandy and David Wainwright. Claire and Fiona keep telling Kayla not to panic, and Kayla is confused. Claire and Fiona say that only some people can communicate with ghosts: mediums, psychics, cats, children, and other ghosts, though ghosts do not recognize other ghosts as being dead.

Kayla recalls Dante’s letter, in which he says that Kayla “is” the storm, and how Fiona said angry ghosts can manifest like an electrical storm. Fiona, Claire, and Destiny’s sad glances come to Kayla’s mind, as well as the woman she met at the grief group and Eddie. Kayla calls Eddie’s number, and a man answers and says that Eddie died in 1974. Claire and Fiona show Kayla Dante’s letter, and Kayla watches the letters move to spell Aidan Leighrite, an anagram of Dante Alighieri. Grabbing the newspaper reporting Michael’s death, Kayla finds that the full headline reads, “Local Man Drowns Wife” (313). Kayla screams and finds Claire and Fiona standing with a little boy, Sandy and David’s son. She remembers that Michael did not drown, he killed Aidan and then drowned Kayla.