“Where’s your dog?”

  Ever was sitting in the waiting room in the corner, cradling his face while leaning into the top of his knee. He was so engrossed in two ghost border collies tumbling and play-fighting with each other in the middle of the room that he didn’t realize the question was addressed to him.

  “Excuse me.”

  Ever looked up. It was the frumpy gentleman with the white budgie again. Despite all the empty seats in the room, he was sitting in exactly the same spot as he was when Ever saw him months ago. Not only that, if Ever wasn’t mistaken, he was also wearing the same brown suit and bowler hat.

  The only thing that was different was his white budgerigar. She stood on the perch in the dome cage, unnaturally quiet for a bird.

  “Where is your dog?” He asked again, his greying moustache hiding his top lip.

  “Mr. Stathopoulos,” Carol said, standing up from the reception desk, “is everything alright?”

  “Why is this man here?” Mr Stathopoulos said, pointing directly at Ever. “He doesn’t even have his pet with him.”

  “He is a friend of the clinic’s,” Carol replied, without hesitation. A few of the other people who had brought their pets in had looked up from their phones, watching the exchange. “He’s welcome here.”

  Ever smiled appreciatively at Carol while the older not-very-gentleman sat back and silently festered.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Hello, good morning!” Zoe said, coming into the waiting room. She was slightly out of breath like she had rushed in, but she looked as radiant as ever. She saw Ever, gave him a wink and an air smooch.

  “Mr Stathopoulos,” she said, grabbing the file that Carol had handed her. “Thanks for waiting. Please, come in.”

  The old man stood up, walking in, staring Ever down until he went into Zoe’s room, closing the peach-coloured door behind him.

  Ever returned to staring at the two dogs in the middle of the room, who were now chasing their own tails before he had an idea. Carol looked up from her screen as he gave her an enigmatic smile while leaving the room. He turned into the hall, checked that the coast was clear then went into reaper mode. He floated back into the waiting room, where the two dogs that had been playing all morning got even more excited seeing a human that looked like them. They started following him as he floated through Zoe’s peach door.

  “Stay,” Ever commanded. Both dogs obeyed, parking their haunches. He floated on through by himself.

  “--hasn’t been eating for a few days now.”

  Ever orbited around the examination table that Mr Stathopoulos and Zoe were standing either side of. The white budgie was still quiet.

  ^Why are you here?^ Nika meowed, stretching deeply from atop the cabinet.

  Ever ignored the ghost cat, focusing on the beings that were alive in the room.

  “Have you been feeding Twistie seeds, oats and millet like we’ve been telling you to?”

  “I’ve made a compromise,” Mr Stathopoulos sniffed. “I’ve been feeding her wholegrain bread. That has seeds in it.”

  Zoe's responded with a strained smile.

  “Hey Twistie,” Ever said, floating in towards the white bird. “How are you?”