The morning after the whole "ghost in Ethan's dorm" fiasco, everyone woke up like they'd been through emotional warfare. Mason had slept with a Bible, Jade had kept a frying pan under her pillow, and Liam, for some reason, wore swimming goggles to bed.
"Bro, the goggles," Chloe said as they all shuffled into the kitchen. "What were you expecting, the ghost to splash you?"
Liam, pouring cereal, didn't even flinch. "If ectoplasm gets in your eyes, it's over. I saw it on TikTok."
Ethan groaned and slammed his head on the table. "There's no ectoplasm, dude. Just— voices. Whispering. And the mirror fogged up last night."
"Yeah, because you took a 40-minute shower again," Jade said. "That's not paranormal, that's poor water management."
But the others could tell Ethan wasn't joking. His eyes had that 3 a.m.-scrolling-through-conspiracy-videos look.
"Guys," he said quietly, "I think it's my dad."
Silence. The group froze mid-bite, mid-eye-roll, mid-breath.
Chloe frowned. "Uh… your dad's…?"
"Yeah. Dead." Ethan's voice was flat. "Car crash. Two years ago."
Mason swallowed hard. "Well, that's awkward. For… everyone."
Ethan shrugged. "It's fine. I just think he's— you know— back."
"Back as in spiritually supportive or back as in haunting-your-room kind of back?"
"The second one."
Liam stood up dramatically. "Bro. This is our moment. Paranormal Investigation Squad— activate!"
Chloe slapped him. "You're not naming us that."
---
That night, the group piled into Ethan's dorm like a bunch of toddlers planning a NASA launch. Mason had brought his dad's old camcorder, Jade had a notepad labeled 'Evidence Log', and Liam had a box of donuts "to lure the spirit."
Chloe blinked. "You're baiting a ghost with Krispy Kreme?"
"Everyone loves donuts," Liam said. "Even the dead."
Ethan just sat on the bed, visibly anxious. "Just— don't mess around, okay? I actually… feel like he's here."
Jade, trying to lighten the mood, said, "Well, if your dad's ghost is chill, maybe he can help us with tuition."
Everyone laughed— except Ethan.
Then, the lights flickered. Once. Twice.
And then— click.
Out.
Darkness swallowed the room like someone had slammed a lid on reality.
Mason's camera light blinked on automatically, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
"Uh," Chloe whispered. "That's… not funny."
"I didn't do anything!" Mason hissed.
Then came the whisper.
A soft, rasping sound from the closet.
"Ethan…"
Every hair on their arms stood up like antennae.
"Okay, who said that?" Jade's voice cracked.
Nobody answered.
The whisper came again, louder. "Ethan…"
Ethan froze. "Dad?"
Something moved in the darkness. The closet door creaked open by itself—slowly, painfully. The sound of metal scraping wood made everyone wince.
Then came the smell—faint but real. Motor oil and coffee.
"Dad…?" Ethan whispered again.
The others huddled together, Mason holding the camera like a weapon. "Okay, I'm 40% brave and 60% regretting my life choices right now."
Suddenly—BANG.
The closet door slammed shut.
Everyone screamed.
Chloe nearly tackled Liam trying to get out the door. Mason dropped the camera. Jade yelled something about "not signing up for this haunted semester."
Then—silence again.
Ethan stood motionless. His reflection in the dark window wasn't matching his movements anymore.
His reflection turned its head.
The real Ethan didn't.
"Oh. Hell. No." Mason bolted for the hallway.
The reflection smiled.
"Son," it said.
---
The gang regrouped in the corridor like soldiers after an airstrike.
"Okay!" Chloe gasped. "So… that was real, right? We all saw that?!"
"Yes," Jade said, hugging herself. "Ethan's reflection just called him 'son.' Which means it's either a ghost or Ethan's got some freaky AI mirror tech."
"Wait," Liam said, clutching a donut. "What if it's unfinished business? Like… his dad came back to say something important."
"Yeah," Mason muttered. "Like 'Stop using my Netflix account.'"
"Guys!" Ethan said, suddenly serious. "He used to call me that—'son'—exactly like that. Every time before he left for work."
The hallway went quiet.
"I think," Ethan continued, "he's trying to tell me something."
Chloe sighed. "Oh great. Dead dad mysteries. Love that for us."
---
By midnight, they were back inside, this time with Mason's laptop running some ghost-hunting app that looked suspiciously like a flashlight with ads.
"Okay," Mason said, "according to GhostTrak 2.0, any spirit in the area will respond to electromagnetic fields and—"
The light flickered again.
"Bro, you're not helping!" Liam hissed.
The closet creaked open again. This time, something stepped out.
A faint, human-shaped silhouette—glowing dimly, like a candle through fog.
"Ethan…"
The voice was warm. Familiar.
Ethan's eyes filled with tears. "Dad…?"
The figure nodded. "You've grown. You're… just like your mother."
Liam whispered, "Aw, this is kinda sweet—"
The ghost's head snapped toward him.
"Who are you?"
Liam froze mid-breath. "Uh—delivery guy?"
"Donuts," the ghost hissed.
"Yeah, that's me!"
The ghost floated closer, reaching for the box. "Chocolate… my favorite."
Everyone blinked.
"Wait," Jade said. "Your ghost dad… wants donuts?"
Mason was already recording again. "Yo, this is going viral."
Chloe smacked him. "You can't vlog a haunting!"
"Oh yes I can. Hashtag DeadDadDonutSaga."
The ghost took a bite of a donut—well, sort of. The pastry hovered midair, half-eaten, and crumbs floated like confetti.
Then, out of nowhere, the ghost said: "You still haven't cleaned your room, Ethan."
Everyone burst out laughing.
"Bro, even death couldn't save you from that roast," Mason said, wheezing.
The ghost crossed his arms. "And stop wasting money on instant noodles."
Jade leaned toward Ethan. "Your dad's haunting you for bad budgeting?"
Ethan sighed. "Yeah. Figures."
---
The ghost eventually calmed down and sat (well, hovered) on the bed.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he said softly. "I just… wanted to see you again."
Ethan nodded, trying not to cry. "It's okay, Dad. Just— maybe not at 3 a.m. next time?"
The ghost smiled faintly. "I'll try."
Then he looked at Mason. "You. The loud one."
Mason straightened up. "Yes, sir?"
"Stop recording everything."
Mason gulped. "Yessir."
The ghost turned to Liam. "And you. Stop flirting with my son's friends."
Liam turned red. "Bro—what—how'd you—"
"I'm dead, not blind."
Everyone lost it. Even Ethan laughed.
Finally, the ghost began to fade. "I'll visit again someday… but next time, bring the glazed ones."
And poof—gone.
Silence.
Then Mason said, "So uh… do we charge rent for spectral roommates?"
Chloe grinned. "Only if he keeps eating our donuts."
Jade added, "And haunting our group chats."
Liam smirked. "He's probably already ghosting us."
Ethan groaned. "You guys are the worst."
"Yeah," Mason said, clapping him on the shoulder. "But admit it—this semester just got way more interesting."