Dead Boy Detectives |The Endless Case|

Part 12 |The Case of the Dandelion Shrine|

    "Oh, don't make that face. That's not a good face." My shoulders dropped in a moment of defeat. I knew the things in that book weren't good, but what could possibly make them make that 'oh my god, it's so over' face.

~~ Back at the apartment ~~

    "Okay, so... explain it to me again. But as if I haven't been investigating the supernatural for, like, decades..." Crystal said, pulling a sweater over her arms. She then looked at me, "... or centuries."

    "It's all in the book," Edwin referred to the Paranormal Parasitics book in his hands.

    "Well, we don't need to look at that book," Charles sounded ill as he spoke.

    "Charles," Edwin practically hissed.

    "Oh, Jesus," Crystal sighed, "You guys act like a dead married coupe on acid. Just show me the..." Crystal didn't even finish before pulling the book from Edwin's hands.

    "Crystal you really don't want to..." Her face contorted in horror before I finished, "... look at that stuff." I finished anyway.

    "Oh, my God," she gagged, quickly closing the book. Edwin looked blankly at her, while Charles looked like he was about to burst with laughter.

    "Hey, you can't laugh, you did the exact same thing," I playfully hit his shoulder, snickering at myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edwin smirk.

    "Holy shit," Crystal gasped, reopening the book for whatever reason, then closing it again. "How does today keep getting more disgusting?" She happily passed the book back to it's owner.

    I shrugged, "I tried to warn you."

    "Niko is infected with a paranormal parasite," Edwin began, "Dandelion Sprites."

    "Which sounds cute..." Charles piped up.

    "...But they're not." I finished his thought for him, joining the three, who were standing about a foot Niko's bed now.

    "They feed on adoration, attention-" 

    I cut Edwin off, "Like a bitchy pop-star." He paid no mind to my comment, though I could see that it helped Crystal understand a bit better.

    Edwin continued, "you see it as the fuzzy pink light you described."

   "Don't look at the light. Got it," Crystal nodded.

    "They make people look at her, and eat up the attention." Edwin must've noticed somehow that I was about to make another stupid analogy, because he threw his hand up in a 'stop' motion. "and when they grow strong enough, then..." Edwin hesitated.

    "Then what?" Concern seeped through Crystal voice.

    none of us wanted to answer. Luckily Charles took on the responsibility of finally saying something, "They, um..." He paused, thinking of a nice way to put it, "they exit the body."

    "Exit the body how?" Crystal asked sternly.

    "However they can. But I would not expect it to be polite." Edwin answered.

    "They, uh... usually will turn a person into very gross... confetti," I smiled wearily, trying not to sound too harsh.

    "Crystal? Y/N?" I heard Niko's small voice call behind me. I turned and she was sitting up now, "you are you guys talking to?" A fair question in this circumstance. To her it would look like Crystal and I were talking to the air in front of the bed, responding to things she couldn't hear.