He had ignored the girl protesting. Of course she didn’t want him to return home. However, when he exited the apartment a minute later, he was much less cocky. Her sympathy was well received, even though she probably wasn’t the most sincere. She said that he didn’t live here anymore, and for once he believed her. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he didn’t think anything of it. Her hand seemed natural to him, and he didn’t realize how strange it was that he was solid to her but he had been passed through by her father. 

However, when she began to explain that he needed to move on to the next life, he backed away quickly from her. “No… I’m not dead.” He said, shaking his head quickly. “I’m not going anywhere.” Unfortunately, her plan of simply telling him to leave didn’t work, and he was still here. He was, however, knocked off his pedestal a little, and began to roll the sleeves up on his button-down, one arm at a time, until the sleeves sat just below his elbows.

“I don’t…believe that I am dead. I don’t feel dead. And even [b]if[/b] I was, go on to where?” Though he should have known that this woman wouldn’t have had any answers for him. Still, he wasn’t just going to let go of everything and leave. He took a few deep breaths, having a bit of trouble coping with what was going on. He had already told her that he didn’t know his name, and naturally, she didn’t have any idea either. “I think…I need some fresh air.” He said after a few moments of silence. For once, what he wanted to do and what Erin wanted to do seemed to line up. “Can we…go outside?” He would follow her downstairs via the elevator, finally quiet. Someone else got in the elevator on the way down, and he had to step out of their way because they were literally standing on his toes. He didn’t speak again until they had gotten outside. “I don’t understand what is going on. I can’t be dead. I don’t…remember even getting hurt. I don’t feel hurt.” He said, looking down at his arms. “How long have you lived in my apartment?” He asked, changing the subject suddenly. He didn’t remember dying, but he also didn’t remember someone else moving into his apartment.