The Phantom Crystal

Keepin' Warm

Whoever thought it was a good idea to just use a strangely bristled brush to remove the snow from campus was an i***t. All it’s succeed in doing is turning the sidewalks into mini-ice rinks. I know a few classmates of mine who can’t use the tunnels because they aren’t accessible for them due to the stairs and have almost injured themselves just by using the sidewalks. And it doesn’t look like the campus has done anything over winter break to try and remedy this issue. 

I snort. “They don’t care. They’re getting their money and that’s all that matters.”

I pause for a second as another sharp gust of wind hits me, forcing me to close my eyes as they start to water. Why do I live in a state where the wind tries to bite my face? Grumbling, I quicken my pace and almost start crying when I see Tamarak’s tunnel entrance. 

I have to fight against the wind to pull the door open but the moment I get enough space for myself, I slip inside and just stand there, shivering. Dang. I knew that was going to be rough but it should be illegal to have classes when it’s that cold outside. 

“I think I’m gonna make that hot chocolate first and then shower,” I mutter as I finally start walking again, thankful that I don’t have to go outside again until tomorrow. 

Rubbing my glove-covered hands together, I blow on them as I try to restore some warmth to my frozen limbs. I jerk to a stop when instead of hot, warm air, a sharp cold air soaks in through my gloves. A strangled noise escapes me as I pull my hands back and see them covered and a thin layer of frost. My chest aches as I swiftly shove my hands under my armpits, frantically glancing around.

The tunnel is thankfully empty and I waste no time in hurrying for Pine and the safety of my room. Thank everything that my room is on the first floor and not the third. I don’t think my pending meltdown is going to hold out for that long. 

My footsteps echo loudly as I practically sprint down the tunnel. Relief mixes with my panic as the door leading to Pine Hall’s rec/basement appears. With shaking and frost-covered hands, I swing it open and rush into the medium-size space. My chest heaves as I fight the urge to just fall to the floor right there.

“Whoa,” a gravelly voice says. “Easy there, sport. No need to get all worked up. Everything all right?”

My eyes widen as I look up to find an elderly white-haired male standing near the pool table. He is wearing a dark blue-grey button-down short sleeve shirt. The left breast has the word ‘Janitor’ written on it in cursive with black embroidery thread. A hammer and a tape measure hang off the janitor’s belt. There is a slight stoop to the man’s posture but an easy smile on his wrinkled face as he studies me. 

Realizing that I’ve been staring for way too long, I clear my throat and rub at my chest.

“Oh, uh, sorry,” I say, shuffling from side to side. “The tunnels. They, uh, they kinda freak me out a little.” 

Not a complete lie. I just highly doubt this elderly man wants to deal with a freshman who suddenly found out he can shoot ice and snow from his mouth and nose. Because I sure don’t want to, but here I am. Dealing with it.

The janitor chuckles, leaning a hip against the pool table.

“Those tunnels are pretty old with some ghosts of their own,” he says, eyes gleaming as he tilts his head. “But yer safe now, here in ole Pine. So, why don’t ya just take a deep breath and release it slowly?”

The man mimics the motion and waves his hand for me to follow along. My breath stutters and my heart hammers wildly in my chest. I wet my lips.

“Oh, uh, I don’t think this is...”

“Oh, c’mon there, kiddo,” the man says, cutting my stammering off. “Just nice and simple like. In. Out. In. Out. Now yer turn.”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, my hands flex at my sides as the janitor levels a stare on me. Not seeing a way out of this, I slowly drag a deep breath of air in and hold it.

Oh, gods. What if I cause frost to come out? What if snow and ice just come shooting out of my mouth and hurt this nice old janitor? Maybe if I hold it long enough, he’ll just go back to what he was doing before I burst in here. The man clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him.

The man’s lips quirk up. “Now, ya gotta release it, sport.”

Shit. Well, here goes nothing.

As slowly as possible, I release the air I’m holding, keeping my gaze on the janitor. My breath stutters as a white cloud of vapor raises from my lips as if the two of us are standing outside. My hands snap up to my mouth, covering it as I frantically look up at the man. 

Oh, god. Oh, gods. Oh crap. What’s he going to think? It wasn’t snow or ice but still! What normal person has that happen while inside? None, that’s who!

A quiet laugh fills the room, just barely audible over the pounding in my ears and my shallow breathing. The man loops his thumbs into his empty belt loops, watching me with an amused look. I glance around the room.

Shouldn’t he be weirded out? Calling the authorities? Anything? Not just standing there like I just did something amusing.

“Looks like someone’s colder than they originally thought,” the man teases, chuckling again as I gape at him. “Don’t worry, kiddo, you’re not the first person to do that and you won’t be the last.”

Say what now?

Instead of explaining further, the man waves me closer, glancing over his shoulder. Speechless, I stumble over to him, my shaking rearing its head once more. The man catches my elbow as I trip over the pool table’s foot and helps me stand upright.

“There we go,” he says, smiling down at me as he readjusts my scarf. “Now, here’s what yer gonna do, ya hear? Yer gonna go up to yer dorm room and yer gonna pour yerself a nice hot beverage, whatever makes ya happy. And then, after yer drink, yer gonna hop into the shower and just let that warmth flow over ya. I would recommend at least 30 ta 40 minutes. Then yer gonna make yerself another hot beverage afterward and ya gotta just savor this one. But mind that ya don’t let it get too cold. Bundle up in yer warmest clothes and just picture the warmest place ya can. Do all that and ya should feel a little warmer in no time.”

My mouth opens and closes in surprise. “I—uh—I mean—What?”

The janitor reaches up and pats my cheek, his hands like ice. “It ain’t a permanent fix for ya, but it should make the chill more bearable until ya can get some help with all of this. This ain’t something to take lightly, young man. Yer lucky that we have tunnels here on campus ‘cause ya would have been in a real-world of hurt goin’ to and from classes as ya are. Many folks have died in less harsh conditions on the first day, so count yerself luck. ‘Cause that either means he likes ya or yer just stubborn enough to get through all of this.” He shakes his head, his white hair flopping around with the movement. “I hope for yer sake, it’s ‘cause he likes ya, ‘cause the last folk that had him and he didn’t like ‘em, he froze them from the inside out till they were nothin’ but an unmeltable piece of ice. And ya seem like a good kid, so I don’t want that for ya.”

The janitor pats my cheek again, pulling me out of my stupor. He turns and starts shuffling away like he didn’t just leave me with a cryptic message to decipher.

Frozen solid?! Many people have DIED? What on Earth is this guy talking about? WHO is he talking about? Frowning at the retreating form, I call out;

“Who are you talking about? Who froze who solid?”

The man pauses and looks back at me over his shoulder, smiling.

“Why, the Phantom of course. Who else? Ya got his crystal deep inside ya, I can sense it. And that ain’t nothin’ to take lightly.” The smile falls from his face and something dark appears. “‘Cause, if I can sense it, a whole lot of other, less savory folk will be able to sense it as well. And many have already. So, keep alert. And, I would probably not take the tunnels alone at night anymore, kiddo. Ya never know who ya might run into.”

My mouth opens to respond but my voice catches in my throat as the janitor turns away and vanishes on the spot. 

“Well,” I say aloud, my voice high and strained in the now quiet room. “That was certainly something.”

A ghost. I just spent the last five minutes talking to a ghost. Who not only gave me tips on how to possibly control my cold but also the name of whose crystal is now chilling inside of my chest. My eyebrows knit together as something nudges at the back of my mind. 

The Phantom. Why does that feel important? And familiar? Like a tidbit of information that I just learned but somehow already knew but also didn’t know?

Thoughts reeling, I scratch my chest as I continue toward the stairs. The janitor’s words echo around my mind as I slowly ascend toward the first floor of Pine. What did he mean by, he could sense the crystal inside me? Is it radiating energy that I’m not aware of? And who else can senes it? Other ghosts? Can people, like sensitives and mediums? Can Mom and Dad’s equipment sense it? Will I never be able to go on another ghost hunt with them because I’ll interfere with the readings? But I enjoy going on the hunts with them! Helping folks with their ghost and haunting problems and determining whether or not they’re faking it all. 

I nibble on my bottom lip as I pause at my mailbox and grab the single flyer that our CA or RA put inside for us. 

Maybe those textbooks that Ian wants us to read can help shed some light on there. Surely there has to be something in there about a strange glowing crystal that is owned by a being called ‘The Phantom’ and gives a person ice and snow powers. The way that the janitor was talking, it certainly sounds like I’m not the first person to have come into contact with this crystal. But I might be one of the only ones to make it past day one.

My mouth waters unpleasantly and I swallow a few times to rid myself of the sick pit that creeps toward my chest from my gut. I don’t even want to think about those kinds of odds. If Rae found out, she would have a conniption. My hand trembles as I pull out my keys and a small part of me knows that it’s not just the cold that is causing this set of tremors. I slip into the darkroom and quietly shut the door behind me, pressing my back against it, breathing slowly just like the janitor downstairs told me to do. Now, hidden within the safe haven of my dorm room, I actually feel like this exercise will work for me. Releasing the breath I am holding, I wait for another puff of white to appear before me, but this time, nothing happened.

Maybe it’s just too dark for me to see?

Flicking on the lights, I repeat the exercise. Breathe in. Breathe out. 

Nothing. 

Scowling, I start unwrapping myself. Why didn’t it work this time? I pause as I reach my gloves. Shooting the door behind me a look, I return my focus to my hands. Leaning forward, I blow into them, as if to warm them. A sharp spike of cold washes over the gloves and a thin layer of frost appears. I stare at the frost frowning.

Okay. So that worked, but just puffs of cold air coming out of my mouth won’t? A huff escapes me as I tug off my gloves and toss them close to the vent to warm up. I pause mid-motion.

Why am I even upset about it not happening? Shouldn’t I be relieved?

I roughly rub my knuckles across my forehead. I’ll deal with my emotional turmoil later. Right now, I just want to warm up, get some food, and go to bed. Now, what did the old janitor say to do first? Make myself something warm to drink? Then shower? Then warm drink again and wrap myself up. Easy peezy. 

Grabbing a mug from the shelf above my desk, I snag a pack of hot chocolate powder and a water bottle from next to my fridge. Normally, I would make my hot chocolate with milk, but seeing as everything was closed yesterday and I don’t have my own mode of transportation, I don’t have any right now. Next time, I’ll do it right.

Rubbing at my arms, I sit on Gavin’s futon, tugging off my boots to keep from getting the entire floor wet, before pulling my knees to my chest. I stare blankly at the humming microwave. If I can’t find the answers that I’m looking for in my textbooks or online, then I might pull Ian aside on Wednesday and see if he has any ideas about who this ‘Phantom’ is and why his crystal is being shoved inside of people. I rest my chin on my knees. 

I just hope that it doesn’t come to that.