Chapter 3

How a Ghost is Born

Chapter Title Page

Synopsis

Oscar meets his pregnant, near-term neighbor Becky Callahan and quickly comes to suspect she is "bad haunted" by the ghost of her young daughter, Danielle, who died several years ago in a swimming accident. After taking Becky to the hospital for a bad fall, Oscar calls Cliff for backup. With some coercion, Cliff agrees to help. When Danielle manifests and violently attacks Oscar and Cliff in front of her mother, Becky yells for her to stop. She apologies for trying to make Dani stay and releases her to the afterlife. Oscar takes Becky home, learning more about how Dani has been haunting Becky and her husband since the accident. Oscar then drops Cliff at home. Cliff asks about working out why Sylvia is a ghost, but Oscar has no intention of bringing it up with her anytime soon.

As a chapter subplot, Oscar makes reference to having spent a lot of time in hospitals at some point in time. He ignores a call from his "asshole" father and finally picks up a call from his sister, River. Oscar also learns from Becky the source of the unusual blue roses in Podunk, Lizzy Proctor.

Detailed Summary

Before the chapter title page: One afternoon, Oscar walks down a residential street, smiling as a group of preteens playing frisbee bump into him. He saddens as he notices an elderly couple contentedly walking hand-in-hand. The narration 'You think it can last' is overlayed. The chapter title page features Oscar glancing down at his phone while leaning on the rail of a stair landing. He is centered directly in front of a religious painting so that the art's angel wings stem from Oscar.

Passing by his neighbor Becky and Richard Callahan's house on his way home, Oscar introduces himself to visibly pregnant Becky, who is outdoors gardening. Becky apologies for not meeting him earlier, as the previous white house renters have left so quickly that the Callahan's don't bother making introductions anymore. Oscar asks about her blue rose bush -- noting that blue roses appear all over Podunk -- which he's never seen them anywhere else. She tells him they're sold by Lizzy Proctor at the town's Saturday Farmer's Market, before excusing herself to go back indoors, mentioning her near-term pregnancy. As Oscar is walking away, Becky is briefly levitated up in the air before being dropped on her side; Oscar turns back to help (having missed the supernatural nature of her fall) and takes her to the hospital to check on the baby.

At the hospital, a nurse reassures Becky that her child is fine, but they'll keep her there until her elevated blood pressure falls. After the nurse leaves, Oscar enters the room and Becky apologies for the imposition. Oscar then leaves to get a sprite for Becky, while she calls her husband, Richard, who is out of town. Walking by a patient with an IV bag, Oscar complains to himself that "I though I was done with hospitals" as a painting he passes gives him the appearance of angel wings. Oscar finds a soda vending machine at the end of a dark hallway and purchases a sprite for Becky while declining a call from his father, calling him an "asshole" . He then notices a young girl staring at him furiously. Her arms fall off and she vanishes. Oscar is shaken, but puts on a normal front when he returns to Becky. They talk about her husband and first child, Danielle, who died in a swimming pool accident several years ago. Oscar expresses sympathy and his glasses fog up abruptly.

Later, Oscar is sitting on the lawn outside the hospital, having called Clifford for help since he suspects Becky is "bad haunted." Clifford is reluctant, as this doesn't concern him and he doesn't know anything about ghosts. Oscar pleads, as he doesn't any other people in town and says Cliff "owes" him since Oscar didn't tell his mother his wolf secret.

Back in the hospital room, Oscar introduces a recalcitrant Cliff to Becky. Becky makes conversation and invites Cliff to feel the baby before the door slams shut. Cliff is abruptly levitated and choked as Becky yells "put him down". As Becky demands that Cliff and Oscar not be hurt, Danielle -- now levitating in the center of the room -- proceeds to through objects about, lock the door, and crate a strange vortex in the room's center. Cliff bangs at the door for help as Oscar is levitated into the room's center, which CLiff tried (and fails) to prevent. The center of the vortex is relatively calm. Danielle appears and Oscar tries to talk to her; she won't respond and cuts Oscar before shoving her arms into his chest, chilling him into a hypothermic, lethargic state. She shoves Oscar back into the room, near Cliff and stares Cliff down menacingly. Becky steps in front of Cliff and yells at Danielle to stop. She apologies for asking Dani to stay and releases her to the afterlife. The room's levitating objects violently return to the ground and the hospital staff rush in concerned. Oscar blames the room's destruction on an earthquake.

That evening, Oscar drives the trio home. Becky eventually starts talking about Dani's death and how she begged her daughter to stay. This caused Danni's ghost to stay with her and her husband. At first, it was like Danni never died, but over time Danni starting throwing violent fits which grew worse. Still, Becky did not want to "give up" on her daughter until she saw her about to harm someone else's children (Oscar and Cliff).

After taking Becky home, Oscar convinces Cliff to let him drive Cliff home as well. Cliff tells Oscar a bit more about the wolf-people pack from Chapter 2. Cliff asserts he was holding his own before the pack ran off abruptly, not being able to "take a hit" . Cliff asks about why Sylvia is a ghost, but Oscar doesn't intend to ask.

After dropping Cliff off, Oscar receives a call from his sister River during his drive home. He picks up and has an off-panel conversation with her before going inside to greet Sylvia; he gives her a short version of the day's events and tells her that "everything is fine".

Post Chapter

A pencil sketch of a polaroid selfie taken of Sylvia and Oscar by Sylvia follows the chapter. A full-color title page for the comic follows that, featuring Sylvia lying on (or above) the floor, holding her polaroid camera and surrounded by photos she's taken.

Meta

Humor

• Cliff tries to grasp Oscar by the arm to prevent him from being sucked into a violent vortex created by the wrathful ghost Danni. Oscar losses his grip on Cliff, as Cliff's forearm is covered in colorful brackets, one of which reads "hold on."

Comic Narration

Some chapters, including Chapter Three, begin with short overlayed narrations or reflections. Chapter three begins -

You think it can last.

as Oscar observes pre-teens playing and a content elderly couple.