"i..." all eyes in the room were on her now. she swallowed hard, the ringing in her ears deafening now as she stared at valentine disbelievingly. "...i'm dead?"

"yes. and for quite sometime as well." his voice was matter-of-fact, like he was stating a simple truth.

"but...but people have been seeing me. i-i've been going to school, a-and i-"

"who did you talk to at school?"

"what?" her stomach was beginning to twist, her chest was lancing with pain, and the cross around her neck seemed suddenly too heavy.

"what did you discuss? were you turning homework in? taking tests? who did you sit with at lunch?"

"i-i don't know-"

"val, come one..." david said .

"no." valentine responded bluntly. "this is important: when was the last time you remember interacting with another human being?"