You didn't feel like doing a scavenger hunt that could end up being a waste of time going off by your previous leads. At the very least you could try this one first and do the African ritual later. Though you were a bit confused when it came to the part in touching hands, as from what you know that wasn't very possible, and you wanted to make sure you could do it before you started bleeding yourself.

You tried several times in touching Gwen whenever you two were talking, but each time your hand would go through her body and she would look confused in what you were trying to do. That probably had to do with the fact that you had told Gwen that you had given up on your efforts and to make the best out of what the two of you had. You wanted to surprise her if any of your efforts were to come to fruition so for now, you had to play dumb.

Gwen seemed relieved at this as it meant that it would put a stop to your antics and experiments that you would try on her. Maybe she was glad that things were going back to normal. But no matter what lies you told her, you wouldn't stop trying, not until you found a solution to all of this.

You looked a bit more online as now your research was focused on how to make ghosts physical. You tried your experiments in secret on Gwen as each of them failed as the ones had before. You didn't get far into your research though when similar phrases and words kept on reappearing with each new website that you visited. Apparently increasing a spirits happiness or any kind of a strong emotion, would lead to a bigger connection to the one that caused it.

Well, that's what you interpreted from what you had read. You didn't want to make her to sad or mad, so you would be going with making her happy. But how would you make her happy? Wasn't she happy content enough that you were talking to her every day? She sure seemed like it with her mannerisms and occasional laughter at what you had to say every now and then.

How happy would you have to make her to get this ritual to work, and would you have to cut your palm right there and then to get it done quickly before her happiness died down?

Fuck, you needed to get yourself a pocket knife.

There weren't many ideas of ways to make Gwen happy that you were able to think of, at least not much that could be done within the confines of her street. You didn't think you could reach the limit of happiness you needed with just words, maybe you could, you just didn't know how.

"Is there anything that would make you really happy, like anything I could bring you physically for you to see?" You asked her one day to see if you could get any leads.

"No not really, please don't tell me you're going on about this again. I told you to forget about that day, I never should have said those things so openly. Please, I'm happy now knowing that you're here with me." She pleaded as you frowned a bit.

There was always the chance that she really was happy, and doing the ritual now was all you needed to do in order for her to ascend. Though something was telling you that it wasn't the case, and you needed to do something big in order to reach the criteria.

Though as you were thinking about her happiness, you started to think about your own, as the thoughts that had been circling your mind earlier for the past few days kept on recurring.

Did you really want to see Gwen go?

No

The more your thoughts battled with one another, the more stupid this idea started to sound. There was no way this was going to work, it was a random fucking idea you just happened to find on the internet that you had no way in checking if it was factual or not.

Gwen would probably be freaked the fuck out too if you made extremely happy and all of a sudden cut your wrist and demanded that she hold your hand quickly before her happiness died from the realization of what you were doing.

These things must happen naturally, it just had too. There's no way she would be on that street forever, though until that time would come you would just keep her company to the best of your ability.

Hopefully, by the time it was time for you to graduate, she would already be off in whatever waited for her. Besides, she told you herself that she didn't want the hassle that you were putting yourself through, it was probably making her worry too.

----

With your silly quest over and done, you feel a huge relief wash over you. The next few weeks are spent getting back on track on school work to which you end up putting yourself ahead in some classes. Your conversations with Gwen continue, and you're much more cheery and happy with them, to which Gwen notices herself and tells you.

Weeks turn into months as the meetings never really got boring for you, but instead, you started to feel a stronger connection with her. You sometimes had your doubts about quitting on the mission to get Gwen out of there, though she never broke down like she did that one day, and you took that as it was.

Even so, there was still a lingering feeling that she didn't mean what she said, and that she really wanted your help with this. That thought, as small as it was, always made you depressed whenever you were to dwell on it for too long.

---

You didn't know how much time had passed until now.

Though you didn't really care.

Gwen was gone.

She wasn't on the street, or anywhere down the roads. The first time you noticed this you didn't pay it much mind, but on your walk home, that's when you really started to panic.

You walked back and forth twice, giving up and quitting when it started to get a little too late.

After that day, you walked that sidewalk again, hoping to see her and give her a mouthful for worrying you. Though each day was the same, she wasn't there or anywhere.

She had left without saying goodbye.

You never got to say goodbye.

Through the sadness and depression that was rolling through your head, a large part of you hoped that she got to wherever she was going safely.

Finally, she would get her rest.

Though you'd miss her.

More than you could have imagined from the start.