I was sure I heard him wrong. Of course, I can see him. Why did he act I shouldn't see him? Was he an invisible man or something? A ghost-
My eyes bulged wide. Was he some wandering ghost of a dead man?
"You can see me." He answered his own question as his mesmerizing eyes turning to a shade of malice. All dangerous things lure its prey with its beauty.
I retreated my steps as they wobbled and shook with fright. My story would end before it even began. No, I can't let that happen! My dreams, my goals - man, I didn't even have one, to begin with. I would be dead before I even had aspirations.
He curled up his lips into a smile. He shortened the distance between us as his eyes observed me, maybe thinking how would he kill me. How he would eat my guts - baked or toasted. I swear his mouth watered.
"Please," my voice was barely audible. It was surprising that I was still standing. I didn't trust my knees, though. They would give up any minute. "Let me go.."
His laugh vibrated in his throat. Shaking his head, he took steps towards me. If I walk backward anymore, I'd fall into the lake and I would die regardless as I didn't know how to swim. I should do something. Really do something.
I glanced past his shoulder; he wasn't transparent like the ghost myths said. My new house wasn't that far. Although there were no people on the shore if I run I just might be alive to tell this tale. But how to distract him? I wasn't a good runner by any means.
As lame as it was, I shouted glancing towards my left, "Mom!" His neck turned and I sprinted to the other side with everything that was left of me. I even smiled a little. That idiot ghost fell for it.
Or not.
Two large hands snaked around my waist and stopped me. Two very human-like hands, strong. "Not so fast," he spoke in my ear, his voice vibrated through my spine.
This was it. This was the end.
"PLEASE, LET ME GOOOO!!" I shouted as a sob burned up my throat, my eyes turning wet with tears. I considered falling down on my knees and begging him with my hands joined but he laughed again.
I seriously didn't know what was so funny about it. Maybe just like the evil stories go, he enjoyed his satanic laugh.
He removed his hands. I turned my eyes and saw him holding his abdomen, laughing his guts out. And then he said, "Oh god! I always wanted to play this prank on someone."
Was he a poltergeist? Playing what pranks- Wait, did he mean the whole ghost thing was a prank itself? He wasn't a ghost! That was a freaking prank!?
"The Fvck?!" I shouted, turning to face him. "How dare you, idiot!" I pushed him with such force, he stumbled and fell on the ground. He still laughed like a maniac, rolling in the sand.
More than anything, I was angry with me. How did I fell for such a stupid prank? Like did I expect a ghost to stand before me and ask such questions? I should get an award. It was not even an hour before I settled in this new town and I had already embarrassed myself. The queen of embarrassment!
I left the laughing guy on the sand and rushed to my house cursing him. I groaned as I slammed the back door and rushed up to my room. I hated this place!
Jake came to my room moments later, "What happened? The pizza is getting cold."
I didn't want to tell my embarrassing encounter so I said, "I'm so hungry! Why don't you bring it here and we eat it over watching anime?"
So he did. To be honest, I was tired out of my bones but I knew I won't be able to sleep tonight. It was hard for me to adjust to a new place. After mom moved here, Jake and I stayed with grandma and I spent weeks twisting and turning at night thinking of all the scenarios that led me to that moment.
That included my parent's ugly divorce and my even uglier breakup. I spent hours thinking what led to the divorce and breakup but it sent me into a dark spiral of thoughts, drowning me in fear of never healing from it.
Jake carried his laptop in one hand and pizza boxes in other while I ran down to grab Coke. It was weird to 'run down', we had a two-storied house now and if it was in Rivera, I would never think of leaving it.
As I climbed the stairs, two at a time, cradling the big bottle in my hand, my eyes fell on couches. I felt like I saw a shadow as if someone was sitting there. The lights were out so I couldn't see if it was Jake or not. Mom would be still at the job.
"Claire?" Jake's voice called me from my room, "Do you want to watch Fairy Tail?"
"Of course, I can't wait to see Gray's fight!" I rushed back to my room ignoring my sense that told me someone was behind me.
Jake and I spent the next three hours watching and eating and just randomly talking about anything. We were different, he being the cliche geek and me- I don't know what I was -maybe this crazy fangirl who loves to have fun? Anime was something I loved to watch with my brother. The intense and emotional worlds (and no, animes aren't cartoons) helped us forget ours.
Although I would've loved to see more episodes, Jake was more exhausted. So, we decided to call it a night. We still had a whole summer ahead of us and I didn't know anyone here so there was time to finish the series before the school.
After cleaning and wishing me good night, Jake went to his room. Even though the house was spacious, I felt a little suffocated so I opened the windows and breathed in the fresh air. I unconsciously tried to see if the hot prankster was still on the shore.
The shore was empty, low streetlights burning and reflecting in the calm endless water. The atmosphere was serene and mind-numbing. To my surprise, I was sleepy so I got into my bed and tried to get some rest.
And I might have slept peacefully till morning but I heard loud slams in the middle of the night. I jerked up with fright frantically looking around for the source of the sound. Had someone broken in? I switched on the night lamp on my bedstand and my gaze fell on my windows which slammed against its sill. I took a breath of relief, laughing at myself.
The sharp breeze hit my face as I stood before the windows. After closing ones facing the lake, I walked towards the windows between my empty shelves, that faced the neighboring house.
A girl sat on the bed in the room that faced mine. And she was reading a book! No matter how drowsy I was, I smiled. There was nothing great than seeing young girls, or anyone for the matter, invested in books. However, it was quite late for a little child for her but I didn't dare to stop her (I wish more people were like me).
Turning off the lights, I got on the bed and waited to get lost in my sleep. But some noise bothered my beauty sleep again. It was as if books were fluttering against the wind and the pages were creating a tornado. What made me stand up was that noise came from under the bed. I, of course, hadn't unpacked my books so I was curious to know what made that sound.
Like most horror movie protagonist I know but fluttering pages hardly came from a flesh-eating monster.
As I got off the bed and turned on the light, I looked in the direction of the neighbor house. The bed was empty and the girl missing. Just then I heard some deep sound of something living.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. My breathing fastened and sweat formed on my forehead. I lifted the bed-sheet to look under it, closing one eye. For a second, I thought I saw the girl from before looking back at me with eyeball-less eyes. When I opened my other eye in horror, the hallucination vanished. Another pair of yellow eyes stared me from the darkness as the fluttering sound deepened. The eyes closed the distance between us and something hit my face.
I screamed out loud. Hard wings fluttered against my eyes and I backed away, screaming "Get off me!!" I hit the wall and opened my eyes to see a dusty old owl fluttering in my lap as if it was struggling to fly. Instinctively, I stood up and opened the windows, the bird flying above me. "Shoo," I shouted as my heart hammered in my chest.
"What happened?" Jake ran to my room just as the owl flew out of the window.
Before I could answer him, the owl dipped. I thought it would fly in the dark sky but it paralyzed as if someone hit a pause button and fell towards the ground.
"The bird, the owl," Catching the sill of the window, I looked out, "It was in my room and then it flew out but then stopped and fell to the ground as if something happened to it, I swear I didn't do anything, " I said in a single breath.
Jake stood near the door, "Calm down. I'll go check out, ok?" and then rushed out of my sight.
I rubbed my eyes with my finger and took a few deep breaths. It was just a bird, just a poor bird who happened to trapped in my room. I blew out a hard breath and trying to compose myself. I really blame that prankster guy. Ever since meeting him, I've been jumpy. To think of him as a ghost and the fear that I felt...
I looked down again. A bright pair of eyes met mine. Jake stood there with the bird in his hand, "Is the bird all right?" I asked him.
"Claire, the bird was dead." Jake's voice came from my door. I turned my neck so fast I thought I'd snap it. How did he reach here so fast?
"I just saw you down..." I peeked out of the window again and I saw a someone glaring at me, the eyes shining brightly against the dark surrounding. But in a moment, it disappeared. I was sure it was my imagination. Maybe. I rubbed my eyes and shook my head.
"What?" Jake asked, confused by my behavior. I was too.
I shook my head, "Nothing."
He nodded. Scratching the back of his head, he said, "The bird's neck was tangled in some wire. It wasn't moving.."
"It's fine, Jake. I am too." I walked towards my bed and as I got in covers, I smiled at him. "Go, take some rest. Good Night!"
He wished me the same. I turned off the lights still unnerved by the little incident. Why was I seeing things that weren't there? Was I going crazy? Was this what it seemed like?
I closed my eyes and the visions of those lifeless white orbs came to me. The pair of eyes stared me as if they could see deep into my soul. And somehow they seemed very real.
ns 15.158.61.5da2
