Duskwood fandom in TikTok really is something,To say that Jake would cheat on mc and that Jake manipulated mc just to find Hannah. 🤦🏻
Hello Anon 👋👋
That's why I don't go on TikTok to look at anything Duskwood-related; I think if I saw something like that I'd lose my temper 😂 (I've only done it once, but it seems the girl didn't understand 🙄)
So, haven't they played the same game? Premium gives you the chance to romance Jake, why doubt him? 😭 If he was manipulating us, when he found out Hannah had been rescued, he wouldn't have come back online to tell us 'I love you' 🥹 It's understandable that Jake is worried about his sister, but he was also worried about MC, who wanted to run away with her 🥺💖
Al principio lo había tomado como el proceso del cambio. La falta de aire por la ansiedad y el estrés por una nueva etapa en su vida. El comienzo de la universidad, alejarse de casa —a pesar de vivir en la misma ciudad—, vivir sola en un piso y sin sus padres, estudiar materias mucho más complicadas que antes para poder sacarse la carrera deseada, saber que no siempre tendría tiempo para divertirse... Todo para ella era cosa de lógica, que tenía explicaciones totalmente normales, al fin y al cabo, todo era nuevo para ella.
Claro, que lo entendía si hubiera sido el primer mes ¿pero tres meses despertándose a las cuatro de la madrugada? El proceso siempre era el mismo de que se mudó a aquel piso: La falta de aire y de respirar, como si tuviera una cuerda atada a la garganta.
La joven se llevó una mano a la garganta cuando se incorporó en la cama, tosiendo en busca de aire. Una vez que logró recuperar el aliento, se fijó en su despertador. Por supuesto, que las cuatro de la madrugada. Siempre tan justo.
Ya estaba más tranquila tras el primer mes, así que no entendía por qué le seguía faltando el aire ¿Quizás era psicológico?
Se apartó el cabello en la cara, que se le había pegado con el sudor y se levantó despacio, procurando que el pequeño mareo por la falta de aire no la hiciera caer al suelo.
Salió de su cuarto, donde un joven de cabellos oscuros estaba en el sofá, sentado cómodamente.
—Déjame adivinar: De nuevo te has sentido que te ahogabas —habló con calma, girándose para verla.
Se apoyó en el cabecero del sofá, observando cómo la rubia abría la nevera y sacó una botella de agua.
Ella no le respondió, directamente bebió de la botella, ignorándolo.
—Y ahora, es cuando vienes al sofá y pones tu serie favorita —el joven la observó acercarse, dejando en la mesita de delante la botella y tomando el mando.
—Veamos ¿Dónde me había quedado? —Murmuró para ella misma, estirándose en el sofá.
El joven se alejó un poco al ver que sus pies iban a rozarle, queriendo que tuviera espacio.
—Ojalá pudieras escucharme —el de cabellos oscuros, la miró con lástima al ver que a pesar de haber tratado de apartarse, sus pies le habían rozado, traspasándole.
La joven se quejó por el frío que había sentido, acurrucándose en el sofá.
Mientras ella veía la serie, el fantasma no apartaba la vista de la joven, atenta a cada situación que veía. Atenta a las palabras del actor por el que suspiraba.
La había estado observando desde que se había mudado al apartamento, por supuesto, poniendo límites, como no entrar en su cuarto cuando se estaba cambiando o en el baño cuando se duchaba. Otras veces tenía que apartar la mirada cuando salía en ropa interior, estresada por estar buscando algo importante. Que fuera un fantasma eso no le convertía en un acosador... O al menos es lo que él pensaba, cuando la veía dormir las primeras horas de la noche sin que nada la perturbase. Deseaba hablar con ella o poder decirle que no era su intención estar en su piso sin su permiso, al fin y al cabo, había sido suyo una vez.
Vio cómo empezó a cerrar los ojos, volviendo a quedarse dormida tras haberse relajado.
El fantasma se levantó del sofá, acercándose a la televisión cuando ya estaba profundamente dormida. Interactuó con objeto, apagándolo con su energía. Después volvió a mirarla, con una triste sonrisa.
—Que duermas bien, Macie.
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Macie corría por la casa bajo la atenta mirada verde del fantasma, apoyado en la pared como si de una película en vivo se tratase.
— ¿Dónde he dejado el móvil? —La rubia terminó de colocar los cojines del sofá, mientras sus manos las ponía en sus caderas— Juraría que ayer lo dejé aquí tirado por estar demasiado cansada.
—No lo sé —el fantasma se encogió de hombros, mientras ella daba vueltas otra vez por alrededor del sofá—, quizás sea el momento de que te compres uno nuevo o mejor, un número nuevo.
Normalmente no le ocultaría el móvil si no fuera por una buena razón y en aquel momento, había una buena de la que la quería proteger.
—Espera... —Anduvo a zancadas hasta la habitación y el fantasma la siguió, rodando los ojos al saber que lo había adivinado.
Vio cómo se agachaba debajo de la cama, sacando el objeto. Revisó sus mensajes y lo miró sorprendida.
—Vaya... Son... Bastantes mensajes de Klaus —comentó para sí misma, pasando el dedo por el chat.
—Yo que tú me olvidaba de él —el de cabellos negros se colocó de cuclillas en frente de ella, mirando mal la pantalla— ¿recuerdas lo que pasó la última vez que vino?
Macie se sentó apoyada en la cama, mordiéndose la uña del pulgar. Los mensajes de él disculpándose hizo que empezara a dudar.
—A ver... Sus palabras parecen sinceras... —Macie inspiró profundamente, encogiéndose de hombros.
—Y yo te digo que es una trampa —el fantasma quiso quitarle su móvil, pero en lugar de eso, solo provocó un escalofrío a la joven.
Macie echó el aliento caliente en su mano tras haber notado aquel viento helado. El joven fantasma retiró la mano despacio, sintiéndose mal por lo que había hecho.
—Supongo que puedo aceptar a que venga esta noche —finalmente comenzó a responderle, aunque su escritura iba despacio y borraba y cambiaba palabras, tratando de que aquel mensaje no la hiciera parecer como la mala de la relación.
—Estás cometiendo el mayor error de tu vida —suspiró el fantasma, a pesar de saber que no tenía aire en los pulmones. Pero era esa sensación de ''convivir'' con ella que le hacía creer que aún seguía vivo.
—Vale, enviar —asintió como si hubiera hecho un buen trabajo, para después fijarse en la hora— ¡Madre mía! ¡Voy a llegar tarde a la primera clase! —se levantó del suelo rápidamente, saliendo del cuarto— Y aún tengo que llevarles el agua y comida a los gatos. Estúpido teléfono ¿Por qué tienes que desaparecer todas las mañanas?
El fantasma negó con la cabeza. Por supuesto que no lo hacía con malicia, sino como protección ante ese chico que le parecía un idiota. Ver sus mensajes le incomodaban y aunque ese tal Klaus no lo veía, también la incomodaba a Macie, pero ella no tenía el valor para decírselo. Deseaba que al menos se lo contase a alguien para que le parase un poco los pies.
Se acercó a la ventana nada más escuchar la puerta del piso, observando cómo dejaba dos platos en la sombra, echando agua en un plato y una lata de comida en el otro. Los gatitos se acercaron a ella, frotándose contra sus piernas a modo de agradecimiento. Macie se levantó, despidiéndose con la mano y marchándose calle arriba.
Él no pudo evitar en sonreír al ver aquel gesto y a la vez, sentía esa soledad al no escuchar su voz, el piso se sentía frío, la energía había cambiado completamente. Era como cuando se dio cuenta de que había muerto.
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Macie se ajustó el pesado bolso, arreglándose el cabello por haber corrido. Sentados en un banco, encontró a sus amigas hablando de manera animada. Cuando se acercó, la de cabellos oscuros se levantó primero, abrazándola. Una chica pelirroja se levantó después de ella, esperando su turno para el abrazo.
—Hola Macie —saludó con una sonrisa— ¿Qué tal has dormido esta noche?
—Hola Lian —Macie le respondió el abrazo, separándose después mientras miraba a la chica que aún estaba en el banco—. Digamos que de nuevo me he despertado a la misma hora y con los mismos síntomas —después se fijó en la otra chica que levantó la mano para saludar y se acercó a ella dándola otro abrazo—. Hola Jessy ¿Cómo estás?
—Muy bien —la pelirroja sonrió, devolviendo el abrazo con fuerza—, pero nos preocupas mucho, Macie, son ya cuatro meses, deberías hacer algo —se separó de ella, mirándola con preocupación.
—Podrías regresar a casa de tus padres —la joven castaña sentada en el banco le comentó, con una sonrisa burlona—, a lo mejor tu ansiedad es porque echas de menos tu cuarto de niña.
Macie le hizo una mueca, mientras que sus dos amigas rodaron los ojos.
—Aunque no me guste darle la razón a Charlotte, quizás tiene un poco de razón —dijo Lian. Esperaron a que la llamada Charlotte se levantase del banco, comenzando a caminar hasta el edificio—, puede que quizás deberías hablar con un profesional para tus ataques de ansiedad-
—No son ataques de ansiedad —Macie se quejó, adelantándose un poco para darse la vuelta y mirarlas a las dos—. Me despierto como si algo me asfixiara, siempre a la misma hora y que yo sepa, jamás me ha pasado nada a las cuatro de la mañana.
—Eso es súper raro —Jessy frunció el ceño, mientras se cruzaba de brazos a modo de protección—, es como si-
—Tuvieras un espíritu en tu casa que murió a esa hora —la rubia rodó los ojos al escuchar la voz masculina de su espalda.
Observó al chico de cabello oscuro y ojos azules. Su tatuaje destacaba bastante, siendo que iba desde el cuello hasta el brazo derecho en forma de serpiente. En su mano izquierda tenía una rosa con varias espinas que imitaban como si se estuviera clavando en su piel, con pequeñas gotas de sangre. Destacaba bastante con su estilo gótico, aunque por suerte para él, no era el único.
Lian y Jessy se miraron con una sonrisa traviesa, como si se estuvieran enviando el pensamiento de lo atractivo que les parecía el joven. Al contrario que Charlotte, que hizo una mueca de desprecio al verlo.
—Siendo que eres un tipo más de ciencias ¿Cómo es que tienes ese pensamiento, Gabe? —Macie le preguntó, caminando de nuevo, esta vez, con el chico siguiéndolas.
—Que estudie medicina no quiere decir que no pueda pensar que hay algo más en nuestro mundo que solo carne y huesos —Gabe rodó ahora él los ojos, con una sonrisa burlona.
—Otro que necesita un psicólogo —murmuró Charlotte, a lo que Jessy le dio un codazo.
Gabe frunció el ceño, ignorándola. Macie simplemente decidió seguir con el tema, siendo que el experto era él.
—Vale genio, como yo soy más de buscarle la lógica a las cosas inexplicables, si según tú tengo un espíritu en mi piso ¿Cómo me pongo en contacto con él para decirle que se marche y me deje dormir? —Se detuvieron en la puerta del aula del joven, mientras que otros alumnos entraban.
—Fácil, usando una Ouija —Charlotte contestó por él, cruzándose de brazos— ¿No es ese el objeto para comunicarse con los muertos?
—Sí, pero úsalo mal y puede que no te comuniques con el espíritu de tu piso, sino que atraigas a algo mucho más oscuro —Gabe miró a Charlotte de manera fulminante, como si quisiera advertirla de la mala idea que había propuesto.
—Mi peor pesadilla sería hacer la Ouija y que mi abuelo apareciera criticando a mi familia y en las decisiones que tomamos las mujeres —Lian movió su cuerpo como si sintiera un escalofrío, haciendo que Macie sonriera de manera burlona.
—Sí, vosotras os reís, pero querer hablar con los espíritus no es algo divertido —el tono del chico se endureció, para después mirar a Macie, buscando su apoyo.
La rubia asintió. Le conocía desde que eran niños, así que entendía cómo se tomaba aquellos temas demasiado serios.
—Nada de Ouijas, entendido —levantó las manos a modo de rendición— ¿Entonces qué hago? ¿Le hago pagar parte del alquiler?
—Primero asegúrate que de verdad tengas un espíritu, trata de grabar algún audio cuando estés durmiendo —Macie asintió, aceptando sus palabras—, luego busca ayuda para que te limpien la casa de las malas energías si realmente tienes un espíritu molestándote o es solo el estrés —tras decir aquello, entró en el aula, con una mirada que hasta a su amiga le aterró.
Por supuesto que no creía en cosas como fantasmas o criaturas demoníacas, todo aquello existía en las películas. Pero sí que creía en su amigo y que le aconsejase que buscase a alguien para limpiar su casa no era algo agradable.
—Ese tío está loco —Charlotte se rio, caminando de nuevo— ¿Qué mote le podríamos poner? ¡Ya sé! 'El siniestro de Colville'
—Lottie, no te burles de él —Lian empezó a seguirla, dejando a atrás a Macie.
La rubia suspiró, no gustándole para nada su consejo. Sabía perfectamente que vivía sola y no quería que aquello llegase a oído de sus padres. Sobre todo, porque si su madre se enteraba, tendría al cura en su casa porque todos exageraban.
— ¿Estás bien? —Jessy colocó una mano en su hombro, llamándola la atención.
Macie parpadeó, regresando a sus pensamientos.
—Sí, estoy bien —la sonrió para tranquilizarla, aunque estaba un poco nerviosa por las cosas extrañas que llevaban pasándole.
No era cosa de un fantasma, pero tampoco de una ansiedad por el cambio. Fuera lo que fuese, necesitaba una explicación lógica.
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Tras horas de clase, Macie les pidió ayuda a sus amigas a escoger ropa para aquella noche. O más bien, hablar con ellas sobre si había hecho bien en invitarlo.
Así que, ahí estaban las tres en el cuarto, sin saber que había otra persona más en el piso observándolas apoyado en el marco de la puerta, negando con la cabeza al ver la mala idea que había tenido la joven en aceptar que aquel chico fuera a su casa.
—Vale... ¿El azul anochecer o el rosa palo? —Macie sacó dos vestidos, colocándoselo en frente de ella a modo de presentación.
Sus amigas se encontraban en la cama. Lian sentada en la cama agarrando un peluche de conejo que tenía un aspecto viejo, Jessy ladeó la cabeza al ver los vestidos, centrada en los colores y Charlotte tumbada en su estómago, haciendo muecas al ver ambos vestidos.
—El rosa es bonito —Lian respondió, encogiéndose de hombros.
—Yo creo que el azul es más clásico —Jessy lo señaló, con una sonrisa de emoción.
— ¿Y si directamente abres la puerta vestida simplemente con una bata? —Sugirió Charlotte, levantándose de la cama.
—Ni se te ocurra escucharla —el fantasma dijo con rapidez, con una expresión de vergüenza.
Macie rodó los ojos, dejando los vestidos en el armario.
—Quiero que sea una noche normal, de ver simplemente películas y pasarlo juntos tratando de olvidar lo del anterior fin de semana —miró de nuevo entre su ropa, sacando esta vez una camiseta con el hombro al descubierto y unos vaqueros ceñidos, esperando la opinión de sus amigas.
—Yo creo que es mejor que te pongas esto —de uno de los cajones del mueble, Charlotte sacó ropa interior de encaje, agitándolo en el aire. Jessy soltó un silbido y Lian una exclamación al ver las prendas— ¿Y si le preguntamos al fantasma qué le parece esta idea?
El joven miró a Macie, avergonzado. Tenía suerte de que no podía verle, pero él no era de los que le gustaba espiar. Desgraciadamente, no podía hacer nada salvo apartar la mirada.
— ¡Ey Fantasma que atormenta a Macie todas las noches! —Charlotte se acercó a Macie, colocándola por encima el sujetador, mientras su amiga suspiró de manera exasperada— Ya que eres un fantasma pervertido ¿Qué te parece si ella lleva esto? ¿A ti te pondría cachondo? O cachonda, no sabemos qué eres.
—Charlotte, basta —Macie le arrebató la ropa interior, guardándola de nuevo en el cajón—. No hay ningún fantasma, dejémoslo ya.
—Desgraciadamente, lo tienes —el joven la respondió, tratando de calmarse—. Pero no, no soy un pervertido como tu amiga piensa.
— ¿Y si le dices que has cambiado de opinión y que no venga? —Jessy le sugirió con calma.
—O también puedes decirle que estás ocupada estudiando para un mensaje y le dejas esperando tus mensajes —Lian dejó el peluche a un lado, viendo que la situación le preocupaba realmente a su amiga.
—Mira, esa idea es la mejor que he escuchado desde que habéis llegado —el fantasma se colocó al lado de Macie y ella tembló al notar el frío que él emanaba.
La rubia se mordió el labio, replanteándose el echarse para atrás y dejarlo por teléfono. Pero era alguien que creía en el romance y quería volverlo a intentarlo, empezar desde el principio.
—No, no, lo tengo bajo control —Macie inspiró despacio, asintiendo—. No es como si tengamos que acostarnos, solo vamos a vernos y pasar la noche tranquilos.
—Por favor, Klaus y tú ya os habéis acostado —Charlotte se cruzó de brazos, mirándola con una sonrisa traviesa—, no es como si no fueras a hacerlo por primera vez.
— ¿Qué has hecho qué con ese tío? —El fantasma miró a Macie entre la sorpresa y la preocupación. De aquello no estaba enterado. Ahora entendía algunas bastantes cosas de cuando él venía.
Por un momento, el fantasma creía que Macie le estaba mirando cuando apartó la mirada de su amiga, pero en realidad, estaba escondiendo una expresión de incomodidad.
Preocupado por su reacción, estiró la mano hacia ella, acariciando su mejilla con cariño —o al menos, intentándolo—. Macie notó aquel frío de nuevo, junto con unas cosquillas en su piel. Se llevó la mano a su cara, acariciando el lado que él lo había hecho. Por un segundo, le faltó el aire, como si alguien se lo estuviera robando.
El fantasma bajó la mano, sintiéndose frustrado porque no pudiera sentirle como él quería. Era increíble que con solo haberla visto interactuar en ese apartamento, le había cogido cariño de una manera inexplicable.
—Pero hemos tenido nuestros problemas —respondió finalmente Macie, recobrando el sentido tras aquella extraña sensación—. Así que esta noche será la noche de su redención.
—Muy bien dicho, tiene que ganarse su corazón de nuevo —aprobó Lian, mirándola con orgullo.
Al joven no le gustó su idea. Sabía que ni iba a cambiar, lo había visto siempre que había ido. Aquel chico no sabía cómo realmente tratarla.
—Y esa noche de redención... —Charlotte miró en los cajones, sacando un paquete de condones— ¿Vas a necesitar esto? —Movió las cejas mientras su sonrisa pícara apareció.
—Para alguien que no quiere hacer nada con su novio, vas bastante preparada —rio Jessy, dándole un golpecito de cadera a la rubia, mientras le miraba de manera pícara.
El fantasma alzó la vista, soltando un largo suspiro. Era increíble que hasta ahora no lo hubiera visto o al menos, que no se hubiera enterado. Aunque tampoco era de su incumbencia, ella podía hacer lo que quisiera porque estaba viva. El problema era que no le caía bien con quién estaba.
— ¡Dame eso! —Macie gritó mientras se acercó a ella, que le tiró la caja a Lian, logrando atraparla en el aire.
— ¡Oh! ¡Ahora entiendo el problema! —Lian agitó la caja, mientras que Macie la miró enfadada— Normal que estés molesta.
Jessy se acercó a Lian y leyó la caja. Se tapó la mano con la boca, conteniendo una risa.
—Bueno, se sabe que cuando los hombres tienen una erección el pene aumenta —la pelirroja se aclaró la garganta, ocultando la risa—, así que no pasa nada porque compres esta talla.
—Muy graciosas todas —Macie extendió la mano cuando se acercó a su amiga, moviendo la mano para darle a entender que le devolviera la caja—. Ni si quiera lo he comprado yo, lo dejó él por un 'Por si acaso'.
El joven miró por curiosidad, a lo que miró mal a las chicas.
—Hablando en nombre de todos los hombres de todas las tallas diferentes, sois crueles por discriminación —comentó el fantasma, mirando a las amigas de la rubia—. Pero creo que él se merece la burla por ser desagradable contigo.
Lian suspiró, devolviéndole la caja.
Macie la volvió a guardar, quedándose a espaldas de sus amigas.
El fantasma se acercó a ella, colocándose delante para verla mejor. Sabía perfectamente que ese no era el problema porque lo había visto con sus propios ojos. Más que nada, quería ayudarla. Y tristemente, no podía hacerlo. Le dolía verla de aquella forma y que todo lo que pudiera hacer es traspasarla con sus manos y que sintiera su frío tacto.
—Vale, creo que escogeré los vaqueros —Macie puso una sonrisa en su rostro, tratando de calmar a sus amigas—. Como he dicho, es de segundas oportunidades esta noche, quiero ver que se comporta como un caballero y me respeta.
—No entiendo cómo es que no te ha dejado ya —comentó Charlotte, negando con la cabeza.
—Porque me quiere —respondió rápidamente la rubia.
—No te quiere, está obsesionado contigo —el fantasma respondió molesto, cruzándose de brazos—, alguien que te quiere no te hace sentirte mal o te incomoda como él lo hace.
Pero por mucho que tratase de decírselo, de hablar con ella, Macie no escuchaba. Sus palabras no llegaban, como si hubiese un muro entre ellos.
Y aquel muro no iba a caerse jamás.
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La joven se miró al espejo, admirando su maquillaje natural. Ladeaba la cabeza mientras trataba de buscar la forma en que podía recogerse el cabello, mientras que sin saberlo, tenía a su lado al fantasma de su piso, observándola con una sonrisa.
—No importa lo que te hagas en el cabello, estás perfecta siempre —le comentó mientras la admiraba.
Macie inspiró despacio, acercando la mano a una pinza para el cabello. Al joven le llamó la atención que le temblase. Estaba nerviosa.
Cuando fue a ponérsela, se le cayó de las manos, lo que hizo que soltase un pequeño quejido de garganta.
Se agachó al mismo tiempo que él, que por instinto de ayudarla quiso recogerla del suelo para ella.
Su mano traspasó la de Macie, de nuevo traspasándola con el frío fantasmal.
Macie levantó la vista, manteniendo la vista en frente, como si los tuviera fijados en los ojos verdes del joven paralizado, pensando que quizás en ese momento habían tenido algún tipo de contacto y podía verlo.
El fantasma se quedó mirándola, examinando cada parte de su cara. Desde sus ojos marrones cálidos, mirando cada pestaña alargada, la nariz redonda que le parecía adorable a cómo le quedaba en su rostro y al final terminar en sus labios, demasiado cerca como para querer notarlos.
— ¿Pero en qué estoy pensando? —Ambos soltaron a la vez, levantándose del suelo.
Macie se colocó la pinza del cabello, dejando algunos mechones caer por su rostro.
—No... No estás cometiendo un error, Macie —se dijo mientras se miraba en el espejo, apoyándose en el lavabo—, os conocéis gracias a Stephan, que él es un buen chico ¿Cómo no le vas a dar otra oportunidad?
—Estás cometiendo un error —el de cabellos negros se colocó a su lado, apoyándose en el lavabo mientras su tono era de enfado. Más hacia el chico, que para ella—. Macie, llámalo y dile que has cambiado de opinión, esto no es lo que quieres.
Macie miró su móvil, sintiendo una voz diciéndole que debería llamarlo.
—Eso es, ahora coge el móvil y dile que se acabó.
La joven suspiró, tomando el móvil en sus manos.
En el momento que fue a la aplicación de llamada, llamaron a la puerta.
Se guardó el móvil y el fantasma se apoyó en el espejo, viendo que había incluso llegado más temprano de lo que esperaba.
— ¿Flores? —Escuchó desde fuera la voz de la joven, en un tono de felicidad.
—Para disculparme por lo ocurrido —escuchar la voz de Klaus le dio asco. Estaba seguro de que si pudiera vomitar, lo haría en aquel momento.
No era la primera vez que traía algo para ella y luego la había hecho sentir incómoda. No entendía cuál era el problema de Macie en terminar por completo con él, pero deseaba que abriera los ojos y que se diera cuenta que le había dado más de una oportunidad.
—Son preciosas, muchas gracias.
—Y así empezamos de nuevo... —Murmuró frustrado el fantasma, sabiendo que lo iba a presenciar de nuevo sin poder hacer nada.
Macie tomó del armario de la cocina una jarra y la llenó con agua, dejando las flores dentro.
El joven que acababa de llegar se apoyó en la encimera, observándola hacer aquel trabajo.
—Bueno ¿y qué plan tenemos para esta noche? —Se mordió el labio mientras arqueaba las cejas, mirándola de arriba abajo.
—He pensado que podíamos hacer algo tranquilo —Macie respondió, dejando la jarra a un lado con cuidado—, podemos pedir una pizza y ver una película... Hablar un poco sobre nosotros...
— ¿Hablar de nosotros? —El rubio de cabellos largos le miró extrañado, incorporándose en el mueble.
—Sí, como... No sé... —La joven se encogió de hombros, mirándole con una pequeña sonrisa— Sobre nuestra relación, ya sabes, de cómo continuar juntos.
—Ah, vale, me habías asustado —Klaus se llevó una mano al pecho, soltando un sonido de alivio— ¡Uf! Creo que será mejor ir pidiendo esa pizza ¿lo hago yo?
—Claro, pero nada de pizza con anchoas —le advirtió la joven, levantando el dedo a modo de aviso.
—Sí, sí, nada de pizza con anchoas.
Mientras que Klaus sacó el móvil, Macie se acercó al sofá para tomar el mando y buscar una película.
El joven fantasma con cierta desconfianza se acercó a Klaus, mirando su móvil el cómo buscaba una pizza, dudando de que fuera a hacerle caso a su petición.
—Oh tío, está en oferta por ser nueva —murmuró al ver justo lo que Macie no quería. Miró hacia atrás, vigilando de que continuase buscando una película para aquella noche—. Bueno, puede dármelas si no le gusta, tampoco es para tanto.
—Y el premio al peor novio es para... —El fantasma le miró furioso, sintiendo una extraña energía emanar por su cuerpo.
En ese instante, la jarra explotó, derramando el agua y tirando las flores al suelo. Macie dio un grito y al girarse, su expresión era de conmoción.
— ¿Por qué lo has tirado? —Preguntó acercándose a la cocina, agachándose para recoger las flores.
— ¿Yo? ¡La jarra a explotado sin más!
El fantasma se alejó despacio, sintiéndose mal por lo que había hecho. Debía de controlarse o quizás acabaría haciéndola daño a ella y eso no quería hacerlo.
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Tras el incidente, Klaus pidió la pizza después de ayudarla a recoger los cristales, fregar el suelo y secar la encimera, dejando las flores reposadas en ella. Macie las miraba con lástima, verlas tumbadas parecían como si estuvieran ya muertas.
—Vamos, ven al sofá —le llamó el joven, con el mando en la mano—, ya escogí una película, no te preocupes por las flores.
—Es que me dan pena verlas así —Macie acarició el pétalo de la margarita. La mitad de las flores habían perdido algunos pétalos al caerse—, parecen tan tristes...
—Macie, son solo unas flores cortadas que al final iban a marchitarse —la joven apretó las manos con fuerza al escucharlo, como si se hubiera olvidado de que él mismo se las había regalado—, siempre puedo comprarte otras si quieres.
—Sí, claro... —Con una mueca, se alejó de la encimera, acercándose al sofá.
El fantasma observó las flores y después a Macie, viendo cómo arrastraba los pies hacia el asiento. Para ella había sido importante ese detalle, que ese tío no pareciera importarle a pesar de ser su regalo, le hacía molestarse más que antes.
—Vale ¿Qué has escogido? —Macie sonrió, pero su sonrisa cambió por completo al ver que no conocía la película en pantalla— ¿Qué... ¿Qué es esto?
—American Pie.
—Llevas tres errores desde que has llegado —el fantasma negó con la cabeza, viendo que estaba siendo un desastre.
— ¿No podíamos ver algo más romántico? —Macie le bajó la mano, antes de que pudiera reproducir la película— Hay una que me ha llamado la atención, es de un chico que en su piso tiene una fantasma en su piso-
— ¿Fantasma? —El de cabellos negros levantó una ceja con curiosidad a su elección, acercándose más al sofá y sentándose en el reposabrazos.
— ¿Y qué tal '365 Días'? —Klaus sugirió, encogiéndose de hombros— Esa también es romántica y seguro que te gusta mucho.
No hacía falta para Jake saber lo que aquel chico trataba de hacer. Quería llevarla a su terreno de alguna forma.
Macie ladeó la cabeza, haciendo una pequeña mueca.
—Es que no me llama la atención, el interés romántico no me gusta mucho —la joven colocó sus manos en su regazo, de una forma en la que el fantasma vio como si se estuviera protegiendo de algo.
—Verás cómo te gusta al final.
—Klaus, prefiero algo tranquilo ¿lo entiendes? —Macie le miró fijamente, esperando que captase la indirecta.
—Vale, vale, veremos esa película —Klaus se rindió acomodándose en el sofá.
—Gracias —Macie le contestó con una pequeña voz. No lo veía como una victoria, siendo que era algo que tendría que decidir entre los dos y si a él no le apetecía, entonces no valía la pena. Y también ella había notado que sus opciones eran para algo más que ver una película.
Pero al menos, una película romántica haría que el ambiente no estuviera tan incómodo.
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Todo iba bien mientras veían la película, a veces incluso Macie hacía pequeños comentarios para hablar sobre cómo le estaba pareciendo, a lo que Klaus simplemente asentía y soltaba un 'Sí' y un 'Bien' con sequedad.
La joven estaba feliz, a su lado, tranquila, sin nada que le incomodase como las otras veces. Simplemente quería que su novio quisiera no estar siempre queriendo meterla mano e insistir todo el tiempo en algo más que unos simples besos, quería también momentos en los que poder sentarse con él y estar cómoda.
Por supuesto para Klaus, aquello no duró ni la mitad de la película. Comenzó a deslizar su mano por su pierna, acariciándola despacio hasta ir subiendo al botón de los vaqueros, lo que hizo que ella le detuviera.
—La película, Klaus —Macie suspiró, ocultando su molestia.
—Perdón —el rubio se inclinó hacia su cuello, comenzando a besarlo—, es que me tienta mucho ver que ese botón cerrando esos ceñidos pantalones.
El joven de cabellos negros observó molesto la escena, viendo cómo la rubia le apartó como si tuviera miedo de molestarlo.
Macie detuvo la película, girándose para ver a su novio.
—Pero yo quiero que tengamos alguna vez una noche tranquila —Macie le contestó, mirando sus ojos azules, tratando de que sintiera un poco de simpatía con sus palabras—, no puede ser que siempre quieras hacerlo cuando estamos juntos.
— ¿Qué hay de malo en ello? Ya lo hemos hecho.
—Nada, pero... —Macie se mordió el interior de la mejilla, bajando la mirada nerviosa—. No quiero una relación solo basada en que tengamos que acostarnos todo el rato ¿lo entiendes?
De nuevo, el fantasma vio cómo se protegía colocando una mano delante del botón de sus pantalones. Vio incluso un pequeño temblor en sus dedos, algo que era increíble que su novio no lo notase.
—Sí, claro, lo entiendo —Klaus asintió, levantándose del sofá—. Oye, voy un momento al baño, puedes continuar viendo la película.
—Pero te la vas a perder-
—No pasa nada, luego me cuentas qué ha pasado —el joven se inclinó un poco, besándola en la frente—. Ahora vuelvo.
—De acuerdo —Macie se sentó de en frente de nuevo, tomando el mando y reproduciéndola otra vez.
El fantasma siguió a Klaus al baño, queriendo mantenerle vigilado en todo momento.
Como sospechaba, cuando entró al baño, lo primero que hizo fue sacar su móvil y escribirle a alguien sobre su situación. No reconoció el nombre del hombre que escribía y eso que había escuchado cada nombre que su ''compañera de piso'' había nombrado.
Cuando leyó la pregunta de la cantidad necesaria para que Macie sintiera ganas de querer sexo, el fantasma volvió a sentir ese enfado. Solo que esta vez era mucho más intenso.
—Vale, bien —Klaus se miró en el espejo, arreglándose el cabello—, tranquilo Klaus ¿Qué más da lo que haya dicho? Al final siempre termina gustándole cómo la toco y beso, está claro que se hace la dura ahora, me está poniendo a prueba desde que lo hicimos, le encanta tentarme —metió la mano en su bolsillo, sacando una pequeña bolsa de plástico con un par de pastillas—. Pero ya hace tiempo de aquello, ya me he cansado de esperar.
— ¿Acaso no veías lo incómoda que le has hecho sentir? ¿Jamás viste cómo le tiemblan las manos? —el fantasma de nuevo habló con una voz dura, apretando los puños con fuerza— No la has respetado ninguna vez, todo lo que has hecho ha sido tocarla cuando ella no quería —las luces comenzaron a parpadear en el baño, lo que hizo que el rubio mirase el techo confuso—. Macie te ha dado tantas oportunidades para que te comportes que esta vez no va a ver otra más.
— ¡¿Qué cojones-
Klaus se fijó en el espejo, contemplando un reflejo que no conocía. Era la primera vez que el fantasma se veía reflejado en él, con una expresión que no lograba reconocerse. Pero no le importaba si era para protegerla de alguien como él.
El espejo empezó a romperse, lo que hizo que el joven de un salto se echase hacia atrás asustado.
— ¿Klaus? ¿Qué pasa? —Preguntó Macie al otro lado de la puerta.
— ¡¿Qué pasa?! ¡Tu piso está maldito! —Abrió la puerta, empujando a Macie hacia un lado con brusquedad, sin medir la fuerza que acabó derribándola en el suelo— ¡No pienso volver aquí hasta que no llames a un exorcista!
Macie se incorporó, llevándose la mano a la cabeza, quejándose. Había sido tan fuerte que el dolor aún persistía. Después miró su brazo, observando la marca roja que había quedado tras el golpe, estaba segura que iba a quedar un moratón en los próximos días.
El fantasma se agachó a su lado, extendiendo la mano para querer aliviar el dolor con su frío.
— ¡¿Quién eres tú?! —Macie gritó, apartándose de él.
El joven levantó las dos manos, tratando de calmarla.
—Espera ¿me estás viendo? —Preguntó confuso, mientras se levantaba del suelo.
—No, claro que no te estoy viendo —Macie contestó con sarcasmo, mientras que ella también se incorporaba— ¿Cómo has entrado a mi piso? ¿Cuándo? ¿Cómo es que no me he enterado? —el fantasma abrió y cerró la boca, confuso y sin saber qué responderla.
Sus ojos miraban aún sorprendido a la joven, para después mirar sus manos. Ni siquiera la había tocado ¿Cómo era posible que ahora lograse verle?
—Lo siento Macie, no quería-
— ¿Macie? —La joven se señaló, mirándole ahora ella sorprendido— ¿Cómo sabes mi nombre? —Comenzó a caminar de espaldas en dirección a la cocina, sin apartar la vista de él.
—Sé que esto va a sonar muy raro-
— ¿Más que vivas en mi piso a escondidas o que me conozcas sin yo conocerte a ti? —Agarró la sartén que había colgado en la pared y extendió los brazos en su dirección— ¡Y más te vale darme una buena respuesta o si no te denunciaré a la policía!
El fantasma asintió, dando un pequeño paso hacia delante, despacio.
Aquello alertó a Macie, que por el miedo, se adelantó hacia él y le quiso dar con la sartén.
Fue entonces que cuando le atravesó, sintió su cuerpo completamente helado.
— ¿Qué ha sido-
— ¿Acabas de pegarme con la sartén? —el fantasma se ofendió, señalándose a la cabeza— Querías que contestara.
— ¡Sí! ¡Pero que no te acercaras! —Volvió a levantar la sartén hacia él, aunque sabía que no iba a funcionar esta vez— ¿Quién eres? ¿Qué estás haciendo en mi piso?
—Por favor, no te asustes con lo que voy a contarte —el joven cerró los ojos, tratando de hablar despacio. Hacía bastante tiempo que no hablaba con alguien, sentía que había perdido la práctica después de haber estado hablando consigo mismo—, pero llevo tres años viviendo aquí-
— ¿Qué- Espera, yo llevo cuatro meses aquí.
—Como fantasma.
Macie parpadeó, creyendo que empezaba a volverse loca a pesar de haber visto cómo lo traspasaba.
— ¿Quién eres? —Despacio, bajó la sartén, mirándolo con miedo.
—Me llamo Jake —se llevó la mano a su sudadera, bajando el cuello de la prenda. La joven observó una marca que le rodeaba el cuello, ahogando un grito de terror— y morí en este piso.
*De momento este Oneshot funciona como una idea para una futura historia. Así que si os a gustado y queréis más, hacérmelo saber para tenerlo en cuenta cuando termine la historia que estoy escribiendo.
Como nota, lo que he escrito de la relación de Macie y Klaus era así realmente, quería poder alguna vez explicarlo en la historia de Moonvale en algún momento que se hablase de relaciones, pero he decidido mostraros cómo era y los motivos de por qué Macie se siente más cómoda con Jake. Eso es todo que decir.*
At first, she had taken it as part of the process of change. The shortness of breath due to anxiety and the stress of a new stage in her life. The start of university, moving away from home—despite living in the same city—living alone in an apartment without her parents, studying much more complicated subjects than before in order to get the degree she wanted, knowing that she wouldn't always have time to have fun… For her, it was all a matter of logic, with perfectly normal explanations; after all, everything was new to her.
Of course, she could understand it if it had been the first month, but three months of waking up at four in the morning? The process was always the same since she moved into that apartment: the shortness of breath, as if she had a string tied around her throat.
The young woman put a hand to her throat as she sat up in bed, coughing for air. Once she managed to catch her breath, she checked her alarm clock. Of course, four in the morning. Always so precise.
She was calmer after the first month, so she didn't understand why she was still short of breath. Perhaps it was psychological? She brushed the hair from her face, which had stuck to it with sweat, and got up slowly, trying to prevent the slight dizziness from the lack of air from making her fall to the floor.
She left her room, where a young man with dark hair was sitting comfortably on the sofa.
"Let me guess: You felt like you were drowning again," he said calmly, turning to face her.
He leaned back against the headboard of the sofa, watching as the blonde opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water.
She didn't answer him; she simply drank from the bottle, ignoring him.
"And now, you come to the sofa and put on your favorite show," the young man said, watching her approach, placing the bottle on the coffee table and picking up the remote.
"Let's see, where was I?" she murmured to herself, stretching out on the sofa.
The young man moved back slightly when he saw her feet were about to brush against him, wanting to give her space.
"I wish you could hear me," the dark-haired man said, looking at her with pity as he realized that despite her attempt to move away, her feet had brushed against him, almost touching him.
The young woman complained about the cold she had felt, curling up on the sofa.
While she watched the show, the ghost never took his eyes off the young woman, attentive to every detail. Listening attentively to the words of the actor she longed for.
He had been observing her ever since she moved into the apartment, of course setting boundaries, like not entering her room when she was changing or in the bathroom when she was showering. Other times he had to look away when she came out in her underwear, stressed from searching for something important. Just because he was a ghost didn't make him a stalker… Or at least that's what he thought, when he saw her sleeping through the early hours of the night undisturbed. He longed to talk to her or tell her that he hadn't intended to be in her apartment without her permission; after all, it had once been his.
He watched as she began to close her eyes, drifting back to sleep after relaxing.
The ghost got up from the sofa, approaching the television when she was already fast asleep. He interacted with it, turning it off with his energy. Then he looked at her again, with a sad smile.
"Sleep well, Macie."
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Macie ran through the house under the watchful green gaze of the ghost, leaning against the wall as if it were a live-action movie.
"Where did I leave my phone?" The blonde finished arranging the sofa cushions, her hands on her hips. "I could swear I left it here yesterday because I was too tired."
"I do not know," the ghost shrugged as she circled the sofa again, "maybe it is time you got a new one, or better yet, a new number."
He wouldn't normally hide her phone from her unless there was a good reason, and at that moment, there was a good one he wanted to protect her from.
"Wait..." She strode to the bedroom, and the ghost followed, rolling his eyes, knowing she'd guessed.
He watched her duck under the bed, pulling out the phone. She checked her messages and looked at him in surprise.
"Wow... That's... Quite a few messages from Klaus," she muttered to herself, scrolling through the chat.
"If I were you, I would forget about him," the dark-haired man said, squatting in front of her and glaring at the screen. "Remember what happened the last time he came?"
Macie sat up, leaning against the bed, biting her thumbnail. His apologetic messages had made her start to doubt him.
"Let's see... His words sound sincere..." Macie took a deep breath and shrugged.
"And I am telling you, it is a trap," the ghost tried to take her phone, but instead, he only sent a shiver down her spine.
Macie breathed hot air on her hand after feeling the icy breeze. The young ghost slowly withdrew his hand, feeling bad about what he had done.
"I guess I can accept him coming over tonight," she finally began to reply, though her typing was slow and she kept deleting and changing words, trying to make sure the message didn't make her seem like the bad guy in the relationship.
"You are making the biggest mistake of your life," the ghost sighed, even though he knew he was gasping for air. But it was that feeling of “coexisting” with her that made him believe he was still alive.
"Okay, send," she nodded as if she'd done a good job, then checked the time. "Oh my god! I'm going to be late for first class!" She jumped up from the floor and left the room. "And I still have to get the cats their water and food. Stupid phone. Why do you have to disappear every morning?"
The ghost shook his head. The ghost shook his head. Of course, he wasn't doing it maliciously, but as a way to protect her from that boy who seemed like an idiot to him. Seeing his messages made him uncomfortable, and even though Klaus didn't see it, it made Macie uncomfortable too, but she didn't have the courage to tell him. He wished she would at least tell someone, someone who could put a stop to it.
He went to the window as soon as he heard the apartment door open, watching as she placed two plates in the shade, pouring water into one plate and a can of food into the other. The kittens approached her, rubbing against her legs in thanks. Macie stood up, waving goodbye and walking up the street.
He couldn't help but smile at the gesture, and at the same time, he felt a pang of loneliness at not hearing her voice. The apartment felt cold; the energy had completely shifted. It was like when he realized she had died.
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Macie adjusted her heavy bag, smoothing her hair from running. Sitting on a bench, she found her friends chatting animatedly. As she approached, the dark-haired girl stood up first, hugging her. A redhead then stood up, waiting her turn for a hug.
"Hi Macie," she greeted with a smile. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Hi Lian," Macie returned the hug, then stepped back, glancing at the girl still on the bench, "let's just say I woke up at the same time again with the same symptoms," then she noticed the other girl raise her hand in greeting and walked over, giving her another hug. "Hi Jessy, how are you?"
"I'm fine," the redhead smiled, returning the hug tightly, "but we're really worried about you, Macie. It's been four months now. You should do something," she stepped back, looking at her with concern.
"You could go back to your parents’ house," the young brunette sitting on the bench remarked with a mocking smile, "maybe your anxiety is because you miss your childhood bedroom."
Macie grimaced, while her two friends rolled their eyes.
"Even though I don’t like to agree with Charlotte, maybe she has a point," Lian said. They waited for Charlotte to get up from the bench and start walking toward the building, "perhaps you should talk to a professional about your anxiety attacks—"
"They’re not anxiety attacks," Macie complained, stepping forward to turn and face them both, "I wake up feeling like something is suffocating me, always at the same time, and as far as I know, nothing has ever happened to me at four in the morning."
"That's super weird," Jessy frowned, crossing her arms protectively, "it's like—"
"You have a spirit in your house that died at that time," the blonde rolled her eyes at the male voice behind her.
She looked at the dark-haired, blue-eyed boy. His tattoo stood out, running from his neck down his right arm in the shape of a snake. In his left hand, he held a rose with several thorns that looked as if they were piercing his skin, with small drops of blood. It was quite striking with his gothic style, though luckily for him, he wasn't the only one.
Lian and Jessy exchanged mischievous smiles, as if they were sharing thoughts about how attractive the young man was. Charlotte, on the other hand, made a face of disdain at the sight.
"Since you're more of a science guy, how come you have that thought, Gabe?" Macie asked, walking again, this time with the boy following them.
"Just because I study medicine doesn’t mean I can’t think there’s more to our world than just flesh and blood," Gabe said, rolling his eyes with a mocking smile.
"Another one who needs a psychologist," Charlotte muttered, elbowing Jessy.
Gabe frowned, ignoring her. Macie simply decided to continue the conversation, since he was the expert.
"Okay, genius, since I’m more into finding logic in inexplicable things, if according to you I have a spirit in my apartment, how do I contact it to tell it to leave and let me sleep?" They stopped at the door of the young man’s classroom as other students entered.
"Easy, using a Ouija board," Charlotte answered for him, crossing her arms. "Isn’t that the object for communicating with the dead?"
"Yes, but misuse it and you might not communicate with the spirit of your apartment, but rather attract something much darker," Gabe glared at Charlotte, as if to warn her about the bad idea she had suggested.
"My worst nightmare would be using a Ouija board and having my grandfather appear, criticizing my family and the decisions we women make," Lian shuddered, making Macie smirk.
"Yeah, you girls are laughing, but trying to talk to spirits isn’t funny," the boy’s tone hardened, then he looked at Macie, seeking her support.
The blonde nodded. She'd known him since they were kids, so she understood why he took these things so seriously.
"No Ouija boards, got it," She raised her hands in surrender. "So what do I do? Make them pay part of the rent?"
"First, make sure you really have a spirit. Try recording some audio while you're sleeping," Macie nodded, accepting her words, "then, get help to cleanse your house of bad energy if you really do have a spirit bothering you, or if it's just stress," after saying that, he entered the classroom, with a look that even terrified his friend.
Of course, she didn't believe in things like ghosts or demonic creatures; all that existed in movies. But she did believe in her friend, and him advising her to find someone to cleanse her house wasn't exactly pleasant.
"That guy's crazy," Charlotte laughed, walking back to her room. "What nickname should we give him? I know! 'The Mad Man in Colville'."
"Lottie, don't make fun of him," Lian started following her, leaving Macie behind.
The blonde sighed, not liking her advice at all. She knew perfectly well that she lived alone and didn't want her parents to find out. Especially since if her mother found out, she'd have the priest at her house because everyone exaggerated.
"Are you okay?" Jessy placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention.
Macie blinked, returning to her thoughts.
"Yes, I'm fine," she smiled to reassure her, although she was a little nervous about the strange things that had been happening to her.
It wasn't a ghost, but it wasn't just anxiety about the change either. Whatever it was, she needed a logical explanation.
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After hours of class, Macie asked her friends for help choosing outfits for that night. Or rather, she wanted to talk to them about whether she'd made the right decision inviting him over.
So, there they were, the three of them in the room, unaware that someone else was watching them from the doorway, shaking his head at the thought of the young woman's bad idea in letting that boy over.
"Okay… Midnight blue or pale pink?" Macie pulled out two dresses, holding them up in front of her as if to introduce them.
Her friends were on the bed. Lian sat clutching an old-looking stuffed rabbit, Jessy tilted her head at the dresses, focused on the colors, and Charlotte lay on her stomach, making faces at the sight of both dresses.
"Pink is pretty," Lian replied, shrugging.
"I think blue is more classic," Jessy pointed at it, smiling excitedly.
"What if you just open the door wearing only a robe?" Charlotte suggested, getting out of bed.
"Do not even think about listening to her," the ghost said quickly, looking embarrassed.
Macie rolled her eyes, putting the dresses back in the closet.
"I want it to be a normal night, just watching movies and spending time together trying to forget about last weekend," she looked through her clothes again, this time pulling out an off-the-shoulder top and skinny jeans, waiting for her friends’ opinions.
"I think it’s better if you wear this," from one of the dresser drawers, Charlotte pulled out lace lingerie, waving it in the air. Jessy whistled and Lian gasped at the sight of the garments. "What if we ask the ghost what he thinks of this idea?"
The young man looked at Macie, embarrassed. He was lucky she couldn’t see him, but he wasn’t one to spy. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do but look away.
"Hey, Ghost who haunts Macie every night!" Charlotte approached Macie, pulling the bra over her, while her friend sighed in exasperation. "Since you're such a perverted ghost, how about she wears this? Which one do you think would turn him on? Or her, we don't know what it is."
"Charlotte, stop it," Macie snatched the underwear back into the drawer. "There's no ghost here, let's drop it."
"Unfortunately, you have one," the young man replied, trying to calm himself, "but no, I am not a pervert like your friend thinks."
"What if you tell him you've changed your mind and not to come?" Jessy suggested calmly.
"Or you could tell him you're busy studying and leave him waiting for your texts," Lian said, setting the stuffed animal aside, seeing that the situation was really worrying her friend.
"Look, that is the best idea I have heard since you girls got here," the ghost stood next to Macie. She shivered at the coldness emanating from him.
The blonde bit her lip, considering backing out and ending things over the phone. But she was someone who believed in romance and wanted to try again, to start over.
"No, no, I've got it under control," Macie breathed slowly, nodding. "It's not like we have to sleep together, we're just going to see each other and spend the night peacefully."
"Please, you and Klaus have already sex," Charlotte crossed her arms, looking at her with a mischievous smile, "it's not like it's not your first time."
"What did you do with that guy?" The ghost looked at Macie, a mixture of surprise and concern on his face. He hadn't known about this. Now he understood quite a few things from when he came around.
For a moment, the ghost thought Macie was looking at him when she looked away from her friend, but in reality, she was hiding an expression of discomfort.
Worried about her reaction, he reached out to her, affectionately stroking her cheek—or at least, trying to—. Macie felt that cold again, along with a tickling sensation on her skin. She brought her hand to her face, caressing the side he had touched. For a second, she felt breathless, as if someone were stealing it from her.
The ghost lowered his hand, frustrated that he couldn't feel her the way he wanted. It was incredible that just by watching her interact in that apartment, he had grown fond of her in an inexplicable way.
"But we've had our problems," Macie finally replied, regaining her composure after that strange sensation, "so tonight will be the night of his redemption."
"Well said, he has to win her heart again," Lian approved, looking at her with pride.
The young man didn't like her idea. He knew he wasn't going to change; he had seen it every time he had visited. That boy didn't really know how to treat her.
"And that night of redemption…" Charlotte looked in the drawers, pulling out a pack of condoms. "Are you going to need these?" She wiggled her eyebrows as a mischievous smile appeared.
"For someone who doesn't want to do anything with her boyfriend, you're pretty prepared," Jessy laughed, giving the blonde a playful nudge with her hip, while looking at her with a sly grin.
The ghost looked up, letting out a long sigh. It was incredible that he hadn't seen it until now, or at least, hadn't noticed. Although it wasn't really his business; she could do whatever she wanted because she was alive. The problem was that he didn't like who she was with.
"Give me that!" Macie shouted as she approached her, who threw the box to Lian, who managed to catch it in mid-air.
"Oh! Now I understand the problem!" Lian waved the box, while Macie glared at her. "No wonder you're upset."
Jessy approached Lian and read the box. She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a laugh.
"Well, it's known that when men have an erection, their penis gets bigger," the redhead cleared her throat, hiding her laughter, "so it's fine if you buy this size."
"Very funny, all of you," Macie held out her hand as she approached her friend, gesturing for the box back, "I didn't even buy it; he left it there 'just in case.'"
The young man looked over curiously, then glared at the girls.
"Speaking for all men of all sizes, you are being cruel and discriminatory," the ghost remarked, looking at the blonde's friends, "but I think he deserves the ridicule for being rude to you."
Lian sighed, handing the box back. Macie put it away again, turning her back on her friends.
The ghost approached her, positioning himself in front to get a better look. He knew perfectly well that wasn't the problem because he had seen it with his own eyes. More than anything, he wanted to help her. And sadly, he couldn't. It pained him to see her like that, and that all he could do was pass his hands through her and make her feel his cold touch.
"Okay, I think I'll choose the jeans," Macie said, putting on a smile, trying to calm her friends. "Like I said, it's a second chance night. I want to see him behave like a gentleman and respect me."
"I don't understand why he hasn't dumped you already," Charlotte commented, shaking her head.
"Because he loves me," the blonde replied quickly.
"He does not love you, he is obsessed with you," the ghost replied irritably, crossing his arms. "Someone who loves you does not make you feel bad or uncomfortable like he does."
But no matter how hard he tried to tell her, to talk to her, Macie wouldn't listen. His words didn't reach her, as if there were a wall between them.
And that wall was never going to fall down.
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The young woman looked at herself in the mirror, admiring her natural makeup. She tilted her head, trying to figure out how to style her hair, while unbeknownst to her, the ghost of her apartment stood beside her, watching her with a smile.
"No matter what you do with your hair, you always look perfect," he remarked, admiring her.
Macie took a slow breath, reaching for a hair clip. The young man noticed her trembling hand. She was nervous.
When she went to put it in her hair, it slipped from her grasp, causing her to let out a small gasp.
She bent down at the same time as him, instinctively wanting to help her.
His hand passed through Macie's, again pierced by the ghostly chill.
Macie looked up, her gaze fixed straight ahead, as if her eyes were locked on the young man's frozen green eyes, wondering if perhaps they had made some kind of contact and he could see it.
The ghost stared at her, examining every part of her face. From her warm brown eyes, taking in each long eyelash, to the round nose that she found adorable in its shape, and finally her lips, too close to notice.
"But what am I thinking?" they both blurted out at the same time, getting up from the floor.
Macie adjusted her hair clip, letting a few strands fall across her face.
"No… You're not making a mistake, Macie," she told herself, looking at herself in the mirror, leaning against the sink, "you know each other through Stephan, and he's a good guy. How can you not give him another chance?"
"You are making a mistake," the dark-haired man said, standing beside her, leaning against the sink, his tone angry. More at the boy than at her. "Macie, call him and tell him you have changed your mind. This is not what you want."
Macie looked at her phone, feeling a voice telling her she should call him.
"That is it, now pick up your phone and tell him it is over."
The young woman sighed, taking her phone in her hands.
Just as she went to the calling app, there was a knock at the door.
She put her phone away, and the ghost leaned against the mirror, noticing he'd arrived even earlier than expected.
"Flowers?" he heard from outside, her voice happy.
"To apologize for what happened," hearing Klaus's voice made him nauseous. He was sure that if he could throw up, he would right then and there.
It wasn't the first time he'd brought her something and then made her feel uncomfortable. He didn't understand what Macie's problem was with ending things with him completely, but he hoped she would open her eyes and realize that she had given him more than one chance.
"They're beautiful, thank you so much."
"And so we begin again..." the ghost muttered in frustration, knowing that he was going to witness it again without being able to do anything.
Macie took a pitcher from the kitchen cupboard and filled it with water, placing the flowers inside.
The young man who had just arrived leaned against the counter, watching her do this.
"So, what are our plans for tonight?" He bit his lip, raising his eyebrows and looking her up and down.
"I thought we could do something quiet," Macie replied, carefully setting the pitcher aside, "we could order a pizza and watch a movie... Talk a little about us..."
"Talk about us?" The long-haired blond man looked at her, puzzled, sitting up on the counter.
"Yeah, like... I don't know..." The young woman shrugged, giving him a small smile. "About our relationship, you know, how to move forward together."
"Oh, okay, you scared me," Klaus said, putting a hand to his chest and letting out a sigh of relief. "Phew! I think I'd better order that pizza. Should I do it?"
"Sure, but no pizza with anchovies," the young woman warned, raising her finger in a warning gesture.
"Yeah, yeah, no pizza with anchovies," while Klaus pulled out his phone, Macie went over to the sofa to grab the remote and find a movie.
The young ghost approached Klaus with a hint of suspicion, watching his phone as he searched for a pizza, doubting he would actually listen to his request.
"Oh, dude, it’s on sale because it’s new," he muttered, seeing exactly what Macie didn’t want. He glanced behind him, making sure she continued searching for a movie for that night. "Well, she can give them to me if she don’t like them, it’s not that bad."
"And the award for worst boyfriend goes to…" The ghost glared at him, feeling a strange energy surge through his body.
At that moment, the pitcher exploded, spilling the water and scattering the flowers on the floor. Macie screamed, and when she turned around, her expression was one of shock.
"Why did you throw it?" she asked, going to the kitchen and bending down to pick up the flowers.
"Me? The pitcher just exploded!"
The ghost slowly backed away, feeling bad about what he had done. He had to control himself, or he might end up hurting her, and he didn't want to do that.
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After the incident, Klaus ordered the pizza after helping her clear the broken glass, mop the floor, and dry the counter, leaving the flowers lying there. Macie looked at them with pity; seeing them lying there, they looked as if they were already dead.
"Come on, come to the sofa," the young man called to her, holding the remote, "I've already chosen a movie. Don't worry about the flowers."
"It's just that I feel bad seeing them like this," Macie said, gently stroking a daisy petal. Half of the flowers had lost some petals as they fell off, "they look so sad..."
"Macie, they're just cut flowers that were going to wilt eventually," The young woman clasped her hands tightly at his words, as if she'd forgotten that he'd given them to her himself, "I can always buy you more if you want."
"Yeah, right..." With a grimace, she moved away from the counter and toward the sofa.
The ghost looked at the flowers and then at Macie, watching her shuffle toward the seat. That detail had been important to her; the fact that this guy didn't seem to care, despite it being her gift, made him even more annoyed.
"Okay, what did you choose?" Macie smiled, but her smile vanished when she saw he didn't recognize the movie on the screen. "What... What is this?"
"American Pie."
"You've made three mistakes since you got here," the ghost shook his head, seeing how badly he was messing things up.
"Couldn't we watch something more romantic?" Macie lowered his hand before he could play the movie. "There's one that caught my eye, it's about a guy who has a ghost in his apartment—"
"A ghost?" The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow, curious about her choice, moving closer to the sofa and sitting on the armrest.
"What about '365 Days'? That one’s romantic too, and I’m sure you’ll really like it, " Klaus suggested, shrugging.
Jake didn’t need to know what the guy was trying to do. He wanted to win her over somehow. Macie tilted her head, making a small face.
"It’s just that it doesn’t appeal to me. I’m not really into that romantic interest," the young woman said, placing her hands in her lap in a way that made the ghost think she was protecting herself from something.
"You’ll see, you’ll like it in the end."
"Klaus, I prefer something quiet, you know?" Macie looked at him intently, hoping he’d get the hint.
"Okay, okay, we’ll watch that movie," Klaus conceded, settling back on the sofa.
"Thanks," Macie replied in a small voice. She didn’t see it as a victory, since it was something they would have to decide together, and if he didn’t want to, then it wasn’t worth it. And she'd also noticed that her options were for more than just watching a movie.
But at least a romantic movie would ease the awkwardness.
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Everything was going well while they watched the movie. Sometimes Macie even made small comments about how she was enjoying it, to which Klaus simply nodded and uttered a curt ‘Yes’ and ‘Good’.
The young woman was happy, by his side, relaxed, with nothing bothering her like other times. She simply wanted her boyfriend to stop always trying to touch her and insisting on more than just kisses; she also wanted moments when she could sit with him and be comfortable.
Of course, for Klaus, that didn't last even halfway through the movie. He began to slide his hand up her leg, slowly caressing it until he reached the button of her jeans, which made her stop him.
"The movie, Klaus," Macie sighed, hiding her annoyance.
"Sorry," the blond leaned down to her neck, beginning to kiss it, "it's just that I'm really tempted to see that button fastening those tight jeans."
The dark-haired young man watched the scene with annoyance, seeing the blonde push him away as if she were afraid of upsetting him. Macie paused the movie, turning to face her boyfriend.
"But I want us to have a quiet night sometime," Macie replied, looking into his blue eyes, trying to elicit a little sympathy with her words, "it can't be that you always want to do it when we're together."
"What's wrong with that? We've already done it."
"Nothing, but…" Macie bit the inside of her cheek, nervously looking down. "I don't want a relationship based solely on us having sex all the time, you understand?"
Again, the ghost saw her guarding up by placing a hand in front of the button of her pants. He even saw a slight tremor in her fingers, something that was incredible her boyfriend didn't notice.
"Yes, of course, I understand," Klaus nodded, getting up from the sofa. "Hey, I'm going to the bathroom for a minute. You can keep watching the movie."
"But you're going to miss it—"
"It's okay, you can tell me what happened later," The young man leaned in slightly, kissing her forehead, "I'll be right back."
"Okay." Macie sat down opposite him again, picked up the remote, and started playing the movie again.
The ghost followed Klaus into the bathroom, wanting to keep a close eye on him.
Just as he suspected, the first thing Klaus did when he entered the bathroom was pull out his phone and text someone about his situation. He didn't recognize the man's name, even though he'd heard every name his ‘‘roommate’’ had mentioned.
When he read the question about the amount needed to make Macie want sex, the ghost felt that anger again. Only this time it was much more intense.
"Okay, fine," Klaus looked at himself in the mirror, fixing his hair, "calm down, Klaus. What does it matter what she said? In the end, she always ends up liking how I touch and kiss her. It's clear she's playing hard to get now. She's been testing me ever since we did it. She loves to tempt me," he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small plastic bag with a couple of pills, "but that was a while ago. I'm tired of waiting."
"Did not you see how uncomfortable you made her feel? Did not you ever see how her hands were trembling?" The ghost spoke again in a harsh voice, his fists clenched tightly. "You have not respected her once. All you have done is touch her when she did not want you to," the lights began to flicker in the bathroom, making the blond man stare at the ceiling in confusion. "Macie has given you so many chances to behave that this time there will not be another one."
"What the hell—"
Klaus stared at the mirror, gazing at a reflection he didn’t recognize. It was the first time the ghost had seen himself reflected in it, with an expression he couldn’t quite place. But he didn’t care if it was to protect her from someone like him.
The mirror began to shatter, making the young man jump back in fright.
"Klaus? What’s wrong?" Macie asked from the other side of the door.
"What’s wrong?! Your apartment is cursed!" He opened the door, roughly pushing Macie aside, without considering the force that ended up knocking her to the ground. "I'm not coming back here until you call an exorcist!"
Macie sat up, clutching her head in a groan. It had been so hard that the pain still lingered. Then she looked at her arm, noticing the red mark left by the blow; she was sure it would be a bruise for days to come.
The ghost crouched down beside her, extending his hand to try and soothe the pain with its coldness.
"Who are you?!" Macie shouted, backing away from him.
The young man raised both hands, trying to calm her.
"Wait, are you seeing me?" he asked, confused, as he stood up.
"No, of course I'm not seeing you," Macie replied sarcastically, as she too stood up. "How did you get into my apartment? When? How come I didn't notice?" The ghost opened and closed his mouth, confused and unsure how to respond.
His eyes, still in surprise, stared at the young woman, then at his hands. He hadn't even touched her. How was it possible that she could see him now?
"I am sorry, Macie, I didn’t mean to—"
"Macie?" The young woman pointed to herself, now looking at him in surprise. "How do you know my name?" She started walking backward toward the kitchen, her eyes never leaving him.
"I know this is going to sound really weird—"
"More weird than you secretly living in my apartment or knowing me without me knowing you?" She grabbed the frying pan that was hanging on the wall and held her arms out in his direction. "And you'd better give me a good answer, or I'll report you to the police!"
The ghost nodded, taking a small, slow step forward. This startled Macie, who, out of fear, moved forward and tried to hit him with the frying pan.
It was then, when it pierced her, that she felt her body completely frozen.
"What was that—"
"Did you just hit me with the frying pan?" the ghost asked, offended, pointing to his head. "You wanted me to answer."
"Yes! But don't come any closer!" She raised the frying pan toward him again, though she knew it wouldn't work this time. "Who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?"
"Please do not be scared by what I am about to tell you," the young man closed his eyes, trying to speak slowly. It had been quite a while since he'd spoken to anyone; he felt he'd lost his touch after talking to himself for so long, "but I have been living here for three years—"
"What— Wait, I've been here for four months."
"As a ghost."
Macie blinked, thinking she was starting to go crazy despite having seen him pass right through her.
"Who are you?" Slowly, she lowered the frying pan, looking at him fearfully.
"My name is Jake," he said, reaching for his sweatshirt and pulling down the collar. The young woman noticed a mark around his neck, stifling a scream of terror, "and I died in this apartment."
*For now, this oneshot serves as an idea for a future story. So, if you liked it and want more, let me know so I can keep it in mind when I finish the story I'm currently writing.
As a side note, what I wrote about Macie and Klaus's relationship was exactly as I described it. I wanted to be able to explain it sometime in the Moonvale story when relationships were discussed, but I decided to show you what it was like and the reasons why Macie feels more comfortable with Jake. That's all there is to say.*
At first, she had taken it as part of the process of change. The shortness of breath due to anxiety and the stress of a new stage in her life. The start of university, moving away from home—despite living in the same city—living alone in an apartment without her parents, studying much more complicated subjects than before in order to get the degree she wanted, knowing that she wouldn't always have time to have fun… For her, it was all a matter of logic, with perfectly normal explanations; after all, everything was new to her.
Of course, she could understand it if it had been the first month, but three months of waking up at four in the morning? The process was always the same since she moved into that apartment: the shortness of breath, as if she had a string tied around her throat.
The young woman put a hand to her throat as she sat up in bed, coughing for air. Once she managed to catch her breath, she checked her alarm clock. Of course, four in the morning. Always so precise.
She was calmer after the first month, so she didn't understand why she was still short of breath. Perhaps it was psychological? She brushed the hair from her face, which had stuck to it with sweat, and got up slowly, trying to prevent the slight dizziness from the lack of air from making her fall to the floor.
She left her room, where a young man with dark hair was sitting comfortably on the sofa.
"Let me guess: You felt like you were drowning again," he said calmly, turning to face her.
He leaned back against the headboard of the sofa, watching as the blonde opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water.
She didn't answer him; she simply drank from the bottle, ignoring him.
"And now, you come to the sofa and put on your favorite show," the young man said, watching her approach, placing the bottle on the coffee table and picking up the remote.
"Let's see, where was I?" she murmured to herself, stretching out on the sofa.
The young man moved back slightly when he saw her feet were about to brush against him, wanting to give her space.
"I wish you could hear me," the dark-haired man said, looking at her with pity as he realized that despite her attempt to move away, her feet had brushed against him, almost touching him.
The young woman complained about the cold she had felt, curling up on the sofa.
While she watched the show, the ghost never took his eyes off the young woman, attentive to every detail. Listening attentively to the words of the actor she longed for.
He had been observing her ever since she moved into the apartment, of course setting boundaries, like not entering her room when she was changing or in the bathroom when she was showering. Other times he had to look away when she came out in her underwear, stressed from searching for something important. Just because he was a ghost didn't make him a stalker… Or at least that's what he thought, when he saw her sleeping through the early hours of the night undisturbed. He longed to talk to her or tell her that he hadn't intended to be in her apartment without her permission; after all, it had once been his.
He watched as she began to close her eyes, drifting back to sleep after relaxing.
The ghost got up from the sofa, approaching the television when she was already fast asleep. He interacted with it, turning it off with his energy. Then he looked at her again, with a sad smile.
"Sleep well, Macie."
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Macie ran through the house under the watchful green gaze of the ghost, leaning against the wall as if it were a live-action movie.
"Where did I leave my phone?" The blonde finished arranging the sofa cushions, her hands on her hips. "I could swear I left it here yesterday because I was too tired."
"I do not know," the ghost shrugged as she circled the sofa again, "maybe it is time you got a new one, or better yet, a new number."
He wouldn't normally hide her phone from her unless there was a good reason, and at that moment, there was a good one he wanted to protect her from.
"Wait..." She strode to the bedroom, and the ghost followed, rolling his eyes, knowing she'd guessed.
He watched her duck under the bed, pulling out the phone. She checked her messages and looked at him in surprise.
"Wow... That's... Quite a few messages from Klaus," she muttered to herself, scrolling through the chat.
"If I were you, I would forget about him," the dark-haired man said, squatting in front of her and glaring at the screen. "Remember what happened the last time he came?"
Macie sat up, leaning against the bed, biting her thumbnail. His apologetic messages had made her start to doubt him.
"Let's see... His words sound sincere..." Macie took a deep breath and shrugged.
"And I am telling you, it is a trap," the ghost tried to take her phone, but instead, he only sent a shiver down her spine.
Macie breathed hot air on her hand after feeling the icy breeze. The young ghost slowly withdrew his hand, feeling bad about what he had done.
"I guess I can accept him coming over tonight," she finally began to reply, though her typing was slow and she kept deleting and changing words, trying to make sure the message didn't make her seem like the bad guy in the relationship.
"You are making the biggest mistake of your life," the ghost sighed, even though he knew he was gasping for air. But it was that feeling of “coexisting” with her that made him believe he was still alive.
"Okay, send," she nodded as if she'd done a good job, then checked the time. "Oh my god! I'm going to be late for first class!" She jumped up from the floor and left the room. "And I still have to get the cats their water and food. Stupid phone. Why do you have to disappear every morning?"
The ghost shook his head. The ghost shook his head. Of course, he wasn't doing it maliciously, but as a way to protect her from that boy who seemed like an idiot to him. Seeing his messages made him uncomfortable, and even though Klaus didn't see it, it made Macie uncomfortable too, but she didn't have the courage to tell him. He wished she would at least tell someone, someone who could put a stop to it.
He went to the window as soon as he heard the apartment door open, watching as she placed two plates in the shade, pouring water into one plate and a can of food into the other. The kittens approached her, rubbing against her legs in thanks. Macie stood up, waving goodbye and walking up the street.
He couldn't help but smile at the gesture, and at the same time, he felt a pang of loneliness at not hearing her voice. The apartment felt cold; the energy had completely shifted. It was like when he realized she had died.
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Macie adjusted her heavy bag, smoothing her hair from running. Sitting on a bench, she found her friends chatting animatedly. As she approached, the dark-haired girl stood up first, hugging her. A redhead then stood up, waiting her turn for a hug.
"Hi Macie," she greeted with a smile. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Hi Lian," Macie returned the hug, then stepped back, glancing at the girl still on the bench, "let's just say I woke up at the same time again with the same symptoms," then she noticed the other girl raise her hand in greeting and walked over, giving her another hug. "Hi Jessy, how are you?"
"I'm fine," the redhead smiled, returning the hug tightly, "but we're really worried about you, Macie. It's been four months now. You should do something," she stepped back, looking at her with concern.
"You could go back to your parents’ house," the young brunette sitting on the bench remarked with a mocking smile, "maybe your anxiety is because you miss your childhood bedroom."
Macie grimaced, while her two friends rolled their eyes.
"Even though I don’t like to agree with Charlotte, maybe she has a point," Lian said. They waited for Charlotte to get up from the bench and start walking toward the building, "perhaps you should talk to a professional about your anxiety attacks—"
"They’re not anxiety attacks," Macie complained, stepping forward to turn and face them both, "I wake up feeling like something is suffocating me, always at the same time, and as far as I know, nothing has ever happened to me at four in the morning."
"That's super weird," Jessy frowned, crossing her arms protectively, "it's like—"
"You have a spirit in your house that died at that time," the blonde rolled her eyes at the male voice behind her.
She looked at the dark-haired, blue-eyed boy. His tattoo stood out, running from his neck down his right arm in the shape of a snake. In his left hand, he held a rose with several thorns that looked as if they were piercing his skin, with small drops of blood. It was quite striking with his gothic style, though luckily for him, he wasn't the only one.
Lian and Jessy exchanged mischievous smiles, as if they were sharing thoughts about how attractive the young man was. Charlotte, on the other hand, made a face of disdain at the sight.
"Since you're more of a science guy, how come you have that thought, Gabe?" Macie asked, walking again, this time with the boy following them.
"Just because I study medicine doesn’t mean I can’t think there’s more to our world than just flesh and blood," Gabe said, rolling his eyes with a mocking smile.
"Another one who needs a psychologist," Charlotte muttered, elbowing Jessy.
Gabe frowned, ignoring her. Macie simply decided to continue the conversation, since he was the expert.
"Okay, genius, since I’m more into finding logic in inexplicable things, if according to you I have a spirit in my apartment, how do I contact it to tell it to leave and let me sleep?" They stopped at the door of the young man’s classroom as other students entered.
"Easy, using a Ouija board," Charlotte answered for him, crossing her arms. "Isn’t that the object for communicating with the dead?"
"Yes, but misuse it and you might not communicate with the spirit of your apartment, but rather attract something much darker," Gabe glared at Charlotte, as if to warn her about the bad idea she had suggested.
"My worst nightmare would be using a Ouija board and having my grandfather appear, criticizing my family and the decisions we women make," Lian shuddered, making Macie smirk.
"Yeah, you girls are laughing, but trying to talk to spirits isn’t funny," the boy’s tone hardened, then he looked at Macie, seeking her support.
The blonde nodded. She'd known him since they were kids, so she understood why he took these things so seriously.
"No Ouija boards, got it," She raised her hands in surrender. "So what do I do? Make them pay part of the rent?"
"First, make sure you really have a spirit. Try recording some audio while you're sleeping," Macie nodded, accepting her words, "then, get help to cleanse your house of bad energy if you really do have a spirit bothering you, or if it's just stress," after saying that, he entered the classroom, with a look that even terrified his friend.
Of course, she didn't believe in things like ghosts or demonic creatures; all that existed in movies. But she did believe in her friend, and him advising her to find someone to cleanse her house wasn't exactly pleasant.
"That guy's crazy," Charlotte laughed, walking back to her room. "What nickname should we give him? I know! 'The Mad Man in Colville'."
"Lottie, don't make fun of him," Lian started following her, leaving Macie behind.
The blonde sighed, not liking her advice at all. She knew perfectly well that she lived alone and didn't want her parents to find out. Especially since if her mother found out, she'd have the priest at her house because everyone exaggerated.
"Are you okay?" Jessy placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention.
Macie blinked, returning to her thoughts.
"Yes, I'm fine," she smiled to reassure her, although she was a little nervous about the strange things that had been happening to her.
It wasn't a ghost, but it wasn't just anxiety about the change either. Whatever it was, she needed a logical explanation.
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After hours of class, Macie asked her friends for help choosing outfits for that night. Or rather, she wanted to talk to them about whether she'd made the right decision inviting him over.
So, there they were, the three of them in the room, unaware that someone else was watching them from the doorway, shaking his head at the thought of the young woman's bad idea in letting that boy over.
"Okay… Midnight blue or pale pink?" Macie pulled out two dresses, holding them up in front of her as if to introduce them.
Her friends were on the bed. Lian sat clutching an old-looking stuffed rabbit, Jessy tilted her head at the dresses, focused on the colors, and Charlotte lay on her stomach, making faces at the sight of both dresses.
"Pink is pretty," Lian replied, shrugging.
"I think blue is more classic," Jessy pointed at it, smiling excitedly.
"What if you just open the door wearing only a robe?" Charlotte suggested, getting out of bed.
"Do not even think about listening to her," the ghost said quickly, looking embarrassed.
Macie rolled her eyes, putting the dresses back in the closet.
"I want it to be a normal night, just watching movies and spending time together trying to forget about last weekend," she looked through her clothes again, this time pulling out an off-the-shoulder top and skinny jeans, waiting for her friends’ opinions.
"I think it’s better if you wear this," from one of the dresser drawers, Charlotte pulled out lace lingerie, waving it in the air. Jessy whistled and Lian gasped at the sight of the garments. "What if we ask the ghost what he thinks of this idea?"
The young man looked at Macie, embarrassed. He was lucky she couldn’t see him, but he wasn’t one to spy. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do but look away.
"Hey, Ghost who haunts Macie every night!" Charlotte approached Macie, pulling the bra over her, while her friend sighed in exasperation. "Since you're such a perverted ghost, how about she wears this? Which one do you think would turn him on? Or her, we don't know what it is."
"Charlotte, stop it," Macie snatched the underwear back into the drawer. "There's no ghost here, let's drop it."
"Unfortunately, you have one," the young man replied, trying to calm himself, "but no, I am not a pervert like your friend thinks."
"What if you tell him you've changed your mind and not to come?" Jessy suggested calmly.
"Or you could tell him you're busy studying and leave him waiting for your texts," Lian said, setting the stuffed animal aside, seeing that the situation was really worrying her friend.
"Look, that is the best idea I have heard since you girls got here," the ghost stood next to Macie. She shivered at the coldness emanating from him.
The blonde bit her lip, considering backing out and ending things over the phone. But she was someone who believed in romance and wanted to try again, to start over.
"No, no, I've got it under control," Macie breathed slowly, nodding. "It's not like we have to sleep together, we're just going to see each other and spend the night peacefully."
"Please, you and Klaus have already sex," Charlotte crossed her arms, looking at her with a mischievous smile, "it's not like it's not your first time."
"What did you do with that guy?" The ghost looked at Macie, a mixture of surprise and concern on his face. He hadn't known about this. Now he understood quite a few things from when he came around.
For a moment, the ghost thought Macie was looking at him when she looked away from her friend, but in reality, she was hiding an expression of discomfort.
Worried about her reaction, he reached out to her, affectionately stroking her cheek—or at least, trying to—. Macie felt that cold again, along with a tickling sensation on her skin. She brought her hand to her face, caressing the side he had touched. For a second, she felt breathless, as if someone were stealing it from her.
The ghost lowered his hand, frustrated that he couldn't feel her the way he wanted. It was incredible that just by watching her interact in that apartment, he had grown fond of her in an inexplicable way.
"But we've had our problems," Macie finally replied, regaining her composure after that strange sensation, "so tonight will be the night of his redemption."
"Well said, he has to win her heart again," Lian approved, looking at her with pride.
The young man didn't like her idea. He knew he wasn't going to change; he had seen it every time he had visited. That boy didn't really know how to treat her.
"And that night of redemption…" Charlotte looked in the drawers, pulling out a pack of condoms. "Are you going to need these?" She wiggled her eyebrows as a mischievous smile appeared.
"For someone who doesn't want to do anything with her boyfriend, you're pretty prepared," Jessy laughed, giving the blonde a playful nudge with her hip, while looking at her with a sly grin.
The ghost looked up, letting out a long sigh. It was incredible that he hadn't seen it until now, or at least, hadn't noticed. Although it wasn't really his business; she could do whatever she wanted because she was alive. The problem was that he didn't like who she was with.
"Give me that!" Macie shouted as she approached her, who threw the box to Lian, who managed to catch it in mid-air.
"Oh! Now I understand the problem!" Lian waved the box, while Macie glared at her. "No wonder you're upset."
Jessy approached Lian and read the box. She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a laugh.
"Well, it's known that when men have an erection, their penis gets bigger," the redhead cleared her throat, hiding her laughter, "so it's fine if you buy this size."
"Very funny, all of you," Macie held out her hand as she approached her friend, gesturing for the box back, "I didn't even buy it; he left it there 'just in case.'"
The young man looked over curiously, then glared at the girls.
"Speaking for all men of all sizes, you are being cruel and discriminatory," the ghost remarked, looking at the blonde's friends, "but I think he deserves the ridicule for being rude to you."
Lian sighed, handing the box back. Macie put it away again, turning her back on her friends.
The ghost approached her, positioning himself in front to get a better look. He knew perfectly well that wasn't the problem because he had seen it with his own eyes. More than anything, he wanted to help her. And sadly, he couldn't. It pained him to see her like that, and that all he could do was pass his hands through her and make her feel his cold touch.
"Okay, I think I'll choose the jeans," Macie said, putting on a smile, trying to calm her friends. "Like I said, it's a second chance night. I want to see him behave like a gentleman and respect me."
"I don't understand why he hasn't dumped you already," Charlotte commented, shaking her head.
"Because he loves me," the blonde replied quickly.
"He does not love you, he is obsessed with you," the ghost replied irritably, crossing his arms. "Someone who loves you does not make you feel bad or uncomfortable like he does."
But no matter how hard he tried to tell her, to talk to her, Macie wouldn't listen. His words didn't reach her, as if there were a wall between them.
And that wall was never going to fall down.
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The young woman looked at herself in the mirror, admiring her natural makeup. She tilted her head, trying to figure out how to style her hair, while unbeknownst to her, the ghost of her apartment stood beside her, watching her with a smile.
"No matter what you do with your hair, you always look perfect," he remarked, admiring her.
Macie took a slow breath, reaching for a hair clip. The young man noticed her trembling hand. She was nervous.
When she went to put it in her hair, it slipped from her grasp, causing her to let out a small gasp.
She bent down at the same time as him, instinctively wanting to help her.
His hand passed through Macie's, again pierced by the ghostly chill.
Macie looked up, her gaze fixed straight ahead, as if her eyes were locked on the young man's frozen green eyes, wondering if perhaps they had made some kind of contact and he could see it.
The ghost stared at her, examining every part of her face. From her warm brown eyes, taking in each long eyelash, to the round nose that she found adorable in its shape, and finally her lips, too close to notice.
"But what am I thinking?" they both blurted out at the same time, getting up from the floor.
Macie adjusted her hair clip, letting a few strands fall across her face.
"No… You're not making a mistake, Macie," she told herself, looking at herself in the mirror, leaning against the sink, "you know each other through Stephan, and he's a good guy. How can you not give him another chance?"
"You are making a mistake," the dark-haired man said, standing beside her, leaning against the sink, his tone angry. More at the boy than at her. "Macie, call him and tell him you have changed your mind. This is not what you want."
Macie looked at her phone, feeling a voice telling her she should call him.
"That is it, now pick up your phone and tell him it is over."
The young woman sighed, taking her phone in her hands.
Just as she went to the calling app, there was a knock at the door.
She put her phone away, and the ghost leaned against the mirror, noticing he'd arrived even earlier than expected.
"Flowers?" he heard from outside, her voice happy.
"To apologize for what happened," hearing Klaus's voice made him nauseous. He was sure that if he could throw up, he would right then and there.
It wasn't the first time he'd brought her something and then made her feel uncomfortable. He didn't understand what Macie's problem was with ending things with him completely, but he hoped she would open her eyes and realize that she had given him more than one chance.
"They're beautiful, thank you so much."
"And so we begin again..." the ghost muttered in frustration, knowing that he was going to witness it again without being able to do anything.
Macie took a pitcher from the kitchen cupboard and filled it with water, placing the flowers inside.
The young man who had just arrived leaned against the counter, watching her do this.
"So, what are our plans for tonight?" He bit his lip, raising his eyebrows and looking her up and down.
"I thought we could do something quiet," Macie replied, carefully setting the pitcher aside, "we could order a pizza and watch a movie... Talk a little about us..."
"Talk about us?" The long-haired blond man looked at her, puzzled, sitting up on the counter.
"Yeah, like... I don't know..." The young woman shrugged, giving him a small smile. "About our relationship, you know, how to move forward together."
"Oh, okay, you scared me," Klaus said, putting a hand to his chest and letting out a sigh of relief. "Phew! I think I'd better order that pizza. Should I do it?"
"Sure, but no pizza with anchovies," the young woman warned, raising her finger in a warning gesture.
"Yeah, yeah, no pizza with anchovies," while Klaus pulled out his phone, Macie went over to the sofa to grab the remote and find a movie.
The young ghost approached Klaus with a hint of suspicion, watching his phone as he searched for a pizza, doubting he would actually listen to his request.
"Oh, dude, it’s on sale because it’s new," he muttered, seeing exactly what Macie didn’t want. He glanced behind him, making sure she continued searching for a movie for that night. "Well, she can give them to me if she don’t like them, it’s not that bad."
"And the award for worst boyfriend goes to…" The ghost glared at him, feeling a strange energy surge through his body.
At that moment, the pitcher exploded, spilling the water and scattering the flowers on the floor. Macie screamed, and when she turned around, her expression was one of shock.
"Why did you throw it?" she asked, going to the kitchen and bending down to pick up the flowers.
"Me? The pitcher just exploded!"
The ghost slowly backed away, feeling bad about what he had done. He had to control himself, or he might end up hurting her, and he didn't want to do that.
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After the incident, Klaus ordered the pizza after helping her clear the broken glass, mop the floor, and dry the counter, leaving the flowers lying there. Macie looked at them with pity; seeing them lying there, they looked as if they were already dead.
"Come on, come to the sofa," the young man called to her, holding the remote, "I've already chosen a movie. Don't worry about the flowers."
"It's just that I feel bad seeing them like this," Macie said, gently stroking a daisy petal. Half of the flowers had lost some petals as they fell off, "they look so sad..."
"Macie, they're just cut flowers that were going to wilt eventually," The young woman clasped her hands tightly at his words, as if she'd forgotten that he'd given them to her himself, "I can always buy you more if you want."
"Yeah, right..." With a grimace, she moved away from the counter and toward the sofa.
The ghost looked at the flowers and then at Macie, watching her shuffle toward the seat. That detail had been important to her; the fact that this guy didn't seem to care, despite it being her gift, made him even more annoyed.
"Okay, what did you choose?" Macie smiled, but her smile vanished when she saw he didn't recognize the movie on the screen. "What... What is this?"
"American Pie."
"You've made three mistakes since you got here," the ghost shook his head, seeing how badly he was messing things up.
"Couldn't we watch something more romantic?" Macie lowered his hand before he could play the movie. "There's one that caught my eye, it's about a guy who has a ghost in his apartment—"
"A ghost?" The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow, curious about her choice, moving closer to the sofa and sitting on the armrest.
"What about '365 Days'? That one’s romantic too, and I’m sure you’ll really like it, " Klaus suggested, shrugging.
Jake didn’t need to know what the guy was trying to do. He wanted to win her over somehow. Macie tilted her head, making a small face.
"It’s just that it doesn’t appeal to me. I’m not really into that romantic interest," the young woman said, placing her hands in her lap in a way that made the ghost think she was protecting herself from something.
"You’ll see, you’ll like it in the end."
"Klaus, I prefer something quiet, you know?" Macie looked at him intently, hoping he’d get the hint.
"Okay, okay, we’ll watch that movie," Klaus conceded, settling back on the sofa.
"Thanks," Macie replied in a small voice. She didn’t see it as a victory, since it was something they would have to decide together, and if he didn’t want to, then it wasn’t worth it. And she'd also noticed that her options were for more than just watching a movie.
But at least a romantic movie would ease the awkwardness.
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Everything was going well while they watched the movie. Sometimes Macie even made small comments about how she was enjoying it, to which Klaus simply nodded and uttered a curt ‘Yes’ and ‘Good’.
The young woman was happy, by his side, relaxed, with nothing bothering her like other times. She simply wanted her boyfriend to stop always trying to touch her and insisting on more than just kisses; she also wanted moments when she could sit with him and be comfortable.
Of course, for Klaus, that didn't last even halfway through the movie. He began to slide his hand up her leg, slowly caressing it until he reached the button of her jeans, which made her stop him.
"The movie, Klaus," Macie sighed, hiding her annoyance.
"Sorry," the blond leaned down to her neck, beginning to kiss it, "it's just that I'm really tempted to see that button fastening those tight jeans."
The dark-haired young man watched the scene with annoyance, seeing the blonde push him away as if she were afraid of upsetting him. Macie paused the movie, turning to face her boyfriend.
"But I want us to have a quiet night sometime," Macie replied, looking into his blue eyes, trying to elicit a little sympathy with her words, "it can't be that you always want to do it when we're together."
"What's wrong with that? We've already done it."
"Nothing, but…" Macie bit the inside of her cheek, nervously looking down. "I don't want a relationship based solely on us having sex all the time, you understand?"
Again, the ghost saw her guarding up by placing a hand in front of the button of her pants. He even saw a slight tremor in her fingers, something that was incredible her boyfriend didn't notice.
"Yes, of course, I understand," Klaus nodded, getting up from the sofa. "Hey, I'm going to the bathroom for a minute. You can keep watching the movie."
"But you're going to miss it—"
"It's okay, you can tell me what happened later," The young man leaned in slightly, kissing her forehead, "I'll be right back."
"Okay." Macie sat down opposite him again, picked up the remote, and started playing the movie again.
The ghost followed Klaus into the bathroom, wanting to keep a close eye on him.
Just as he suspected, the first thing Klaus did when he entered the bathroom was pull out his phone and text someone about his situation. He didn't recognize the man's name, even though he'd heard every name his ‘‘roommate’’ had mentioned.
When he read the question about the amount needed to make Macie want sex, the ghost felt that anger again. Only this time it was much more intense.
"Okay, fine," Klaus looked at himself in the mirror, fixing his hair, "calm down, Klaus. What does it matter what she said? In the end, she always ends up liking how I touch and kiss her. It's clear she's playing hard to get now. She's been testing me ever since we did it. She loves to tempt me," he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small plastic bag with a couple of pills, "but that was a while ago. I'm tired of waiting."
"Did not you see how uncomfortable you made her feel? Did not you ever see how her hands were trembling?" The ghost spoke again in a harsh voice, his fists clenched tightly. "You have not respected her once. All you have done is touch her when she did not want you to," the lights began to flicker in the bathroom, making the blond man stare at the ceiling in confusion. "Macie has given you so many chances to behave that this time there will not be another one."
"What the hell—"
Klaus stared at the mirror, gazing at a reflection he didn’t recognize. It was the first time the ghost had seen himself reflected in it, with an expression he couldn’t quite place. But he didn’t care if it was to protect her from someone like him.
The mirror began to shatter, making the young man jump back in fright.
"Klaus? What’s wrong?" Macie asked from the other side of the door.
"What’s wrong?! Your apartment is cursed!" He opened the door, roughly pushing Macie aside, without considering the force that ended up knocking her to the ground. "I'm not coming back here until you call an exorcist!"
Macie sat up, clutching her head in a groan. It had been so hard that the pain still lingered. Then she looked at her arm, noticing the red mark left by the blow; she was sure it would be a bruise for days to come.
The ghost crouched down beside her, extending his hand to try and soothe the pain with its coldness.
"Who are you?!" Macie shouted, backing away from him.
The young man raised both hands, trying to calm her.
"Wait, are you seeing me?" he asked, confused, as he stood up.
"No, of course I'm not seeing you," Macie replied sarcastically, as she too stood up. "How did you get into my apartment? When? How come I didn't notice?" The ghost opened and closed his mouth, confused and unsure how to respond.
His eyes, still in surprise, stared at the young woman, then at his hands. He hadn't even touched her. How was it possible that she could see him now?
"I am sorry, Macie, I didn’t mean to—"
"Macie?" The young woman pointed to herself, now looking at him in surprise. "How do you know my name?" She started walking backward toward the kitchen, her eyes never leaving him.
"I know this is going to sound really weird—"
"More weird than you secretly living in my apartment or knowing me without me knowing you?" She grabbed the frying pan that was hanging on the wall and held her arms out in his direction. "And you'd better give me a good answer, or I'll report you to the police!"
The ghost nodded, taking a small, slow step forward. This startled Macie, who, out of fear, moved forward and tried to hit him with the frying pan.
It was then, when it pierced her, that she felt her body completely frozen.
"What was that—"
"Did you just hit me with the frying pan?" the ghost asked, offended, pointing to his head. "You wanted me to answer."
"Yes! But don't come any closer!" She raised the frying pan toward him again, though she knew it wouldn't work this time. "Who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?"
"Please do not be scared by what I am about to tell you," the young man closed his eyes, trying to speak slowly. It had been quite a while since he'd spoken to anyone; he felt he'd lost his touch after talking to himself for so long, "but I have been living here for three years—"
"What— Wait, I've been here for four months."
"As a ghost."
Macie blinked, thinking she was starting to go crazy despite having seen him pass right through her.
"Who are you?" Slowly, she lowered the frying pan, looking at him fearfully.
"My name is Jake," he said, reaching for his sweatshirt and pulling down the collar. The young woman noticed a mark around his neck, stifling a scream of terror, "and I died in this apartment."
*For now, this oneshot serves as an idea for a future story. So, if you liked it and want more, let me know so I can keep it in mind when I finish the story I'm currently writing.
As a side note, what I wrote about Macie and Klaus's relationship was exactly as I described it. I wanted to be able to explain it sometime in the Moonvale story when relationships were discussed, but I decided to show you what it was like and the reasons why Macie feels more comfortable with Jake. That's all there is to say.*
At first, she had taken it as part of the process of change. The shortness of breath due to anxiety and the stress of a new stage in her life. The start of university, moving away from home—despite living in the same city—living alone in an apartment without her parents, studying much more complicated subjects than before in order to get the degree she wanted, knowing that she wouldn't always have time to have fun… For her, it was all a matter of logic, with perfectly normal explanations; after all, everything was new to her.
Of course, she could understand it if it had been the first month, but three months of waking up at four in the morning? The process was always the same since she moved into that apartment: the shortness of breath, as if she had a string tied around her throat.
The young woman put a hand to her throat as she sat up in bed, coughing for air. Once she managed to catch her breath, she checked her alarm clock. Of course, four in the morning. Always so precise.
She was calmer after the first month, so she didn't understand why she was still short of breath. Perhaps it was psychological? She brushed the hair from her face, which had stuck to it with sweat, and got up slowly, trying to prevent the slight dizziness from the lack of air from making her fall to the floor.
She left her room, where a young man with dark hair was sitting comfortably on the sofa.
"Let me guess: You felt like you were drowning again," he said calmly, turning to face her.
He leaned back against the headboard of the sofa, watching as the blonde opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water.
She didn't answer him; she simply drank from the bottle, ignoring him.
"And now, you come to the sofa and put on your favorite show," the young man said, watching her approach, placing the bottle on the coffee table and picking up the remote.
"Let's see, where was I?" she murmured to herself, stretching out on the sofa.
The young man moved back slightly when he saw her feet were about to brush against him, wanting to give her space.
"I wish you could hear me," the dark-haired man said, looking at her with pity as he realized that despite her attempt to move away, her feet had brushed against him, almost touching him.
The young woman complained about the cold she had felt, curling up on the sofa.
While she watched the show, the ghost never took his eyes off the young woman, attentive to every detail. Listening attentively to the words of the actor she longed for.
He had been observing her ever since she moved into the apartment, of course setting boundaries, like not entering her room when she was changing or in the bathroom when she was showering. Other times he had to look away when she came out in her underwear, stressed from searching for something important. Just because he was a ghost didn't make him a stalker… Or at least that's what he thought, when he saw her sleeping through the early hours of the night undisturbed. He longed to talk to her or tell her that he hadn't intended to be in her apartment without her permission; after all, it had once been his.
He watched as she began to close her eyes, drifting back to sleep after relaxing.
The ghost got up from the sofa, approaching the television when she was already fast asleep. He interacted with it, turning it off with his energy. Then he looked at her again, with a sad smile.
"Sleep well, Macie."
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Macie ran through the house under the watchful green gaze of the ghost, leaning against the wall as if it were a live-action movie.
"Where did I leave my phone?" The blonde finished arranging the sofa cushions, her hands on her hips. "I could swear I left it here yesterday because I was too tired."
"I do not know," the ghost shrugged as she circled the sofa again, "maybe it is time you got a new one, or better yet, a new number."
He wouldn't normally hide her phone from her unless there was a good reason, and at that moment, there was a good one he wanted to protect her from.
"Wait..." She strode to the bedroom, and the ghost followed, rolling his eyes, knowing she'd guessed.
He watched her duck under the bed, pulling out the phone. She checked her messages and looked at him in surprise.
"Wow... That's... Quite a few messages from Klaus," she muttered to herself, scrolling through the chat.
"If I were you, I would forget about him," the dark-haired man said, squatting in front of her and glaring at the screen. "Remember what happened the last time he came?"
Macie sat up, leaning against the bed, biting her thumbnail. His apologetic messages had made her start to doubt him.
"Let's see... His words sound sincere..." Macie took a deep breath and shrugged.
"And I am telling you, it is a trap," the ghost tried to take her phone, but instead, he only sent a shiver down her spine.
Macie breathed hot air on her hand after feeling the icy breeze. The young ghost slowly withdrew his hand, feeling bad about what he had done.
"I guess I can accept him coming over tonight," she finally began to reply, though her typing was slow and she kept deleting and changing words, trying to make sure the message didn't make her seem like the bad guy in the relationship.
"You are making the biggest mistake of your life," the ghost sighed, even though he knew he was gasping for air. But it was that feeling of “coexisting” with her that made him believe he was still alive.
"Okay, send," she nodded as if she'd done a good job, then checked the time. "Oh my god! I'm going to be late for first class!" She jumped up from the floor and left the room. "And I still have to get the cats their water and food. Stupid phone. Why do you have to disappear every morning?"
The ghost shook his head. The ghost shook his head. Of course, he wasn't doing it maliciously, but as a way to protect her from that boy who seemed like an idiot to him. Seeing his messages made him uncomfortable, and even though Klaus didn't see it, it made Macie uncomfortable too, but she didn't have the courage to tell him. He wished she would at least tell someone, someone who could put a stop to it.
He went to the window as soon as he heard the apartment door open, watching as she placed two plates in the shade, pouring water into one plate and a can of food into the other. The kittens approached her, rubbing against her legs in thanks. Macie stood up, waving goodbye and walking up the street.
He couldn't help but smile at the gesture, and at the same time, he felt a pang of loneliness at not hearing her voice. The apartment felt cold; the energy had completely shifted. It was like when he realized she had died.
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Macie adjusted her heavy bag, smoothing her hair from running. Sitting on a bench, she found her friends chatting animatedly. As she approached, the dark-haired girl stood up first, hugging her. A redhead then stood up, waiting her turn for a hug.
"Hi Macie," she greeted with a smile. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Hi Lian," Macie returned the hug, then stepped back, glancing at the girl still on the bench, "let's just say I woke up at the same time again with the same symptoms," then she noticed the other girl raise her hand in greeting and walked over, giving her another hug. "Hi Jessy, how are you?"
"I'm fine," the redhead smiled, returning the hug tightly, "but we're really worried about you, Macie. It's been four months now. You should do something," she stepped back, looking at her with concern.
"You could go back to your parents’ house," the young brunette sitting on the bench remarked with a mocking smile, "maybe your anxiety is because you miss your childhood bedroom."
Macie grimaced, while her two friends rolled their eyes.
"Even though I don’t like to agree with Charlotte, maybe she has a point," Lian said. They waited for Charlotte to get up from the bench and start walking toward the building, "perhaps you should talk to a professional about your anxiety attacks—"
"They’re not anxiety attacks," Macie complained, stepping forward to turn and face them both, "I wake up feeling like something is suffocating me, always at the same time, and as far as I know, nothing has ever happened to me at four in the morning."
"That's super weird," Jessy frowned, crossing her arms protectively, "it's like—"
"You have a spirit in your house that died at that time," the blonde rolled her eyes at the male voice behind her.
She looked at the dark-haired, blue-eyed boy. His tattoo stood out, running from his neck down his right arm in the shape of a snake. In his left hand, he held a rose with several thorns that looked as if they were piercing his skin, with small drops of blood. It was quite striking with his gothic style, though luckily for him, he wasn't the only one.
Lian and Jessy exchanged mischievous smiles, as if they were sharing thoughts about how attractive the young man was. Charlotte, on the other hand, made a face of disdain at the sight.
"Since you're more of a science guy, how come you have that thought, Gabe?" Macie asked, walking again, this time with the boy following them.
"Just because I study medicine doesn’t mean I can’t think there’s more to our world than just flesh and blood," Gabe said, rolling his eyes with a mocking smile.
"Another one who needs a psychologist," Charlotte muttered, elbowing Jessy.
Gabe frowned, ignoring her. Macie simply decided to continue the conversation, since he was the expert.
"Okay, genius, since I’m more into finding logic in inexplicable things, if according to you I have a spirit in my apartment, how do I contact it to tell it to leave and let me sleep?" They stopped at the door of the young man’s classroom as other students entered.
"Easy, using a Ouija board," Charlotte answered for him, crossing her arms. "Isn’t that the object for communicating with the dead?"
"Yes, but misuse it and you might not communicate with the spirit of your apartment, but rather attract something much darker," Gabe glared at Charlotte, as if to warn her about the bad idea she had suggested.
"My worst nightmare would be using a Ouija board and having my grandfather appear, criticizing my family and the decisions we women make," Lian shuddered, making Macie smirk.
"Yeah, you girls are laughing, but trying to talk to spirits isn’t funny," the boy’s tone hardened, then he looked at Macie, seeking her support.
The blonde nodded. She'd known him since they were kids, so she understood why he took these things so seriously.
"No Ouija boards, got it," She raised her hands in surrender. "So what do I do? Make them pay part of the rent?"
"First, make sure you really have a spirit. Try recording some audio while you're sleeping," Macie nodded, accepting her words, "then, get help to cleanse your house of bad energy if you really do have a spirit bothering you, or if it's just stress," after saying that, he entered the classroom, with a look that even terrified his friend.
Of course, she didn't believe in things like ghosts or demonic creatures; all that existed in movies. But she did believe in her friend, and him advising her to find someone to cleanse her house wasn't exactly pleasant.
"That guy's crazy," Charlotte laughed, walking back to her room. "What nickname should we give him? I know! 'The Mad Man in Colville'."
"Lottie, don't make fun of him," Lian started following her, leaving Macie behind.
The blonde sighed, not liking her advice at all. She knew perfectly well that she lived alone and didn't want her parents to find out. Especially since if her mother found out, she'd have the priest at her house because everyone exaggerated.
"Are you okay?" Jessy placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention.
Macie blinked, returning to her thoughts.
"Yes, I'm fine," she smiled to reassure her, although she was a little nervous about the strange things that had been happening to her.
It wasn't a ghost, but it wasn't just anxiety about the change either. Whatever it was, she needed a logical explanation.
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After hours of class, Macie asked her friends for help choosing outfits for that night. Or rather, she wanted to talk to them about whether she'd made the right decision inviting him over.
So, there they were, the three of them in the room, unaware that someone else was watching them from the doorway, shaking his head at the thought of the young woman's bad idea in letting that boy over.
"Okay… Midnight blue or pale pink?" Macie pulled out two dresses, holding them up in front of her as if to introduce them.
Her friends were on the bed. Lian sat clutching an old-looking stuffed rabbit, Jessy tilted her head at the dresses, focused on the colors, and Charlotte lay on her stomach, making faces at the sight of both dresses.
"Pink is pretty," Lian replied, shrugging.
"I think blue is more classic," Jessy pointed at it, smiling excitedly.
"What if you just open the door wearing only a robe?" Charlotte suggested, getting out of bed.
"Do not even think about listening to her," the ghost said quickly, looking embarrassed.
Macie rolled her eyes, putting the dresses back in the closet.
"I want it to be a normal night, just watching movies and spending time together trying to forget about last weekend," she looked through her clothes again, this time pulling out an off-the-shoulder top and skinny jeans, waiting for her friends’ opinions.
"I think it’s better if you wear this," from one of the dresser drawers, Charlotte pulled out lace lingerie, waving it in the air. Jessy whistled and Lian gasped at the sight of the garments. "What if we ask the ghost what he thinks of this idea?"
The young man looked at Macie, embarrassed. He was lucky she couldn’t see him, but he wasn’t one to spy. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do but look away.
"Hey, Ghost who haunts Macie every night!" Charlotte approached Macie, pulling the bra over her, while her friend sighed in exasperation. "Since you're such a perverted ghost, how about she wears this? Which one do you think would turn him on? Or her, we don't know what it is."
"Charlotte, stop it," Macie snatched the underwear back into the drawer. "There's no ghost here, let's drop it."
"Unfortunately, you have one," the young man replied, trying to calm himself, "but no, I am not a pervert like your friend thinks."
"What if you tell him you've changed your mind and not to come?" Jessy suggested calmly.
"Or you could tell him you're busy studying and leave him waiting for your texts," Lian said, setting the stuffed animal aside, seeing that the situation was really worrying her friend.
"Look, that is the best idea I have heard since you girls got here," the ghost stood next to Macie. She shivered at the coldness emanating from him.
The blonde bit her lip, considering backing out and ending things over the phone. But she was someone who believed in romance and wanted to try again, to start over.
"No, no, I've got it under control," Macie breathed slowly, nodding. "It's not like we have to sleep together, we're just going to see each other and spend the night peacefully."
"Please, you and Klaus have already sex," Charlotte crossed her arms, looking at her with a mischievous smile, "it's not like it's not your first time."
"What did you do with that guy?" The ghost looked at Macie, a mixture of surprise and concern on his face. He hadn't known about this. Now he understood quite a few things from when he came around.
For a moment, the ghost thought Macie was looking at him when she looked away from her friend, but in reality, she was hiding an expression of discomfort.
Worried about her reaction, he reached out to her, affectionately stroking her cheek—or at least, trying to—. Macie felt that cold again, along with a tickling sensation on her skin. She brought her hand to her face, caressing the side he had touched. For a second, she felt breathless, as if someone were stealing it from her.
The ghost lowered his hand, frustrated that he couldn't feel her the way he wanted. It was incredible that just by watching her interact in that apartment, he had grown fond of her in an inexplicable way.
"But we've had our problems," Macie finally replied, regaining her composure after that strange sensation, "so tonight will be the night of his redemption."
"Well said, he has to win her heart again," Lian approved, looking at her with pride.
The young man didn't like her idea. He knew he wasn't going to change; he had seen it every time he had visited. That boy didn't really know how to treat her.
"And that night of redemption…" Charlotte looked in the drawers, pulling out a pack of condoms. "Are you going to need these?" She wiggled her eyebrows as a mischievous smile appeared.
"For someone who doesn't want to do anything with her boyfriend, you're pretty prepared," Jessy laughed, giving the blonde a playful nudge with her hip, while looking at her with a sly grin.
The ghost looked up, letting out a long sigh. It was incredible that he hadn't seen it until now, or at least, hadn't noticed. Although it wasn't really his business; she could do whatever she wanted because she was alive. The problem was that he didn't like who she was with.
"Give me that!" Macie shouted as she approached her, who threw the box to Lian, who managed to catch it in mid-air.
"Oh! Now I understand the problem!" Lian waved the box, while Macie glared at her. "No wonder you're upset."
Jessy approached Lian and read the box. She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a laugh.
"Well, it's known that when men have an erection, their penis gets bigger," the redhead cleared her throat, hiding her laughter, "so it's fine if you buy this size."
"Very funny, all of you," Macie held out her hand as she approached her friend, gesturing for the box back, "I didn't even buy it; he left it there 'just in case.'"
The young man looked over curiously, then glared at the girls.
"Speaking for all men of all sizes, you are being cruel and discriminatory," the ghost remarked, looking at the blonde's friends, "but I think he deserves the ridicule for being rude to you."
Lian sighed, handing the box back. Macie put it away again, turning her back on her friends.
The ghost approached her, positioning himself in front to get a better look. He knew perfectly well that wasn't the problem because he had seen it with his own eyes. More than anything, he wanted to help her. And sadly, he couldn't. It pained him to see her like that, and that all he could do was pass his hands through her and make her feel his cold touch.
"Okay, I think I'll choose the jeans," Macie said, putting on a smile, trying to calm her friends. "Like I said, it's a second chance night. I want to see him behave like a gentleman and respect me."
"I don't understand why he hasn't dumped you already," Charlotte commented, shaking her head.
"Because he loves me," the blonde replied quickly.
"He does not love you, he is obsessed with you," the ghost replied irritably, crossing his arms. "Someone who loves you does not make you feel bad or uncomfortable like he does."
But no matter how hard he tried to tell her, to talk to her, Macie wouldn't listen. His words didn't reach her, as if there were a wall between them.
And that wall was never going to fall down.
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The young woman looked at herself in the mirror, admiring her natural makeup. She tilted her head, trying to figure out how to style her hair, while unbeknownst to her, the ghost of her apartment stood beside her, watching her with a smile.
"No matter what you do with your hair, you always look perfect," he remarked, admiring her.
Macie took a slow breath, reaching for a hair clip. The young man noticed her trembling hand. She was nervous.
When she went to put it in her hair, it slipped from her grasp, causing her to let out a small gasp.
She bent down at the same time as him, instinctively wanting to help her.
His hand passed through Macie's, again pierced by the ghostly chill.
Macie looked up, her gaze fixed straight ahead, as if her eyes were locked on the young man's frozen green eyes, wondering if perhaps they had made some kind of contact and he could see it.
The ghost stared at her, examining every part of her face. From her warm brown eyes, taking in each long eyelash, to the round nose that she found adorable in its shape, and finally her lips, too close to notice.
"But what am I thinking?" they both blurted out at the same time, getting up from the floor.
Macie adjusted her hair clip, letting a few strands fall across her face.
"No… You're not making a mistake, Macie," she told herself, looking at herself in the mirror, leaning against the sink, "you know each other through Stephan, and he's a good guy. How can you not give him another chance?"
"You are making a mistake," the dark-haired man said, standing beside her, leaning against the sink, his tone angry. More at the boy than at her. "Macie, call him and tell him you have changed your mind. This is not what you want."
Macie looked at her phone, feeling a voice telling her she should call him.
"That is it, now pick up your phone and tell him it is over."
The young woman sighed, taking her phone in her hands.
Just as she went to the calling app, there was a knock at the door.
She put her phone away, and the ghost leaned against the mirror, noticing he'd arrived even earlier than expected.
"Flowers?" he heard from outside, her voice happy.
"To apologize for what happened," hearing Klaus's voice made him nauseous. He was sure that if he could throw up, he would right then and there.
It wasn't the first time he'd brought her something and then made her feel uncomfortable. He didn't understand what Macie's problem was with ending things with him completely, but he hoped she would open her eyes and realize that she had given him more than one chance.
"They're beautiful, thank you so much."
"And so we begin again..." the ghost muttered in frustration, knowing that he was going to witness it again without being able to do anything.
Macie took a pitcher from the kitchen cupboard and filled it with water, placing the flowers inside.
The young man who had just arrived leaned against the counter, watching her do this.
"So, what are our plans for tonight?" He bit his lip, raising his eyebrows and looking her up and down.
"I thought we could do something quiet," Macie replied, carefully setting the pitcher aside, "we could order a pizza and watch a movie... Talk a little about us..."
"Talk about us?" The long-haired blond man looked at her, puzzled, sitting up on the counter.
"Yeah, like... I don't know..." The young woman shrugged, giving him a small smile. "About our relationship, you know, how to move forward together."
"Oh, okay, you scared me," Klaus said, putting a hand to his chest and letting out a sigh of relief. "Phew! I think I'd better order that pizza. Should I do it?"
"Sure, but no pizza with anchovies," the young woman warned, raising her finger in a warning gesture.
"Yeah, yeah, no pizza with anchovies," while Klaus pulled out his phone, Macie went over to the sofa to grab the remote and find a movie.
The young ghost approached Klaus with a hint of suspicion, watching his phone as he searched for a pizza, doubting he would actually listen to his request.
"Oh, dude, it’s on sale because it’s new," he muttered, seeing exactly what Macie didn’t want. He glanced behind him, making sure she continued searching for a movie for that night. "Well, she can give them to me if she don’t like them, it’s not that bad."
"And the award for worst boyfriend goes to…" The ghost glared at him, feeling a strange energy surge through his body.
At that moment, the pitcher exploded, spilling the water and scattering the flowers on the floor. Macie screamed, and when she turned around, her expression was one of shock.
"Why did you throw it?" she asked, going to the kitchen and bending down to pick up the flowers.
"Me? The pitcher just exploded!"
The ghost slowly backed away, feeling bad about what he had done. He had to control himself, or he might end up hurting her, and he didn't want to do that.
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After the incident, Klaus ordered the pizza after helping her clear the broken glass, mop the floor, and dry the counter, leaving the flowers lying there. Macie looked at them with pity; seeing them lying there, they looked as if they were already dead.
"Come on, come to the sofa," the young man called to her, holding the remote, "I've already chosen a movie. Don't worry about the flowers."
"It's just that I feel bad seeing them like this," Macie said, gently stroking a daisy petal. Half of the flowers had lost some petals as they fell off, "they look so sad..."
"Macie, they're just cut flowers that were going to wilt eventually," The young woman clasped her hands tightly at his words, as if she'd forgotten that he'd given them to her himself, "I can always buy you more if you want."
"Yeah, right..." With a grimace, she moved away from the counter and toward the sofa.
The ghost looked at the flowers and then at Macie, watching her shuffle toward the seat. That detail had been important to her; the fact that this guy didn't seem to care, despite it being her gift, made him even more annoyed.
"Okay, what did you choose?" Macie smiled, but her smile vanished when she saw he didn't recognize the movie on the screen. "What... What is this?"
"American Pie."
"You've made three mistakes since you got here," the ghost shook his head, seeing how badly he was messing things up.
"Couldn't we watch something more romantic?" Macie lowered his hand before he could play the movie. "There's one that caught my eye, it's about a guy who has a ghost in his apartment—"
"A ghost?" The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow, curious about her choice, moving closer to the sofa and sitting on the armrest.
"What about '365 Days'? That one’s romantic too, and I’m sure you’ll really like it, " Klaus suggested, shrugging.
Jake didn’t need to know what the guy was trying to do. He wanted to win her over somehow. Macie tilted her head, making a small face.
"It’s just that it doesn’t appeal to me. I’m not really into that romantic interest," the young woman said, placing her hands in her lap in a way that made the ghost think she was protecting herself from something.
"You’ll see, you’ll like it in the end."
"Klaus, I prefer something quiet, you know?" Macie looked at him intently, hoping he’d get the hint.
"Okay, okay, we’ll watch that movie," Klaus conceded, settling back on the sofa.
"Thanks," Macie replied in a small voice. She didn’t see it as a victory, since it was something they would have to decide together, and if he didn’t want to, then it wasn’t worth it. And she'd also noticed that her options were for more than just watching a movie.
But at least a romantic movie would ease the awkwardness.
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Everything was going well while they watched the movie. Sometimes Macie even made small comments about how she was enjoying it, to which Klaus simply nodded and uttered a curt ‘Yes’ and ‘Good’.
The young woman was happy, by his side, relaxed, with nothing bothering her like other times. She simply wanted her boyfriend to stop always trying to touch her and insisting on more than just kisses; she also wanted moments when she could sit with him and be comfortable.
Of course, for Klaus, that didn't last even halfway through the movie. He began to slide his hand up her leg, slowly caressing it until he reached the button of her jeans, which made her stop him.
"The movie, Klaus," Macie sighed, hiding her annoyance.
"Sorry," the blond leaned down to her neck, beginning to kiss it, "it's just that I'm really tempted to see that button fastening those tight jeans."
The dark-haired young man watched the scene with annoyance, seeing the blonde push him away as if she were afraid of upsetting him. Macie paused the movie, turning to face her boyfriend.
"But I want us to have a quiet night sometime," Macie replied, looking into his blue eyes, trying to elicit a little sympathy with her words, "it can't be that you always want to do it when we're together."
"What's wrong with that? We've already done it."
"Nothing, but…" Macie bit the inside of her cheek, nervously looking down. "I don't want a relationship based solely on us having sex all the time, you understand?"
Again, the ghost saw her guarding up by placing a hand in front of the button of her pants. He even saw a slight tremor in her fingers, something that was incredible her boyfriend didn't notice.
"Yes, of course, I understand," Klaus nodded, getting up from the sofa. "Hey, I'm going to the bathroom for a minute. You can keep watching the movie."
"But you're going to miss it—"
"It's okay, you can tell me what happened later," The young man leaned in slightly, kissing her forehead, "I'll be right back."
"Okay." Macie sat down opposite him again, picked up the remote, and started playing the movie again.
The ghost followed Klaus into the bathroom, wanting to keep a close eye on him.
Just as he suspected, the first thing Klaus did when he entered the bathroom was pull out his phone and text someone about his situation. He didn't recognize the man's name, even though he'd heard every name his ‘‘roommate’’ had mentioned.
When he read the question about the amount needed to make Macie want sex, the ghost felt that anger again. Only this time it was much more intense.
"Okay, fine," Klaus looked at himself in the mirror, fixing his hair, "calm down, Klaus. What does it matter what she said? In the end, she always ends up liking how I touch and kiss her. It's clear she's playing hard to get now. She's been testing me ever since we did it. She loves to tempt me," he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small plastic bag with a couple of pills, "but that was a while ago. I'm tired of waiting."
"Did not you see how uncomfortable you made her feel? Did not you ever see how her hands were trembling?" The ghost spoke again in a harsh voice, his fists clenched tightly. "You have not respected her once. All you have done is touch her when she did not want you to," the lights began to flicker in the bathroom, making the blond man stare at the ceiling in confusion. "Macie has given you so many chances to behave that this time there will not be another one."
"What the hell—"
Klaus stared at the mirror, gazing at a reflection he didn’t recognize. It was the first time the ghost had seen himself reflected in it, with an expression he couldn’t quite place. But he didn’t care if it was to protect her from someone like him.
The mirror began to shatter, making the young man jump back in fright.
"Klaus? What’s wrong?" Macie asked from the other side of the door.
"What’s wrong?! Your apartment is cursed!" He opened the door, roughly pushing Macie aside, without considering the force that ended up knocking her to the ground. "I'm not coming back here until you call an exorcist!"
Macie sat up, clutching her head in a groan. It had been so hard that the pain still lingered. Then she looked at her arm, noticing the red mark left by the blow; she was sure it would be a bruise for days to come.
The ghost crouched down beside her, extending his hand to try and soothe the pain with its coldness.
"Who are you?!" Macie shouted, backing away from him.
The young man raised both hands, trying to calm her.
"Wait, are you seeing me?" he asked, confused, as he stood up.
"No, of course I'm not seeing you," Macie replied sarcastically, as she too stood up. "How did you get into my apartment? When? How come I didn't notice?" The ghost opened and closed his mouth, confused and unsure how to respond.
His eyes, still in surprise, stared at the young woman, then at his hands. He hadn't even touched her. How was it possible that she could see him now?
"I am sorry, Macie, I didn’t mean to—"
"Macie?" The young woman pointed to herself, now looking at him in surprise. "How do you know my name?" She started walking backward toward the kitchen, her eyes never leaving him.
"I know this is going to sound really weird—"
"More weird than you secretly living in my apartment or knowing me without me knowing you?" She grabbed the frying pan that was hanging on the wall and held her arms out in his direction. "And you'd better give me a good answer, or I'll report you to the police!"
The ghost nodded, taking a small, slow step forward. This startled Macie, who, out of fear, moved forward and tried to hit him with the frying pan.
It was then, when it pierced her, that she felt her body completely frozen.
"What was that—"
"Did you just hit me with the frying pan?" the ghost asked, offended, pointing to his head. "You wanted me to answer."
"Yes! But don't come any closer!" She raised the frying pan toward him again, though she knew it wouldn't work this time. "Who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?"
"Please do not be scared by what I am about to tell you," the young man closed his eyes, trying to speak slowly. It had been quite a while since he'd spoken to anyone; he felt he'd lost his touch after talking to himself for so long, "but I have been living here for three years—"
"What— Wait, I've been here for four months."
"As a ghost."
Macie blinked, thinking she was starting to go crazy despite having seen him pass right through her.
"Who are you?" Slowly, she lowered the frying pan, looking at him fearfully.
"My name is Jake," he said, reaching for his sweatshirt and pulling down the collar. The young woman noticed a mark around his neck, stifling a scream of terror, "and I died in this apartment."
*For now, this oneshot serves as an idea for a future story. So, if you liked it and want more, let me know so I can keep it in mind when I finish the story I'm currently writing.
As a side note, what I wrote about Macie and Klaus's relationship was exactly as I described it. I wanted to be able to explain it sometime in the Moonvale story when relationships were discussed, but I decided to show you what it was like and the reasons why Macie feels more comfortable with Jake. That's all there is to say.*
This story, chronologically, takes place before "Crossed Destinies" in Macie's life. I wanted to give more backstory to her teenage past, and I was really eager to write it. I wanted to wait until we had an actor cast for Charlie, so here it is at last. Enjoy!
I didn't usually like going on field trips with my classmates. But I'd come up with a plan for today that she didn't know about. Always the rebellious one in the family.
<< Perhaps that's why my uncle's family considers me a bad influence on my cousin.>>
While everyone was distracted, I would sneak away to explore the rest of the castle and search for the hidden room of the legend.
My mother was happy that this time I had given her the permission slip for the field trip, saying that she had prayed a lot that I would one day appreciate ''the company of people my own age''. In other words, that I would put the crimes aside and focus on being a teenager like everyone else. The problem was that the school I went to was a private one, so the vast majority of the students came from wealthy families, which meant I didn't like any of them.
I see everyone on the bus, in small groups and laughing together, while I listen to music on my phone.
Well, I could admit that I feel a little sorry for her being alone all the time, but since I already had an online friend and we texted quite a bit, I felt less alone.
I was waiting to find that hidden room so I could tell everyone about it on the forum, reveal its existence, and find out what's inside.
Of course, if no one has found it, who's to say I ever will? But it's a good excuse to get away from these rich people.
<< If people like me didn't call me a poser, maybe I wouldn't be so alone.>>
(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
As I got off the bus, I saw that there were others from different schools. Perfect, the more people there are, the easier it will be for me to blend in and disappear.
The teachers called our names and we approached. I lagged behind, while I heard them telling me to hurry up. Some classmates turned to look at me and laughed, whispering, 'Look at the walking corpse, always trying to get attention'.
Of course, I made a face and pointed to the small voodoo doll in my backpack with a mischievous grin. They both turned away again, startled by my threat, calling me Satan's girlfriend.
Oh, right, I forgot to mention that it's a school for wealthy Christians. So, another reason why I don't like it—nothing against religions, I respect them, but if some people are going to pick on me, why not defend myself then?
A guide called all the students from all the schools forward, using a microphone to introduce themselves.
I glance at the other schools and slowly blend in, even though my blue uniform is a bit conspicuous. But who's going to notice right now?
I bump into a student from another school, and he stares at me with brown eyes, almost like a puppy's. I signal him to be quiet and slowly walk away again, noticing that he's been staring at me like an idiot.
When I finally managed to break free from the crowd and head in the direction I wanted, I pulled out my phone, looking at the old map they'd given me on the forum. Apparently, there was a section no one had ever been to because it was supposedly dangerous, but I was always willing to take risks in abandoned places, so this was my chance.
"I think the museum visit is on the other side," I jumped at the sound of a male voice and turned around.
I saw the guy from before, pointing behind him. I grimaced, annoyed.
"Are you my teacher now?" I asked, putting my phone in my bag.
"No, but I was just letting you know."
I saw that he wasn't moving to go and warn the teachers, which was rather odd.
"And you're not going to tell on me?" I asked again, crossing my arms.
"Why would I?" I saw him mimic me, smiling. When he tilts his head, his brown curls move too, looking rather comical, "I think we both had the same plan."
I look him up and down, scrutinizing him. He seems harmless, or he would have done something to me by now.
Of course, I don't know if I can completely trust him; maybe he's lying to get something from me.
"Tell me," I take a step toward him, intimidating even though he's a head taller than me, "What am I planning?"
"You're going to look for the castle's secret room, aren't you?" He points to the old building behind me, and I look at him again, surprised. "I'm hunting for strange, ghostly noises."
I roll my eyes. Oh no, someone who believes in ghosts. He's no good if he can't think logically.
I turn around and start walking, then I hear him following me.
"What's your name? " he asks, standing beside me. "I'm Char—"
"I don't care," I reply quickly, not wanting to get involved with him, "you'll slow me down, so I'd rather go alone."
"Are you really going to a castle that might crumble in places?" I glance at him and see a sly smile, "I don't know, I think you need a partner. "
"You're just a kid, you're no good to me."
"And you're not? You're probably sixteen too, right? Or am I wrong? Unless you're... I don't know... one hundred and twenty? " I let out a weak laugh, realizing he's mocking me. "Because maybe I'm talking to a vampire who is tricking me into taking my blood later."
<< Oh my god, is he really that stupid or is he just trying to bring it up because I look interested?>>
I stop and look around. I don't like giving my real name to people I don't know; I want to keep my identity a secret. It's not that I'm trying to be cool or anything, but my dad's name is famous, and I don't want him to be interested only in that.
I guess I'll have to use the one I always wear.
"Sally," I reply, adjusting my bag and giving him a serious look.
"That's not your name."
"Why not?"
"Because you thought about it too much," well, maybe he's not as dumb as he seems, "and you have the bag from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'," he points at it, and I look at it, biting my lip, annoyed, "so it can't be a simple coincidence that you share a name with the character."
"Okay, Casper, you caught me, but I'm not going to tell you my real name," I turn around again and continue walking toward the castle.
"Casper?" Wait, did you just call me a ghost?
I smile mischievously as he follows me around like a puppy again.
(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
We arrived at the castle, and I stood there staring at it. It was enormous compared to how it looked from afar. I couldn't help but smile at its size, its stones, the small plants sprouting from the crevices.
"It's wonderful," I commented, gently touching it. It was warm from the sun.
"Did you know that the king's advisor was beheaded for sleeping with his wife?" I looked at him, making a face. It wasn't the anecdote I was expecting. "Then she died of grief, blaming herself for his death."
"Is that how you impress girls? By talking about severed heads?" I asked as I walked into the castle, hearing him stammer nervously.
"No, of course not," he said, hurrying inside with me, almost as if I'd abandoned him, "I just wanted to mention it as an anecdote for the trip... You know."
I raised an eyebrow and then sighed, rummaging in my bag.
I take out my phone and a flashlight. Although I'd already checked them before leaving the house, I do it again in case I need to use the phone's flashlight.
"Look," I approach him, showing him the phone screen, where the map is zoomed in, "we have to go here," I point to the bottom of the castle and hear him nod, "from there, we should look for something that seems out of the ordinary."
"If they haven't found something out of the ordinary, why do you think you will?" he asks curiously.
I point the flashlight at him as if I were about to tell a scary story and give him a proud smile.
"Precisely because they aren't me."
I walk carefully across the stony ground, making sure my shoes don't get caught on anything.
"So if you're going to prove you can find it, I'll prove the ghost exists."
I stumble, and he catches my arm, preventing me from falling.
He stares at me, in a strange way. Just like before.
"Sorry, Casper, but you're not going to meet your family." I wriggle out of his grasp, slightly uncomfortable.
I walk toward the bottom of the stairs, looking at the old steps.
"Want to bet?" That question catches my attention, and I turn to face him, careful not to look directly into his eyes. "If I can't prove there are ghosts," he says, pulling a ghost box from his backpack pocket and proudly waving it, "I'll give you all the money I have left in my wallet. No questions asked. But you have to tell me your name if I can prove it."
I chuckle. It's actually adorable that he thinks he can beat me at something impossible to prove.
"I'm starting to like you a lot," I say, approaching him slowly. I see him getting nervous. I see him even swallow hard, "What can I bet...?"
I tap my cheek, looking at him closely. I see him nervously running his tongue over his lips. I feel sorry for him.
"If I can't prove the secret room exists," I tilt my head, smiling mischievously, "then I'll kiss you," He blinks, completely confused by my proposal, "If we find it, you'll serve as my lackey for the rest of the trip."
Of course, I have too much pride for him to win, so he won't manage to beat me because I'll find it.
"I offer you money and you..." His voice trembles as he speaks, and I try to hold back the urge to laugh at him, "A kiss? Isn't that a little strange? We barely know each other."
"Like I said, I'm starting to like you, and not many guys my age manage that."
"The one hundred and twenty-year-olds?" He jokes, and I laugh, nodding.
"Yes, Casper, the one hundred and twenty-year-olds," I say, shaking my head and heading back to the stairs, "It's not unusual because I know it exists, and I'm going to find it. That means you're not getting any kisses, and I'm going to take all the money you're carrying. And every time I order you around, you won't be able to complain."
"Careful, Sally. Pride can be a bad thing."
"And being naive can be too, don't forget that."
We carefully descended, and I held on with my hand to avoid falling.
I heard stones tumbling as we went down, noticing that time was taking its toll on the structure.
When we finally reached the bottom, we looked at the map again, and he pointed out the route.
"Okay, now we have to go..." He took my hand, holding the flashlight, and pointed it at one of the castle's underground caves. "That way."
He let go of my hand, and I walked in silence, still using the map. Of course, he was carrying the ghost box, asking questions, but so far, I hadn't heard any answers coming out of it, making me look completely ridiculous and, very soon, penniless.
"Don't you like legends?" he asked, stopping his questioning of that contraption.
"Yes, I do like them," I reply, concentrating on the map and trying not to get lost, "It's just that I don't believe in spirits or monsters, but legends are fine; they make places like this fun to visit."
"Okay, ten-point test," I roll my eyes, listening to his talk nonsense, "Favorite legend?"
"Slenderman," I answer quickly, even though I know it's not a real legend but something born on the internet. I just want to continue searching for the secret room.
"That doesn't count; it's not from a specific place," he complains, stopping me. I turn around and shine the flashlight on him. I see him squint, so I dim the light, careful not to blind him, "come on, surely someone so interested in places like these doesn't have a favorite."
"You're not going to stop until I tell you, are you?"
"No, I'm not going to stop," he smiles mischievously, "the truth is, I can keep talking about it until you finally tell me, because if there's one thing I can't do, it's keep quiet, and besides— "
"Okay, stop!" I raise my hand to cover his mouth, then remove it when he finally calms down.
I start thinking of a legend that catches my attention. Something that makes me think of something beautiful and sad at the same time.
"The Lady in White," I answer after a serious response. This time he looks at me without making a joke.
"Why her specifically?" He tilts his head, looking at me curiously.
I take a deep breath, shrugging my shoulders.
"I suppose it's because it speaks of forbidden love," I reply with a half-smile, since my favorite stories tend to be tragic love stories. That doesn't mean I don't love watching my vampire series and suffering until the end.
"You know the countess killed her children and that's why she was condemned to death, right?" He raises his eyebrows, looking at me as if I were a little crazy.
"But after her death, her purpose served to warn of bad news in her lineage."
"Didn't you say you didn't believe in ghosts?" He whispers, as if he's keeping from me the secret that I've let my guard down by believing in apparitions.
"You told me to tell a legend, and that's for me," I whisper back, finally resuming my walk, "I told you, I don't believe in ghosts, but legends are interesting."
He walks back to my side and then tells me my score.
"Six out of ten, that's average, but at least you gave your reasons."
"Wow, I didn't know I was talking to a legend critic."
"I'm the best you'll find," his voice is proud, which makes me smile. It seems we both have our own, "I'd like to dedicate myself to telling the best legends."
"How sweet," I blink adoringly, to which he rolls his eyes. "So, you must have something good to tell me, Casper? A legend that'll make my knees weak?"
"Okay, let's see," I hear him make a sound in his throat, as if he's thinking. He snaps his fingers and begins to narrate. "What do you know about the village of Puckley?"
I shake my head; the place doesn't ring a bell.
"Nothing. Enlighten me, Lord of the Crypt," I say, giving him a look with a smile.
"Puckley Village is a town in England," I nod, listening intently, "it's said to be haunted, more than any other place."
"What would you compare it to?"
I hear him clear his throat again before he finally answers.
"I'd say it's on par with the forest in my village," I nod, though he doesn't give me too many details, "but what's most intriguing about the place is Dering Forest," I hear him lower his voice, and he's even leaned forward slightly, as if he wants to scare me, "The Screaming Forest."
I feel a shiver run down my neck and step back a little, noticing my cheeks getting warm.
"With a name like that, I'd say it's haunted too."
"They say that if you try to cross the forest, you'll start being chased by dark figures," he says, adopting that mysterious tone again, leaning closer to me, "You'll hear voices, or as the name suggests, screams."
"Can you give me something more terrifying?" I ask, pretending to yawn. "Shadows and whispers? That's what your mind creates when you're scared; it's psychological."
Casper looks at me, nodding as if he's taken on a challenge.
"Fine, you asked for it," I stop to listen to him, and he points to the flashlight. I hand it to him, and he holds it up to his face. The shadows make his expression truly terrifying, "it was in 1948, a Halloween massacre," I make a sound of interest, listening intently, "they found twenty people dead, among them children, and the strangest thing is, they had no wounds," I look at him more intently, intrigued by the mystery of those deaths, "witnesses said they saw lights in the woods the night it happened, and the autopsies couldn't determine the cause. In the end, the case was closed."
My interest grows; I could even say I'm more engrossed in the story, imagining with terror what could have happened. Deaths like that aren't normal.
"And was anything else ever learned?" I ask, curious.
"No, not even about the one that happened fifty years later," I shift slightly, feeling an uncomfortable chill run down my spine, "in 1998, again on Halloween night, four students went into the woods and were never seen again."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that," he says, handing me the flashlight. I take it, but he pulls me closer, a little bit to scare me. "They saw the same lights again, and then, goodbye to the students, lost forever in the woods, where their screams and wails can surely still be heard, along with those of the twenty other people, waiting for more innocent souls to get lost in Dering."
The darkness settles, and I can see his brown eyes gleam with excitement as he tells me the story, surely pleased to see me frightened by the thought of a disappearance and inexplicable deaths. When I can't find the logic in something, I get nervous.
I moisten my lips as my heart races, terrified.
Finally, slowly, he hands me back the flashlight, and it takes me a while to react.
"I admit it, you did it, you scared me," I admit, conceding defeat with a gesture of surrender.
Casper makes a victory gesture, and I roll my eyes, starting to walk again.
"See?" Sometimes there is no logical explanation; there is always something supernatural involved.
<< Great, now I'll have him bragging about being right throughout the entire expedition.>>
(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
We arrived at the area marked on the map, and I saw Casper hitting the ghost box. I focused the camera on him and stifled a laugh, seeing his frustration.
"I don't think this thing works," he commented, turning it over and over, "I've been ripped off."
"Or maybe ghosts don't exist," I said with a victorious smile, and he gave me a look, "don't worry, I'll spend your money on something worthwhile."
Now he was making a face at me, and I let out a laugh, resuming my gaze around the room, illuminating every corner.
"What are you going to do if you find that secret room?" I heard him ask, somewhat distantly, while I didn't take my eyes off the walls. "Are you going to tell the museum people?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" His surprised tone surprised me too. "You want to find a secret room, and when you discover it, you're not going to do nothing?"
"Look, I admit you're right," I say, shining the flashlight on his body, careful not to shine it in his eyes, "actually, I just want to take pictures."
"Okay, I think I know why you don't want to say," he says, moving closer and putting the camera back in his backpack.
"Tell me, why don't I want to say?" I resume my search, carefully feeling the walls.
Some stones fall off at the slightest touch; I have to be careful.
"You don't want anyone to ruin the way it'll look," I pause for a moment, listening intently, "something like preserving its memory, keeping it intact as if time hasn't touched it. Am I right?"
I decide not to turn around, smiling at the realization that he's right. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me smile about it.
"If I visit abandoned places, it's not for fun, but because there's always a story behind them," I say, sounding nostalgic, but it's true. No matter how old I am, there's always something that tells you what kind of people lived in those places and their stories, "it has its romantic, sad, and nostalgic side, because they were once important to someone else."
"Careful, your soft side is showing," I chuckle, but he continues, "but... I like your answer; it shows me your true self, Sally."
"Well, take advantage of it. Not everyone gets to see it," a hint of sweetness escapes me, but I suppose there's nothing wrong with someone I like seeing it. I don't always get the chance to find someone who likes the same things I do off-screen, "now I need some silence. I want to try something."
"Sure, I'll keep quiet. I can do that."
"I'm sure of it."
He lets out a laugh and I tell him to shut up, avoiding letting out a laugh myself.
I run my hands along the walls again, tapping lightly, hoping to find a sound different from the rest. Or to see something that at first glance seems normal, but serves as a deception.
As I walk, I can feel the ground creaking beneath my feet and I try to be careful; it feels as if at any moment it might—
"Ah!" I scream as I feel the ground open up beneath my feet and I grip the stones tightly, seeing that the flashlight has fallen to the bottom.
I feel like my heart is going to stop before I fall into the void. At least I'll die without pain.
"I've got you!" My companion comes running and grabs my arm.
I grab it with my other hand and he helps me up, holding onto the ground so he doesn't fall too.
When he manages to get me to solid ground, away from the hole, I lie down on the ground, breathing heavily. Then I start laughing nervously at the fear I'd been through, thinking I was going to die.
"I don't... I don't see the humor..." Casper says, breathing heavily. "If I hadn't come with you, you would have definitely died."
"I know," I say, laughing, still nervous, "wow... Thank goodness you were quick..." I take a deep breath and look at him with a smile. "I knew you'd save me, thanks Casper."
I try to adjust to the darkness and see the smile on his face. He nods as he puts a hand to his chest, still shaken.
He lies down next to me, trying to calm down. I can hear him take a few deep breaths, while I slowly calm down, noticing how I'm trembling with fear at the thought that I could have really died if I'd been alone.
This wasn't like climbing a couple of buildings and fences; I really could have died. I turn my head and see him with his eyes closed, still scared.
"I think I've found the secret room," I say, trying to bring some humor back into the room. I see him quickly turn his face away, giving me a slightly dirty look, "and you haven't found your ghosts, so you owe me money and to be my servant."
"What? No way!" He jumps up, and I do the same, but slowly, my body still trembling with fear. "That's not a secret room, it was a trap, at the very least."
"Sure, a trap to keep anyone from getting to it, I say, hugging my legs, hoping it will calm my trembling, "so I was right, the room is down there."
"No, there isn't any room," he says, shaking his head and looking me straight in the eye, "You would have only found death, pain, and suffering if you had fallen, not a room full of gold or who knows what, the corpses of the castle's victims."
I let out a laugh at his vivid imagination, this time losing my fear of it being something more pleasant.
"Yeah, right, keep laughing," he sighs, looking straight ahead, "you would have traumatized me for life, you know that?"
"But my ghost would have haunted you for eternity," I tap his face with my finger, smiling mischievously.
He grabs my hand, stopping me. His eyes reflect fear. Real fear. Was he really that worried about losing me? He doesn't even know me.
"Well, you didn't win your bet either," he replies, slowly letting go of my hand. I can see him start to get nervous, looking around nervously, "Does that mean..."
Oh, right, what I promised him.
<<I wasn't expecting this, now I'm nervous too. Why did I let my pride get the better of me?>>
I look away, embarrassed too. I can't do it, I said it almost as a joke, but... A bet's a bet, right?
I keep my eyes on my hands, fidgeting with my fingers, nervous.
"Y-you don't have to," I hear him say, his voice trembling slightly, "I'm not going to force you to k-kiss me... I'm not like that."
I glance at him and see that he's doing the same. I smile at how kind he is, not wanting to put me in a difficult position like this.
But a bet's a bet... I got myself into this and... Honestly, it seems more bearable than I thought. I really like him, and it's not like we have to go out after this.
I try to move a little closer, somewhat shyly. I've never kissed anyone, and from the way he's looking at me, it seems like he hasn't either, so we're both nervous.
But then I feel a sharp pain in my knee and pull my phone out of my bag, noticing a large cut and blood.
"Oh, no..." I look away, bringing my hand to my mouth at the sight of the blood.
"Wait, let me help you," I say, trying to distract myself by watching what he's doing.
He takes off his jacket and then his sweatshirt, and I see him struggling to remove the sleeve. I rummage in my bag for my house keys and hand him my multi-tool keychain, pulling out a small knife. Casper stares at it, surprised.
"Overprotective parents," I reply as I place the keychain in his hand, "they like me to be prepared."
"I see," he says, holding up the keychain and starting to cut the sleeve, then tying it around my knee.
I feel a slight touch and notice that his skin is warm, unlike mine, which is cold from the shock. My temperature has completely dropped.
"Okay, though you should go get it checked out," he says, resting his arm on his knee, his gaze fixed on me.
I smile sweetly, and he smiles back.
We both then heard a loud noise from the entrance, and I grabbed his arm, startled.
He stepped in front of me, protective.
"Here you are!" A man appeared with a flashlight, followed by two teachers. "Don't you know how dangerous this place is?! It's forbidden to enter here unless you're a professional!"
We both sighed with relief, and Casper helped me up as the adults approached us.
My teacher came up to me, pulling me away from him while grabbing my arm.
"Just wait until I tell your parents everything, Connors!" She scolds me furiously and I roll my eyes. "You should be ashamed of yourself for always getting into trouble! One of these days you're going to kill your parents with your crazy antics."
"It was my fault," my friend replied quickly, his teacher also holding his arm, "I insisted she come with me because I knew coming here was dangerous."
I stare at him, surprised that he's trying to defend me. I open my mouth to say something, to correct him, but now it's his teacher who's speaking to him.
"Of course, it should be you," his voice sounds just as harsh as my teacher's, but much angrier, "you're going to get a long punishment. You'll be in the museum director's office, grounded."
"We're leaving now," the teacher pulls me along, wanting me to walk. When I complain, I see her look at my knee and roll her eyes. "Of course, you had to get hurt. Now we'll have to deal with your parents, you ungrateful girl. God saved you this time; you should thank him."
Now I roll my eyes, and she pushes me forward, where someone else is waiting for us.
"Hey!" I stop when I hear Casper, avoiding being pushed this time, to listen to him. "What about the money I owe you?"
I grimace, shrugging my shoulders.
"You'll give it to me if we meet again," I smile at him, trying to linger a little longer, feeling the teacher try to move me. "I owe you a kiss! Maybe if we see each other in the future I'll give it to you!"
"Oh Lord! Haven't you heard those words from an innocent girl wanting to sin before marriage!" The teacher crosses herself, and my friend and I laugh at her exaggerated expression.
I wave goodbye to him, disappearing from sight.
(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
They made me go back home, accompanied by another teacher.
My parents were, of course, furious and worried when they saw the wound they had treated before I left. With a bit of luck, it might not leave a scar if I take good care of it.
I limp as I approach my bed, and as I lie down, I examine the bandage on my knee, gently running my fingers over it. Despite everything, it's been a good day; I haven't been bored with that boy I know I'll never see again. And it's not like I have any desire to desperately search for him. I prefer to leave it as an anecdote I don't intend to tell anyone. They can't know that Macie Connors had a moment of stupidity.
I sit up and reach for my laptop on the nightstand, placing it on the bed. I need to update the forum that my investigation has been a complete failure and maybe add that I nearly died trying; I'm sure they'll love that.
There's a knock at my door, and I let them in.
When I see my father's serious expression, I know something has happened, and it's not about today's outing, as Mom implied while scolding me after I got home from work.
"We need to talk," he says as he comes over to my bed and sits down, "it's about my latest case. Something's happened."
"What's wrong?" I close my laptop and set it aside, worried, "Because in this case, you sidelined me without saying a word, you didn't even give me a chance to help."
"That's it," he takes a deep breath, holding my hand, "I'm sorry, Mac, but you're not going to help me anymore."
"What? Why?" I shift in bed, careful not to hurt my knee.
"Rumors are spreading outside my team, and we don't want them getting to the press," I nod slowly, though sadly, "I'm so sorry, honey," he strokes my face gently.
"It's better this way," I look up at the door and see my mother looking at me seriously, arms crossed, "you're a teenager, Macie. That world is for adults. You still have to grow up," she glares at Dad, "you should never have dragged her into all this, and you know it perfectly well."
She leaves, and my father sighs, kissing me on the forehead.
"I'll take care of her, you rest."
"Yes..."
He gets out of bed, and I stare at the computer, not wanting to go on the forum right now. The feeling of amusement I'd had this morning had completely vanished.
<< Thanks at least for making me laugh on a field trip for the first time in my life, Casper.>>
-----
Website where I got the legend of the Dering Forest enigmasdemedianoche
He had made a list of things which he had finally achieved:
-Clarify their feelings between two women: Done.
-Ask her for a date (Well, it was more like ask her for a day alone): Done.
-Ask for another day alone: Done.
-And another: Done.
And something was still missing. One thing they hadn’t done yet:
Kiss.
Every time he seemed to have the courage, she seemed to get distracted. Whether it was because her phone was ringing, a cat crossed their path and she had to say hello, there was a poster and she had to take a picture, or a recent trailer for a movie she wanted to see… There was always something that happened when he tried to take that step, making him more nervous as he saw her turn her attention to something more interesting.
After a night with the group, Charlie decided to take her home, hoping that this would give him the opportunity to tell her that all he wanted was to kiss her.
So when he finally parked the car, he opened his mouth to speak. Unfortunately, the words wouldn't come out. Again, nerves got the better of him, even though this time there was nothing interrupting them.
"Well, see you tomorrow Charlie," the young woman said goodbye, kissing him on the cheek, before getting out of the car.
It wasn't enough, and he understood that he was dragging out something that was just as easy as in the movies.
He turned off the car engine and ran towards her, stopping her before she could open her front door. She stared at him, surprised.
Charlie lowered his hand, seeing that he looked like a bully behaving that way, which perhaps made the situation worse, ruining what he had been looking forward to for so long.
"I…" Seeing how her eyes blinked, waiting for his words, he took a breath and, without thinking, decided to blurt it out, "Look, we've been dating for a few days, everything is wonderful, but all this time I've been trying to kiss you, and it seems like you're trying to avoid it," he moved his hands, nervous and stuttering as he said those words, "I don't know if it's because you don't really like me, but I like you, a lot. I mean, do you know how amazing you are? Because when I realized it, it was like, 'Wow! This girl is incredible!'," he exclaimed dramatically, making her laugh, "well, actually, it was more than just saying you're amazing, it was more like saying you're the funniest and smartest person I've ever met And you are truly beautiful when you think or when you laugh, but all this time I've tried all sorts of things so that I can finally kiss you, Even when I was going to give you those nachos, which, by the way, weren't good, the point is that I kept getting closer to you because I longed for us to finally kiss, I like you so much it's driving me crazy that—"
The young woman tugged at his sweatshirt, pulling him closer and kissing him. Charlie was surprised that she was the one who took the initiative, timidly placing his hands on her hips.
He felt the young woman smile through the kiss, and he did the same.
The young woman slowly pulled away, seeing Charlie's expression, wanting more.
When he opened his eyes, he felt like hr wanted to die of embarrassment, believing he had made the most ridiculous face for wanting just one more kiss.
"Do you know why I didn't want you to kiss me until now?" She smiled sweetly, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I don't think it has anything to do with nachos, right?" Charlie joked, placing one hand on her back and the other below her waist, feeling his body tremble with excitement.
"Because I wanted to hear you express how you really feel about me," the young woman stroked his hair, tilting her head as her eyes sparkled in the streetlights, "I didn't want to kiss you until you were really ready and were honest with me."
Charlie opened his mouth to answer, but he understood what she meant. He knew that Julie had also been another woman in his life while he was getting to know her, something that was difficult to clarify at first, but when he did, he had never told her.
He nodded slowly and, as he slid his hand up her back, smiled tenderly at her, as she was the only thing that mattered to him at that moment.
"And did I manage to pass the test?" he asked jokingly, before mentally slapping himself as he remembered that he had finally kissed her.
"Mmm… "she bit her lip, shaking her head, "I think I need another one to check."
"All right, I understand," Charlie laughed, brushing his hair away from his face. "How much test do you need, Holmes?"
A malicious smile appeared on her lips, which made him feel a strong wave of heat throughout his body.
The young woman decided to draw him closer, but instead of kissing him, she went straight to his ear and, with a whisper that sent a shiver down his spine, answered him seductively:
It feels like nothing works out anymore. that nothing will ever work out for me. I'm not a negative person, no, not that. I try to motivate those around me, I always do but I wished someone would do it for me too. Maybe I would feel better in this chaos, maybe.
'I know how to swim but I'm drowning'. It's the best I could describe what I feel.
If people like me are reading this, I believe in you. You will make it, you will.
Yk what's soo annoying about feeling the way I feel?
Like it's easy when your family is acting up like they normally do or you don't have friends or they hate you or you're not getting good grades or school or something
But I hate the in between days like today,where it's literally nothing- if this were manic me, it'd be the best day of her life but for me?
It was js soo bothersome and burdensome and I wanna hit my head against a wall,like it's nobody else's or nothing else's fault but mine
For the way I feel is simply js the way I feel for no other reason than that's the way I feel on days like this
Nobody to blame, nothing to hope for change cuz there is nothing that's the problem right now it's me
And days like this then make you think ,is it really js me? Is it really js me and my head that's fucked and that's where all the problems I face stem from? Like it's soo fucking diabolically annoying to me like hell fuck dude
amandla
izzy806
theartofmadeline
stormborns
