The next day, Katie woke up early in the morning, she looked at the window frame with the sun shining through lighting the whole room, it made her mind slip into the beautiful scene, forgetting everything around her.
But then immediately brought back to reality with the loud snoring beneath her, she subconsciously looked down to see her dad, sleeping like a rock.
"Damn dad, you must be really enjoying that sleep."
Her phone suddenly vibrated on the table, She jumped down the bed and staying still for a few seconds making sure she didn't wake him up and then stealthily grabbed her phone from the desk. She got a text from a user "Hannaiscat"
The text read:
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"Hey, girl how's the beach? :D"
"Don't forget to take pics for me! >∆</"
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She then replied to her.
"Car went out of gas, we're staying at someone's house for now. "
To her surprise, her friend replied immediately
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"Someone's house? No hotels? 0_0"
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"No hotels here."
"He offered us to stay here till we can go."
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"He? :0"
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"Mr James. He is a good guy. :) Feels oddly familiar too."
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"Is he handsome? *0*"
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"Yeah"
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"DAYUMGURL SEND ME A PIC"
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"Don't have one rn. I'll get one for u"
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"Plz I need my dose of hawt guyz"
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"Go on insta lol"
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Katie got up and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.
She then walked down the stairs looking for James. When she reached the living room, she didn't find him. As she was going to check the kitchen she glanced someone moving outside from the windows, she looked carefully to see James tending to the flowers.
She went out the front door saying "Good morning!"
"Morning Miss Katie." He looked back at her smiling and went back to watering the small lilies.
"I told you not to call me Miss, makes me feel old."
"I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention."
"It's no biggie, hey can I take a picture of you?" She asked bringing her phone up.
"Why do you want a picture of me?" He asked puzzled.
"I told my friend about you and now she wants to know how you look."
"I see, who's your friend?"
"Hana? She's Just a crazy fam I've been BFFs with for years. She's a good girl though." She said as she looked at her phone screen, taking her time to open her camera app.
When she looked up James looked in a state of some sort of disbelief.
"Her name is Hana you said?"
"Y-yeah..." Katie was yet again confused as James looked back at his flowers, grabbing his knees, looking upset all of a sudden.
"I understand now..." He murmured to himself.
"James, are you feeling okay? I'm not gonna take a picture if you don't want to."
"No it's..." He got up and with a pained smile. "It's fine really."
She wasn't sure, his expression is starting to be more relaxed, bit uncertainty taunted her. "Okay... Are you sure James?"
"Of course. Please take your picture." He put down the watering can.
She put up the camera to her face, waiting for it to focus on James "Say cheese!"
"Cheese" and a snap sound-effect was heard.
"Wow, I didn't realize you had a really good profile. I bet you're one of the people who look great in all pics!"
"You think so, Miss Katie?" He gently smiled.
"Yeah! Come on let's take a selfie!"
"A selfie?" He frowned confused.
She walked beside him. "It's a picture but you take it from the front! Like this. Say cheese!"
"Why cheese?" He asked.
"Uhm..." She wondered if he knew about the concept of taking a picture, but she decided to just answer him.
"Cause it makes you smile. And you gotta smile while taking a picture! Otherwise, the picture will be sad."
"I see." He looked back at the camera and they both said "Cheese!"
She left his side then, immediately sending the pics to her friend.
Katie spent her time helping James with the garden, when she asks him about where did he learn all that, he would reply to her with "I don't know."
When they were done, they both went inside and James went to make breakfast while Katie sat down on the couch to face all the swarming notification she got from Hana.
The text read:
"OH MAH GAWD GURL SO HAWT!!!!"
"YOU BITCH YOU'RE HAVING HIM ALL FOR YOURSELF AND IM HERE WITH MY UGLY BOYFRIEND."
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"Nah he looks old gurl."
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"He looks in his twenties"
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Katie called out James from the kitchen. "James, are you in your twenties?"
"I'm thirty, but I think I'm supposedly six or seven." He said.
Kate shook her head laughing, "don't worry you're not that old."
She went back to texting.
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"He's thirty"
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"You're 26, few years old means nothing *_*"
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"He is good and all, but I'm not thinking that way"
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"But guuuuurl he is so guud!"
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She then proceeded to send her edited pictures of James one with hearts all around him and one with an angle ring on his head.
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"Ugh, you're the worst :'D"
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She then sent her edits of her selfie with James with hearts and arrows and typings of "James x Katie 4ever"
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"Stoooooop you're so creepy"
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"I've sinned gurl."
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"Lol what?"
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She then sent a picture of herself Photoshopped in the picture instead of Katie, now it's Hana and James side by side.
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"Wtf"
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"We look good together <333"
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"Hana you have a boyfriend D:"
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"I'm just messing around guuuuurl, ur so boring"
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Katie closed the chat, she didn't feel like facing Hana's over the top shipping right now.
She opened her gallery to look at the surprisingly well done Photoshop of Hana and James, they looked surprisingly alike. Same eyes, same nose, same lips, almost the same face structure if James wasn't a boy. His colors were different though James's eyes were blue instead of green. And his hair was brown instead of blond.
"That makes it even more creepy. Sheesh." She closed her phone and just ignore all that happened just now.
James came out of the kitchen saying "Could you please call John? Breakfast is ready." He placed two plates of eggs and bacon on the table. "I'll go get the salad."
Katie agreed and went upstairs to get her dad, soon enough they were all on the table just like yesterday.
"I hope you had a good night sleep, John."
"Yeah, I haven't slept like this in a while. Feels good." Replied John while he ate, "This is some really good bacon and eggs. Almost better than my wife's"
"I'm flattered, I was worried I overcooked it."
"Nope, it's perfect!" Said Katie, her phone still vibrating in her pocket.
"Katie shut down that thing, it's annoying."
"Sorry dad, Hana won't just stop tex-...ting me?" Katie held the phone in her hand reading the text sent to her.
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"Hey sweetie, good news! The event is going to be over earlier than expected! Tell your dad in coming in a couple of days!"
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"Mum is coming early!" Said Katie.
"Really? That's great! Maybe she can come here and meet James too."
"You truly don't have to."
"Oh we won't stay long, just a small introduction, that's all." Said Katie.
"That if course, if she came early. She might not even make it in time before we leave." Added John.
"I...see..." He looked down, at his hands again. He was mumbling to himself.
John exchanged glances and shrugs with Katie, a long silence was present, until Katie came up with a way to lighten up the air.
"Hey! You cooked dinner and breakfast, how about you let us do dinner today?"
"It's fine, I can do dinner for today too." He forced a smile on his face.
"We insist! You just rest today and we'll do the rest, Kay?"
"If you wish..." He stood up and said in a soft voice "please excuse me, I feel a bit tired. I'll go rest in my room."
With that James left the two guests on the table and went upstairs, leaving them in a state of embarrassment and confusion.
Later on, that day, when the sun was in the middle of the sky, Katie went out to get some ingredients from the supermarket. While John went back to the gas station to see if the gas might have come earlier than expected.
As Katie walked asking people around, an old haggard voice spoke: "You must be desperate to stay there."
Katie turned around to see an old beggar sitting on the street, she got up and walked towards her, which made Katie back up a little fearing she wanted to steal her.
"It's okay dear, I just want to warn you."
"Okay?" She said, uncertain if the old lady is fully sane.
"The house is a bad place dear. You shouldn't go there." she held her arms shaking her a bit.
"What are you talking about granny?"
"This place was once owned by a horrible man. A man who cared about non-other than the money he made."
"James?" she asked confused.
"No, His name was Dearil Mayhem, he was a strange man who came to our town on a day where the sun was gone and fog has plagued our town, He came in the white coat, we thought he came to help us, but all he did was to curse this town more."
"I really should go..." Katie was about to step away when the woman grabbed her by the arms.
"You don't understand child! So many innocent lives were taken away by that man, so many... My poor grandson... I lost him to that devil." the woman teared up which clenched Katie's heart, she was weak to tears. It was clear she've lost someone close to her.
"Did he kill your grandson?" asked Katie holding the woman's hands.
"Not only mind, but he killed many before! since he came, only the immoral came to his doorstep, they come and leave! come and leave! come and leave!" she flayed her arms left and right left and right, scaring Katie a bit but it made her even more curious about who this man was.
"He would walk among us, with a grin like a devil, no shame! no conscious! he was a devil with pockets full of gold!" she cried, and then she started right at her and motioned her to come closer and so she did and whispered to her "But not long the town found out what this man hides!"
She pulled away and continued "And they were furious! they chased after him with guns and drove him away from our town!" She then spoke calmly "but the damage was already done... All those who died by his hands... my poor grandson." she started to cry again.
"No no, please don't cry." Katie gently patted her on her back. "At least they kicked him out, and now there is a better man living there. he'll make the place much lively."
The woman wiped her tears and spoke "What are you saying, child? No one has lived there for many years, I haven't seen anyone come in and out but you and your father."
Katie frowned unsure of what to say.
"Could you spare some for a poor old lady dear?" she asked her, which blew Katie away with how fast she switched subjects.
She gave her some change she had and went on her way to the supermarket. She didn't know what to exactly make of what the old lady said since she didn't seem too sane for her age.
Later that day, Kate came back with various ingredients and decided to cook roasted chicken and rice for dinner, it wasn't long that her father returned after she did.
"Hey dad!" she greeted him when she heard the door open.
"Hey."
"Did they get some gas?"
"Gas? yes. gasoline? no. People of this town are very..."
"Very what?" she turned to her dad who walked into the kitchen.
"Superstitious. Once they knew I stay here, they kept telling me I shouldn't stay here."
"Did they tell you why?" she asked.
John took a deep breath and sighed "Yeah."
"Why?" she turned to him, full attention. her father was about to speak when another voice spoke.
"Welcome back." they both looked at the door to see James, "Were you both talking? sorry for the interruption, I just came after the delicious smell."
"Oh! Yeah, I hope you like roasted chicken."
"I'm sure it will be delicious."
John then stepped in front of Katie before she could reply "Say, James, The locals keep talking bad about this place."
James looked away, he didn't reply.
"Are you aware of that?" he asked him. but James still didn't answer.
Katie held his sleeve. "Dad, you're making this Awkward! and uncomfortable."
"Just trust me, Katie." James seemed even more hesitant to talk.
"I- I didn't really talk to the townspeople to know..." he replied.
Katie's phone started to vibrate, again and again, it wouldn't stop.
"How did you live all these years and you don't talk to the people of the town, don't you restock?"
Katie got her phone out of her pocket, checking it, there were many messages from Hana:
"Katie, something is wrong. the picture is starting to look weird."
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Hanna sends the picture a few times and every time, James looks progressively worse and worse, losing his hair and his teeth, then his eyes. then a text from Hanna.
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"Katie I'm scared. Please, what is going on? are you okay? is something wrong with my phone?"
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"Is that Hana?" James's voice snapped her out of it.
"Y-yes..." answered Katie.
"Is she okay?" he asked.
"Don't answer him, Katie, we don't know who he really is." Spoke John.
James seemed to be affected by his words still won't make eye contact with them.
"Who are you truly?"
It was a long moment where James just raised his head staring at the ceiling, he then moved his head down, facing the man and his daughter.
"I'm a nobody." he smiled.
Katie was thrown back by his reply.
"Stop messing around, What's your real name?"
"I don't own one, sir." James slowly walked to them "you don't have to fear me, I mean you both no harm."
John relaxed a bit as James wasn't holding a weapon and he didn't seem to have ill intentions.
"Perhaps you'll be happy if I left? I can disappear till you find the need to leave." He spoke, John and Katie were unsure of what to make out of what he's saying.
"James, what is this?" Katie showed him his picture, the moment he set his eyes on them he looked away in discomfort. Covering his mouth.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, it's just-"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry for being so disgusting. I can't help it, I wish I could..." He chuckled a bit but it was to assure himself a bit.
John grabbed the phone looking at the pictures, "I don't understand any of this, is this some kind of joke?!"
Katie turned to her dad "I don't know." She took the phone back they looked up only to face an empty doorway.
"Where did he go?!" Asked John. "That's it, we're not staying here another minute." He grabbed Katie's wrist and hurried to the doorstep.
He tried to open the door, but it was locked.
"What the fuck he locked the door?!" John nervously kept turning the handle when he attempted to break the door.
"I apologize for locking the door." They turned around to see James standing in the middle of the living room.
"Please John, I want to show Katie one thing first."
"You're not taking my daughter!" He held Katie close to him, he was alerted by the fact that James isn't human.
"I have no need nor will to keep her with me, I just want to tell her."
"Tell her what?" He asked.
"How is she able to see me while no one else can."
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