John's eyes widen "I was surprised when you could see me too that day John, none of the town's folk can see me." He smiled and said, "maybe it's because you're her father."
Katie slowly moved her dad's arm around her, "if you show me what you want, will you let us leave?"
Immediately she heard the door unlock, "I changed my mind, I'm not going to force it on you."
He looked away for a moment and then started "Right now, you, with your dad, walk away and forget everything here. Or you can go upstairs with me and know what's going on."
Katie look d at her dad who's worried sick and James who seemed calm and unwilling to pull anything from his sleeves.
She took a deep breath and decided "I want to know what's going on."
His reply was almost immediate "Are you sure? You can walk away, I won't stop you. And I won't be angry if you leave, I promise."
But so was her reply, with much more confidence "I know, but I want to know, why you're here, you're clearly not human, are you a demon?"
"No, I'm no demon." He smiled.
"Are you a ghost?"
"In a sense, I guess I'm one." He turned around and started walking to the staircase, "since you wish to know, please follow me."
John held her hand "Katie."
"It's fine dad, I'm gonna come back, I promise."
"She will be gone for only a minute, you don't need to worry." Spoke the man.
"Trust me, dad," she gently pulled her hand away and followed the man upstairs.
They stood in front of "James's" room. "This is your last chance to back away." He said softly with worry all over his face.
"I'm good, I want to know." She replied.
"You can't undo this Katie, you can't unsee this. Please think this through." Katie was wondering if he really wanted to show her what lies behind that door, it made her stomach twist. But she wanted to know. She clenched her phone in her right hand and said, "I understand, I want to know."
The man sighed and he opened the door to reveal a very off room to have in a house.
Katie walked in with her eyes wide.
"Is this...?"
The stench was horrible, it seemed like no one walked in here in years.
Her eyes moved around from the metal table centered in the room to the other smaller tables around it with metal plates and various medical instruments, she thought she recognized them but upon inspecting them closely, she hasn't seen this in any dental clinic before. They looked, more unwelcoming and dangerous than the plain safe dentist tools.
There were some devices around, old and rusting away. Everything was covered in dust and old stains she didn't recognize. And she wasn't sure if she wanted to as it slowly became clear to her what this was.
"Are you doing okay, Katie?"
"This, t-this is, a- uh, I don't feel too...well." her eyes watered, not sure from the foul smell or from the heavy air that plagued this small room.
"This is why I'm here, it's been several years, along with others who were here before me."
"Others?"
"Yes, you can't see them though. That's good." He held his hands almost nervously.
"Do you understand now? My death?"
Katie didn't reply, she couldn't. Her tongue was tied in a knot and her throat felt like it swelled to be able to say anything, her mind was blank, she was unable to process anything.
"What I don't understand is why exactly can you see me..." He spoke as he approached her.
"Which leads to one conclusion I had..." He looked her in the eyes and asked in the most assuring voice he had "Did you have any hand in my death?"
That question rang alarmed her and freshened her memory, the room, the tools, the man himself.
It became clear to her. What she had forgotten.
---
Six years ago, two female young adults were sitting together on a bench waiting for the bus stop, it was a dark rainy day.
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Do it," Katie spoke confidently.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, you deserve better."
"I- I don't know Katie..."
"I'll be here for you, we're besties remember?" She hugged her as Hanna gushed tears on her shoulder.
---
Katie covered her mouth muffling her screaming, tears coming down her face, her legs collapse to the ground as she whaled "oh my God, it's you! It's you!"
"Please calm down..." He said as he crouched to assure her. He reached his arm to her but she jumped away.
"Don't touch me!" She wheezed and cried.
"I-I'm sorry..." He backed away, giving her space.
"Are you punishing me? Is that why you got us here?!" She cried and sniffed, her face was a mess.
"No! I would never! I'm not like that. I would never want to hurt you or... Mother." He said as he shifted his eyes to the phone she dropped on the floor.
Katie noticed and hurriedly grabbed the phone and stood up "let her be! She doesn't have anything to do with this! I'm the one you want! I told her to do it!"
But the man couldn't contain it anymore, he was already at his peak when she walked in. "Why are you under the impression that I want to hurt you?! I'm not evil! I don't want to harm you or her! I'm not like that!" His eyes watered "I don't hate you or her Miss Katie, I just wanted you to know that. That..." Be stuttered trying to form words, Katie was slowly calming down at the sight of his sadness. But nothing came out, he just sighed and dried his tears.
"What I'm trying to say is, I no longer care. I just wanted to show you what you've done." Katie was blown by his words. "I for a while, loathed my mother, I was upset about what she did for so long." He looked off to the doorway and then back at Katie now "But eventually, I realized no matter how much I hated her, it won't bring me to life. So I just stopped."
"I...I'm..."
"It doesn't matter Katie, what's done is done. I harbor no ill will for you or Hana."
"I'm..." Katie sniffed and dried her eyes "I'm sorry..."
He was unphased, "Hm?"
She stuttered a bit but managed to say "I shouldn't have... Told her to- do that."
"As I said, It doesn't matter anymore." He replied with her still smiling like they first saw him. "You realized what've done and that's enough for me."
A moment of silence passed, but felt like long hours "You can leave now if you want." Katie without adding anything else. She left the room and went downstairs.
John was downstairs, he ran to her holding her "Katie! You're okay? Did he do something to you?"
She looked at her dad's concerned face, the face of a loving father. "No... But I did a lot to him." She nodded as her eyes couldn't hold back her tears.
She took her dad's hand and walked outside, Katie looked back one last time to see him standing by the door, watching them as they leave. He kept on the loving smile he had before turning away and closing the door. they both head to the gas station where her father left. The men at the gas station told them they filled the car with gas as it finally came.
And in no time John and Katie were on the road again. John drove silently, glancing at his daughter from the corner of his eye from time to other as she leaned her head on the glass window, the tears haven't stopped since they left and till the arrived at the beach resort.
To their surprise, her mother was already there and was waiting for them in the room they reserved.
"Surprise!" She spoke with a big smile on her face but didn't get the reaction she thought from them. Only was greeted with a worried husband and grim, dead expression on her daughter.
"What's wrong? Did something happen? Katie?" She walked to them and lifted her daughter's face to her, but she wouldn't look at her.
"Did you two fight?" She asked her father.
"She's been like this all the way in the car." He didn't know what to reply and it upset him, it was clear on his face. "I'm going to take a shower." He said as he left them both alone.
Her mother was ever so confused by her husband and even worry started to grow within her heart.
"Mum."
"Yes, dear? I'm all ears." She said with her soft loving voice.
"Thank you."
"For what dear?"
"For keeping me."
"What?..." Her answer puzzled her even more. But when her daughter started sobbing again, she held her tight to her, letting her cry her all her guilt away.
---
"Hana, u there?
---
"girl, u okay? U went silent for days."
---
"Sorry"
---
"You okay girl?"
---
"Yeah, there is something I need to tell you."
---
"What is it?"
---
"It's better if we both go on our separate ways."
---
"What????"
---
"I was a bad influence on you, I shouldn't be around you anymore."
---
"Katie what are u talking about? Ur the most supportive friend I have"
---
"I'm sorry Hana but I made up my mind, you will find other people who are better friends than me"
---
"Katie why are you saying this. Did I do something wrong?"
---
"No"
"Not to me at least"
---
"What are you talking about?"
---
"Also, don't listen to people so easily, think before you listen to them, especially when it comes to others..."
"Don't blindly believe anyone anymore, no matter how supportive or kind they sound."
---
"Katie?!"
---
"One last thing before I go"
"Don't ever repeat what happened six years ago... Please, Don't ever do it again."
---
"..."
---
"Bye Hana"
---
"Goodbye Katie, I hope you have a happy life"
---
"You too Hanna"
-fin.
Comments (0)
See all