Ethereal

Chapter five

Chapter five:

The girl haunted Mikael's dreams, it wasn't unexpected though..

Every time he feels his consciousness ebbing away, she visits him again and again till he couldn't take it anymore.

He found himself multiple times back in the Tyresta, right in the place he first met her, it felt so real to him..

He would ask her what was her name, the answers were multiple..

"My name is Vilhemina." She would say with her fiendish smile.

And then..

"My name is Mien."

And again..

"My name is Wilhelmine."

Last..

"My name is Vilma."

He felt his consciousness again, after the four successive chimeras, he rubbed his eyes and decided to get up to wash his face in the bathroom located in his room. He gets up and there she was, standing at the window. He blinks, and she's gone.. He must be getting delusional, he thought as he let the water run on his face.

Mikael woke up the next day, it was a typical gloomy Monday morning, the air was thick and it had the taste of dust. He got up from bed and stood by the opened window as he often did. The scene was almost from a black and white vintage movie, it was like that dreadful weather sucked the color from everything. April it was, although.

He was shaving his beard, when he felt something ticklish on his back. So he took his shirt off, revealing not only his broad shoulders and chest, but a mark. Right on the ticklish spot. They were marks of finger nails which were dug deep and they left the skin almost torn. She was really there, he thought.

He put his shirt back on and decided not to think about yesterday, at least until he would go back later in the evening after school, and find himself a proper explanation. For a moment, he wanted to take somebody with him. He needed someone with him. He escaped with his mind to remember everything that has happened to him, all the betrayals, and disappointments from the people he trusted the most. The thought of it was pathetic enough, he needed no one but himself, he thought bitterly while pulling his catalina blue jeans up. He buttoned a black Lacoste shirt, put a sweatshirt on, and wore his sneakers. He brushed his Licorice black fluffy hair which was loose almost to his shoulders. Everyone who knew him, would know he was pretty dressed up in comparison to his normal outfits for school. But today was surely not any normal school day for him, it was the day in which a gig was to take place after lectures in the skate park and his band was playing.

Mikael was the drummer. The thought of playing music again after so long made him quite happy. He hasn't played since his girlfriend's tragic death. The band had three guitarists, one lead and two bass, the drummer, and two vocalists, one clean and the other rough. The lead guitarist and the clean vocalist were the song writers, often, Mikael would participate in the song writing process, but that was a long time ago now.

Music was mostly Mikeal's joy and pride, he's been drumming since he was thirteen when his father got him his very first premier drum set. Nothing could ever be compared -to him- to the sound of the beats, the sound of his stick as it hit the cymbals, and his foot as it hit the bass drum pedal.. Every little detail set his soul free.

He made his way to his 1980 spore Chevrolet impala, ignoring his mom's trials of making him have breakfast. The Chevy was his 18th birthday gift from his grandpa. The car was pure vintage, but it did its job, he started the engine, and made his way to campus.

It was half past three in the afternoon now, which meant that boring physics lecture was coming to an end, Mikael thought as he checked his wrist watch.

"Alright, by that we wrap up today's lecture.. Mr Van." The professor said turning to face the chair Mikael was sitting on.

"Yes?" Mikael said, in a surprised manner.

"I'd like to see you for a few moments, the rest, you can all leave." Said he.

Mikael made his way to the professor's desk.

"I think we both know why you're standing here."

He looked at him inquiringly.

"Your grades.."

"Oh, that."

"What happened to you, Mikael, you were my best student once?"

"Can I just go now, Prof. ?"

"Well, my advice to you is to concentrate and put whatever pulling you down behind for your future's sake. You got the finals next week. Good day."

"Good day, sir." He departed.

Mikael made his way to the gig, with an air of self pity about him.