"We do not remember days, we remember moments."
- Cesare Pavese
Mix was drying his wet hair with a towel, at the porch of the cabin, humming a tune of Michael Jackson's You are not alone, having a surprisingly good mood after practically forced skinny dipping. It wasn't that bad but he definitely needed to come up with a better solution for the future if he was supposed to stay there.
After drying his hair and taking a few deep breaths of healthy forest air, Mix returned inside to put the towel and other skin and body products to the upstairs bathroom. Opening the door to the bathroom he couldn't believe his eyes...bathtub. There was a freaking bathtub in the corner of the bathroom!
"Is he fucking kidding me?" Mix put all his creams and shampoos on the shelves and then...he screamed. "Earth, where are you? Wherever the heck you are, come here!"
"Did you call me?" Earth's innocently sounding voice came from somewhere behind Mix.
"Oh yeah, yeah I did," Mix said, putting on an annoyed smile. "Earth, what is this?" Mix pointed at the bathtub.
"That's a bathtub," Earth said, trying not to laugh. His prank was an immaculate success.
"Yes, that's a bathtub. So if there is a bathtub, then can you explain to me why did I have to suffer that cold lake?"
"Ouuu, you wanted to take a hot bath?"
"I..." Mix stoped, calming down his frustration, "of course I wanted a hot bath!"
"Well, you didn't say that. How should I have known?" There was a cocky smirk, playing on Earth's face. Only if Mix could see it, he would want to kill Earth. The first person who killed a ghost; what a great thing to put in your resumé.
Mix chuckled ominously, "you know what I badly wanna do right now?"
"What?" Earth asked, savouring every second of their conversation.
"Punch a ghost."
"You can try. Maybe if you try enough times you'll be actually able to do it," Earth said, the cocky smirk disappearing from his face.
Mix sighed, "so the bathtub works, right? Next time I can take bath here?"
"Yes, but sometimes there's no hot water," Earth explained, not teasing Mix anymore, sensing that the atmosphere has changed.
Mix shrugged, "well, still better than the lake. I rather stay out of it and only admire it from afar."
"Mix, you aren't mad, are you?" Earth asked quietly. Yes, he enjoyed the prank but he really didn't want Mix to be mad at him.
"Of course I am! Didn't I tell you I wanna punch you?"
"Other way around, Mix. I'm at the door, not by the window," Earth said, laughing. The view of 'angry' Mix pouting at the window was hilarious.
Mix turned to the door, still pouting, "my point still stands," he said and stormed out of the bathroom, almost walking through Earth again.
Earth jumped away from Mix's way at the last moment. Putting his hand on his bullet-cracked heart he gasped, "oh, God, that was close." He left the bathroom, seeing Mix opening the door to his bedroom. "Hey, you, young man, you almost walked through me again. I told you not to—" The door banged right in front of Earth's face.
"Are you really mad at me?" Earth whispered. He could easily walk right through that door even without opening them but he won't do it. Mix needed some time alone. "Take some rest, Mix. I know it's a lot on you. I'm sorry for the prank," he said, out loud, but not sure if Mix could actually hear him.
Earth looked at the door one last time and disappeared.
.....
Mix walked to the room, closed the door right in Earth's face with satisfaction and threw himself on the bed. The corners of his lips were curved up, forming a big smile. If Earth could tease him then Mix could do the same to Earth. He wasn't that mad, laying on the bed Mix waited for Earth to appear—well, to hear Earth's voice—but he waited and waited and waited...
Did Earth really leave? Mix sat up in his bed, his eyes on the door as if waiting that they will suddenly open. They won't, Earth didn't need that.
"Earth? Are you here?... I'm not mad..." Mix yelled, even though it was more than unnecessary. Earth would hear him, yelling or not.
Mix was sitting there, not moving just spacing out for another ten minutes, but Earth didn't show up. Mix's smile fell, his shoulders hang low—a sudden sadness fell upon him. It was weird. Why should he be sad? Just because Earth wasn't around didn't mean Mix couldn't enjoy the day.
Mix came to the Ghost Cabin thinking that he was going to spend months even years alone and he was more than fine with that. So why now, after a short time there with Earth, he was suddenly sad not having someone around him? Not having Earth around him?... no no no...Not having someone around him.
"It's stupid," Mix shook his head.
He had so many things he could do. All those books he brought with him, won't read themselves. The paint and brushes lying somewhere on the bottom of his bag, won't use themselves. The camera on his bedside table won't take pictures of the breathtaking scenery by itself. All the hidden places around the cabin won't be explored on their own.
So why was Mix still sitting there, feeling like he had no motivation to do anything?
He grabbed the camera from the bedside table, checked if it was charged and got out of bed. There was no way he will allow this ghost of a man to affect him so much. Not yet at least.
To be continued...
P.S. Is this another double update? Yes, yes it is! 🥳💕