"The person lives twice who lives the first life well."
- Robert Herrick
Mix narrowed his eyes at the photo. Zooming in as much as possible, his brain was working at 110 percent. Could he be right? Could it be...?
Mix ran out into the heavy rain, looking at the place he had sat earlier; empty, wet, the droplets of water were splashing on the wooden surface of the small table and two chairs.
Mix walked closer, his eyes focused on the empty chair, the camera clenched in his hand under the black hoodie. "Are you here?" he asked, his fingers wrapping around the camera even tighter.
"Mix?"
Mix heard Earth's voice. The surprise in that one word — his name — was strangely comical.
"So it is you," Mix let out a happy laugh.
"How did you know I was here? You can't see me, can—"
"I can't but I am one step closer to it," Mix grinned. "Let's go inside now," turning around and running inside Mix whined, "gosh, this feels like I'm literally taking a shower, which after my morning bath, I don't need, do I?" He turned back, where he assumed Earth was.
Mix took out his safely protected camera from under his drenched hoodie and put it on the sofa. A few seconds later the hoodie ended up on the floor, and Mix was drying his hair with a towel for the second time that day.
Earth was patiently watching Mix, his eyes unintentionally glued to Mix's white t-shirt which was stuck too tightly on Mix's body.
Mix was drying his hair for an excessive amount of time from Earth's perspective. After a while Earth unglued his eyes from Mix's chest, watching Mix finally putting the towel away. "What do you mean you are one step closer?"
"Well, I saw you...well, I kinda saw you. I mean it's just a white blur but I'm sure it's you." The cheer excitement in Mix's voice brought a warm smile to Earth's face.
Mix sat on the sofa and grabbed the camera. "Here," he held the camera in front of himself. "Wait, can you see it? Where are you?"
"Sitting on your left," Earth replied, waiting for Mix to realize which one was his left.
"Oh okay," Mix turned to his left, one leg under himself, still grinning, he showed the photo to Earth.
It was indeed the photo of place Earth was since Mix went to take some photos. Earth never saw himself in the photo in his ghost form. But there wasn't much to see anyway. The white — on some places — see-through or grey blur that was spreading from the top to the bottom of the photo was it. That was him. That was his entire existence caught on the camera.
During his life, Earth never really liked to have photos taken of him. He never saw himself as particularly handsome or photogenic, no matter how many times by many different people he was told that if he isn't handsome then no one is.
But now, seeing his unidentifiable blurry self on the photo, Earth would give anything to be handsome and photogenic once again.
Earth was staring at this photo of his for probably longer than he thought when the photo suddenly disappeared from him —Mix, turning the camera to himself once again.
"Why are you not saying anything? It is you, isn't it? Don't tell me there is another ghost I don't know about," Mix said, turning off the camera.
"No...I mean, yes, that's me. I'm the only one here, don't worry," Earth's voice sounded strange, mumbled, like it was coming from someone else.
"Earth, what is it? I thought that you'll be happy that we have made at least a tib bit of progress," Mix managed to say before he started coughing.
Earth frowned hearing Mix coughing, but then let it go, focusing on the main point of their conversation, "I'm not saying it didn't surprise me a little bit in a positive way, but...it's not exactly the best feeling to see yourself in a photography as a blur and nothing more."
"Oh...ehmm...if it helps you, it's a nice blur, attractive even," Mix said, internally screaming — attractive even — what the fuck are you saying, you idiot!
However, Earth's genuine laugh was worth Mix's embarrassment. "Thank you, thank you. I was told many times when I was alive that I'm handsome, but never something close to it as a ghost."
"Don't thank me yet, I might change my opinion once I actually see you," Mix said, coughing again.
"Are you alright?" Earth asked, observing Mix's youthful features. Mix seemed pale.
Mix nodded his head, "of course, I'm —" another cough interrupted Mix's answer.
"I don't think you are, Mix," Earth's hand flew up to touch Mix's forehead, before realizing it was impossible. "Don't you have a fever? You are pale."
Mix determinately shook his head, "I'm fine."
But Earth wasn't a ghost for over five decades to be fooled so easily. He had seen a lot and he had definitely seen Praewa catching flu, for him to know how it starts. And even though he didn't really remember how it felt — last time he had flu he was around twelve — Earth knew for sure that it could knock you out for a week or two, especially if you won't pay attention to it from the beginning.
"Mix," Earth said with a serious voice.
Coughing, Mix finally admitted, "fine, I'm not feeling so good, I might even have a fever. But you know whose fault is that?" Mix said, pointing his finger at where Earth was sitting, "yours. It was you and your stupid prank who did this to me."
Earth already a tiny bit regretted his prank; he didn't want to feel even worse. "Are you sure it isn't because of you running mindlessly right into that rain shower?"
"That lake was way colder than the rain," Mix said, pouting. His throat was starting to feel sore and he was feeling hot. The mix was sure it's not that hot in the cabin.
Looking in Earth's direction, Mix saw the blanket next to him raising up from the sofa and a second later engulfing him from his head to his toes. Earth was tucking him in.
And yes, this gesture may be precious and caring but Mix was freaking burning already, he didn't need another layer of warmth on him. But when he tried to push the blanket away, there was resistance.
He couldn't move the blanket at all.
To be continued...
P.S. CUPID'S LAST WISH ON FEB 21ST!!! ARE WE READYYYY??? I'M NOOOT 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Anyway, I asked on Twitter and it turned out you all wanted another double update so here I am again with not one but two chapters. Enjoy.😘❤🤎