CHAPTER 4
KATHARINE
💀💀
I scowled at the girl I saw in the mirror. The stupid me! I put on my lip gloss, pouted my lips and walked away. My story was crazy and I was running mad too. How come? Why was this all happening to me? Was I really dating a ghost? No ... It couldn't be. I walked proudly headed to the gate. My ride had arrived. I opened the backseat door and jumped in. "Hi ma'am," he driver greeted smiling at me. "Hello sir. Take me to the cemetery please."
"Yes ma'am." He drove off calmly. And a lady started singing on his Mp3 player. Her voice was soft and calm. She soothed my heart and gave my heart peace since I was visiting a sad place. Almost like 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑦 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛. My mind boiled again, who was Christian? Was I imagining things last night? Was I crazy or something? I thought I need therapy.
"We're here ma'am." He brought me back to the now with his voice. I paid him and jumped out of the car. He drove away as soon as I shut the door closed. Slowly, I walked further in looking around. Finally, I got to mom and dad's graves. I smiled at them sadly, removing the old flowers from their vases before putting in the new roses I brought. I sang for them, like all the time I did every time I came for a visit.
“I wanna be in your life until the night is over,
I wanna hold you so tight, so tight, come in closer,
It's been a hell of a ride for every single moment,
You were there by my side,
Whenever I'm broken, you make me feel whole,
Whenever I'm lonely, you're there for my soul,
Wherever you are, girl, that's where I call my home,
Whenever you doubt it, I'll be lettin' you know,
Whoa, girl, I want to be dancin' with you forever,
You see through the storm and take me as I am
Baby, it's magic any time that we're together,
I make I just love you and hold you for my hand,
Hold you for my hand, my hand, my hand,
Hold you for my hand, hold you for my hand."
I chuckled sadly when tears burned their way to my eyes until I finally let them fall.
"Hi mom and daddy. I hope you okay. I miss you so much and I need you so badly. Things are messed up but at least ... There's something positive going on. I was promoted at work. "I grinned happily to myself. "Exiting right? Yes, I'm one of the big guys now in the game. I want to make both of you proud. But besides that... I have something else to share with you." The wind suddenly blew in a circle. I looked around, the leaves were flying. I smile to myself, they - were listening. "I found love. Love from a very nice and kind person. He's very humble, honest and sincere. I -" My voice trailed away. The weight I felt last night, it was back. The heaviness; like someone was staring at me.
"Hello!?" I shouted looking around but ... there was nobody.
"Hello?!" Still, nobody was there.
"As I was saying mom and dad that I'm finally in love. It's just so sad that you're not here to witness that." I wiped a falling tear. My heart broke, I really missed my parents. As I kneeled in between the graves, footsteps of the crushing leaves approached me accompanied by cold air; you see when you step on dry leaves and they make that 'crunch' sound. Yeah - that one, I felt the presence of someone. They stood behind me. Calmly, they touched my right shoulder soothingly. O-kay, was I supposed be scared? "I love him mom, so much. He's sweet, and protective of me too. It's just that ... it looks like he has too much problems. Funny thing is, I want to accept him as he is." The cold air blew my back, soothingly.
"Daddy, should I give him a chance? I want both of your blessings mom and dad."
Right then, I kneeled there, closed my eyes and enjoyed the peace. I listened carefully. Was my heart at ease or I felt a pinch of bitterness in it? I listened ... no, I was at ease and the presence of cold air was still there. I finally opened my eyes to myself who felt happy. Okay, my mom and dad were happy too, I guess.
"Thank you, my king and queen for accepting him. Goodbye, for now. I'll see you soon."
I uttered happily before I stumbled up from the floor and walked away. As soon as I left, the presence of cold are disappeared. I sighed before coming across a folded paper with a red rose on the floor. Who put this here because when I arrived here it was not there? I bent to pick it up and unfolded the paper. The first thing I noticed, was the same handwriting from yesterday - and the charcoal.
𝑻𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅.
𝑰'𝒎 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 ... 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑰 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕. 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊s𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒅. 𝑴𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒕. 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 ... 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚.
𝑪.𝑨
My heart stiffened into a hard ball. He was there? But how? I wiped my rolling tears on my face sighed. That rose; I was keeping it with the other from previous night.
💀💀
KATHARINE
"Is this all Jimmy?" I questioned him looking at the books. The restaurant was rented for a wedding today. All the workers; including me and Bella are there. The clients have paid, now I was looking at the invoice and receipts. "Yes, Ms Hyde. It is all." He replied, eyes warmly brown with his black haircut shining. "Okay, thank you, Jim." He nodded and walked away.
"Wait!" I called out for him. I wasn't done talking!
"Excuse me for yelling but I wasn't done talking yet. We, have to make sure that we check everything they use. Should there be any broken glass, bowl or plate; report that to Isabella and count how many things are broken alright?"
"Yes, Ms Hyde."
"That's all, thank you." He walked out proudly. That chef was something else. He was - handsome and beautiful.
No, no, no, I wasn't about to go there! I bit on my bottom lip stressed, I wasn't going to go out there to the crowd. I didn't need the noise. "Katharine!"
Isabella yelled for me walking in the office. She sat on my desk and gave me a full glass of champagne. "Drink up, you look - thirsty."
I took it with a thank you nod, "you're right Bella. I am very thirsty... and drained." I replied with a very low tone. I was a shit-whipped person those days. My life was crazy. I was dating a ghost, Ben thought I was sick, I got charcoal letters, I saw and sensed things that were not there; everything was upside down. I was seeing him that day - Christian. I was terrified. What will he say? How will he look? What will I say? It was pathetic! Everything seemed to be upside down for me. How did he hear me talking to mom and dad?
Sheesh!
"A penny for your thoughts?" Bella said. I sighed, that was not going to be easy. I elaborated everything from the previous night to that day's scene when I went to the cemetery. When I finished, she just gazed at me blankly. "Katharine are you aware that this person might really be a ghost?"
"Yes."
"Yet, you love him?"
"Yes! I love him regardless anything Bella. He's my first love."
"First love? A ghost Kate? How are you going to live with this lost soul forever? Will you have a family you want with this ghost? Kate what are you doing? Are you out of your marbles?!"
She yelled at me. I knew it was crazy but - I love him. Oh-so-much. And so, I had to make her understand.
"Isabella you have to understand that-"
"No!" I cringed in awe.
"Don't do this Katerina! It's mad and crazy; how could you even consider that? A ghost? No!"
I blinked at her teary; swallowing the lump on my throat. "What a bittersweet first love." I chuckled bitterly at myself. "Don't utter shit here Katharine. 'Bittersweet first love?' For what love? Are you aware that this god damn soul might stick to you so much that you won't even date a single person. It will always be against your relationships then it'll break them?" She huffed in frustration. "Baby I'm not trying to be jealous, insensitive and all that shit but I'm looking out for you, bestie. Since when does a living human date ghosts?"
I shut my eyes closed. Honestly, she was right.
💀💀
CHRISTIAN
I walked back to the gates. They had to, they needed to help me. They were the ones who sent me back there to hunt for love. That was absurd because I was just a lost soul sent back to humans. How can we be lovers? I walked the long walk, as I finished climbing the longest mountain, I ran fast for the huge dam. Some people got lucky to finally reach the top, but some others fell apart on their way, some rolled back down and got injured, some couldn’t see the way, some got fetched by Skeleto to hell. Death was bittersweet. Don't wish to die! But then, for her I could have done anything so there I was, going back to heaven to seek an ability to walk around midday in a human form. Finally, I saw the gates of heaven, I was close. I walked and walked. That place was so peaceful and beautiful. Soon, I'd be stuck in between staying with Kate or coming here, I had fallen for her and I might've not been able to let go.
"Christian, what are you doing back here?" I scowled at the gate keeper. He was so mean at people who came there. Like now, why was he frowning at me? "Greetings angel of the pure."
"What do you want, Christian? The trumpet hasn't called you yet!" I sighed, he - was very exhausting.
"I'm not back for good Elikplim. I am here to ask for an ability to be in human form in daylight. I want to make my woman happy and take her out. Skeleto's servants always try their luck on her at night. Also, I'd like a change of clothes." He stared at me blankly. And woman approached us running as fast as she can. She was very injured and her clothes were torn. "Please open the gate for me! They will get here and take me away. I swear, I'm innocent!" She pleaded to Elikplim, the gatekeeper who stared at her emotionlessly. "You do not belong here. Have you seen yourself? Wait here until your rightful angels of the dark take you. People who belong here climb that mountain with not even a single scratch!" Elikplim argued. "But please, please, please I won't be able to survive hell!" She pleaded sadly. My heart sank for her, she really was not innocent back in the land of the living judging by the way she was so fucked-up.
Her body looked like she rolled down the mountain. She looks like she was smeared with blood all over and she was bruised almost everywhere. Her hair was a mess; clothes were ripped and her lip was bruised. Suddenly, the place got dark on us; wind whooshed thunderstorm approached us.
The hallow omen that followed around the angel of the dark. "Elik, Elikplim," a deep voice echoed in the air before it laughed. "You have something that belongs to me!" The angel of dark's voice echoed everywhere. If I said I was not terrified, I'd be lying! "Please, "the lady begged looking at me in fear. What was I going to do? I was no angel!
Skeleto approached us from afar, "demon don't make me angry, let's go!" The lady cried and kneeled on the floor before Elik and I. Elikplim and I watched, I really wished I hadn't come here now what if he took me too? "Demon!"
Skeleto's voice echoed again. The lady carried on crying, and that angered Skeleto. Skeleto flew to her; it was the first time I saw him but he - looked like a genie. He carried a rod, and honestly, he had a very dark aura that sent chills down my spine. "Don't take me, please!" Skeleto huffed fire out of his nose. "Obey you're making him angry!"
Elikplim couldn't just shut up? The lady shook her head, and right there, Skeleto lost it. His eyes, mouth, nose and finger nails burned flames. He raised up his rod and poked the floor twice. The lady cried out loud as her body slowly but surely evaporated to the eyes and the opened wide mouth of Skeleto. When she was all gone, he huffed out a black small cloud and held it like a ball in his hand. Right then, he fed it to his skeleton headed rod which made the storm strike hard. "Since you didn't want to be in hell, you'll be caged as a real demon!" Skeleto growled with his deep husky voice. He then raised up his rod again then evaporated into thin air. The storm faded away, light returned and the sky become clear. "What was that?!" I questioned Elikplim in terror. He laughed and shook his head continuously. "That was small Christian. I watch this every single day. Some men are so funny that they start praying here then Skeleto ends up using his demons for help. Once you become a demon, you'll never be free. Just like that lady." Elikplim explained cooly. For fuck's sake...I needed to leave. "Give me what I need so I can leave please." He laughed and pulled his own holy rod, "come foward."
I did so. He put his rod over my head and shoulders chanting words.
"All done." I looked at myself then him; what about my clothes? He huffed. "Close your eyes." I closed them as he said, his rod touched my head then shoulders. "Don't open them yet. I'll send you back to the land of the living like I did before." I nodded with my eyes shut.
💀💀
KATHARINE
I smiled walking further to the place he picked for us. He blindfolded me with his cold hands as he walked behind me behind me. As he said, 'it's a surprise'. "Surprise!" Half shouted Christian when he removed his hands from my face. I opened my eyes. It was an outdoor picnic. A white cloth laid on the floor, red roses all over, a basket with a bottle of red wine, fruits and a brown paper bag. I blinked at him surprised as he smiles at me. "You like?" He questioned nervously. His aura was heavy and he looked a bit pale. For a change, he was in a white vest and a short-sleeved shirt. Along knee length white shorts and barefooted.
"I love it babe!" I answered me excitedly as I kissed him on the cheek. "Come sit, Ms Hyde." We sat down, and he poured wine in wine glasses and gave one to me. "I missed you, "he said, "so much baby." I smiled at him; his words make my heart melt so bad. "I missed you too Christ. It's just that, there are things I find weird between us."
"Like what, Kate?"
"You, you're creepy." I managed to finally say. He just gazed at me, puzzled. His eyes burned into my skin. Why did he have to be so beautiful? There was a moment of silence, then...
"Why do you say that?" he questioned me in a chilled tone. "I-"
I really wanted to say it but what was I going to say? Should I say; 'Christian I think you're a ghost, are you?' No, it was absurd! Or I should've said I saw him at my house or that he wrote letters for me in charcoal? No, it sounded ridiculous! "You were saying?" His voice brought me back to the now. I swallowed, blinking at him tongue tied.
"I just...it's just that... No, it's that you're different from other days. I don't know maybe it's because you're my first love and that it's love, but I think it's terror." I was not sure if what I said made sense but I tried. He just chuckled and looked at me in a unexplainable way. "Though you're not telling the truth, I'll let it pass, baby." Shit! ... How did he know?!
"I just do know, Katharine. Come lay on my chest."
As terrified as I was, I snuggled in his arms. He engulfed me into a hug. We lay there for a while, comfortable silence, birds singing, area peaceful, and everything perfect. I found myself feeling drowsy. "Wake up and eat dear Kate. You can sleep after that. You're hungry I know." And he was right. "How did you know?" I questioned curiously and he huffed.
"I just do, dear. Up we go." I sat up along with him. He dished up food for us, grilled chicken, chips and salad. He handed me my plate and winked at me. We started eating in thick silence. I swear you would scoop it with a spoon. Aburptly, he broke the silence with a bomb on me. "Kate, would you marry me?"
The proposal of a ghost.