With eyes wide open, I stare at the TV screen. I’ve muted the sound out because Kath was already fast asleep cuddling up to Molly and Roro. I replayed over what Kath and I talked about hours ago about David. What surprised me at the end of the conversation was how she wished she could see him one more time. She can take my place any day. At least Kath was pretty open to the supernatural concept.
Something cool breezed into the room and I knew pretty well by now it was the presence of David. We were quiet for what seemed a long time before I saw David’s see through body lying next to mine. I turned my body to the left to look at him. Sure enough David was there, his eyes fixated on the TV.
“I thought I told you to not come tonight?” I said, frowning.
“It’s already morning, Al. You didn’t say I couldn’t swing by in the morning,” David smirked. “Say, how did it go with Kath? Did she take it well?”
“It wasn’t bad actually. I’m kind of surprised she believed me,” I replied, putting both my hands under my head as I look up to the ceiling. “We can go to England now just like you wanted. The quicker I help you, the faster I can get away from you.”
Another fifteen minutes passed in silence. Even if my eyes were set on the TV, I could feel David’s pair of eyes looked down on me for I’ve suddenly gotten goose bumps on my arms. Looking down, I’ve noticed how his hand touched the tips of my fingers. It felt cold but something settled inside my heart. For once I felt rather comfortable with his presence.
“Make sure you take the flight to London and from London we can rent a car to get to Cornwall, a country side where my parents reside,” said David in a low voice. “You will love it there, no doubt. I won’t be surprise if you don’t want to go back to this place.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. Now he knows what I like and don’t like?
“You are wrong mister,” I stubbornly said. “I love it here no matter what. Plus, I got my career here, I can’t leave it forever even if Cornwall is going to be a thousand times better.”
“Tell me this, you like working in a small boutique rather than living somewhere absolutely beautiful? You have the money haven’t you?”
I sighed.
“You don’t understand,” I said wistfully. “There was a time in my life where I’ve completely come to the understanding money can’t buy you anything. Literally. I got my parents, but they weren’t always there. I got a big house but it was always empty except for the maids and butlers. I got all the things that I want but every time after I go shopping it just really feels empty. It doesn’t satisfy me. Besides, when we’re all dead and gone, what do we take with us? Nothing except our soul.”
“What do you know of death?” David butted in, voice steely. “You have no shitty idea how it feels to be dead and living in a dead world. In my own personal opinion, go live your life. You don’t have a lot of time to enjoy it so I suggest you spend your money, and just live it.”
I was taken aback for a moment. I was well aware I’m not dead yet but flashback to seven years ago when I almost died because of massive depression. In this world, no one has the right to live alone, no socialization. I was hospitalized for weeks and gone to a psychiatrist for months before I felt secure with myself. Dr. Tricia Veerman was like my second best friend who was there when things were rough. Who wouldn’t go insane if you had to stay most of your life being raised by maids rather than your own parents?
That was when I realized no money in the world my parents were going to give me in this world was going to make me happy. Emptiness gnawed my insides for years and when I met Evan that was when I felt a breakthrough. He was tremendously kind to me and an absolute charming guy. Evan was that kind of guy when you look at him, you’re unable to refuse whatever he asks or says. We’ve been together for a long time and now all the time we’ve spent together seemed like a waste of time.
I looked at David in the eye and told him the first thing that came into my mind.
“You’re an asshole aren’t you?” I spat out, trying to keep down my voice to a minimum. “Just because you’re dead doesn’t make you a know-it-all. What if what I do now, is what I enjoy doing? Did you ever think of that? God, I can’t wait to be rid of you! You are one brainless asshole, now leave me alone!”
I turned to the other side, tears almost spilling out of my eyes. On my right side Kath was fast asleep. I hope I’d drift off pretty soon and probably I did because I didn’t feel or hear David disappear from the room with the freezing temperature he always brought with him. What I didn’t know as I drifted off into a deep sleep was that David never left from where he was. I had no idea David sat where he was, watching over me.
The next morning, my body felt absolutely awful. My back was killing me and I had a slight headache. However, Kath was already up and cooking breakfast by the time I lazily dragged myself to the kitchen.
“You look horrible,” Kath looked at me from top to bottom. “Didn’t you sleep at all last night? Damn those popcorns had me out after I finish eating them all.”
“Ugh no. I had such a bad night to be honest,” I grumbled. My head dropped to my hands as my mouth let out a tired moan. “We have to work today. I just have to keep saying it as a mantra that this is my last day before I head out to London. Can you book me a flight when I’m in the shower? I swear I can’t handle this right now.”
A slam on the breakfast counter made my head shot up. Kath stood there with an envelope on her hand, a sly grin on her radiant face. I know that look on her face. She has a plan in mind and they’re usually bizarre.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, a bit cautious. Kath practically shoved the envelope under my nose. “What’s this?”
“I booked you a ticket to London earlier this morning. Your flight is tonight at seven so don’t be late,” Kath grinned. I looked at her in shock. “The hole and stuff I had no idea how to book those because I don’t really know what your plan is or where David lives so that’s all you.”
I checked over the printed paper, my online ticket for tonight, destination London. It was hard to believe that I agreed to help a ghost deliver a message to his parents and the police forces about his death. Even to this day I’m still debating whether to go with this crazy plan or not. A sudden cold breeze swept through me making my skin tingles. David had made his presence known to me.
“I’m starting to like your friend,” David sneered. “She knows I’m in dire need.”
“Well good thing she wants to help you too,” I grudgingly said. “If she knows what an ass you are, you’ll be dead too.”
Kath raised both her eyebrows at me. Then she figured it out who I was talking to.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, rather in excitement. “Is he here? Hmm … Hey David. Nice to finally meet you.”
I rolled my eyes at her. She has no idea what an asshole he’s been last night.
“Hello Katherine,” David greeted back. “Lovely to meet you too. But I’d rather you cut the crap with me. See, I know I’m dead, so please don’t be nice to me just because you have to respect the dead.”
“What is your problem?!” I groaned. “She’s just saying hi because she probably doesn’t know what else to say to you. Speaking of you being dead and all, I’ve been meaning to ask you a question. How come only I can see you now?”
“Because it takes a lot of energy to manifest and I can’t afford that right now,” David answered, face expressionless. “I can only show myself to you because you believe that I exist. More like that I still exist. A connection between a mortal and a spirit I guess.”
That makes sense. I think. Now all I had to do was pack and ready up for my flight this evening. Inside, excitement for a new adventure bubbled up to the surface of my barren heart. I haven’t travelled for a long time now. My last travelling experience was Greece around three years ago when I met Evan. Speaking of Evan … I flipped open my cell phone and sent a message to him.
I’m going to London tonight at seven. Talk to you when I get back. A
David had disappeared while Kath finished up with cooking breakfast. I look blankly at my plane ticket, heaving out a sigh. There’s no way I was getting out of this one. The ticket has been bought, I had to help David whether I like it or not. Even if he was being an asshole most of the time. A beep from my cell caught my attention, one new text message had come through. I read it.
You WHAT?! This isn’t like you. Why are you going there all of a sudden? Look I have a meeting this afternoon, please wait for me. We need to talk. E
Oh now he wants to talk. Sometimes I think I don’t know Evan anymore. When we met in Greece, he wasn’t such an ass. He was polite, considerate and a very good listener. Girls would swoon after him, bat their eyelashes at him but his eyes remained only for me. I was so absorbed in his world, believed anything he said and would probably do anything for him. I was a hopeless romantic for sure. And Evan was. Romantic I mean. Well he was, not so sure now when Vanessa stepped into the picture.
Ugh. Vanessa. I shouldn’t even give the slightest thought to her.
Kath gave me a plate full of sausages, toasts and eggs. Passing the salt and pepper right after she sat herself down next to me with her own plate of breakfast. I smiled at her and gave her a hug.
“Thanks Kath,” I said gratefully as I pulled away from her. “You really are my best friend.”
Kath needn’t reply to my statement, but the light that shone in her eyes was enough for me to understand that she felt the same way.
The day seemed to pass on much more quickly than I had expected. After breakfast, I did the dirty dishes while Kath went back to her apartment to get ready for work at the boutique. She had promised she’d take care of things while I’m away. That goes for Roro too. By noon, I had taken a long bath and wrapped myself comfortably in a bathrobe while packing my stuff for the trip. Music blasting on my iPod speaker to my favorite song Whistle by Flo Rida. I had my peace for a couple of minutes before the speakers started to crackle and buzz until altogether the songs started to shuffle and change every five seconds.
“Veronica is getting away!” David’s voice suddenly came through the speakers through sound waves. My eyes widened. I didn’t believe in paranormal shit, I had a hard time believing when I watch Ghost Adventures every Friday night on the Discovery Channel.
“How do you …” I said, before David cut mid-sentence.
“I need you to get on the plane as soon as you can,” David’s voice crackled through. “She’s taking a flight to France with Louie tonight at six.”
I dropped down to my knees, rubbing both my temples. Why do things get more complicated when they seem to shimmer down even for a bit?