Can you see me

Picture Perfect

As usual Iorwen was home alone like she preferred now. Her aunt was out with some douche for New Years Eve party and she was glad not to face her at such happy time. Heating up the left over from yesterday she ate with her I-pod drowning her in loud music as she munched the food in silence.

She and her aunt had a nice place to live in since sleeping with half the male population did get her aunt some serious favours and a nice pay job. She had a large room to herself, with a glass bookshelf, a guitar, a music system, antique looking dressing table and a decent wardrobe. Her aunt though never bothered with her life and worries but she always kept the credit card loaded.

Shrugging off her leather jacket and denim shirt, she changed into sweatshirt and pyjamas. Crossed legs she sat down on her bed, sighing as soon as her skin felt the familiar place. Opening up her laptop she transferred all her pictures from mobile and searched for the best ones to upload on the online journal.

Her breathing halted as she came across one of the pictures, a distant uncomfortable buzz in her ear. Besides the portrait from the palace stood a lean, tall boy posing with a sly, sexy with a peace sign nonetheless. Even in faded light and average picture quality he looked ... resplendent. He was dashingly handsome to say the least.

Did something actually paranormal happen to her? Did she get a click of a ghost of the palace? Immediately forwarding she saw the boy again in every picture except her selfie. She should have felt scared but all she felt was uncomfortable and shocked. Wide eyed she bent closer to her laptop screen and titled her head in every direction to get the better look so if this was not some illusion. But as she concentrated he became clearer and more visible than anything else in the photo.

It was like he was a model with all the limelight and the palace was the shoot location.

What was this? Was this real? Is he a ghost?

Agitated by so many questions she snapped closed her laptop and stood up. She started pacing trying to come to a decision. Should she visit the place now and check it out or should she wait for day time just in case.

She decided on the second option and decided to do some google search instead.

Teragaron, the name of the town had always been a tourist attraction for its rich heritage, amazing carnivals and the palace. The internet said the palace belonged to a minor King whose name was not mentioned but the Queen was some high priestess named Foghana Haggard. She was evil and used to severely punish people even for silly crimes.

From latest updates it said that the palace is a certified haunted location and that the noises heard there is proof enough. No one had ever entered the place since it is known that a cursed soul still survives inside.

Iorwen skipped the part about its beauty and architecture, her mind now stuck to the part about the tortured soul. This can’t be true in any sense of the world. She didn’t believe in all these things. Remembering suddenly she opened her wardrobe and pulled out the neck piece from her jacket pocket; the platinum locket and wondered if it was actually cursed.

She curled and uncurled her fingers around it trying to feel something. After feeling foolish for few seconds she sighed in exasperation and returned to the bed feeling slightly cold. She snuggled inside her quilt and turned off the lights. Something so trivial could not shake her up and squeezing her eye shut, slightly drunk she drifted off to sleep!

*****

“Lucas, can you accompany to me to that place we went to yesterday?” She asked called one of her friends.

Lucas, Rachel and Iorwen were original best friends since kindergarten, Oswald and Lauren were late entries. So she was more comfortable with Lucas and Rachel, Rachel was not a morning person in holiday season so Lucas was the only viable option.

“Why would you want to do that?” He asked not sure she was serious about it.

“I dropped something there.” She said forming a perfectly random lie.

“Oh and at night you were comfortable going alone but at day time you need a companion?” He grunted obviously annoyed at being woken up this early on vacation day.

“Lucas, stop being an ass and get ready. I’ll be there in five.” She said not giving him an option and hung up.

“What did you drop?” Lucas asked yawning after he asked.

“My cell phone.” She said deciding on it after a moment of hesitation.

“What? You dropped you cell phone and waited till morning to get it?” Lucas said surprised.

She nodded and calmly shrugged.

As she pushed opened the door, Lucas hesitated.

“What? Don’t tell me the Mr. Cool is too afraid to walk in even in broad daylight?” She teased him.

He scoffed, “Please, me afraid. Don’t even say the two things in same sentence.”

She shook her head grinning lightly. Being winter there was no sunlight and snow was everywhere. The chilly wind greeted her as soon as she walked in as if it was waiting for her to enter the area.

“It looks spooky even in day time.” Lucas said tightening his beanie over his blonde head.

Iorwen ignored his comment and entered the place almost like she memorised it yesterday.

Lucas was gazing around wide eyed trying to suck in every detail maybe to brag latter. She pretended to search for her ‘lost’ phone trying to hear some noise or even find a clue of someone living here.

“I’ll go and check upstairs.” She said and Lucas raised his eye brow surprised that she went that far.

She climbed slightly cautious now.

The corridor was long with four doors, made alternatively on each wall on her either side. There were small lamps on the walls now rusted and covered with webs. She kept walking and whispered bravely, “Hello!”

She waited for few seconds, nothing happened. Letting out the breath she was unintentionally holding she turned to leave feeling idiotic now. What was she thinking?

And then door of one of the rooms creaked open, she immediately turned to look for the source of noise.

She should have yelled, anyone could have but when she saw him, she gasped out loud in awe.

A drop dead sexy guy was standing in front of her looking at her with thousand questions in his ice blue eyes!