THE JOURNEY OF SHEIRA HART

43 | People Who See Ghosts Are Creepy As Hell

Mikhael was right.

Screaming it out loud did feel nice. Somehow, whatever burden I had feels lighter now. And I realized it was just me who did the actual screaming. I know that he made me do it just for my sake but it was still embarrassing and I hope he will forget about it and not bring it up whenever he decides to open his mouth and tease me.

But I looked at him as we walked down the street quietly (okay, this adjective is unnecessary because we walk quietly even if we try to be loud. Just ghost things). He was silent and he was looking far ahead. And I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.

The night was cold. Though I doubt if it’s the cold night I felt or was I just naturally cold. The streetlights were on and some of them were blinking on and off. One of the few things that indicate this town doesn’t get much attention compared to the others in the whole city. I have already seen several homeless people who were digging through the garbage bins. Looking for scraps of food. The neighborhood is quiet. Most of the people are now curled inside their beds, using their gadgets, continuing a good book, watching TV, or just staring at their ceiling, wondering about how bad their day went. Or how good their day was that they wonder if that would ever happen again.

I don’t know which one was I when I was still alive. At this hour, I was probably on my laptop, watching my favorite anime series. Or perhaps I was one of those people who stare at their ceiling and just think about things. I looked at Mikhael and wonder where does he belong.

“What do you want to say?” I asked as I walked a few steps behind him.

He gave me a sideways glance before he said, “What do you mean?”

“Earlier. You said you wanted to eat pizza. What else do you wish?” I asked.

He was silent for a moment. He continued walking and I continued to follow close behind him. And I thought he doesn’t want to ask the question so I didn’t push. But then he said, “I wish for all of this to be over.”

I looked at him and he didn’t look at me. He was still staring far ahead. I didn’t say anything and just waited for him to say more.

“Like you, I want this to be over. I want you to find the truth about your death. I want to go back to the Afterlife and maybe…” he trailed and stopped walking. I looked at him curiously as he faced me. “Maybe we could get to know each other better once we’re back there.” 

I couldn’t say a response right away but when I found my tongue, I cleared my throat and said, “We can get to know each other while we’re here. And we can continue it once we’re back in the Silver City.”

He let out a small smile before he patted my head. “That’s something to look forward to,” he said and I furrowed my brows. Not because of his gesture but because it is very rare for us to talk like civilized people.

“Since when did we start talking like this?” I asked and he raised a brow. For a moment, he looked confused but after a while, he burst out laughing.

“It feels different but strange enough, comforting,” he commented and I couldn’t agree more.

“If only you talked to me like this before then the road wouldn’t have been too rocky for the both of us.” I crossed my arms and he just laughed. Or more like a scoff.

“Excuse me, darling, but need I remind you that how I acted got you a partner to come back here? What else? If you took another person with you, this journey would be boring as hell—though I’ve never been to hell—and Thanis would find it insulting. It is also good for your mental stability to get mad sometimes and I could give you that easily. And of course, if I didn’t act like the way I acted before, you have never got the chance to get graced by my presence—“

I didn’t let him finish his sentence because I know he’s just going to spout adjectives about himself that are not even true. Well, okay. Maybe some of it is. But that’s not the point. I rolled my eyes and started walking ahead. Of course, once a Mikhael will always be a Mikhael. A conversation for him would never be a conversation if there are no high remarks about himself.

I heard him laugh behind me and I couldn’t help the curve on my lips too as I walk faster. Okay, maybe he was true at some of the points he pointed out. His remarks trigger something in me—annoyance. But I am not sure which part of it is good for my ‘mental stability'. And I must admit that he is indeed entertaining sometimes. Though most of the time his humor gets me pissed off, he is a good company. But never in my entire afterlife will I ever say that to him. The last I ever wanted is a more big-headed Mikhael di Angelo.

“Don’t walk out on me!” I heard him say as he was chuckling. I didn’t look back and just continued walking. I felt him beside me.

“You make my afterlife stressful than anyone I have ever known,” I said.

“I don’t know. Perhaps that old person in front of your house made you annoyed before?” he said and pointed towards the street where my house is. And he was right. There was indeed a man who was standing in front of the house.

“Who is that?”

I felt Mikhael shrug. “Perhaps he’s your admirer or something,” I said and I just glared at him.

We continued walking until we almost reached my house. The light was all off but on the second floor, I could see a faint light coming from my brother’s room. Probably the lampshade.

The old man was still staring at the house and when we got close enough, I almost gasped when the old man looked at us. Straight into us.

And then I remembered him. He was that old man who saw us that night I visited my funeral. He saw us having fun while passing through the lampposts.

He then lifted his hand and pointed at us. Straight at us.

I looked at Mikhael and he just shrugged. Like me, he also has no idea about what’s happening.

But then we were both shocked to hear what the old man said, “You all should be gone from this world. You are not supposed to come back here. You should have stayed wherever you are supposed to be,” he said. His voice was weak and he looked so frail than the last time we saw him. Right at the moment, he looked like the wind could carry him easily.

Mikhael and I didn’t say anything. I’m sure Mikhael realized it too. That this is the same old man who saw us that night.

* * *