THE JOURNEY OF SHEIRA HART

17 | There's This Thing Called Ghost Murderer

I was still frozen on my feet as I tried to digest what just happened. I was sure it was him. Jacob Paulo Leos was someone I knew from the past. Yet strangely enough, I couldn't remember him. He was the one who told me about Monica. But I didn't believe him then. I never believed in ghosts. 

I stared at his back. Wondering if he saw me or not. I took a step forward, not being able to grasp what just happened. I remember he saw Monica. He warned me about her. He took me out of that bathroom. I remembered furious his eyes were as he stared at something, shielding me from whatever he was seeing.

But what happened now? He couldn't see me? 

I need to know. So I walked towards where he was seated and stood in front of him. He was staring straight into the stage where the Principal was talking. Then he leaned to the guy seated beside him and whispered something in his ear. They both covered their mouths and laughed.

He couldn't see me.

All the things I planned to do dissolved into thin air. I wanted to ask him why he protected me from Monica at that time. I wanted to ask him what's with Monica. Did he stop seeing things?

I waved my hand in front of him. I crouched down in front of him. But his eyes didn't even blink as I attempted to poke it.

I sighed and looked at the bathroom door. A student went out and she seemed fine. Monica and Mikhael must be busy.

"Once again, enjoy your summer holiday but don't forget your responsibilities. Happy holiday, everyone!" The Principal ended his speech and the students cheered with glee as they're finally starting their summer vacation. I looked at Jacob who high-fived his friends. The auditorium was noisy and then the students start to stand up and walk out of the auditorium. I followed Jacob.

He was with his friends. I felt the students passing through me and I might have gotten used to it over time as it doesn't feel like I've been punched in gut anymore. It somehow felt more...natural.

So I walked down the long hallway, following Jacob with his friends. They were talking and laughing. Probably planning what they're going to do for the summer holiday. Then I stopped walking as I saw him bid goodbye to his friends. He turned left while his friends turned right. I followed him, maintaining a safe distance. 

His hands were stuffed inside his pockets. The hallway was quiet and when I looked back, all the students were turning right. I stared at his back. 

Where is he going?

He turned another left and I figured he might be going to the men's locker room. But then much to my surprise, he stopped in the middle of the hallway. I halted too, wondering what he was seeing. And when I took a peek, I froze on my feet. I didn't know what to feel.

Because at the end of the hallway, just in between the lockers, was a portrait.

And it was me on it.

Flowers adorned the frame. It was yellow, pink, red, purple—some of the colors I am not too fond of. On top of it was a ribbon with texts written in elegant cursive. I wonder who wrote it.

In Memory of Sheira Adelyde Hart.

You are loved.

You will be remembered.

I looked at Jacob and I stood frozen as I saw his eyes. He was staring at the portrait. My portrait. We must have been quite close for him to react like that. Then he walked closer to the portrait. I stood beside him and just watched. His throat bobbed. His hand reached for the frame and with his finger, he gingerly touched my photo. He caressed it like he was caressing my real face. His caress was so heartbreakingly gentle that looking at him made my heart ache. Souls feel that kind of emotion too, apparently. His eyes were so sad. So forlorn. That made me want to touch him. To comfort him. I don't remember what our relationship was but I felt like we were something...close.

"It was never the same," I heard him say as he continued to caress my photo. A tear fell from his eye but he wiped it immediately. "Everything's never the same after you were gone." He braced his hand on the side of my portrait and looked down. His eyes were covered with his slightly long hair.

Then I saw his shoulders shake. The next thing I heard was his soft sobs. Yet he never let a tear fall to the ground. He wiped it as soon as it came out.

"I want you back," he said. And hearing it, hearing his voice, hearing the pain—it was too much for me. I felt like I was stabbed from the inside. It was painful. I didn't know ghosts could feel something like that. But maybe they do. Maybe we do. Maybe, despite all the things you've been through to accept the fact that you're dead, at some point, you still feel sad for the people you left behind. I left them behind. And the fact that they will never, ever see me again is something too much to take. And this man, Jacob Paulo, feels exactly like that.

"I want you back, Sheira." He sobbed as he pressed his forehead to my portrait.

I wanted to do something. Anything. But I couldn't. And all I could do was step close to him and hold his shoulder. It was then that he stopped sobbing. I felt him went utterly still. And much to my surprise, he leaned back and looked beside him.

Where I was standing.

His eyes were searching. As if searching for something. As if searching for...me.

I stared at him, hoping he would meet my eyes. His eyes were teary as he searched for whatever it was.

One thing I was sure of was that he could feel me. I don't know what happened that he stopped seeing things but I know he felt me.

"Sheira?" he called and my eyes widened as I looked at him. He called me. He just called me!

But his eyes weren't meeting mine. I smiled and laughed with glee as soon as it totally dawned on me. I remained close to him. Making him feel I was really there.

Jacob looked around. "Sheira, if you're here, please tell me something. Give me a sign," he said.

I looked around. How am I supposed to give him a sign that I was there? I looked at the side of the locker when I saw a trash bin. I swallowed hard. I am not as powerful as Mikhael when it comes to things like this but I have to at least try. This is just a bit harder than flipping my journal.

So with all my strength, I sent wind flying towards the trash bin making it fly across the hallway. I winced when it made a noise as it fell to the ground. I saw Jacob swallowed hard that I closed my eyes firmly.

Too much.

That was too much. Now Jacob will think I'm an angry ghost who seeks vengeance or something. So I walked towards the trash bin with its scattered contents. Ever so slowly, putting much control on my strength, I flicked my wrist and sent papers moving. I looked at Jacob who was looking at the garbage moving on their own. I bit my lip and did it again.

Jacob then walked towards where the trash bin is and slowly picked the garbage up and placed it inside. He took two pieces of scratch paper and held them both in his hands. He was facing me but his eyes in looking somewhere else.

He swallowed hard before he said, "Blow on the piece of paper on my right if you are Sheira. And blow the one on my left if you aren't."

I couldn't see my own face but I could tell it was shining with delight with the brilliant idea he just came up with. So stepping close towards his right hand, I blew on it and it slightly moved. Jacob saw it too and a smile slowly formed across his lips. But then it quivered and he covered his mouth with his hand as tears started streaming down his face.

"Sheira," he whispered as he kneeled on the floor. He looked miserable. He looked so...so sad. And I wanted to hug him. I wanted to tell him it will be fine. But I couldn't. So just like I did to Loren and my family, I stepped close to him and wrapped my arms around him. Just enough not to let myself pass through him. And I felt him go still. As if frozen. He felt it. He felt my presence. And as if on cue, he sobbed harder.

"Sheira, I'm sorry," he said. I could barely understand it. His sobs were too heartbreaking to hear. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

I never realized hearing an apology could sound so painful and sad. I didn't know what happened to me. I didn't know how I died exactly. But Jacob seems to have been blaming himself for it. I didn't know what happened but I knew he shouldn't be blaming himself for it.

"Jacob," I whispered but it was futile. He continued sobbing whilst kneeling on the floor, blaming himself. So I stayed there. Making sure he could feel my presence. I listened to his cry and his pain and it was heartbreaking. I couldn't even do anything aside from standing there, listening to him.

I didn't realize it was already sundown. I looked at Jacob and he was sitting with his back on the locker. He was just staring into space. His eyes were swollen from all the crying he did. His elbows were resting on top of his bent knees. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I sat beside him, curling my knees up to my chin.

He was silent for a moment. The hallway was dark. The lights here aren't even working. I sighed and I heard him did the same.

He then let out a low chuckle. The surrounding was quiet and it was all I could hear. The locker made a noise as he rested his head against it.

"If this is true, that you are a ghost now, please stay away from the ghost I saved you from," he said and I looked at him.

"That ghost, I believe his name is Monica. She's the only ghost I could see. How that happened, I don't know. But she's something so strong—stronger than normal. I meant her presence is so strong that some students here could see and hear her. Like me."

I swallowed hard. I don't like where this is going.

"Remember those two students from the theater club who died?" He let out a low chuckle. "It was Monica who killed them. Those two could see her."

My hand flew to my mouth.

"She sings about it in the bathroom. She sings about how she killed those students. She said she wanted some company so she did it. Some of us who could hear and see her pretend we can't so she won't bother us. Until I saved you that day. You could feel her too. And that's when she knew I could see her."

I was at loss for words. I knew something is up with her. I knew something's different.

"And I am telling you to be careful because she could hurt others like her. I remember her singing about a friend whom she killed just because he wanted to stop. She could hurt others, Sheira. And now that you're..." He sighed. "Please get away from here."

The moment I heard it, I was immediately on my feet.

Mikhael.

Mikhael is in danger.

I ran as fast as I could, I think I was already flying. The hallways were quiet. I couldn't see a single student. Damn.

I ran faster. And when I reached the auditorium, it was eerily quiet. I looked around.

"Mikhael?" I called. Nobody answered. I started to feel uneasy. If what Jacob says is true, Mikhael is truly in danger.

"Mikhael di Angelo!" I screamed. But still nothing. I ran to the bathroom, where I saw them last. And the moment I got inside, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Mikhael di Angelo, was sitting on the bathroom floor, unconscious. His head lolled to the side and beside him was Monica, kneeling and caressing his face.

She noticed my presence and she looked at me slowly.

Her face didn't look like it did before. Her face was horrendous. Black veins came out from her blank eye socket and it almost coated half her face. Her lips were blood red and she tilted her head to the side. I could hear the cracking of her bones as she did it. I swallowed hard and looked at Mikhael who was on the floor.

"I really hate interruptions," she said and before I knew it, I was sent flying out of the bathroom.

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