The story of a voicless ghost

Chapter two

I wake up, but not because I want to. My roommate Sack snores really loud even if he denies it, I look at my phone to check the time, its 6:00 A.M, I swear I'm going to kill him. I try to go back to sleep but its impossible, I guess I have to start my day. I take a shower and have some breakfast while remembering what happened yesterday, I needed to talk to my grandmother. I took my bike and headed to her house, since I was a kid she always waked up around 5:00 A.M so I assumed she was already awake. She lived in this little cottage a few streets from my place, its full with plants my grandfather collected and a cat named Tiger. As I had assumed she was awake and invited me to have coffee with her, we've always had this special bond, we could spend hours talking without getting bored. After a while I decided to ask her about something that I had been thinking for a while:

"Grandma I have a question for you, do you remember James?"

"Of course I do, I could never forget all the fun he had with you"

"Is...is he real? Don't tell me that its up to me please, do you know if he's real grandma?"

She went silent for a moment but then she looked at me and smiled.

"I think its time for me to tell you a truth I still haven't told you, since I was a little girl I was different to put it in a way, I saw ghosts...I could actually see them. My parents thought I was mad but even though I tried to think with logic I still saw them, I've seen them for my entire life, some of the stories I told you as a little one where actually true because some wanted to speak with me, others wanted to be alone. I don't know how you're going to take this, I hope you don't consider me mad like you mother"

"I don't think I will ever consider you crazy grandma"

"Good. And as for your question, yes, he is real. You found him in the woods one day and since then he hasn't left your side, not even when you stopped talking to him"

"Your saying that he's with me right now?"

"In a way, he's never given up on you and he had been dreaming of this day for years. He loves you as a friend Odette, as a close one"

I look around the room trying to get a glimpse of him but failed

"But I don't get it, why hasn't he tried talking to me?"

"He was born mute"

"Oh. But unless they are mute they can talk right?"

"Where are you going with this darling?"

"I found a ghost in the woods yesterday, I asked for his name but instead of speaking he traced letters on my palm"

"Interesting, well he might be shy. Some ghost can speak but chose not to for a reason, try being patient with him"

"Right" 

My world started getting weirder than ever, my imaginary friend is real, my grandma sees ghosts and I am having a conversation with her about them, the typical routine of a Saturday. After a while I decided to get going to the woods, I had a lot of exploring to do. I said goodbye to my grandmother and called Sack but he didn't pick up, he was still sleeping. I didn't want to waste time so I decided to ride my bike, the exercise could do me good. When I got there I left my bike in a near tree and headed to the mansion, still don't know if I should call it haunted. This time I took my camera with me but not my professional, I took my Polaroid. I thought the first pictures would look great with this type, I took some at the bridge and its surroundings and I've got to say the pictures were great. These pictures where for my personal adventure book, yes I had one, I had it since I was 13 and I've still got pages to fill. After a few hours the sun came out and the air stopped being so cold, I walked through the path and got to the mansion and this times the doors where wide open, suppose that was Abel's work. I headed straight towards the library to let him know I was there.

"Good mourning Abel, its Odette again, I'm back to explore the place"

As soon as I finished that sentence I felt something gently trace something in my palm:

H-e-l-l-o

"Do you want to do something or should I start exploring?"

He grabbed my hand and lead me to the piano, he wanted me to play with him.

P-l-e-a-s-e-?

"Sure" I said smiling, I wonder how many years had he been alone.

I sat down, my palms still sweaty like yesterday. You just cant get that quickly used to the fact that a literal ghost was playing the piano with you. I took a deep breath and remembered a song that my grandmother had taught me and started playing. I was surprised how well Abel knew the song. After we had both finished I decided to ask him:

"Any place you recommend me to start?"

He grabbed my hand again and led me through the mansion, we went to the third floor and guided me towards some golden doors. I opened them and found a treasure, it was a ballroom, but not just an ordinary one, it had mirrors all over the walls, the roof was covered in paintings and had a beautiful chandelier hanging from it, there were also some glassed doors that led to a terrace that had really nice views. This was by far my favorite room in the house.

"Oh my god, this place is amazing. I must say you live in a pretty cool place Abel. Is this your favorite room?"

Y-e-s

"Good choice, mine too"

All of a sudden I got an idea that I needed to do,  you don't just find a place like this everyday. I grabbed my phone and started looking for my favorite song in piano but there was no reception, great.

"Hey by any chance do you know how to play Claire de lune?"

Y-e-s

"Can you play it for me? I'm dying to dance in this place even though I make a fool of myself"

I-w-o-u-l-d-b-e-d-e-l-i-g-h-t-e-d

I hear him open the piano and after a few seconds music starts playing.

I close my eyes and smile hearing my favorite song being played by a ghost I met yesterday in a ballroom full of mirrors. I suddenly forget about my assignment and that Sack might be freaking out not knowing were I am. I just dream that I'm lost in another era where wearing a fancy dress is something common, where the only of music that exist is this one. I start dancing around the place feeling like a queen and all of a sudden I feel someone is dancing with me, is it Abel? No it can't be, he's playing the piano. Is my dream becoming real? Am I dancing with a gentleman that I met at a party? I don't know but I really don't care, we continue dancing until the music stops and I finally come back to reality, it takes me a moment to open my eyes, I wasn't ready for the fairytale to end but that mysterious man I had danced with me was still there, holding my hand. I open my eyes and see no one beside me but feel him grabbing my hand, it was Abel.

"How? How did you manage to play the piano and dance with me?"

M-y-s-t-e-r-y

I laugh, there was so much I wanted to know about him. Then I grabbed my camera without letting go of him and guided him towards a mirror.

"I've got a rather ironic idea for a picture since your invisible, why don't we take one together?"

O-k-a-y

I placed him beside me which was harder that I thought and told him to stay there and smile. I took a picture of us pointing the camera towards the mirror even though I was the only one reflected on it but I didn't care, I would always remember this moment, that was for sure. After I took it I placed near the piano and waited for the picture to show, meanwhile I talked to Abel:

"You have no idea how much I want to know about you, why can't you talk?"

I-c-a-n-t

"Why not? Will you ever tell me?"

S-o-m-e-d-a-y

"Well there is got to be another way where we can talk, I really want to get to know you"

C-o-m-e

He grabbed my hand and guided me to the piano, I didn't understand what he was trying to do but he insisted on me sitting there, then he said:

W-a-i-t

For what? I didn't understand what was going on but as I was about to ask him I heard his footsteps faith away. Where was he going to? After a few minutes he came back carrying a really heavy book, he opened it and started looking around it. It looked like a music book of some kind, after a while he grabbed two sheets and placed them in front of me but I still didn't get what he was trying to do.

"Abel why do I have to play this? I don't understand"

J-u-s-t-p-l-a-y

He sounded determined, I guess I had no choice but I didn't see the point on it 

I played it and didn't see that anything was happening but after a while I started feeling his hands on mine, it was weird, the song felt like it lasted hours. "Close your eyes" someone whispered as I played and as surprisingly as it seems I did what the voice told me...but it wasn't entirely a voice...I couldn't hear it but I knew it was there. As I played I started feeling that I was falling but I never hit the ground, I just kept falling, I felt trapped, I didn't like it. I wanted to open my eyes but even though I tried really hard I couldn't, like if something was preventing me to do it. I wanted to scream for help but I couldn't make a sound, the only thing that I could hear was the music. When I finally opened my eyes I was in front of a mirror where a boy with brown eyes and hair stared back at me, I turned around but he wasn't there, it was as if he were trapped in a mirror. 

Then I remembered what was happening and guessed who that boy was, "Abel?" I said. The boy only smiled and nodded, this was weird, I wanted this weird dream to end, thats  all I wanted. Suddenly the music stopped and I finally opened my eyes and returned to reality, my heart was beating fast and my hands were shaking, what had just happened? I looked around and grabbed the picture I had taken with Abel, I could see him. He was there reflected in the mirror, I looked around but I didn't see him, after that I noticed a music sheet in my lap, I didn't understand a thing.

"Abel what the hell just happened?"

He grabbed my hand and pointed it towards the journal.

P-l-a-y

"The hell I'm going to play, last time didn't go really well for your information"

D-o-i-t

I was determined to say no but the curiosity got the better of me. I played, this time feeling more nervous than ever.

After a while I felt someone grab my hand and said "Hi". The weird thing was that he wasn't using words, words had sound, when he spoke he didn't make a noise but I still knew what he had said, it was strange.

"You can open your eyes now" the voiceless person said.

When I opened them I saw that boy in the mirror in front of me.

"s**t am I dead?" I said, if this was Abel there was only one way that I could actually see him. When I said that he laughed but I couldn't hear him, it was sad, I would've loved to know how his laugh sounded like.

"Not yet Odette, as far as I know you are very much alive"

"Then how the hell can I somehow hear you and see you?"

"Ghosts can allow some people to see them and in a way hear them if they trust you enough"

"Huh, so can I touch you?"

"In a way, try it"

I reach towards his hand, it feels light but warm, I liked the feeling but at the same time hated it, I felt like if he was very fragile and would brake or something.

"Don't worry, I wont break or anything" he said noticing I was grabbing him with extreme care.

"Can you feel me?"

"Of course I can"

"Okay, god this is weird. Right I need to stay calm, breathe" I say to myself. I was seeing, feeling and speaking to a ghost. I was really close to having a panic attack of some kind.

"Are you alright? God, maybe I should've waited a bit more" he said to himself.

"I'm fine, just give me a minute"

I walked around the room trying to understand what happened. It felt so real but it hadn't happened, was it a dream instead? No, I had been awake all along. As I faced him again he looked me with worried eyes but I just stood there looking at him, he was beautiful if I may say. Even though his eyes where brown they were quite lovely to look at and he had really nice curly hair, it looked inviting to touch it and his lips, they were pink and soft, I wonder how would it feel to kiss them. After a while of looking at each other I looked away and walked towards the piano where our photograph laid.

"Abel what happened? When I was playing the piano I mean, I felt like I was falling and then I saw you, it was weird"

"I think that was me trying to make you see me, sorry. I'm still new at this"

Well, that was the reason. I grab the picture I took and noticed Abel was looking at it with amazement.

"I think this is the very first picture I've ever seen of myself"

"In what year did you live in?"

His smile faded away and looked towards the floor but I didn't understand how such a simple question could hurt him, he was hiding something, but what? After a while he faced me and said:

"Its getting late, you should go now."

"Right. Look Abel if in any way I hurt you I'm really sorry, I didn't mean it"

"Its alright, I'm just not used to talk about my past. Maybe tomorrow I'll tell you but you have to come"

"Obviously I'm coming back, its not everyday a ghost lets you see him"

This made him smile. I just hope he opens up, I'm dying with impatience of knowing about his life but he is dead and it must be hard, maybe I should take it easy on him. If I'm honest I think I'm the first person that he has talked to in a very long while, it must be really hard waking up and finding out that all your loved ones are dead, that no one can see you or hear you, not even you, that does sound pretty heartbreaking . As I thought of this he grabbed my hand and said:

"May I accompany you when you leave?"

"Of course you may"

We walked in silence as the little light that was left from the sun faded away and the moon was the only light we had. There was something magical in that moment, it was silent but not completely, I loved it. We got to my bike and I said goodbye and something unexpected happened, he hugged me. When he was done I think he noticed that I didn't expect that.

"I just wanted to remember what a hug felt like"

I smiled but something in my heart broke and I finally understood something, he had lived in solitude all this time, I can't imagine the pain it must've been. My grandmother said that ghost existed because they were souls with unfinished business, if it is true I just want to help him and end his misery.