I wake up, still tired. I get out of bed and go straight to the kitchen for a glass of water as soon as I realize how thirsty I am.
- 'Morning! I tell Edward, seeing that he's been here before me.
- Hey!
He lets go, but I grab his arm with the intention of stopping him, to have a longer conversation.
-Look, I know maybe you're mad at me, because we haven't seen each other in so long, and because I haven't answered your calls or given you anything else ..." He rolls his eyes and he lowers his head, continuing to listen to me. But the truth is, I couldn't ...
-Yes, it must have been so hard to give a poor call, or a stupid message."
- You're right ... but ...
-Stop trying to make excuses!" Seriously now, we're mature enough not to fill our heads with nonsense.
-And what can I do to forgive me?"
- Maybe leave!
this time I let him go and I froze, thinking about what I was going to do about him.
*
After a warm, soothing shower, I decide to go to the living room to watch TV, but I'm distracted by the laughter in the kitchen that doesn't seem to stop.
- Hey, what are you doing here? I ask confused after seeing Aunt Ella and Edward struggling to carve a pumpkin.
- Well, yesterday I didn't have time to make decorations and so on, so I'm improvising today, as best I can.
- Stay ! Decorations for what? I say still confused, with an ironic smile.
- It's Halloween, you fool!
- Aaaa ... sorry, I forgot, for me it's Halloween every day.
"Well, you still came, you help Edward with the pumpkin, while I go to help Sam bring the groceries home."
- Okay ... Hey, you know, you made him look like you! I joke and start chopping another pumpkin.
"I was thinking more about you when I did it."
- Cute ! I say without any gesture and continue my work.
"I talked to Aunt Ella about you and ... she told me that maybe you had a good reason you ignored me all this time." I honestly don't know what to think, I mean ... why did you do it, but in the end.
- I had .
- Yeah. How is my mother? I haven't spoken to her in a while, and the last time I spoke she said she had something important to tell me. Do you have any idea what?
- No ... I don't know anything. Did he tell you anything else?
- Not . but do you know why she doesn't answer the phone anymore? Or now that you've come here, will she start ignoring me?
"You can come in with Sam and Aunt Ella, you don't have to listen." I'm trying as hard as I can to change the subject. I don't think I could lie to him now, and telling him the truth wouldn't be the best idea.
"I wasn't listening, I dropped something on the floor, and Sam helped me lift it."
- As you say.
- Yeah ... Cute Edward, if you're done with the pumpkin, you can take it to the porch.
- Um ... take mine too. I say and put the knife down, going to my room.
"Is that a pentagram?" Edward shouted as soon as he saw the pumpkin sculpted by me, but I ignored him with a smile and continued up the stairs.
I put my hand on the phone and try again to call my mother. Even though I know he probably won't answer me now, I'm still not giving up. even if I'd like to know for sure what happened to her, something stops me from thinking about it. I have to admit that this thought terrifies me, but now that I know that I somehow have Edward, it makes me calm down.
the voicemail made me throw the phone in bed and leave the room, not sure what to do now, being overwhelmed by a wave of boredom.
Edward walks past me down the stairs, and I apparently follow him to the kitchen. I sit at the door and cross my hands over my chest, remaining silent, just listening to the conversations around me.
- Aunt ... can I go to a friend's party tonight, please?
- Yes !
- Thank you !
-Wait ! says Aunt Ella again, stopping Edward before he goes out the door. You just didn't think I'd leave you so pure!
- Off, come on! What to do ?
"Nothing you can do." You will go, only if Daniel comes.
- Seriously ! Edward exclaimed, quite nervously.
- Yes, aunt, I don't think I feel like this ... I intervene in the conversation, not to defend Edward, who I realized is unbearable, but because I really don't feel like it. to go to a party full of princesses, fairies and other Halloween stuff.
- If you don't both go, no one will leave!
- You can not do that !
- Okay, let's go! I agree, just so Edward doesn't start arguing about it. Aunt Ella smiles contentedly and winks at me before I leave the room.
I walk into the living room and sit on the couch, putting my head in my palms and sighing.
- I heard you're going to a party, so I made you some coffee, because you're going to have to stay awake. Sam says, sitting down next to me.
- Thanks . but I really didn't feel like partying with teenagers dressed in all sorts of nonsense.
"It's not that bad!" And you're not big enough to moan so much either.
- Yeah ... I tried to call her.
- And ? What happened ?
- He answered ... the voicemail. for a second I managed to scare Sam with the little break I took and without expecting I ended up with a small playful fist in my shoulder.
- Sucker! Sam says, smiling briefly.
- I'm ready, aren't you getting ready? Edward asks as he enters the room, wearing his usual clothes and a seemingly plastic pistol, visibly caught in a bag tied to his pants.
- I'm ready .
- Don't you have a suit?
- I'm fine anyway!
*
I get in the car, then turn on the music and start driving straight, still not knowing where I should go.
- And ? Where is this girl?
- Not too far. Two blocks away. Can you slow down the music? It's horrible! I roll my eyes and turn off the music, looking at it out of the corner of my eye.
-Better ? I ask ironically, and he ignores me, looking out the car window.
- Stop here!
I park the car and we get out, the music inside, still heard from the car.
Edward rings the bell while I look at all the expensive and sophisticated decorations he has around the house. In my opinion, it put too much soul into such a stupid holiday.
- Hey, Edward!
- Hey, Emma! I love how you decorated it!
- Thank you ! Who is he?
- This is Daniel, my brother.
- Wow, well, come in!
We enter and notice how Edward has already lost himself in the crowd, leaving me alone. I sit down on a couch as soon as I get a drink and turn on my phone, only to turn it back on, after I'm convinced I haven't received any messages or missed calls.
- Hey! Emma says so and sits down next to me.
- Hey !
"You're not having much fun here, are you?"
- I don't want to offend you, but besides the fact that the music is too loud, it's kind of boring around here.
- I know, most came just to brag that they were invited.
- And ? How did you stop talking to me?
- Well, you didn't have a suit and you stood out. Plus, I noticed you were alone.
- Correct. Edward wanted to be the soul of the party. I say and we both start laughing briefly.
The lights suddenly flicker, and the atmosphere of the room has cooled quite a bit, in addition to the music, which has changed to a classical one.
- Do you have power problems, or has the air conditioning broken down?
- I don't have air conditioning. She says with a smile, worried, and I roll my eyes and stand up, walking quickly to Edward.
- Listen brother, you better convince a few people to keep the party out I still say with a smile that I don't seem to be worried.
- Why ?
"Um ... That's what Emma said."
- Okay, but I don't think they'll accept.
I look around the room and am distracted by one of the curtains, which has moved by itself.
"Who locked the door?" asks a girl who wanted to go outside, and I hurried over to her, trying to open the door, which was indeed locked.
- Damn it !
The lights began to flicker again, most of them ignoring.
- What the heck is happening ? says Emma, who came up to me again, quite scared. I signal Edward to come too, to have a conversation, making a plan to get out of the situation.
- What is it?
- Brother, something's going on here. I want you to evacuate the house, and you, Emma, I want you to bring me all the salt you have in the house.
-Did you go crazy? Edward asks, confused, and I take a deep breath, not knowing how to proceed.
"Okay, Emma, did you have a relative who recently died?"
- Grandma, a few months ago, but what has that got to do with it?
- Listen ! Something strange is happening here, I'm sure you've noticed. I think you're haunted! Edward starts laughing, but she looks at me in shock.
- How do I get rid of her? He asks me, his voice trembling.
- Have you had any experiences?
- Ever since she died, strange things have started to happen.
- Okay ... where was she buried?
- It was not . She was cremated.
- I understand . So, as I said, I need a lot of salt and the rest to evacuate the house.
- What the hell, Daniel? What happens ? You're crazy ? Edward asks confused and scared, and I stop and look at him thoughtfully.
"It's a lot to process now, we'll talk about that later, but now help me get rid of your girlfriend, her little pet ghost."
- Everyone get out! Edward shouted, and the rest listened, but something stopped them.
- The door is locked on the outside! The same girl shouted earlier.
- Edward, go and force the door, and I'll make a circle of salt around you in case ...
"In case what?"
- Hurry up ! I say seeing the ghost climb the stairs, unnoticed and disappear into the darkness.
Emma shows up with the salt, and I get to work, watching Edward struggle to open the door.
"Emma, tell me if you have anything that belonged to your grandmother."
- There are a lot of boxes left with her lures ...
"Did he have anything he cared about?"
"Um ... he had a bead necklace from my grandfather, which he wouldn't let go of."
- Okay, where is he now?
- In her room, in one of the boxes.
- Let's look for him!
we go up the stairs and immediately enter a simple room, where the light does not penetrate and the bulbs do not work, due to the given situation. I start flipping the boxes in the hope that I'll find that necklace once, but things don't go as smoothly as I expected.
- I found him ! Emma shouted, then dropped and dropped the necklace.
I manage to get the necklace, then I quickly try to light the lighter to burn it, but I can't. I could swear the lighter was loaded.
- Hurry up !
-I'm trying! I answer Emma, and I notice that things have gone from bad to worse.
Edward appears, smiling, which means he probably managed to open the door.
- Help me fry this! I shouted, unsure if he heard me because of the music that suddenly started again. Edward takes my necklace and runs down with it. I go after him, not knowing what he wants to do, after which I notice that he is throwing him in the fireplace.
I look around and breathe a sigh of relief when I see that things are starting to return to normal. Edward is still looking at me confused, probably with a lot of questions.
- Thank you ! Emma says, crying in astonishment and taking me in her arms.
Edward went outside, and I went right after him, intending to go home. I get in the car, and Edward looks at me insistently.
- Okay. You start . Ask me questions, scream ...
- What the hell was that? how did you know what to do, how to proceed? How come you didn't freeze in fear like all of us?
- Because ... that's what I'm doing.
- How?
- Since my father died, my mother said that he was killed by something he had never seen before, he was not an ordinary murderer, so he started to study and then hunt all kinds of creatures looking for the monster that killed him. my father. That's why I couldn't talk to you anymore. my mother was afraid I would tell you.
- So what ? I had a right to know!
- You were small. How could you understand all this?
-That's not an excuse, and besides, I was eleven.
"You can't judge me!" my mother was the one who wanted to hide this from you, I just listened to her, and she did this to protect you.
He smiles wryly, nodding disapprovingly, and says nothing more, waiting for the car to start.