Red waited for her to finally sit down. Then told her about Harry, asking for permission to have a dude's hang out on her apartment.
Gabby agreed. But she didn't talk to him any more about anything. Though he can tell her face is red all over.
There was only silence, until Red decided to break it off.
RED: I said I'm sorry, right?
GABBY: It's no fair. (Quietly)
RED: What?
She didn't repeat it.
Red felt hopeless.
He made things worse than it is.
He feels useless at the moment. There's nothing he could have done. All because he can't tell her his feelings?
RED: What do you want?
GABBY: You know what I want.
RED: If I know, I wouldn't be asking you right now.
GABBY: Well, I'm sorry! Sorry for being so careless! Just do what you want! Tomorrow at work, just send that crow of yours to guard me...I need some time!
RED: Gabby...I...
GABBY: What?
RED: Please.
GABBY: What?!
RED: Why are you mad at me?
She wasn't. She's mad at herself. For liking him.
Her vision becomes blurred with tears. That broke Red to pieces. He had made her cry.
GABBY: I'm so sorry...just leave me alone for a moment. Bye.
She shuts the door. She went on her room, bawling, not even shutting her computer off.
He went to the kitchen, then sighed deeeply. What on earth have he done to deserve it? Why are they quarelling anyways?
Humility and Harry appears before him. Quite disappointed.
RED: What?
HARRY: Seriously, bruh? No wonder you don't have a girl friend.
RED: Hey, as if you can do better!
HARRY: 'course I would. Bleh.
HUMILITY: Stop it, you two. Fighting amongst ourselves won't better the situation.
HARRY: Then, what's your plan?
HUMILITY: She's right. Leave her alone.
RED: What?!
HARRY: Bruh, you sure?
HUMILITY: She needs space. To sort her feelings. She needs time. So give it to her. After all, no words would pass through unready and unaccepting ears.
RED: Damn it. Fine. Okay, whatever.
HARRY: Dude, girls are weird.
HUMILITY: Don't say that.
HARRY: Why not?
HUMILITY: Just don't.
HARRY: Okay, won't any more. So uh, can we watch tv?
RED: Yeah. The remote's there.
HARRY: Cool! Cook me some pop corn, Red!
RED: Okay. Just keep it down, okay?
HUMILITY: Does she have books?
RED: Yes. Over there, on the shelf.
...
Red would take a glance at her room from time to time. But she didn't open it.
He feels weak.
His friends pitied his state although they too, wasn't sure how to cheer him up.
HARRY: Dude, hello?
Harry distracts him by waving his hand on his vision.
RED: Oh. Why?
HARRY: Check this movie out. It's super fun.
RED: Oh. Okay. Thank you.
But he's still sad.
Harry playfully punches his side to get his attention.
RED: What?
HARRY: You'll be alright.
That made Red smile, even for a bit. He realized how lucky he is to have such supportive and nurturing friends. Even though he knew himself that he hasn't been there for them for the past couple of months.
HARRY: Yey! You smiled! See? You can be happy too! So keep smiling!
RED: Harry...thank you.
...
Gabby looks like she haven't been getting enough sleep lately. Her hair that's usually neatly brushed, now look tangled and uncombed. She sat down on her desk, her fists crumpled and her eyes devoid of good sleep. Everyone else that saw her took notice of that. She's not looking like herself today. She stays up late at night, but still, she doesn't normally look this tired.
TIWARI: What's with you, girl?
The blonde asked her, concern present in her eyes. But she only smiles, and it won't take an expert to know they're fake.
Jerico, although not wanting to see her sad and upset, had hope, lit on his chest after concluding that they might break up soon.
Gabby looks at Tiwari, then laughed, although none cracked a joke or anything relative to that.
TIWARI: Gabby, are you sure you're okay?
GABBY: Yeah, it's funny how you all look so worried. I'm fine.
But she's bad at lying.
...
Red watches from outside their office, he's in his invisible mode.
Jerico exits the room to get some coffee, and Red manages to get a glimpse of Gabby inside. She looks unmotivated.
She looks pretty unhappy.
Should he tell her his feelings then?
No.
She might not accept it any more.
Would she?
He gave a long breath. Then decided to vanish later and give her some time alone. As what Humility said.
He leaves a small black butterfly to guard her though. And it will quickly become larger if danger is present.
He teleports to her office one last time, and takes a long look at her. He felt contented knowing that she's okay. Then as what he promised himself, he'll leave her be, until she needs him.
RED: Goodbye...
He whispered softly.
...
Gabby went back to her apartment, the black butterfly following her around. She tries to shove it off, not knowing it was a spirit summon. She went inside, then tiredly slumped on the kitchen chair.
She opened her eyes and scanned her living room, Red was there, a manga book covering his face as he somehow looks...asleep?
Heat rose through her body as the book fell at the slightest touch of her hand. Revealing his somewhat resting face. She activates her soul-seeing eyes and realized he's not in his spirit form. So they can get tired and sleep in their temporary body forms?
She wondered why he'd do that.
Red told her before that It's very difficult to keep the human form for spirits like them. It drains a lot of energy and could make them unable to reach the spirit grounds if not enough flare remained. Why would the smart reaper do something so stupid?
She looks at the manga that fell to her feet.
"THE GODDESS OF THE KNIGHT"
She blushed hard upon realizing what he picked.
Murasaki Jun, a childhood friend of hers, had made the manga. It was the last thing he gave her before he left to another country, till now he still wasn't able to visit her.
It was about an immortal entity, who'd turn into a human every night to visit the knight whom she fell in love with, until he dies.
It was a tragic story, and she is a big fan of that.
Red wakes up, and felt embarrassed having found out that she was already there.
GABBY: You like the book?
Red looks for the book and then realized she was already holding them. She smiles and then gives him back the book. He tightly holds it then looks at her again, he opens his lips but nothing came out.
GABBY: What do you think?
RED: It was beautiful. But I still haven't finish it. Would it end happily?
GABBY: No, read it. I don't like spoiling things. Now, can I ask?
RED: Uhum?
GABBY: What's with the form tonight?
RED: It's nothing.
She felt a bit hurt after he said that. Why would he not tell her?
RED: I hate spoiling things too.
She couldn't help but grin at his comeback. She then waves Goodbye and enters her room.
GABBY: Good luck finishing that.
RED: Thank you.
The moment she closes the door, Red couldn't help but squeal internally after realizing that they may have gotten back to normal.
RED: Wohoo! Now time to finish this, it's getting to the exciting part!
When he realizes the ending, he couldn't help but wonder if the same would happen to them.
He felt sad and then forced himself to not give in to the temptation of telling her how he feels. He should get married with someone like her, have a family, and have her dreams fulfilled. He's not supposed to trap her into this...a future of uncertainty.
...
Gabby opened her eyes only to find herself on a completely unfamiliar place. She saw unrecognizable faces, laughing in the background, and a stench of blood, she couldn't point out where It's coming from. She seems to be on dark room. She was then startled by a high pierching scream getting louder and louder as time passes by. There's also a few candles, all circled around her. What is it? She couldn't move. She couldn't take her gaze away from the people, whose eyes seemed to look evil, controlling, and menacing.
She could hear a womanly voice, it sounded afraid, and trembling. And in a matter of seconds, a woman was dragged to her front.
She was begging her, but couldn't make out words. She was beaten badly, and a look of horror and pity is present on her face.
Gabby wanted to speak.
But she couldn't say anything. She felt her mouth dry. And unable to utter any words other than a small gasp. She wanted to scream as well, to ask them, but no words came out.
She tried to move, but she was frozen.
And in a matter of seconds, the frail woman was stabbed in the chest. The woman gave a loud and long scream, which made Gabby unsettled and even more afraid.
The woman, losing so much blood, fell to the ground, and died.
The people of ghostly faces laughed in unison.
That's when Gabby's vision blurred, and their laughter becomes distorted and more nightmarish every passing second.
They dragged many more people, and tortured them in many process before finally killing them with a final blow.
They all don't have the slightest hesitation in killing them.
And as time passes, the room becomes more and more suffocating to stay in. The smell of blood was almost unbearable.
Gabby felt like throwing up. This is nothing she could have imagined experiencing. Her thoughts would went back to Red, he keeps repeating his name in her mind, but he wasn't there. He didn't came.
???: It's no use. He can't come. He won't come.
One of them, a male with ebony hair and silverish eyes, appearing to be on his 30s, went towards her.
His voice was raspy, and his smile was wide for a normal human.
He positioned his lips into her ears, while his long bony fingers caress her cheeks. One of them bleeds because of his sharp finger nails. But she didn't feel hurt at all, she was so afraid that she felt numb. Then he whispers,
???: One day, we'll meet again, and pay the debt of your ancestors with your own blood.
Hairs on her neck rose. And a chilly sensation crept into her spine.
The man smiled wider until it seems like his face is getting torn apart by it. His eyes turned white and nerves on his forehead began popping. His claws becomes bigger together with his arms. And extra limbs began to grow into his body. Every other ghostly thing stopped laughing and focused their devilish eyes on her.
He then morphed into a huge monstrous creature, it went very close to her, then opened its mouth to swallow her.
Fear radiated on every part of her body. What is this? Why is she experiencing such monstrosity?
That's it.
Gabby had enough. Even though she can't move, she tried to force herself to scream. She tried and tried again...until finally.
She was able to scream.
SHE WAS ABLE TO SCREAM!?
GREAT!!!
Now she can call for help!
And when she realized that, she never stopped screaming, then she remembered Red, and screamed even louder, her words was his name.