Kaelen closed the file without saying a word. An old cabin, a small village, ghost stories… It wasn't something that interested him, but he knew he had to accept it. That was his job.
That evening, after work, Eliot and the other colleagues invited him to a nearby bar.
— Come on, Kaelen! We work too much; we deserve at least a beer! Eliot insisted.
Normally, he would have refused, but his mind was still clouded from the meeting with Vance. He needed to detach himself for a bit.
On the way, his colleagues started joking about the house he was going to.
— Be careful not to fall in love with a ghost, Kaelen! You might end up having your wedding in a cemetery! One of them laughed.
— Or wake up one morning without a shadow! You might turn into some kind of Dracula! Another added.
— Maybe you're not even real, who knows? Maybe you're already a ghost and just don't know it yet! Eliot laughed, playfully nudging him.
— Maybe soon you won't see me anymore! Kaelen added.
Kaelen smiled, but a strange feeling settled in his stomach. Their jokes, no matter how absurd, carried an undertone of unease.
They arrived at the bar, a small place, dimly lit, with the atmosphere of an old tavern. The waitress greeted them with a smile, and for a moment, Kaelen was caught off guard by her eyes… a deep, cold blue, like the ocean before a storm. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves, a strange contrast against her pale skin.
They ordered drinks, and as the alcohol began to take effect, the conversation became more relaxed.
— Kaelen, Eliot said, leaning against the table. You write stories. Tell us a horror one.
Kaelen stared into the distance for a second. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was his mood these past few days, but he felt like a story wanted to come out of him.
— Alright... he said slowly, playing with his glass between his fingers. I'll tell you a story.
The others at the table leaned in slightly.
— Once, there was a family… a mother, a father, and a boy, he began. They were happy. Or at least, that's how they seemed.
His voice was calm, but something in it made the others fall silent.
— One evening, the parents and their child were driving. It was raining heavily. The road was slippery. And then... an accident. The car rolled over and crashed into a tree. And everything was over in a few seconds.
Those around him swallowed hard.
— What, that's it? You're already done with the story? Eliot asked, knowing he would continue.
— But the truth… the truth was different. The child didn't die in that accident. His parents were the ones who lost their lives. Since then, he grew up alone, believing he was just a boy who had lost his family. But one day, he looked in the mirror… and saw that he was the only one alive. His parents were just shadows around him, ghosts that had never left.
Silence fell. No one was laughing anymore.
Kaelen sighed, finishing his drink.
The waitress approached and placed another glass in front of him.
— You'll believe when you see, she said, looking straight at him.
Her blue eyes seemed to see beyond words.
Kaelen shuddered slightly.
— What did you say? He whispered.
But she only smiled and then walked away.
When they stepped out of the bar, the night air hit them sharply. The others were drunk, laughing, and talking, but Kaelen couldn't shake off the memory of that woman's gaze.
You'll believe it when you see it.