“Someone is trying to hurt me?”
Death nods, taking a sip of his tea. “Yes but I never heard of someone hexing a ghost. It makes no sense… You said you saw the figure, who did it resemble? I recall my books telling me that hexes resemble the caster,”
“It looked like my killer,”
“Do you mind telling how you were killed?”
A feeling of dread takes over like an unwanted cramp. I shake my head “No, I can’t.”
He doesn’t scold me or call me stupid. He just props his head on his hand thinking. “We have to continue the steps. It strengthens you. Hexes affect weak beings. This is true amongst humans it might be true among ghosts too,”
“I finished step two,” I tell him.
“The next step has something to do with ambitions, but we can put a slight pause on that,”
“I’ll be ready. I’ll do whatever steps I have to,”
“That’s good,” Death says, but I can tell his mind is somewhere else. His eyes flicker like the flames in the fireplace.
The flame illuminates his strong jaw and his gaze. He rests his elbows on his knees as he leans forward. “May I ask why you left? You were laying down, weren’t you?”
I pull my bottom lip and adjust myself, setting the empty bowl aside. “I think I dreamed about something horrible. I thought I was having my regular panic attacks and my mind was tricking me. I did what my mind always tells me to do. I ran,”
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Death asks.
I thought he would be mean about it. I thought he would call me crazy and just tell me to go back to bed. I thought he would make me feel worse. I chose to go outside in the pouring snow instead of waking him up.
“You aren’t the nicest,” I admit. “You would just make fun of me,”
Death stays quiet and he brings his eyes to mine. “I’m sorry,”
I do a double take. Did he just apologize?
Death rubs his temples. “I have my reasons. Please know that the next time you need help you can talk to me. I’ll listen and I won’t be my usual dick headed self,”
“What are your reasons for being an ass?” I say. It takes the rest of my courage but I manage it out.
Death tilts his head to me. He searches my face and eventually his eyes land on my lips. He snaps his head away and stands on his feet. “Let’s go,”
What was that about?
He takes my hand and keeps avoiding my gaze. This time we walk past the guest room we slept in. We go up the stairs and he steps into a room I’ve never seen. He flips the light on and there is a bedroom. The walls are covered with books like in his study. It’s vintage like something out of a medieval kingdom. In the center is a bed fit for a king.
“We should stay here. I have this room protected from every angle,” Death explains.
I glance at the bed and then at him. Were we supposed to both sleep in this thing?
“I’ll take the floor,” Death says, going into the wardrobe. He pulls out a sheet and some pillows making a makeshift mattress at the head of the bed.
I walk over to the bed and settle into the sheet. My hair sinks into the pillows and I try to find inner peace to sleep. Every time I close my eyes that monster is waiting for me in my mind.
“Can I turn off the light?” Death asks from below.
“No, please no,” I plead.
“It’s no problem,”
I try to go to sleep but find every position is uncomfortable. I clutch a pillow to give me emotional support but it doesn’t. I make a face and test my luck. I crawl to the edge of the bed and peer over. Death is already asleep in his signature position. I suppose I can sleep beside him. Not super close to him of course. Just near him.
I take the covers and walk a few strides away from Death. I set my blanket down and lay down facing him. My heart is relieved that there is someone here other than me. I knew that up there but I couldn’t see him.
Looking at Death, there is no presence of darkness or monsters, just slight annoyance. I stare at him before he snorts and continues snoring. I find myself stifling a laugh even after all that happened. Sure, the paranoia is just a thought away but I try to block it out.
I find my comfortable position and doze off to sleep finally. It’s nearly morning now and I want to get as much shut eye as I can before I start panicking again. As I close my eyes, the forgotten crystal begins to glow again. The crystal hums causing me to forget its scorching heat. It realized that I’m not ready.
It’s tune assures me that I will be and when it does, it will come with a blazing fire.
____
Alrighty now! Woohooooo.
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I love her. We have the same hair.