The Darkest Parts - Chapter 2

Go check out chapter 1 if you haven't already!

Twenty-four days until Death Anniversary:

The month of December never felt so dangerous in my life. It was impossible to have good spirits when there was a literal spirit seeming to be stalking me. I thought I saw him again when I was getting out of the shower. A dark figure loomed behind the curtain as I squinted into the mirror. Granted, it was a bit steamy in the bathroom, but the model seemed darker than steam; almost, heavy-fog like.

"I'm about to go," I heard Vince call. He was already downstairs, putting his coat and boots on.

I chased after the sound. "No!" I yelled, stumbling down the stairs. I wanted to ask him to stay because I no longer felt safe here. I didn't trust myself, or what I saw enough to make it through this day on my own, or the next twenty-four days for that matter. Alert lit up on his expression, afraid of my sudden outburst.

"You forgot my kiss," I squeezed through clenched teeth. The words felt like acid on my mouth as I calmly stepped closer to Vince. I get on the tips of my toes, trying to level myself with him, delivering his kiss goodbye. As he left, I felt all the warmth in my body follow after him. Leaving me feeling like nothing but a shell of a person and a pile of organs.

I close the door behind him, keeping my same troubled expression. "If you're here, don't show yourself," I voiced, making sure my voice reach all corners of the house. I inched towards the stairs, ready to make a run for it once the opportunity presented itself.

Once I reach the first step, I sprint up the stairs, only to stop abruptly in my tracks at the top. Jason stood right at the top of the stairs, smiling as if he were waiting on me to say something.

"Hello," I said awkwardly. It all felt more like I was talking to myself, rather than my dead ex. Jason's smile grew louder, as if I were entertaining him.

"You can see me?" He asked, slowly trying to reach out to me. I take a minute to think.

"No," I said, avoiding his touch and trying to walk past him. It was worth a try. Maybe, he'd leave me alone if he thought I couldn't see him. If I'm honest, I don't even know what I'm truly seeing.

I almost made it to my bedroom door before he appeared in front of me, once more stopping me in my tracks.

"You're cute when you try to lie to me," I never said I was a good liar, and Jason knew that. He continued to smile, hands in his pocket. Jason appeared as shrug as he's always been; I guessed nothing changes in the afterlife. He even wore the outfit he'd died in: a black leather jacket, a plain white tee, a pair of blue jeans that were ripped towards the ankles. Before he left that day, I told him that those pants didn't go well in our decade, and definitely not with the black suede boots he swore by.

"You're not real," I replied, pushing past him. My arm went through him, sending that section of his figure up in smoke. I watched, amazed at how he was put back together within seconds. I tried not to show the curiosity on my face because that would give him a reason to keep showing up. "See," I proved.

"I'm just as real as this Winston guy," He probed.

"Vincent," I corrected, finally going into my room and shutting the door behind me. "I'm not having a conversation with myself," I stated as he reappeared into my room, this time sitting on my bed.

"I want to talk about the day I died," He said, staring daggers into my soul.