Seven Souls

Torn feelings

Christiana’s POV

You know when you reach that point in your life where you hate everything around you, even yourself. Well, I had that feeling and what happened to Sophia made me broken, shredded into pieces, and I lost hope.

A month passed since I woke up at the hospital, knowing that Sam donated his kidney to save my life, Sophia’s life, to be specific. He would do anything to keep her alive.

Sophia’s selfishness led us to this point. Thinking about Kylie’s words, about Sophia wanting to bring me back.

Was she really trying to help me?

My question would remain unanswered because her soul permanently left her body.

It was supposed to be mine. I was supposed to be the one to leave this body.

Life was so unfair.

I felt a kiss pressed on my shoulder blade and I knew Sam was awake; he turned me around and kissed my lips. “Morning, sunshine,” he mumbled in a husky voice.

“You are going to work?” I asked.

I hated to stay alone in this mansion, in every corner in this house. I get a memory of them together. It was hard to experience her memories after knowing she was gone.

Spending time with Sam was hard, too. I couldn’t lie to myself and say I don’t love him.

My heart was developing feelings, getting attached to Sam the longer I stayed with him.

“I have to and I already miss you helping me in the office. I hate it there without you,” he answered, his hand on my lower back, drawing imaginary circles.

“Can’t I go back to work?”

“No, you are still tired,” he muttered, cupping my cheek.

“Josephine said I was fine,” I propped, and he kissed my nose, smiling at me.

Josephine Blake, my old therapist when I was Christiana and now she was my therapist. I couldn’t pull up the acting cover on her. One session she told me I reminded her of a patient.

When I heard those words, the blood in my veins froze, and I tried to act naturally in front of her, but the way she looked at me made me more nervous and I messed up.

Sam kindly forced me to go to a therapist and seek help because I can’t live feeling guilty all of my life for an accident that happened by mistake.

Yeah, my death was a mistake.

Well, he was trying to calm Sophia’s guilt, which isn’t working because she isn’t here anymore.

“How about next week?” He asked, and my lips quivered in a wide smile, staring deeply at him.

I held his wrist, flickering my gaze between his hazel eyes.

Looking at his face every morning, every second of the day, made me want to cry. He was my daily reminder that Sophia was gone.

I had to be strong though, because what if Sophia returned?

It was a false hope, but I was living for it.

“Sounds great,” I whispered, and he took my lips in a sweet kiss, making butterflies erupt in my stomach.

He pulled me into his embrace, and I placed my head on his chest, his hand caressing my hair. We stayed like this in peaceful silence, enjoying each other’s company.

Guilt was eating me alive, but I was ignoring it, just to live for another day.

Sophia would be back and I won’t have to do this anymore. I chanted in my head.

Remember Tiana, your feelings for him aren’t real, he’s just there, and you developed feelings.

“I could call Kylie to keep you company if you want to,” he suggested, breaking the silence.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll probably binge some Netflix series,” I muttered.

The last time I saw Kylie was at the hospital. She spoke to me when Sam went to sign the release papers, and the first question she asked was, “Christiana, are you still there?”

It broke my heart that I never thought of her the day of the accident. I was as selfish as Sophia.

I pretended I was Sophia and Christiana was gone for good.

I couldn’t believe I did that, but it was a bit late to correct myself.

I just gave up and lived as Sophia.

“Did something happen between you two?” He asked with a worried tone, lifting my face to meet his gaze. His hand was still in my hair, caressing it softly.

“No, I just need some time alone. What I did to her sister hunts me when I’m with her,” I answered, hoping he would buy my lie.

He cupped my cheek, grazing his thumbs over my skin. “She forgave you, Soph,” he whispered, locking his eyes with mine.

I broke eye contact, glancing at the clock. I smiled at him, placing my hand on his bicep, lifting myself. “You will be late for work,”

He pursed his lips and gave up trying to talk with me. I crawled to my side, and he removed the covers off him, heading to the bathroom to do his morning routine.

Thirty minutes passed, and he left me all alone in this mansion. I got up and headed to the bathroom. A shower seemed like a good idea.

I stripped out of my clothes and jumped into the shower booth, standing under the showerhead. I opened the water and let it fall on me.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of cold water. It cooled off the fire inside of me. It calmed me down.

A few minutes later and I was done, I stepped outside the booth and wrapped the towel around my body. My long hair stuck on my back and I didn’t bother to remove it from underneath the towel.

I stood in front of the sink and stared at my reflection in the cabinet’s mirror. “Sophia, why did you leave?” I mumbled, tears forming in my eyes.

I still had hope. The flame of hope didn’t vanish after she was gone. It only became stronger.

I hoped she would still be alive and didn’t leave, but she would show up sooner or at least give me any signs.

“I’m waiting for you,” I murmured, touching the glass.

My stomach grumbled, and I remembered I hadn’t eaten for the past two days. Thank God Sam didn’t notice, or else he would have forced me to eat.

I dried my body, wore my clothes, then pulled my hair into a high ponytail. I headed to the kitchen and searched in the cabinets, trying to find something that went with my current mood.

The tv was on, giving some background noise in that gigantic mansion and it was disturbed by the doorbell. I knitted my eyebrows and checked the clock, seeing it was ten o’clock.

It couldn’t be Sam.

I strode to the door and looked through the peephole. There stood two old women, and I only knew one of them, Sophia’s mother.

I breathed in and forced a smile right before I opened the door. Claire pulled me into a motherly hug and I wrapped my arms around her, putting my head on her shoulder.

That warm feeling was taken from me a long time ago. Claire visits me regularly and I cherish every time she hugs me. It was comforting and peaceful.

“Gosh, Claire, let me hug my daughter-in-law. Sam wouldn’t let me see her,” the other woman whined, making Claire and me chuckle.

The woman looked feminine version of Sam, with wide hazel eyes and hazel brown hair. It had white streaks showing that she was old. But there was no sight of wrinkled skin. She was gorgeous.

Claire pulled away, and that woman immediately pulled me into a tight hug. “Mi Amor, I missed you. That stupid kid wouldn’t let any of us see you,” she grumbled, and I could notice her Hispanic accent.

“Marley, you know how your son is so protective,” Claire remarked.

Marley snorted and pulled away, cupping my cheek. She kissed my forehead, mumbling something in Spanish.

I seriously need to learn Spanish to understand what these two women are saying.

“I was about to make breakfast, come in,” I said, and both of them raised their eyebrows at me.

“Where are the maids?” Claire asked.

“I told-“

“And why is Sam letting you move out of the bed?” Added Marley, cutting me off.

I let out a chuckle, trying to lighten the tense mood. “I’m not paralyzed. I can do anything on my own,”

They both exchanged looks and pulled me inside the house. Marley closed the door and Claire dragged me to the living room.

She sat me on the couch and threatened me not to move, then she went to the kitchen. I gazed at the two women as they cooked breakfast together, exchanging talks occasionally.

“I really don’t mind cooking my food or to Sam,” my voice croaked in and two pairs of eyes glared at me.

I pretended to pull a zipper over my mouth and turned to face the tv. I could hear them chuckling as they cooked while I was staring at the tv.

Kylie’s picture showed up, and I furrowed my eyebrows. I picked the remote and raised the volume.

“Kylie just announced on her i********: that she’s pregnant, almost 27 weeks far and you all will be surprised who the father is,” the interviewer said, turning to face her colleague.

“Alec Stevens, can anyone believe this? Kylie got herself Hollywood’s favorite playboy,”

Was he an actor, and I didn’t know about it?

I heard a chuckle and turned to the sound. “My jerk ass son will break her heart. She is too sweet to be with him,” Marley said sarcastically.

“How did he meet her?” I asked, trying to know a thing or two about Alec.

“Kylie has a small agency, helping young actors to find some roles and also models to find some gigs they can join or auditions to big companies,”

I already knew that. I lifted my legs on the couch and turned the upper half of my body, watching Marley as she chopped the vegetables.

“Alec got famous after his last Calvin Klein photoshoot and he became wanted. He met Kylie at an after-party and he had been with her for four months.”

Claire guffawed. “That’s the longest time he dated someone,” she added, and Marley shook her head, chuckling at her son.

“So, you like Kylie?” I asked.

She lifted her head, her gaze meeting mine and a small smile plastered on her lips. “Yeah, she’s a nice person, maybe too nice for my son. I just hope he changes for her and stops being a douchebag to her,”

I could at least die knowing someone had my sister back, but that wasn’t an option. As I’m Sophia now, I couldn’t just kill myself.

What if her soul returns?

I must stop with the what-ifs because nothing would happen.

I stopped thinking as Allegra popped up in my thoughts. She might be back in Los Angeles and I could go to her, but how do I leave the house without Sam.

“Anyway, breakfast is ready,” Marley said cheerfully, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I got up and watched them as they set down the plates on the table. They made pancakes, salad, along with some scrambled eggs and bacon.

“Are we having a feast?” I asked as I stared at the food.

“Do you think we will leave you hungry?” Marley asked with a blithe tone.

I groaned internally and accepted my fate. Both of them won’t leave until they make sure I am full, happy, and healthy.

I spent a good time with them and Marley talked about my sister for most of the time; she was so excited about the baby and she tried not to show it as I already lost one.

Sadly, they had to leave after four hours and I was back to being lonely in this house with my dreadful thoughts.

Then an idea popped into my head. What if there’s a way to contact souls…

I could use an ouija board to contact Sophia.

I slapped my forehead at my air-headed mind. Why didn’t I think of this before?

Probably because ouija boards bring nothing but troubles and demons. The movies taught me much to stay away from that stuff.

But I was desperate to get an answer or a sign from her.

Fuck the movies. I’m going to contact her.

“Where do they keep board games?” I mumbled to myself as my eyes traveled to the staircase.

“The attic,” I answered the question I just asked.

I got up and climbed the stairs to the third floor. I groaned as I saw the opening of the attic was far from me and needed a chair or small ladder, so I could reach it.

I took the stairs again and grabbed a stool, heading upstairs. I set the stool underneath the opening and reached for the handle.

“I miss being tall,” I whispered as I pulled it open.

“Finally,” I shouted happily as the ladder fell.

I climbed the ladder and finally got into the dark attic. I reached for the lights and turned them on. The dim light splattered in the room and my eyes fell on the hung wedding dress.

They were already preparing for the wedding, then after a few months she would have had her baby and they would’ve been a happy family.

Screw me, I ruined it all for them.

I strode towards the dress and gazed at it, admiring the details. “She would’ve looked very beautiful in it,” I mumbled, grazing the dress over the plastic bag.

A loud thud filled the silence in the room and I flinched, thinking it was rats or something.

A black journal caught my attention, and I felt my heart tug, knowing too well who left this here and why.

I took a deep breath in before picking it up off the dusty floors. “The ouija board could wait,” I mumbled as I traced Sophia’s graved name on the hardcover.