SHADOWS OF KAYLA

FROM THE GHOST TO THE CAT

Kayla

Mom dragged out of the house and locked the door. Once she was outside, she started beaming again. I sighed and walked up to my room. It wasn't time to go out yet, so I always spent the morning looking out the window and just admiring every little thing I laid my eyes on, even though it was the same thing every day.

Knowing that I could not partake in anything others were doing always made me want to sit in a corner and cry. Of course I've sat in corners and cried, many a time. In my first few days of being a ghost, I had made that a habit... crying and crying, even though there were no tears.

Do you know how hurtful it is to be around your loved ones and they don't know you're there? I was dead to them, literally. There was no one who called my name for breakfast or worried that I was getting late for school.

I had no more friends to run to school with. No friends to exchange sleepovers with, go shopping with, talk about boys with, skip classes with.

I was left with nothing.

Why would I be punished with death and still be tortured with being a ghost?

Whenever I thought back to the morning of my accident, I wished I didn't cross the road. I wished I didn't fight with my brother, Tom that morning. I wished I had hugged mum and dad before leaving for school. I even wished I took at least a selfie to post on my social media.

I'm so unfortunate, aren't I?

I sighed for the nth time and looked down at the street from Tom's window.

Mrs. Puckett was taking her big dog for a walk. He was called Big Ben, even since when he was a little pup, I heard. He didn't like me at all, I didn't either. Even today, he snarled at me and I also made a face at him. Ben pulled hard on his leash, wanting to pounce on me. He almost sent the poor old woman keeling over. This was when the people around came to the rescue.

"Get rid of that mad beast!" Mr. Puckett yelled from the entrance of their house, while he launched the weight of his limp, on the fatigued and suffering walking cane.

"I wonder what bothers Ben so much when he sees that house," Mrs. Puckett cried in her squeaky voice, shooting our house a curious and angry glance combined.

In the midst of the ruckus I could say I literally caused, I noticed a strange car outside, not only that, one of them was out of the car, using his binoculars to stare in the direction of our house.

“Why are they always here?"I asked myself, rather unintrestedly.

That wasn't my first time seeing them and their black car parked in the same spot. It's been like that for the past three days. How no one around seemed to be bothered about them being there was more baffling. How would you see men in black suits lurking around and not want to know why they're up to?

Why don't you find out? You'd think to ask.

Why did I have to be interested in anything going on around here? There was a huge burden on all of me as it was, so why involve myself in prying around?

Never did I think of my being a ghost of any advantage, so why use it as one to find things out?

I looked at the time on the wall clock.

8:28.

"They should be getting ready for music class," I told no one in particular. Although, I wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to walk into the premises of school and begin another episode of self pity.

However, I found myself, heading down the stairs, to the streets or probably the school I was scared to go to.

Big Ben had managed to calm down, but when I came out of the gate, he started barking ferociously again. Poor Ben. I could also imagine how I'd feel if I always saw a ghost every day, and to make things worse, was unable to tell anyone.

Ben's rough barks followed me as I walked, that even people around were looking around, wondering what he was barking at.

I quickly made my way out of his sight and slipped into a car.

I watched Mrs. Puckett and some others drag Big Ben with his leash back into the house.

I sighed. Only then noticing the car I was in. It was the same black car I saw from upstairs.

Wow! Just great!

A part of me wanted to get out of the car, but I couldn't explain what made me remain sitted.

One of them was inside. He was bald, dark-skinned, and hefty. I thought of how it would have been had I not been a ghost. I'd never have entered the car in the first place.

He kept drumming his hands impatiently on the steering.

We both waited for the other guy to come in.

Soon enough he capered back in, looking frustrated.

"Nothing?" The driver asked. I was surprised that his voice contradicted his physique. He almost sounded like Mrs. Puckett.

"Nothing," the other guy murmured affirmatively. He was fully red-haired from scalp-to-beard-to-moustache. He had tanned skin and was also built, but the driver was certainly bigger. He slid his shades back on, tucking the binos in a bag, while he waited for the other man to turn the ignition.

I couldn't understand what they were talking about. Nothing? Nothing about what?

No one said a word for almost ten minutes.

The only audible sounds were those from the other cars, the driver's loud breathing, and the tanned guy's incessant 'out of tune' humming. I started rethinking the whole idea.

Why am I even here?

I grew angry at myself.

I looked out of the window, calculating the perfect time to leap out. I was a ghost, but I thought it sane to avoid being flung away by another car, considering that was exactly how I had died.

"Boss is going to be so mad at us, Jack," The redhead finally spoke, turning to Jack, as if then, he remembered to use his seat belts.

"Pointless saying the obvious man. I'm f*****g quitting this job," Jack squeaked with regret in his voice.

"Stop kidding Jay, you ain't leaving me with that monster."

"I don't want to die. Take it from me, that Rick guy is smarter than we all think he is. Boss gave us ten days to find him. Ten! You see? Even the Boss knows how smart that guy is. Yet, we haven't found anything about him, all we know is that he lives in Strepp Lane. We have two days left to bring him to the Boss, we fail, and he kills us. So tell me, what's the damn point?" He complained.

The redhead unbuttoned his coat, pulled his tie loose from his neck, and slid his shades up.

"I know bro. I'm thinking of something.'"

"What?" Jack asked as he took a sharp left turn.

"We lie to boss. We can tell him we found the guy, get our pay and flee."

"Are you mad? He's gonna hunt our asses right down and have us killed. We better quit outright. I can't do this anymore. My boy's turned six today. When I'm supposed to be planning a party for him, I'm sneaking around town, searching for s**t!" Jack spat.

"But the money...." The other guy strained.

"To hell with his b****y bucks Zen," he cursed, hitting his fist hard on the steering.

"So what do we do then?" Zen inquired, still dissatisfied.

"I'm quitting! You can stay if you like."

"You think I like this? I don't, but..."

"Money huh?"

"Yeah, but not only that, he might not like that we are quitting before completing the task."

"Says the guy who told us to flee a minute ago," Jack teased bitterly.

"C'mon Jack, I didn't think that through. You know how I can be sometimes."

Jack nodded and smiled.

"Well, that's the only risk I want to take, Zen."

"You sure about this?"

"Yes. You find the guy and get enough money for your girlfriend, huh?" Jack smirked.

Zen's expression tightened and he sighed.

"These two days better not be a waste. Enough acting the mafioso, I'll enter there like a normal human being. Say we give this a last try?"

Jack shook his head slowly and frowned.

"I don't know, maybe. This is just sick!"

"I know right."

I watched and listened from the backseat, not so able to understand what they were saying, but I certainly knew they were looking for someone and they were probably going to hurt whoever it was, judging from how they talked about their boss.

Again, this was totally none of my business. I have more important things now.