Never ever

7. Awakening

Another day at the office but something felt out of place. I could not figure out what it was, until I got home. The boxes where gone but the first thing I saw was a hideous green armchair. 

It was as a fog lifted of me and I was remembering what had happened yesterday. Was it yesterday? I didn’t have a great sense of time. There were so many things I needed answers to.

I quickly looked around but she wasn’t here. What was it about her that made me feel so grounded or even drawn to this place. I was getting more clear headed the longer I stood there taking in her stuff. Still there was one huge thing missing here, she wasn’t here so I found myself back in my room staring at my own picture. I hadn’t chanced but the picture showed evidence of aging. It had been left here awhile ago I realised. I reached out to take it, too get a better look at it but my hand went straight through it. I pulled back looking a my hand, there was nothing strange to notice on it. Again I tried to pick the picture up. Expecting it to go through this time made me notice a weird sensation. I focused on that feeling and the picture fel forward, a hard cracking sound echoing in my ears. I was still staring at it when the door flew open. My mom came bursting in and looked around the room shocked to find it empty. What did she expect? 

“How did you end up on the floor” she said out loud when she saw the picture and picked it up. She put it back on the desk only laying it flat this time, maybe she thought the leg was malfunctioning. I watch her as she put her finger over my picture following my jawline as if she was stroking it. Tears welled up in her eyes and with a deep sigh she left the room again.     

So that's it, there was no denying it. I died and was now haunting my old house. 

-

Another day at the office but that wasn’t right. I wasn’t there anymore, I wasn’t anywhere. I am dead I thought and with a flash the office disappear and I found myself at home. No not my home anymore, it was her’s. Everything seemed quite and for a moment of miserable thinking I thought she wasn’t there again. But then I noticed the bedroom door was closed. Without realising it I stood at the foot of her bed. No not hers, it was mine. She was sleeping in the bed I had build when I first moved here. She was sound a sleep in my bed. 

I just stood there looking at her unable to part from her. Her chest moved up and down at a steady pace. The curtains were not closed properly and one stream of light moved over the bed towards her beautiful auburn hair. The light caressed her face and she started to stir, her eyelids fluttered a bit and there was movement underneath the coffers. 

With a soft moan, that made my heart jump in delight, she slowly reached up with her hand stroking her face as her eyes opened. She looked directly at me with her brilliant grey eyes but there was nothing on her face that showed she had acknowledged me. 

“Good morning” I said unable to help myself. She didn’t react but I was surprisingly enjoying myself. I thought she was beautiful with her long hair framing her face, her soft features resembling her demeanor and her ivory skin made her pink blush even more evident and innocent looking. I wondered if she was as innocent as he looked in that moment but something in her eyes told me I was wrong. She looked vigorous but there was also something soft, kind-hearted about her. Maybe that's why my mom hired her I thought and I made the connection. This had to be Maya, the girl they had been talking about, the one who would have been perfect for me. 

I was shocked and before I realized it she had gotten dressed and left me alone in her bedroom. Composing myself I went searching for Maya, I needed to know more about her. She wasn’t in her apartment anymore, how long had I been staring in shock? Frustrated with myself I went outside, looking over the front lawn, I saw her standing there in a yoga pose. She had on some tight black yoga leggings and a black and white sports bra that showed off her lean and curvy build.

She leaned forward and stepped back giving me a perfect view of her behind. I whistled at her knowing she wouldn’t hear it anyway. This was going to be fun I thought as I moved closed to get a better look. As she did pose after pose I started to commenting her. A little deeper, hold that pose, straighten that leg and my most favorite one nice ass. 

Slowly small drops where forming on her skin and her breathing became heavier, less steady. I could easily imagine her this way with another kind of exercise. She had stopped moving and was now sitting with crossed legs, meditating. I wanted to touch her and reached out trying to stroke her cheek. Just as I was able to touch her, my face very close to hers she sighed and opened her eyes. I jumped up, startled by her sudden movement. Did she notice me at all? 

She got in the shower after that and I respectfully stayed behind in the kitchen. I was tempted to take a peek but thought against it. She however had a different plan as she walked into the kitchen with nothing but a small towel at her waist, giving me a good look of her breasts. 

“Wauw” I muttered as Maya walked straight thru me and feeling something harden. Well I guess that still works I thought laughing. She left after getting dressed again, driving towards town. I tried to follow but the further I got from the house the less clear my gaze went. Giving up I decided to wait for her back home.

It had only been a hour when Maya returned carrying a back of painting supplies. Putting some music on she went to work on the dresser in the corner. It had taken her the rest of the day but the results was mesmerizing. The washed out layer had become a nice deep wooden collar that made the dresser seem like it was brand new. I was in awe of her. 

By evening however, I was getting a bit frustrated. I so longed to hear her speak, too talk to her. There was so much I wanted to know but couldn’t ask. Her phone rang and her sweet-sounding voice answered saying his name. I grunted and anger washed over me as I heard the joy throughout her words as she smoke to him, telling hem about her day. 

“So tell me something about Hillary, I want to be prepared for tomorrow” she said changing the subject and getting my attention. Who? and what was she going to do?

“Yes, I’m definitely coming to the party. Nothing will keep me away” she reashurt him. I could hear the cheering on the other end of the phone that made her laugh. 

“So tell me, what do I need to know?” She was persisted, I like it. It was funny to see how her facial expression changed as he told her. Jealousy, disgust and anger all crossed her face but there was nothing in her voice to him. 

“So what you are saying is that you broke up with her months ago but she keeps on claiming you and throwing herself on to you even dough you and the guys have made it clear she wasn’t wanted. What is she dense?” she said her words drenched with her disapproval of the girl in question. What he said next made her laugh again.

“Ow really, You think so huh” she answered him seductively. Her voice sounded so much better that way. She continued flirting with him and when she got more implicit, more sexuel I couldn’t take it anymore. I walked away, kicking the table sending a shock through it.

Her glass of water fell over and she immediately reacted.  

“Ow s**t, Noah hang on, I just spilled my drink” she told him and jumped up, leaving her phone, and ran to the kitchen voor some paper towels. I looked at the phone, could I?

I tried to hold onto my strong emotion and reached for it. It just got shoved a little, but I could still hear noises from the other end of the phone. Again! This time I was imagining turning it off and it worked. I felt if I just had climbed a mountain but the phone was dead. 

“Ah crap” Maya said as he saw her phone and she went looking for the power cord.

She was trying to turn it back on when I realized I could distract her now, focusing my energy on the radio, which was still playing softly. Her head shot up when adore you came blasting out of the boxes. How fitting, It will be the last thing I will ever do. I had two more times in me before I was exhausted. Maya was cursing to the radio like you wouldn’t believe, how could I ever had thought this girl looked innocent. With everything I had seen today I could confidently say that she was a badass. She would have kicked my ass, not taking any of my bullshit, if we were in a relationship I thought grinning. Did my parents see this side of her as well, my mother would have approved of that I was sure. 

By now she was on the phone with him again, nothing I could do about it now. But she didn’t start flirting again, ever better she sounded agitated. He did sooth her a little and she was sweet in her goodbyes but I could see it in her stands. She still felt it, this restlessness coated with anger. This time it was her who turned up the music, looking for something with a beat. I thought she would began dancing but the went off to the bedroom and surprised me when she came back with a large mat. The mat got put against the hallway wall and she looked if the had enough room to move. Satisfied maya took off again towards the bedroom and came back a little later wearing a black tank top and gloves. She took a stands and began pounding against the mat. My jaw dropped, kicking my ass just got very literal. I looked at her in awe as I recognized a rhymed in her punches. She wasn’t just throwing them randomly, she did combinations. She clearly had someone training her, learning her the technics. Maya keeps surprising me and I couldn’t wait to find out what she had to show me next. I felt quite sereen looking at here beating up the mat, my eyes slowly closing as a blanket of nothingness came over me. 

-

Another day but not at the office for once, for the very first time I’m already at home. I have no idea what time it as I walk around the house. It must be later because she isn’t here. What day is it anyway. I needed a way to tell me but there is nothing in the apartment. I walk over to the main house, surly they have something still hanging on the wall that is exact. I find myself In the kitchen looking at a big board, trying to make sense of it. Suddenly it dawned on me, It’s not one but two schedules. I recognize the green handwriting of that of my mothers starting on monday the third. Did maya use the blue marker? Most of the blue said one thing, work along with a corresponding time. There is only one other, Halloween Party. Didn’t maya menchion a party yesterday. 31 October, could it really be today. I decided to go find out and maybe I could also find out how far I could go. But where to go? Why not to the square, usually the stores around there have halloween decoration displayed.