Shadow Under the Starlight

17. Walk with you

Layla held on to her chest as her back leaned against the locked door. Her keys had slipped out of her hands landing on the ground, the strap of her bag slipped slightly off the shoulder with such hast movement she caused.

Layla still held onto her chest as her the person in front of her held a sheepish smile, Isla held up her keys she picked off the ground.

"I'm sorry about that." Isla said genuinely regretting it.

Isla knew standing behind someone as they were preoccupied with locking the door and uttering absolutely nothing, wasn't the best course of action she should have followed.

Immediately as Layla turned, her feet took a few hast steps back which lead to her back slamming into the door. The keys she was about to toss into her bag slipped and fell, as her hand came over her chest — her face held a terrified expression, as a shriek left her lips.

She hadn't expected Isla to pop by today and especially like this. And who could blame the woman, since that day she saw whatever that was when touching Isla — a day went by with pure silence from Isla.

Despite Eda that night telling her tomorrow, when tomorrow came Isla wasn't anywhere near her and she knew she wouldn't be. So she didn't bother Eda with questions yesterday or earlier today — Isla would came around is she wanted to.

Well she did come around like a literal ghost, did she float all the way here because no a single sound was made.

"You move so silently." Layla muttered. Her hand slowly lowered to get the keys out of Isla's hands.

"Sometimes." Isla clasped her hands together.

The two stayed in silence, neither had a thing to say. They weren't sure if it was appropriate or how exactly to start all this — whatever it was.

Layla had her eyes fixed on Isla's grey eyes, something about their colour felt unnatural. It wasn't they weren't beautiful, they were — very much so that it felt like a storm was drawing her in whenever she looked Isla in the eyes, not to mention how they complimented her hair colour.

Though it lacked liveliness — it was almost as though they were dead and she didn't mean her eyes.

"I, uhm." Isla spoke grabbing her attention, her lips pursed momentarily as she searched for the words in her mind. Layla's eyes were staring straight into her soul and she felt nervous about it.

"—want to apologize about that day." Isla added in a slightly lower tone than before, Layla found that amusing.

"Let's just move on from that, apologies aside. I did something I shouldn't have and you were simply reacting how you should have." a small smile came over her face, as she spoke.

Isla replied with a hast head nod, kind of relieved she wouldn't have to stumble on her words with this apology.

"Good."

She smiled reciprocating Layla's smiled.

"Good." Isla repeated.

Soon the two fell into silence again, the tension between them still there but it felt a load better. And that was better but Isla knew they were far from done.

"Are you walking me home?" Layla asked.

Isla humed confirming it, her eyes roamed around the area feeling a bit nervous at how Layla caught her staring.

Not for long as Layla nudged Isla lightly to grab her attention, they had to start off now if she would really wanted her to get home — and not be stuck standing in the street under the night sky.

A few steps in, still silence. Layla clearly her throat, once again grabbing Isla's attention as the girl looked at her with a curious expression.

"I'm Layla, I own a book & café shop." She spoke earning furrowed eyebrows from Isla, what exactly was she aiming for.

Seemed like Layla didn't know either as she shrugged at Isla's reaction, she had nothing to say — so she said the first thing she could think of.

Isla sighed turning away.

"Isla. I do much more than see ghosts." She mumbled quickly so the latter would not catch the 'more than see ghosts' and luckily Layla didn't question it. So Isla added, "And I can see people's memories distant or new whenever they touch my skin." She breathed out, her gaze fell on Layla once more studying her expression.

She did this thing where she scrunched her nose and her felt ten times heavy. Shaking her head she got the image out her head paying attention to Layla, it wasn't time to dwell in the past.

"That's what that was?" Layla asked remembering the day prior, so those were her memories?

Isla's head nod confirmed it, some part of it because she still had thing or two bugging her. "But Elis looked like you." Layla tilted her head a bit.

Sure the hair and eyes and as well as the clothes were different but Elis was Isla. She knew it was a bit farfetched to think of the possibility but Isla just dropped the 'I'm not human' on her, it couldn't exactly be farfetched — it seemed everything was possible.

"It's me. Our fate is intertwined." Isla blanked stared at her, her face spilled no secrets neither did her eyes. But the second she spoke, Layla knew it was all a front to seem she could careless when she did care more. "Life's f****d up."

Layla hum in agreement. Well, she did have her fair share and front row seat on how f****d up life could be.

"But then I remembered somethings recently." Layla mumbled not letting them go back into silence.

That night she accused Isla of well, murder, she saw everything she had thought she forgot and never knew happened. Everything from that night with the woman, to that man and the first time she acknowledged Eda.

It felt like a movie playing in her mind then the next day she couldn't tell if it happened or she was creating things up, yet it felt too real to be a dream.

"I can also mess with people's memories." Isla spoke, in a way confirming what she said.

"What are you?" She asked unusual and cautious with her words. She knew the last time Isla said she was an exorcist & spiritual guide was strange, yet she chose to believe it.

"Look at me." Isla stopped in her tracks making Layla do as well. Her hands travelled up and down her outfit of choice, "What do I look like?"

Layla carefully studied her, from her hair to her boots. A black dress shirt as always with black pants, gloves and a coat — Layla gasped.

"A vampire!"

"No!" Isla laughed immediately shut her suggestion off, smacking it right off before it even settled in making her extra delusional.

Layla frowned, not enjoying Isla laughing at her so much — was it really that unbelievable?

"Well then what are you? You're dressed in black — if not a vampire then the night?"

"I see ghosts, memories and I can do—" Isla disappeared from her sight. Layla's mouth hanged open as she stared into nothing, as Isla just vanished.

Layla jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning towards the person she breathed out relieved as the latter smiled in amusement.

"This." Isla finished her sentence staring at Layla.

"A ghost? but you're alive." Layla asked then replied to her own question, her lips pursed totally confused at what was what.

"I am." Isla said replying to her question, giving her confirmation. Layla hadn't acknowledged her as she was so immensed in her thoughts, she hadn't shaked off her hand on her shoulder either. "Sometimes." Isla murmured lightly smiling.

"What?" Layla glanced up at Isla once she pulled herself out of her thoughts.

"You're here." Isla pointed at the apartment complex they stood in front. She was immersed in thought to not notice when Isla got them here, or that she was at all. "Have a goodnight, okay." Isla's hand slipped from Layla shoulder.

"Goodnight, but this isn't over." She warned glaring at Isla, she wasn't going to let the disappearing act happen again.

"I know, we'll talk." Isla replied waving at the glaring woman slowly backing up into the building.

She couldn't help but smile.