Ghost in The Night

Chapter X Behave

Chapter X Behave

Morning couldn't have been colder than ever with the way Jared looked at me while I was getting ready. I had already packed my bag last night, I didn't even get a wink of sleep after what had happened.

He waited patiently by the door, silent and guarded.

"Are you ready?" he asked formally.

I nodded.

He led me out, and that was my last day in his cabin. We walked through the town in silence. Though, the town was bustling as ever and crowded, they greeted Jared with the same enthusiasm they have everyday. Sneaking a peak from under my lashes, I saw how he smiled and waved at them. Just the same like the other day. As if he wasn't upset or angry.

Was he upset and angry?

As if sensing my stare, his eyes found mine and I quickly averted my eyes.

Are you an i***t? Of course he's angry. Anyone would be angry when you say something like that....

He didn't say a single word until we reached the cabin. The sight of the cabin dreaded me, thinking I had more time to come up with something to say, but we're finally here.

As expected, Dorotha is poised by the door. Her greeting wasn't any better to Jared's cold shoulder. Her nose still stuck up in the air, looking down at me. "I hope your days of reflecting made you learn your lesson."

I shrugged. I didn't have the energy to be snarky with her, especially when Jared's standing next to me.

He's so so close, but he feels so far.

Dorotha's eyes went to Jared. "Seems you've tamed this one. Awful quiet now, isn't she?"

"Don't worry, you won't have any trouble with her anytime soon."

That ticked me off. I know he's angry with me and I wasn't complaining about the cold treatment I was receiving, but that didn't mean they could talk about me like some ill-behaved dog while I'm standing just between them.

"I'm right here, you know. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm better off to my room now." Then before I march off, I faced Jared with a level-headed gaze. "It was a pleasure staying with you."

Before he or Dorotha could say anything I marched out of the grand hall.

"I'll send Daisy in your room after school to aid you in your missed studies!" Dorotha haughtily calls out and I slam the door behind me.

I leaned my head against it, trying to breath properly.

But Jared's terse face and Dorotha's upturned one made me sob on the spot. Slowly, I slid down by the floor, covering my face as I felt my hands getting wet with tears.

I can't wait for Daisy to come back later. I've never felt so alone.

Hours passed I was left alone in my room. The corridors are silent due to the girls being in school at this time. I had just been lying on my bed, looking up at the ceiling and thinking of what had occured in Jared's cabin when I heard the distant chatters of girlish voices. I instantly sat up and peeked outside. Surely, there they were, happily talking while walking towards the direction of this cabin.

I look at the man beside their line, their guardian, but to my disappointment it wasn't Jared.

Waiting patiently, I faced the door for Daisy's arrival. As expected, she came bustling in. Contrary to mine, her eyes weren't as dead, hers were bursting with energy. "Cara!"

I stood up and we both collided in an embrace. I hug her tight. She smelled like flowers.

Then she slapped me.

"Ow!" I shouted.

"That's for jumping down the building that day. You have no idea how worried I am!"

I tried to grin sheepishly even though my right cheek stings. "Sorry."

Then she holds my shoulders. "How did it go? Was it okay?"

"It was horrible!" I moaned, finally letting it out. "First there was Jared being mean and so unpredictable---then there was his father, and we had a fight and---"

"Woah, slow down girl. Take a deep breath first."

I obliged.

"Okay, let's sit and tell me everything."

We spent the hour of me recounting everything that happened.

Everything I saw in the book, Jared's deal and mixed signals, our visit to his father, our fight, and the way he wouldn't look at me the whole way to the cabin.

"Well, duh!" Daisy exclaimed looking angry. "Who wouldn't get offended by what you said? But don't worry, just apologize and he'll get over it. Jared's not that big of a baby. But the important thing is...he really went out of his way so you can meet his dad?"

"Oh, Daisy. You should've seen the terrified look on his dad's face. You would've thought I was the ghost!"

"He's a traumatized man ever since he was found, Cara. He wouldn't stop freaking at anyone, literally anyone, coming within a five-foot radius in his space. Jared wouldn't let anyone come in his father's cabin ever since, that's why it's a miracle he'd let a newcomer like you in...."

"It was the deal." my shoulders sagged. "If I had known what him and his father was going though I wouldn't have persisted in knowing about it!"

"No, you have every right to know about it. Everyone in this town knows it. It's already part of Night Falls' history. Jared's father is the first man The Ghost had ever stolen, and maybe, the first one to survive who've seen its face...."

"Did he point anyone at all? It's no brainer the culprit is in this town, blending in with us."

"Just think of it, who knows it could be a guy you talk to regularly and it turns out he stalks his victim in the night. " We both shuddered. "Anyway, no, he didn't point anyone in particular. Anyone he lays his eyes on he'd freak."

"Didn't atleast write the name? Maybe he knows him, this is still a small town where everyone knows everyone..."

"Hmm, no. We tried but he wouldn't write a single letter. He just shutted the world out....can't blame him though, he must've been so traumatized. Imagine getting your tongue cutted."

We both sighed, and I slumped against the wall.

"Then what about this whole Jared fight?"

"What do you mean?" I turned to her.

"Girl, you guys have intense chemistry. It's a miracle the cabin didn't get lit on fire!"

"Daisy." I groaned, feeling my face hot. "It's embarrassing, I'm embarrassing and I'm such a bitch...."

"Any girl around Jared would act like a klutz." Daisy laughed. "But seriously, he almost kissed you?"

I nodded.

She whistled lowly. "Even Tina didn't have a chance to talk to him that close."

"If she knew this, she just might kill me."

"She won't kill you, but you can atleast stay away. Her nails are nasty."

I stood up and faced the window, looking outside. "What am I gonna do?"

"About what?" Daisy asked from the bed. "About Jared or The Ghost?"

"Both." I faced her, hugging myself. "I know I promised I won't be poking around but since we fought maybe the deal would be void."

"Uhh, no." Daisy pointed out with a sharp look. "Jared did his part of the deal, now it's your turn."

"But this is the reason I went here! I want to prove myself to my parents that I can be more than just a grey-suited boring lawyer!"

She stands up too, facing me. "Well, I think the first thing to do before you can prove yourself to your parents is to atleast stay alive?" she widened her eyes meaningfully. "What exactly is the deal? Specifically?"

"That I'd stop investigating for the mean time in exchange for telling me about his dad."

"So, there's a loophole. He didn't say forever, he only said for just the mean time so....a month or so?"

"I don't think I can wait for a month."

She rolled her eyes. "Then maybe half a month. But girl, I'm telling you this. What you're doing is dangerous. You're poking in the case and The Ghost might use it to get you."

It's the same thing Jared told me too....

I bit my lip. "Then maybe he can take me and I'll see where he takes the girls. Then I'll escape and everyone will know what happened to the other girls and also who's The Ghost."

She crossed her arms. "That's suicide."

"I know." I surrendered, sitting down.

"What you're gonna do is you're going to follow your end of the deal. Behave. Just for the next two weeks. Just go to school, act like a normal teenager in a normal town...."

"And after two weeks...?"

"You can go back to being Nancy Drew again, but I'm telling you I won't save your ass if you get in trouble." Daisy bites her lip, a worried line on her smooth forehead. "But promise me you won't go out in the night or prowl around in the forest."

"I promise." I said. "And what about Jared...?"

She gives me an all-knowing look. "You know what to do."

Aplogizing to Jared proved to be tough work for the next day. I thought I had a chance to talk to him alone now that he's still the same guard that escorts us girls to school. But it's as if his cold aura and stern face attracted even more attention from the girls. They were surrounding him more than ever.

"Jared." I piped up, my voice higher than before. We were in the middle of walking all the way to school when I suddenly walked up to him, hugging the school book Daisy had given to me yesterday.

Everyone turned to me. "What?" Jared asked. His stare remained blank.

I look at Daisy and she urged me to go on, but with all of them there waiting for what I was about to say to Jared, I had to step back. I didn't want questions firing at me.

"Oh...nothing." I said lamely.

He raised an eyebrow. "Get back in line, Ms. Lane."

He continued to walk with the girls flocking around him. Someone purposely bumped into me and I saw it was Tina. "That's right, bear girl. Get back in line."

"Hey, no need to be so mean, Tina." Daisy sided with me.

Tina rolled her eyes. "Daisy, she doesn't have a chance. Might as well let the poor girl know before she makes a fool of herself."

I rolled my eyes too. Oh, for goodness' sake.

I didn't want to fight Tina. I simply have no energy to do so, but Daisy wasn't taking any of it. "Oh yeah?" Daisy puts her hand on her waist. "And you think you have a chance with him? You've been slobbering all over him for so long, he still wouldn't spare you a glance."

Tina looks at us with haughty eyes, and then with a flick of her hand she dangles what is an unmistakably piece of paper in front of us between her perfectly clean fingernails.

"Do you know what this is?"

"An abortion paper your mother forgot to submit?" Daisy said.

"No." Tina smiled. "This is the thirteenth love letter I received just this month. I'm sure the both of you haven't seen something like this because it seems you both aren't the type to receive such things."

"Who the hell is Geoffrey?" Daisy squinted at the end of the letter but Tina already withdrew it.

"Doesn't matter. It only shows how desirable I am, and I'm sure Jared can see that too."

"I'm sure she just made that up." Daisy whispered to me but loud enough for Tina to hear. I almost laughed but then Jared's booming voice shooks us three.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GIRLS DOING BACK THERE. GET BACK IN LINE!"

Time slipped by easily in school. The things we were learning were just the basics. It wasn't that hard to understand. Others weren't even listening and still they score almost to perfect on short quizzes. Almost all my short quizzes have perfect scores too.

I was too busy thinking about a way to apologize to Jared when I couldn't help but overhear a conversation. They were whispering but they were very loud.

"Oh my gosh, are you really meeting him tonight?"

"Duh, how could I turn down such a romantic invite?" then they giggled and looked again at a paper Tina was holding.

It's her love letter. But her what she just said alarmed me. Forgetting about how to apologize to Jared, I quickly stood up and walked over to her group. I fished the letter from her hands and read it.

"Hey, what the hell?"

My eyes skimmed all over the words, and there I saw at the end.

Meet me tonight in front of the church. I can't wait to see you.

Tina snatched the letter from my hands. This time, she looked really pissed at me. "You just got back bear-girl and you're already trying to get into trouble again."

"Are you insane?" I shot back at her. "Don't tell me you're meeting that guy tonight."

Tina looked around the room, me too. Everyone was now looking at us. Suddenly, Tina seized my arm and pulled me out of the room. Then she pushed me against the wall, she looked like she was ready to scratch my face.

"This is none of your business, Lane." Tina seethed. "Butt out."

"It's dangerous!"

She scoffed. "The Ghost haven't even stolen a girl in a month and you think he's just going to write me a love letter with his name on it?"

"It could be a trap."

"You're just jealous that all the boys like me, Lane. And you're one of the invisibles."

Before she could turn away, I snatched her sleeve. She looked at me with angry eyes. "Tina." I shake my head. "Don't go."

She only looked disgusted. "Don't touch me."

Then she stalked away leaving me in the corridor, wondering what the hell I should do.

Dismissal never came sooner than I thought. The moment Tina left me in the corridor the hours seem to drag on forever. That's why when the teacher announced dismissal, adrenaline surged in my veins. I instantly catch Daisy's hand. "Will you come with me?"

"Where?"

"I'll apologize to Jared today. But not while he's escorting us back to the cabin."

She waited for more information.

"I plan to visit him in the cabin after we get back and apologize to him privately."

She gives it a thought then shrugs. "Okay."

The whole walk back to Cabin Thirteen made me jittery and wished the whole line would walk a faster. Jared's back seemed as guarded as ever, he didn't look at me. And looking at Tina in the other line, looks like I wasn't the only one who can't wait to get back.

I catch her eyes and she just rolled hers.

When we get back, I ran fast to my room, changed my clothes, then waited by Daisy's door. When she's finally ready I practically had to drag her out before Dorotha can see us.

"Woah, somebody's excited to actually apologize to someone." She wheezed while running. "Slow down girl!"

I looked around just in case someone tries to stop us so we can run faster. "Are you that excited to see Jared?" she teased.

I didn't answer her and just kept running.

We reached Jared's cabin and as I expected there's no light inside. He's still on duty like I calculated earlier. But there's no time, sooner or later he'll be back.

"Oh, it looks like he's still not home. Wait---what are you doing?" Daisy asked in panic as I crouched on the floor and pulled a key from one of the planks under it.

"I saw how Jared hid the key here when we left." I said distractedly.

"Well yeah, that's called tresspassing. We could just wait for him here, Car." Daisy said nervously but I put the key in, and I opened the door.

"Or not..." Daisy trailed off. I rushed in and I had to pull Daisy in before we could call attention to ourselves. "You're not here to apologize, are you?"

I passed by her and quickly put the chair up against the cabinet, and pulled the book off.

"What are you doing?" Daisy asked hysterically. "I thought you were going to behave!"

"Shh!" I shushed her, putting a hand on her mouth. "That was the plan! But this one is urgent!" I hissed.

Then I put the book down on the table and began to flip. Then I almost screamed.

"s**t!" I whispered frantically. "I forgot to look at the name! Uhh, Daisy...Daisy!"

"What? What?" Daisy asked frantically. "What are we doing?"

"You saw Tina's letter right?"

"Yeah, what about it!?"

"What was the guy's name at the end? Something like a G, right?" I quickly go through the names in my head. "George? Godric? Gabriel?"

"It's---It's Geoffrey! Yeah, I remember it because I was thinking it was a stupid name Tina had to think off!"

"Geoffrey, Geoffrey...." I whispered, willing my eyes to find it in these sea of names. Daisy waited impatiently beside me, I can see her nervously jiggling up and down.

When I finished the book it's like all the blood drained from my face. "There's no Geoffrey..." I breathed out.

Daisy looked at me weird. "Uhh so? Then that only means Tina did invent him! How desperate can she be?"

"You don't understand..." I said staring into space. "She was going to meet him tonight, I overheard them talking!"

"Who?" Daisy asked, puzzled.

"Tina and hetr friends.T-they were talking about the letter she just showed us that morning! He asked her to meet her tonight, but if you look at the book there's no record of a single Geoffrey in this town!"

"What are you getting into..." Daisy's own face paled.

I nodded at her. "This could be a trap of The Ghost."

"Oh, shit..." Daisy stepped back, lookin down.

"We have to warn Tina tonight."

But the tension in the room cracked when we heard nearing footsteps. s**t!

"It's Jared!" I whispered. "We need to go now, follow me!"

I put the book back hastily and begin to walk inside with Daisy trailing behind me. I go to the room I occupied in just a week ago and opened the window. "Come on!" I whispered to Daisy.

She looked unsure at the small space the window offers but obliges otherwise.

It was a good thing Daisy has a smaller frame compared to mine. She swiftly fitted out through the window and jumped down on the ground. "What about you?" Daisy asked.

"Who's here?"

The footsteps are getting nearer, faster. He realized someone's inside because the door's unlocked.

"We'll both get caught." I said as fast as I can. "Go! Warn Tina immediately, she needs to know! I'll be fine!"

Daisy hesitated, but after contemplating, she ran fast.

I instantly closed the window and a chill went up my spine when I hear Jared's cool voice behind me.

"What are you doing here?"