Summer House

Prologue

❤︎

Summer House

"There are rules when you're alive. There are also rules when you're dead. Go figure."

I sat alone on the wooden porch in front of my house watching the sun set. The setting sun seemed to glare at me with its unusually large round face, as if it was scolding me for staring at it for too long. The sky itself sent purplish and orange streaks shooting across the horizon, creating a wonderful backdrop against the blooming pink blossom tree that stood in front of the house, spreading its glorious scent along with the wind.

I stretched my hands, watching the blossom petals flutter softly onto my opened palm.

A petal. One tiny petal separated from the others.

Just like myself.

I sighed heavily, feeling my shoulders sinking in hopelessness, wondering when I going to get the same freedom to drift away and perhaps disappear forever just like that petal.

I've always thought that it was nice to watch the sun set, it was a beautiful, breathtaking view. However, I spent the last five years doing it alone. I have been trapped in this house for as long as I can remember, wandering around aimlessly.

Today is the last day...

My lonesomeness will finally be cured.

The big factor here isn't really my lonesomeness, it's actually something else.

Someone was coming.

A human.

Before I start to confuse you, let me be truthful here.

Let me tell you a story of a boy. 

Of a boy who was once alive. 

You see, five years ago, this boy was a poor lonely, depressed soul who spent most of his time without friends, listening to heavy metal music, walking around with his head hanging low, and always hesitated to look people in the eyes because whether it was his shyness or just introverted possibility, he had always been labeled as the weird outcast, and so, the boy cared very little about the outlooks on his life. You couldn't blame him. His life wasn't perfect; in fact—his life was horrible. He had parents who neglected to care for him because his father was a swindler who spent most of his time in jail and his mother a whore, who spent most of her time in other men's beds. His older sister on the other hand, was the smart and admired one. The moment she entered college, she moved out without bothering to look back on her disgraceful family. She also neglected her brother, escaping from everyone and everything depressing and complicated, just like him. 

After his sister left home, the boy felt more alone than ever. In his helpless desperation, then came a day when young Mr. Outcast decided to cheat life by allowing himself to get hit by a car. Unfortunately, he ended up surviving the accident, suffering only minor injuries.

The first failed try should've been a clear sign from God saying it wasn't his time to go yet, but the boy ignored his fate and decided to cheat Death again. A few weeks later came a time when he tied a long red scarf to the fan propeller attached to the ceiling of his bedroom and attempted to end his life, but ended up surviving that one too. 

After two unsuccessful suicide attempts, instead of receiving help and understanding, the boy was placed in a psychiatric hospital. But only after a week of close observation, he was released early, because the doctors rooted him to be too sane to be stuck in such a place. 

Not long after his release, the boy wrote a letter to his family and apologized for his unwanted existence. Without an, 'I love you,' or 'I will miss you' or a simple 'Thank you', the letter only contained these exact words...

I'm sorry that I ever existed. Goodbye.

Sadly, those were the boy's last words before he drowned himself in his own bathtub.

And for the third time, Death didn't give him another chance. This time, his suicide attempt was successful.

There you have it folks, the end of a tragic life story of a boy who never had the chance to feel beloved and wanted. Who never had the chance to live past the young age of twenty.

You guessed it.

That boy is me.

So the real question here is...

What am I?

No, I'm not a ghost. And no, I'm not a spirit. I'm actually a guardian spirit. Not guardian angel, but a guardian spirit. There's a difference.

Now, now. Don't get turned off by the name. It sounds rather lame, I know, but you'll get used to it.

Allow me to explain the level of orderly classes given to you after the judgment of Death.

Your chances in becoming a guardian angel are quite slim and that's the reason why I'm stuck being a guardian spirit. I have heard that you have to be one of the heavenly descendants to gain such a high status. That's what the others tell me anyway. I don't actually know the truth myself. All I know is that there are different classes assigned to you once you go through judgment after death. Yes, people. Such things do exist.

Think of it this way...

There are rules when you're alive. There are also rules when you're dead. Go figure.

After judgment, they either place you in the 'ghost' class, 'spirit' class or the 'guardian spirit' class. Being a ghost is the lowest of the lowest. Basically if you're a ghost, you get no privileges at all. Not only could the humans see your ugly dead deformed body, but you'll be stuck in that level for all eternity, never to be allowed to cross over and your only purpose is to haunt people. Imagine yourself stuck in Casper the Ghost's shoes forever. Yeah, it's pretty sad, huh? It's probably the biggest punishment a dead person could suffer after death. 

Moving along. The next orderly class is the 'spirit'. It's actually much better than being a 'ghost' because you have the option in whether or not you'd like to go around haunting people and causing havoc, or you could always be the goodie-two-shoes and assist the guardian spirit to gain yourself a higher status.

The best thing about being a spirit? The humans don't actually see you, so you're pretty much free to do whatever you want. The worst thing about it? No matter how much you'd like for people to see you, they never do. So you're basically invisible. Forever.

If you're lucky enough, and the elders pity you, you'll get placed in the 'guardian spirit' class, like myself. I became what I am now because the elders felt sorry for me. I never did any wrong in my past life. Not until the day I decided to kill myself. That was the biggest mistake of all and they made me repent for my foolish act.

I've served my time, now it was time to do something more meaningful.

Guardian Spirits are given task and duties. Their job is to watch over a chosen human being. It's something along the lines of babysitting. After achieving that task, you'll most likely be rewarded. 

The best reward you could get out of it? Reincarnation. 

It's much better than winning a jackpot, trust me.

For the past five years, I've been serving punishment by being trapped in the Summer House, never to stray far from it nor leave the premises, because I have been placed inside a magical locking barrier. I was no different from a caged animal. I thought it was freedom when I had chosen death, but death only led me to believe that life was far more important.

But no longer will Summer House be abandoned and no longer will I be alone.

I have a visitor coming soon.

A visitor who will soon be like a client to me.

One that I must guard and protect.

I was given an order. An order to watch over this particular human.

The only problem is that this person...has become suicidal.

❤︎

Author's note: Surprise! I thought to celebrate our 1 year anniversary with a bit different story~ It's fantasy, supernatural romance story with characters each coping with their own demons.

I sincerely hope you will enjoy this, something a little bit different and thought-provoking. ❤︎