Suddenly A Kitten

Chapter 10. Contract.

  When Alexander said he'd sit in my room and wait for Archer and Aspen to appear, I slid out my window to go outside.

We had a lot of land, quite a bit of it for gardening, patios, and the pool. We also had some woods, and just by the creak we had a small run down play ground.

It had been there since we moved in, and had a small platform leading up to a slide, and a tire swing.

When we first moved here, the adults planned to get rid of it, and get something a bit bigger and cleaner.

But Reyland and I demanded we keep it, and we played together on it every day. Until I started seeing... things.

Small people, ghosts, animals that weren't really there... you name it really.

Then Reyland and I went to school for the first time...

He drifted away quickly and started calling me a freak along with everyone else.

The playground was then my play spot, and Reyland never played on it again.

I sighed and flopped back into the tire swing looking up at the mid day sun. Even Brianna thinks this thing is far too rusty to play on.

I moved my legs back and forth so I swung forward. I closed my eyes feeling the sun beat down on my skin. I raised a hand over my eyes and inhaled the scent of the sweet flowers Sora grew.

"Aria."

My arms weren't fast enough as I tried to sit up out of the tire swing, and I ended falling into the dirt. I looked up at Archer and smiled.

"Hi."

He sat down beside me on the ground. "Hey,"

I tilted my head to the side. "Where have you been all day? Another ghost came by and said some things about you. Do you really steal human souls?"

Archer huffed. "I know, Alexander is here. Oh, and no, I do not!" Archer paused. "If he said that, shouldn't you be running from me right now?"

I frowned. "Well, I met you first, didn't I? I know you could be dangerous, but you've had all the time in the world to hurt me. Besides, I don't think I could believe something like that about you." I admitted softly.

Archer pressed his lips together. "Why not?"

I shrugged looking at the dirty ground. "I know it's bad, but I'm kind of attached to you and Aspen already. I'm vulnerable and lonely." I paused and glanced at him.

"Sora says you should only find a man attractive if they can support you, and if they can't, they should be the most ugly person out there." I tapped my fingers together hesitantly.

"But... the person is still good looking to you, poor or not, so the temptation is still there, it's about self control, because that frame of mind will only get you so far."

I leaned forward staring at Archer, who looked right back at me seeming surprised by my words thus far.

"I don't have any self control, I've been alone for so long I find I don't care if you want to steal my soul. I might have people around me, but they're gone all the time, and it's not the same."

Archer hesitated seeming to be trying to find something to say.

"I guess I'm willing to believe almost anything you tell me, you could lie to me, and I'd believe you. Because I trust you Archer, what kind of dumb person does that make me?" I asked tears now coming to my eyes.

Archer sighed. "Alright, first of all, I don't intend to steal anything, Alexander is the ghost that used to steal souls, and he's just assuming I plan to do the same. Got it?"

I nodded and Archer went on. "As for the trust thing... it's fine that you trust me, but if you were to someday get along with someone very bad for you... then I assume you know what comes next. That's what your little speech was about."

I nodded and paused. "How many types of ghosts are there Archer? What ones are bad?"

Archer raised a finger. "There are ghosts who die and are still attached to this world, those are fine, there are ones who die and were outstanding people, like Aspen, and he was chosen to do some silly task as a ghost while getting hella good benefits."

Archer caught his breath and went on. "Some are here for bad purposes, like haunting, or getting simple revenge, those are mostly fine. Then there are the soul stealing ghosts. Those hell bent on coming back. Really any ghost can turn into those, but it's really rare."

I frowned. "Okay, so then you can turn back from a soul stealing ghost? What are the benefits other than coming back?"

Archer hesitated. "You can make contact with the living, gain power far above human standards... a lot of things come from souls."

I nodded and met his eyes. "Is that why Anton said something about touching, and you all freaked out?"

Archer shrugged. "In part, actually, I have something else to offer you, it's s contract of sorts." He snapped his fingers and a paper came out of thin air.

"Are you sure you aren't stealing my soul?" I asked seriously.

Archer laughed. "Yes I'm sure, if you sign this, then no one will be able to make us part, this deal includes Aspen."

I touched the paper. "Uh, so, my name?"

A pen appeared and Archer grinned. "Yup, the pen will prick your finger, and you'll sign your name."

I grabbed the pen and winced feeling the sharp prick instantly. "My name..." I said slowly before sighing and slowly writing it out.

Aria Klent

I finished and the paper disappeared. "Nothing happened."

Archer frowned and tapped his chin. "Give it a moment."

" ... "

I paused and touched my heart gasping. Then it was over. Archer smiled. "Now we are all connected!"