GHOST CABIN ☆ EARTHMIX AU

Part twenty-four: friendly chat with the bear

"You must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible."

- Anton Chekhov

"You are scaring me," Mix whispered, his breathing quickened.

"I'm not the one you should be scared of — but that bear about fifty metres from us; that one kinda worries me." Earth changed his attitude towards the dangerous situation Mix was in, to more casual, to not scare Mix even more.

"A b-bear?" Mix stuttered with high pitched voice.

"Shhh, don't make loud noises. I don't think he registered you, yet." Earth's eyes were glued to a spot somewhere behind Mix. Probably where the freaking bear was! "Go inside, now! And lock the door."

"But, but what about you?" Mix asked, scared to even look behind himself, not to mention actually standing and going inside.

"I will get him away. He can't hurt me. Remember? I'm kinda not alive," Earth grinned.

"Yeah, right..." Mix nodded, but still not moving.

"Mix, I'm serious go inside," Earth said, watching as the bear was getting closer and closer, while they were wasting the precious time talking.

"I...I would love to but I'm scared."

Earth's eyes softened. He stood up first, looking down at Mix, "I'll go with you, angel. But you really need to get up. We are running out of time."

Mix took a deep breath, nervously bit his lip and stood up, turning towards the cabin. He still didn't look at the bear. "Okay, I'm going," Mix started to make small, careful steps towards the cabin, his eyes fixated only on the front door. "Earth, are you—"

"I'm here. You are doing great. You are almost there. Don't forget to lock yourself."

"Yeah...I will," Mix got to the stairs leading on the porch. He sprinted up, opened the door and slammed them behind himself. Now definitely alerting the bear.

"You know, angel, you didn't have to slam those doors so hard — our new friend heard you." Mix heard Earth shouting from the outside.

Angel?

Mix shook his head; not now!

He made sure the door was locked and moved towards the window, hoping that he would be able to see what was happening outside. How was Earth going to get that bear away? Could animals see ghosts? During his vet studies, he came across a few theories that cats and dogs could indeed see ghosts, but at that time he didn't even believe that ghosts exist at all. Not alone that someone or something could see them.

Mix let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, looking outside the window he could see Earth walking closer to the bear. And it was a huge bear! Mix almost gasped seeing him. He watched as Earth stopped, only an arm's length away from the bear, saying something. Mix wished he could hear what could Earth possibly be talking to their unexpected visitor about.

Mix stood at the window and stood some more. It felt like hours were passing by and Earth was still talking to the bear. Mix should do something else instead of watching them. As Earth said — the bear couldn't hurt him. So there was no need for Mix to be watching what was happening. But he couldn't bring himself to avert his gaze. He was worried about Earth. It didn't matter that there was literally nothing that could happen to Earth. Mix was still worried.

Mix's eyes were still glued to Earth outside, but his mind slowly, inconspicuously, wandered away, but still to the same person...

Earth called him 'angel', and before that, 'his hope'. Being called Earth's favourite human was kind of playful, but this... this felt more intimate. Mix was never one for the pet names. Well, apparently he was now. Because he loved it — he was definitely not going to admit that to Earth — but he loved it.

Strangely, it made Mix feel assured that Earth cared about him. That he was important to Earth. And it definitely woke up the butterflies in Mix's stomach, but he wasn't going to admit that to Earth either. At least not yet. And that was a kind of ironic way to think after he almost said to Earth that he loved him. Mix was so thankful that Earth stopped him. It felt weird. Earth stopped him right in the middle, so Earth already knew. But like not actually knew, because Mix didn't really say it.

Mix shook his head, rolling his eyes at himself, "stop making it way more complicated than it actually is, gosh." He mumbled for himself, returning back to reality, realizing that Earth nor the bear were nowhere to be seen.

"Earth?" Mix stepped even closer to the window, his face almost touching the glass, looking outside, Earth wasn't there. As if he vanished.

Or...

No, no, no, Mix shook his head again. There was no way he couldn't see Earth again. Right? No way! Mix ran to the front door, his hand on the door handle, halted only a moment before he pulled it without thinking. No, he couldn't go outside. What if the bear was still there? Mix haven't seen him when he looked through the window seconds ago but he also haven't seen Earth. And Earth must have been outside somewhere.

"Earth?" Mix screamed, praying to hear the gently deep voice he came to adore.

.....

When Mix ran inside and slammed the door so strongly that Earth could swear that besides alerting their bear visitor he could also see the cabin shaking, he decided to — you know — just go and have a friendly chat with the bear.

He started walking closer and closer towards the bear, now without any worry when Mix was locked inside. The bear was looking at him, his big nose moving, releasing huffing sounds. But the bear didn't move away nor closer. Just stood there waiting for Earth to do the job himself.

When Earth thought that he was close enough he started speaking, "Hey buddy. What brings you here? On the walk or got lost?"

The bear tilted his enormous head on one side starring at Earth.

"Hmmm, okay. You see. A boy lives here, and he is very important to me. I don't want anything to happen to him, because I really, really, like him."

The bear growled, shaking his head, staring at Earth even more intensely — almost as if he was judging him.

"Okay, fine, I admit it — I love him. But shhh," Earth put the finger in front of his lips. "I haven't told him that yet," he whispered. "So, now, how about I accompany you a little bit until you are far from here, hmmm? I want to go with you because there are bear traps in the area and I don't want you to get hurt. What do you say, can I go?"

The bear huffed, turning away from Earth and then turning his head back to Earth as if telling him, 'yes, you can go with me you ghost!'

Earth smiled and started walking alongside the bear. Their steps, getting farther and farther away from the cabin.

To be continued...

P.S. False alarm...Mix is safe. 😇🙈 Poor bear just wanted some company. 🐻😔