Legend says that ghosts can be brought back to life if they find someone who will truly love them.
But who would love a ghost?
Starring:
One ghost
One very much alive boy
And one cabin in Canadian Wilderness
It's time to find out that just because...
"True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen."
- Francois de La Rochefoucauld
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Five, ten, maybe million of minutes passed and Earth was still nowhere to be seen or heard for that matter.
Mix was getting really worried. Where could Earth go? And why he didn't tell Mix that he was going somewhere? If he did go somewhere.
Mix could hear his heart beating in his head and feel it in his chest sheltered by his strong, undamaged, unscarred rib cage. Not like Earth's.
When a person gets shot in the heart the rib cage may sustain a certain degree of damage. From the moment Mix could see Earth, he pretended that the hole in Earth's snowy-white silky shirt — right on the place where the heart was— didn't exist. Mix pretended he didn't see it. That it was not important. That he didn't have any questions when in fact he had so many that if he could ask he wouldn't know where to start.
He pretended not to be confused about the fact that despite there being a hole slightly on the left side of the chest, the shirt was squeaky clean. Not one drop of blood, not even a slight shade of red or pink that would tarnish the white innocence of the cloth. Maybe Earth became a ghost before blood could even surface from the inside of his body to the surface; maybe that's why.
But Mix's ignorance of the hole didn't erase the hole itself. It was still there. Looking at him, screaming at him to pay attention to it. But Mix was afraid to. He was afraid to find out that Earth suffered. That it was painful. Because of course, it was. But if they don't talk about it, it won't bring pain to Mix and reopen the painful memories for Earth, right?
There was so much Mix still didn't know about Earth. So much he still needed to find out. So much he still wanted to learn. So much there was to ask, to talk about, to cry about, to laugh about...together.
But if Mix wanted any of that to happen, Earth had to show up somewhere, sometimes. Hopefully in the cabin and soon.
Fine, Mix, don't panic. There is no need to. Earth is a ghost. He has been here for over twenty years; he won't get lost. He is probably just hanging out with the bear while you are freaking out here for nothing. Mix shook his head, chuckling at himself. He stepped away from the door, making three quick steps, entering the kitchen area.
His hands shuffled through many different types of tea, not sure which one would his taste buds appreciate the most right now. What's better: green tea with mango and lemon or orange tea with gingerbread?
A few minutes later a strong smell of gingerbread with a hint of orange was spreading all over the cabin, making the place feel even more autumny. Mix grabbed the mug from the kitchen counter went upstairs to choose a book to finally read something and then walked back downstairs sitting on the sofa, wrapping himself in — what became his favourite — fluffy blanket. If Earth could hang out with the bear then Mix was going to hang out with Sherlock Holmes.
.....
The cabin got significantly colder. The day morphed itself into the night. The sun let the moon and the stars be the main actors on the stage called sky. The wind had gotten significantly stronger since the afternoon. And Mix was done reading Sign of Four and in the middle of reading A Study in Scarlet. One hand, holding the book while the fingers of the other rhythmically knocking on the armrest of the sofa.
It was pretty late; the owl clocks on the wall were saying ten minutes past 11 PM and at that point Mix was really trying to stay calm. Just Earth will see when he comes back. Mix had some extremely nice words on his heart that he wanted to tell him. Just so he waits...
"What are you reading?" There came the voice from behind Mix. The voice he was expecting to hear hours ago.
Mix closed his book way stronger than was necessary, before turning towards Earth, "What am I reading? Really? That's what you say first after disappearing for hours without one fucking word about where you are going?"
"Mix," Earth's smile disappeared, as he sat next to Mix.
"Here," Mix shoved the book on Earth's lap," Sherlock Holmes, have fun reading." He stood up, ready to go to sleep.
"Mix, wait. Angel, I'm sorry," Earth's voice was soft, apologetic. He didn't realize that Mix would be so worried about him. Wrong move, Earth!
"Ok," Mix said, with his back towards Earth, he was already making his way upstairs.
"Mix, please...don't be mad."
Mix halted his steps, sighed he sat on the stairs and put his head in his hands, "I'm not mad. I'm...I don't know. I guess I was worried about you. Which," Mix looked up at Earth, "is actually pretty funny considering there is literally nothing that can happen to you. I don't know...just...next time before you decide to hang out with a bear or whatever, just please let me know. Because...because I care about you more than about most people," Mix whispered the last words, almost scared to admit it.
Earth walked to Mix, sitting at the one step lower from the step Mix was sitting on. "You care about me more than about most people?"
Mix closed his eyes before slowly opening them again, looking into Earth's — they were sparkling, he was happy — "this is the only thing you got from what I said?"
"It's the most important part isn't it?"
"I was worried about you. Give some credits to my feelings, would you?"
"I'm giving all the credits to your feelings. They are actually extremely important to me. You are extremely important to me." Earth said, his lighthearted attitude was replaced by a serious and honest tone.
Mix shifted a little, the stairs weren't exactly the most comfortable place to sit at and also Earth's words hit Mix probably harder than words like that should. The sleeves of the hoodie he had on were quite longer than his hand, making it easy for him to hold them in his palms, comforting himself. "Earth, about what happened during our picnic. Ummm, about what I almost said—"
"You don't have to say it, Mix. If you don't feel it, don't say it. I understand—"
Mix shook his head, his palms squeezing the sweater paws as hard as possible, "I want to say it."
There was a sudden silence between them, filled only with Mix's fast heartbeat and breathing. Mix raised his eyes from his sweater paws, focusing them on Earth. And it caught him off guard a little bit. Earth looked vulnerable. It wasn't a particular thing that made Earth look vulnerable. It was more the feeling Mix got when his eyes met with Earth's.
Can my love truly mean so much to someone? Mix bit his lips, about to say those words. He had the last chance to back away...but he couldn't. It was too strong to back away.
