Presence hurried to meet KK, her mind spinning like a carnival ride gone haywire. The revelation of Funi and Anthony's affair hit her like a sucker punch, adding a twist worthy of a soap opera to their already tangled drama.
Her thoughts raced, each one more outrageous than the last. Could this affair be the key to unlocking the mystery of Kel's death? The idea seemed too absurd, too "made-for-TV" to be real. Surely, even in the depths of jealousy and desire, a person wouldn't cross that line. Would they?
But then again, she mused, isn't that what we always say before someone does the unthinkable? History is full of people who took that one step too far, who let their darkest impulses drive them over the edge.
As she walked, each step felt like a move on a giant chessboard where she couldn't see all the pieces. She sidestepped a group of students engrossed in conversation, her mind spinning with the weight of her newfound knowledge. The secret was too heavy to carry alone but too dangerous to share.
She glanced around, watching the bustling campus life continue as if nothing had changed. Presence realized that sometimes, knowing the truth doesn't bring clarity – it just muddies the waters further. She was now a reluctant player in a game where the stakes were life and death, and she had no idea how to win.
Her heart ached for Kel. She remembered his ghostly form, his love for Funi radiating even in death. The Kel who had placed Funi on a pedestal so high, it touched the stars. How would he react if he knew the truth? The thought was a dagger twisting in her gut.
With each step, the weight of her newfound knowledge seemed to grow heavier. She was now carrying not just the mystery of Kel's death and the ominous warning in the letter, but also this ticking time bomb of Funi and Anthony's affair.
It was like being handed the script to a tragedy and realizing you're not just an observer, but a key player. Presence felt the universe shifting around her, realigning itself with this new reality. She was now the keeper of secrets that could shatter worlds – Kel's, Funi's, Anthony's, and maybe even her own.
In that moment, Presence understood that sometimes knowledge isn't power – it's a burden. A responsibility she never asked for but couldn't ignore.
Kel's voice called out, a spectral echo in the bustling campus. Guilt-ridden, Presence quickened her pace, clutching her bag like a shield against unwanted truths.
Suddenly, Kel materialized before her. Presence yelped, muscle memory bracing for impact before she phased through him. She turned to find his familiar smile, a lighthouse in her storm of emotions.
"Didn't you hear me?" Kel asked, his ghostly form radiating warmth that now felt like sunburn on Presence's conscience.
Presence stood mute, eyes downcast, her silence heavier than any words.
Undeterred, Kel plowed on, "Got your phone? Sorry I didn't tag along. Had to check out the commotion. Toons just escaped detention and he's spinning quite the yarn-"
Presence felt the universe's cruel sense of irony. Here was Kel, oblivious and chatty, while she carried the weight of his betrayal. It was like being stuck in a tragicomedy where she was both audience and unwilling actor.
The campus buzzed around them, students rushing past, possibly unaware or unbothered that ogbanje girl was doing the normal. Presence stood at a crossroads - one path led to brutal honesty, the other to protective silence. Both seemed equally treacherous.
As Kel's words washed over her, Presence's gaze drifted to a group of students laughing by the fountain. She realized that sometimes the hardest part of knowing a secret isn't keeping it—it's deciding whether the truth would hurt more than the lie.
Unable to bear the casual conversation in light of what she now knew, Presence abruptly cut him off. "I'm late for my revision class," she said hurriedly, her voice tight with suppressed emotion. "I'll see you later."
As the words left her mouth, Presence felt a pang of guilt. Kel's ghostly face registered surprise and a hint of concern at her unusual behavior.
"Are you okay?" Kel asked, his brow furrowing with worry.
Presence nodded quickly, her eyes darting everywhere but Kel's face. "Yeah, just... exam stress."
Finally, she met his gaze, summoning strength like a magician pulling rabbits from a hat. Kel's warm brown eyes searched hers, a ghostly lie detector she desperately hoped would malfunction. Presence conjured a smile, harmless and cute, while her heart performed gymnastics for reasons she couldn't quite name.
"Kel, I have a life to get back to. I've done what you asked," she said.
"Yes, but..." Kel began.
"You want to hang," Presence finished, scoffing and shaking her head.
As they stood there, an odd pair of the living and the dead, Presence realized that sometimes the hardest goodbyes are the ones we don't want to say, to people we can't bear to hurt. She was caught between the rock of loyalty and the hard place of truth, with no easy way out.
The world kept spinning, students rushed by, and Presence stood at the precipice of a decision that felt both monumental and mundane. In the grand scheme of things, what was one little white lie to a ghost? And yet, why did it feel like the weight of the world?
Kel just stared at her, and Presence looked back, exhaustion evident in her eyes. "Kel, I have exams in 2 days... I can't afford to 'hang' now."
Hurt flickered across Kel's ghostly features before he masked it with humor. "Yeah, sure, I understand," he said, his tone lightening as he joked, "You need to keep that overachiever persona of yours going. We'd hate to put that in jeopardy."
Presence smiled, grateful for the lifeline of levity. "See you around, Kel," she said, turning away. After a few steps, she looked back. "Maybe give Funi some space. Let her heal, move on. Anthony too."
Kel's smile held a hint of sadness. "Sure."
As Presence moved away, a cool breeze rustled the leaves. She walked backward, keeping Kel in sight. She added with a grin, "Maybe after my exams, we could hang and play ghost detectives."
Kel mirrored her grin, the shared moment of levity a stark contrast to the weight of secrets between them.
As Presence turned and walked away, her heart felt like a stone in her chest, heavy with unspoken words and unexpected emotion. Even with Kel still in sight, a peculiar sense of loss washed over her. She missed him already, a feeling as bewildering as missing a song you've only heard once.
Her emotions tangled like headphones left too long in a pocket—a confusing mess that, despite the frustration, held an odd beauty in its complexity. She almost collided with a student who mumbled an apology, jolting her back to the present. Each feeling was a separate wire, distinct yet hopelessly intertwined with the others, creating a tapestry of confusion that she couldn't begin to unravel.
The path ahead loomed like a tightrope walk over a canyon of complications. On one side, her studies and the life she knew and wanted; on the other, a mystery wrapped in secrets and tied with the ribbon of her growing attachment to a ghost. It all seemed as impossible as trying to catch moonlight in a jar.
The campus bustled around her, a reminder that life goes on, oblivious to personal revelations and ghostly goodbyes. Yet for Presence, the world had shifted on its axis. She walked forward, carrying the weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future, into days that promised to be anything but ordinary.
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YOU ARE READING
Ghosting You
ParanormalCaught between life and death, a ghost must uncover the truth of his death while falling for a living girl.
