Hide & Seek [Mile x Apo] [MileApo]

Part Two

Vibrancy with a sprinkle of elegance.

Charm with a hint of passion.

He remembered when there was life behind these walls. It was truly the only saving grace he had. He remembered when sweet, stimulating music wafted from the large party room that was filled to the brim with all walks of life, all were drawn to the mystique that was Heaven's Island at the time, a town staple. A 'must-see' attraction for any passerby.

The infectious laughter, the splash of radiant silks in reds, golds, and blues that covered the bodies of every patron that entered the room as it swished and swayed with cheerful movement to tantalizing songs, the jewels that the men and women wore as a show of power and pride was awed by all. It was a place to be someone else, even for one night, and when morning came, the spell was over.

Up and coming musicians would practice their music as they knew there was always an audience. Actresses with amateur skills would pull in members to play their games. Dancers would move this way or that to the auspicious applause.

Heaven's Island was the place to be. The starting point.

And now it served as his penitentiary. The never-ending point.

It seemed a grain in the sandglass of time as the seconds streamed into minutes that trickled into hours and inevitably poured into days. Days that he stopped counting. Weeks that he stopped despairing over. Years he stopped yearning for release from this eternity of perpetuated misery. He supposed it could have been worse...at least an optimistic part of him hadn't died along with the others. He had the company of restless spirits equally trapped with him, the occasional villager that dared to step foot onto the property from taunts from other peers or to earn boasting rights. All child's play. They were all promptly spooked at the mere rustling of the trees outside, the creaking of the rusted gates, all the while Apo always watched with amusement in his eyes, perched on a windowsill on the second floor of the house with the calmest of swishes of his tail. It was the only thing to look forward to once a month.

That's right. Tail. A long appendage that he initially wanted to tear off with his own claws and mouth, unsuccessful in his endeavor and eventually time had him accepting this was his reality. Now just an added notch in his metaphorical belt of truths he had to live with.

This was his curse to unjustly bear.

A cat. Not just any cat. A black cat. The epitome of bad luck. The embodiment of curses. Unlovable, undesirable, and unnoticed. Apo really hadn't thought he'd deserved this, even after years had passed since that day, he let his thoughts linger from time to time. The nostalgia of the house he was bound to hit him harder closer to the full moon, when he could breathe in the air into his human lungs and let his bare feet touch the grass he desired; it was as if he was alive again.

"Apo."

"Daw," The feline bowed his head, not moving from his perch, his mouth didn't move either. His way of communicating with the wandering souls was via telepathy, small graces, and loopholes to his curse. He had supposed it was due to the fact that he was neither alive nor dead that it gave him the chance to speak as he could. Letting out a cat-like yawn, Apo just turned to look back out the window, "What is it?"

A cool hand pressed to Apo's back, prickling the ends of the black fur, making golden eyes glare back in retaliation and a shimmery figure only offered a smile, "I wish I could feel your fur. It looks really soft."

"You say this every other day. And every other day I tell you not to do that. You're cold as ice. It takes forever to warm up," A paw lifted to bat at the see-through apparition; however, Apo shifted his form to face Daw now as it seemed his attention was desired, "You have my attention."