The Apparition || Bad Omens || Noah Sebastian

Chapter seven

The car door closed with a sharp noise, but Noah remained seated for a few seconds, staring into space. Principal Sullivan's words kept echoing in his mind: assault. He wasn't prepared for this, he hadn't even imagined it. Ruby had never mentioned it. Sure, she admitted to having memory lapses, but it couldn't be that simple.

The familiar light shiver on his shoulder let him know Ruby was back. She didn’t fully manifest, not at that moment, but Noah could feel her presence. It had almost become a habit, a constant presence. Yet, this time something was different: Ruby was restless.

“You know that sooner or later you'll have to tell me everything,” he said, breaking the silence.

“It’s not that easy.” Her voice was a whisper next to his ear. “Some memories… they don’t come back the way they should. Maybe I don’t even want them to.”

Noah turned towards the seat beside him, where Ruby was slowly materializing, like mist taking shape. Her face, usually ironic and distant, was shadowed by something more serious, almost painful.

“I didn’t remember the assault,” she confessed. “But… now that the principal mentioned it, something stirs inside me. It’s like part of me wants to remember, but another part… is scared.”

Noah nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Did you know Michael’s father just got out of prison?”

Ruby turned sharply toward him, her pale face reflecting slight confusion, or at least that’s how it seemed to Noah. “His father? No, I didn’t… I didn’t even remember he was in prison.”

Noah nodded again, suppressing the urge to ask more questions. He didn’t want to push Ruby, but he knew they had to move forward.

“You didn’t think things were this complicated, did you?” Ruby raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm returning to her voice. “Maybe you’re more naive than I thought.”

Noah chuckled, a light sound that briefly broke the tension. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

A few hours later, Noah found himself in front of Michael’s house. It was exactly as he had expected: a small, dilapidated home, with tall grass and dirty windows. There was something oppressive in the air, as if the house itself had held onto the pain and anger of its inhabitants for too long.

Ruby hadn’t spoken much during the drive, but now she made her presence felt. “I don’t like this place. I’m not sure I want to remember.”

“If you don’t feel up to it…” Noah paused, turning towards her. But Ruby looked at him, determined.

“I can’t back down now. But be careful.”

With a nod, Noah stepped out of the car and approached the door. He knocked, his heart beating faster than he wanted to admit. After a few seconds, the door slowly opened, revealing a woman with a hollow face and tired eyes. There was something dangerous in the way she looked at him.

“Yes?” she asked, without a trace of warmth.

“I’m Noah, a friend of Ruby. I just wanted to talk for a moment. I know Ruby was very close to your son, Michael.”

The woman pressed her lips together, and for a moment it seemed she wanted to shut the door in his face. Then, with a heavy sigh, she opened it just enough to let him in. “I don’t know what you think you’re going to accomplish by coming here to talk about her. She’s dead. End of the story.”

Noah stepped in, trying to remain calm, but he could feel Ruby beside him, closer than usual, as if she too was on edge. “Just a few questions. Ruby cared a lot about Michael, and I… well, I’d like to do something for him, to help you.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed, as if she were assessing his intentions. “There’s nothing you can do. We don't need another saint of lost causes in this house”

Ruby stirred next to him. “Noah, there’s something wrong with this place. I don’t like it. Be careful.”

Noah gave a subtle nod, knowing he had to appear as sane as possible, and talking to a ghost didn’t exactly help his case.

“Can I ask what happened between you two? I’ve heard something about a fight outside the school.”

The woman scoffed, and for the first time, Noah noticed she was wearing a work uniform. It looked like a bar uniform, and the name tag on her shirt read ‘Jen.’

Noah also noticed a photo of Ruby with Michael hanging above the fridge behind the woman. It was different from the one he had in his car. They appeared to be at a theme park, and both Ruby and Michael had big smiles on their faces and an ice cream in their hands.

He noticed a small crack in the center of the photo, a sign that someone had torn it and someone else had put it back together with clear tape.

“More than a fight. I broke that bitch’s face. All prim and proper, born into a family with no problems, and she had the nerve to judge me, working night shifts to support my son,” she said, stressing the word ‘my.’

"Noah, leave" Ruby said. She was scared.

Noah could sense all the pent-up anger in the woman in front of him, and he was sure it wasn’t just healthy social envy.

“She thought she was special because she packed him fresh fruit snacks or paid for his school trips. I never asked that woman for a penny; she always did it all on her own. Michael stopped even calling me ‘mom,’” the anger in her voice slowly turned into sadness. “And now that she’s dead, everyone’s made a saint out of her.”

“Excuse me for interrupting, but I feel like there’s more to it. From what you’re saying, Ruby only did good for your family.”

Jen burst into a loud, bitter laugh that had nothing amused about it. “Sure, only good,” she said, ending the laugh with a sigh. “Hell, were you fucking her too, to defend her like that?”

Noah’s face twisted in confusion, and he felt Ruby’s presence leave the room. “Excuse me?”

“What’s the matter, you didn’t know? That whore was sleeping with my husband.”