A Christmas Tale

Tet's Story 3: A Warm Ending

The woman dabs her mouth with a napkin before walking outside to the bench. She sits down, the winter air chilling down her spine as she waits there. She takes a sip of her tea, holding the cup with both hands to warm her palms as she brushes along a nearby tree. "It's colder than I expected, maybe I shouldn't have sent her outside for a breather." She kicks at the ground slightly, small specs of snow picking up and landing a couple of inches away. "I wonder if there's any merit to this theory..." the woman pulls the folded paper out from her pocket again, holding it to the sky as it begins to snow. It starts slow, becoming quite heavy as time goes on. She continues to sit, the icy cold substance pilling onto her head as she looks to her right. "How are you on this fine evening?" She spots the spirit who promptly looks around before pointing at himself. "It's rare that anyone pays me any heed, I am well thank you. What about thy self?" The spirit responds with no hesitation as the woman smiles "I've just found a way to get all the answers I need about a case I'm working on so that's pretty good. I was at a standstill until a moment ago." The woman speaks clearly, almost as if she's talking down to the spirit despite the words being a friendly conversation. "Oh? How have you done that?" He raises his eyebrow, keeping his hands in his pockets as he finally turns to fully face her. "Tell me, why is snow not piling up on your shoulders?" The woman gets up and dusts the snow from her clothes, forgetting about a small amount that lays on top of her head. The spirit raises his hand out of his pocket and in front of him as he begins to interact with the frozen water "Well, I guess the jig is up for me then. I'm sure you'll get what you need soon." He says as he fades into thin air, dropping the snow that had accumulated in his palm as she lets out a small laugh. "This may not be completely over after all." She walks back into the building to notice her plates had been cleared away and a new cup of tea has been placed in its stead "That maid just doesn't know how to relax." The woman shakes her head disappointedly as she picks up the new beverage, leaving her old cup on the counter as she leaves the dining room for her bedroom. She walks up the stairs and knocks on the maid's door but there's no response... She knocks again but there was no one as she begins to think "I did ask her to get some rest so I'll come by later." Her mind wanders through her plan once before her limbs seem to move on their own, throwing themselves at the door before tearing it open "I have a request..."

"I can't believe she wants me to get some rest..." The maid sighs as she leaves the woman in the dining hall. "It's unforgivable that I must take pity from the one that I've been employed to serve." She begins walking down the hall before she hears the door to the garden open. She sneaks back to the door, opening it slightly to see the woman making her way through the bushes. The maid's eyes race around the room, peering around for anyone else before spotting the dishes on the table. "If she doesn't see me doing it then I should be fine." The maid pinches the top of her dress, pulling it off the floor as she jogs over to the plates. She grabs her platter, placing the china onto it before walking over to the sink. She places them inside, beginning to clean as she feels a chill down her spine "I'm sorry Mrs, I just don't feel as though I should..." She spins around, quickly pausing as she notices the one behind her is larger than she was expecting. She jumps, seeing the ghost as he bows towards her "I apologise for my intrusion but aren't you on your break?" He speaks as the maid dries her hands on a nearby towel. "How did you get inside? This is highly illegal so leave now." She is forceful, still no fear in her voice as she sounds like she's ready to die at any moment. "There is no need, why don't you escort me yourself?" The ghost challenges her as she grabs at him immediately, her hand making no collision as it passes straight through his wrist. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" She shouts as he then proceeds to walk through the dining room door as he begins to make his way to the maid's room. The maid charges alongside him, leaving the dishes half done as the ghost turns to the stairway and walks up it. He walks through the maid's door without a word, the maid quickly pulling the handle towards her to find him sitting on her bed, patting a spot next to him. She reluctantly obliges, still not fully comprehending what he is until he begins to speak again. "I want to apologise again, the reason you feel so sick is because I entered your body and compressed your soul for a couple of minutes and you're just fitting your hands back into your sleeves so to speak." She stares at him confused "It really was you that lay me down here then..." She clenches her fist, her knuckles turning slightly white as she thinks back "You're the reason I didn't fulfil the master's order." The ghost lowers his head "Actually I did, fortunately I know enough about what you were researching to give an adequate response." She turns to him completely, staring at his face as she recognises him faintly once more. "Wait... you're the one I was looking into aren't you?" The maid thinks back to the painting, her mind clearing of doubt as the ghost nods slowly "I am her great-grandfather who died at the age of seventy-two..." The ghost looks saddened before the maid claps her hands together, you can tell me everything. Better yet, you can tell her." The ghost's eyes light up before a voice enters through the floor "That would be impossible; A ghost can't show themselves to family." The spirit rises from the floor and the ghost frowns again, slamming his fist into his knee "That can't be true, why would such a thing be enforced?" The maid stares at him with confusion "Who are you talking to?" The ghost's eyes open, "What are your family names?"

...Kie and Cb look at each other and then at Tet who promptly shrugs. "Sorry, I avoided names... It says you're related so just figure something out"...

"Jaitué." They both say at once as the ghost looks at them in surprise. "If that's truly the case then I cannot show myself to the house's owner. I'm sorry." The ghost puts his hand by his leg as the maid places her hand through his. "Then you can possess my body for an hour then, surely that shall be enough time." The spirit smiles "I told you that being kind will get you your consent." The ghost picks up his hand and places it on top of the maid's as he disappears. The maid's hand becomes warm as she looks around, the room becoming empty as her body moves on its own. She pulls back, stopping herself as she gets up, she still has control but her body feels warm as though someone was holding her from behind. She lets go, spotting a cat peeking through the door with a smile cracking along his face as the door swings open "I have a request, next time you see an old man, grab him for me. I have a couple of words for him." She pauses, noticing a paper on the desk which she quickly glances at "How exactly did you say my grandfather died?" The maid's mouth moves without action to respond, imitating her speech perfectly "It was by a blunt force to the back of the head Mrs, as I said yesterday." The woman jumps forward, hugging the maid as her spirit blushes and the ghost becomes confused "This is a rare occasion?" The maid says as the woman continues to smile "Grandpa please stop acting like my maid, it's strange." Both the maid and the ghost freeze, unsure of what to do as the embrace continues. The maid forces her body to hug back, giving a smug look to the ghost who takes control back moments later "I'm sorry I didn't let you know sooner..." "Don't be, I'm guessing that she can't see her father either so my guess is that it's a little hard to show yourself to family. The maid pulls herself back "My father is here?" The woman nods "So she's still present is she?" The maid nods as the woman kicks backwards, hitting through the spirit that only shakes his head "I see what you're trying to do but it's not your place to medal. "...though it seems that he's a little reluctant to come and say hello." She scowls backwards as the spirit waves to the ghost "I'll wait outside for you to finish." The maid's head nods as the spirit leaves and the ghost stands tall "What is it that you want to ask of me before I am to leave my child?" "You're on a time limit huh? I was just hoping you could stay for dinner and talk." The woman replies cheerily "...after all, I'm guessing you've kept my maid away from her food for long enough." The afternoon bell tolls once as the ghost thinks to reject only being stopped by the maid nodding her head for him. 'It's for your own sake' the maid thinks as the ghost receives her message and joyfully grunts 'is that so?' The woman grabs the maid's wrist "Great! I'll be cooking today then; I have a bit of a surprise in store." The maid thinks to protest but suddenly can't move a finger 'it's for my own good?' she thinks 'it's for your own good' he replies as they move back down to the table and the woman gets into the kitchen and begins to make her surprise. The story concludes here as a small roasted bird is laid onto the table and the three talk for the remainder of the ghost's time in the house. They ended up avoiding the topic of death but the woman felt like she had all the answer's she needed as she looks back at the picture that the maid had given her, it must have been tough to not see her father after what she's heard but it couldn't be helped, he just didn't want to appear for reasons of shame I'd expect. A small house cat runs out of the door with the spirit and the ghost, rising to the sky as they should have decades ago as it begins to snow once more, coating the trees with white as the not so regular family member leaves their great granddaughter's house for the other side with the greatest gift of all: a full stomach...

"...food really? What a copout ending..." Everyone looks up at Tet as she chews another sandwich "What, I'm hungry." She gestures to her half of the remaining sandwich before everyone begins to laugh... "I guess the greatest gift isn't 'family' or 'a warmed heart' then." Luke speaks up as Ol smirks at him "It makes sense within the context of you." He winks and Luke rolls his eyes at him "At least I know how to wear a jacket before leaving." They begin a back and forth as the scripts are handed around and everyone sees how far they drove it away from the original story.