Truly Madly Ghostly

Chapter Five : A Near Miss

Charlotte's heart beat a mile a minute in the stunning fear of what she just witnessed. Perspiration dotted on her forehead and neck, breathing came out labored from her mouth.

"What the hell just happened!" Her voice was scratchy as she finally found it and yelled, "How? Alex?!"

Like clouds clearing off the sky, Alex's face was suddenly wiped off of all emotions. It made her feel like she was losing something precious.

Charlotte didn't know whether to mourn the loss, run like hell or stand her ground and wait for an explanation.

But as Alex stood up and stepped away from her slowly, she got the time to remember something very important. And as she remembered it, everything became crystal clear.

Charlotte's entire body shook as a belly deep laughter traveled up the length of guts and throat before slipping out her mouth. The laughter continued and soon she was almost howling by the force of it--shaking still sprawled onto the floor, disheveled and with tears streaming down her face.

She saw Alex staring down at her with utter confusion.

"I saw you—," with great difficulty, she managed to say between laughter. "I saw you going invisible--zap, and then you were back—zip, then you were gone again—so fast, and then again you came back—zap zip zap zip zap. Bloody hell, Alex," she choked. "I'm so bloody drunk!"

Alex's face relaxed.

Charlotte began to lift herself up off the floor, shaking her head, with the fits of laughter now easing out a bit.

As much as she would love the company of Alex, she knew she needed to go inside and sleep all the alcohol off of her system. No use watching more weird things and making a crazy monkey out of herself in front of the man who routinely and relentlessly made her blush.

"A gentleman would have given a hand, you know," she commented to a quiet Alex, noticing his clear disinterest in helping her up.

It was either he was not the chivalrous kind of guy--which would be quite a shame, or perhaps she was stinking of alcohol way too much for him to want to come any near. She felt like it was more the latter.

Embarrassment filled her.

Her blurry gaze located the purse about her feet, almost toppling over herself she picked it up.

An uncomfortable silence reigned while she found her keys and scurried over with wobbling steps to open her door.

Alex's eyes were still on her, that she could feel, but unlike other times she just wanted to get away from it--from him. The fact that he was seeing her in one of her worst moments, made her just want to die in shame.

What must he be thinking of her?

"Goodnight, Alex," not looking back at him she mumbled over her shoulder.

She waited for a couple of long moments, waiting, but he didn't even say anything back.

Sighing, at last, she closed the door behind her and for some reason, the soft click felt like a nail being hammered in place within her. Disappointment made her chest feel heavy.

It is general knowledge that a guy who is interested in a girl would never pass a chance to charm her, never letting go of the opportunity presented to prove himself as a potential knight.

But Alex wouldn't even touch her.

Stumbling near her mattress, face sullen—Charlotte lifted an arm and sniffed underneath. It was true she reeked of alcohol if not a sweating pig.

Groaning, Charlotte let herself drop face-first onto her mattress. The darkness of sleep greeted her almost immediately, but right before she could completely lose herself in it—every single pore of her skin tingled in alarm. For suddenly there was a chill in the air that had been absent when she entered her apartment.

Goosebumps erupted at the back of her neck, and shivering, she snuggled further into the covers.

She thought she heard a voice coming as though from a hollow tunnel, "Goodnight, Char..."

Might be just another hallucination of her drunk mind—this time auditory. But no matter what, the soft smile of contentment was inevitable in her mouth.

And so, the cold spread like a blanket over her, the dark encased like a cocoon around. Merging were the lines that were meant to be but perhaps would have no future in their fate. 

~

A/N:

That was a short update. Because sometimes, I'll give it in small but fast dosages. ;) Hopefully you guys enjoyed it? Lemme know!

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Lots of love,
Lara.